Aceros Arequipa places SMS equipment order

Peru-based Corporación Aceros Arequipa SA has signed a contract with Düsseldorf, Germany-based SMS Group entailing the delivery of a new vacuum tank degasser to Acercos Arequipa’s Pisco, Peru, electric arc furnace (EAF) steel mill.

The degasser will be integrated into the already delivered SMS Group melt shop and enable the Peruvian steelmaker to widen its production in terms of quantity and quality, according to SMS.

The degassing process is designed to achieve the lowest possible level of hydrogen content in the steel, which can help a mill produce “top-quality high-carbon grades for grinding balls,” says SMS. Nitrogen removal and oxygen control also are important factors for the production of  special bar quality (SBQ) grades of steel, adds the equipment provider.

Aceros Arequipa manufactures long and flat steel products, including corrugated sheet, wire, steel sections, bars and pipes, plus tool steels and hardware for the construction, civil engineering and mining industries. In addition to supplying the Peruvian market, the company exports its products to Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia and the United States.

The new plant will allow Aceros Arequipa to expand its presence in the national market and in South America, and to supply higher-quality products, says SMS.

“The full integration of the new vacuum degasser into the electric steelmaking route will set a new benchmark in South American steelmaking: for the very first time, both high productivity and high quality come together in a compact and optimized layout,” states SMS.

The equipment firm expects the commissioning of the degasser to take place in early 2022.