NLMK makes equipment investment in Indiana

A capital investment project at the Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) electric arc furnace (EAF) mill in Portage, Indiana, has involved the installation of mill equipment provided by London-based Primetals Technologies Ltd.

NLMK Indiana recently restarted a 118-ton-capacity EAF after it was shut down for six weeks to undergo the installation process, and a single-point roof lift system and an integrated gantry, both provided by Primetals, were added.

“With this solution, operator safety is improved when replacing small roofs or lifting the roof, as direct contact with the roof is no longer required when disconnecting the chain,” Primetals says. “Within four days [after restart], the furnace reached an astonishing 21 heats per day and has maintained a steady performance since then, now exceeding the 5,000 heat mark.”

The NLMK Indiana mill is one of two EAF plants operated in the United States by the Russia-based metals producer, with the other being in Farrell, Pennsylvania.

In Indiana, NLMK says it can produce up to 770,000 metric tons annually of liquid steel, using buckets of scrap, prepared to designate a specific grade, that are lowered into the furnace. The facility has additional downstream rolling and tube production capacity.

Several years ago, decision-makers at NLMK Indiana began exploring how to improve safety and simplify the maintenance procedures performed by EAF operators in a process that eventually involved cooperation with Primetals.

As a result of the investment, the small furnace cover can be replaced much faster, now taking less than an hour, according to Primetals, which adds that as a result, the arc furnace requires less downtime for repairs.

“The scope of supply included a new tilting frame, conductive cross arms, roller bearings, a single-point furnace cover lifting system with integrated gantry, the furnace cover, the hydraulic system and a Level 1 automation system for the hydraulic system," the company continues. "Some parts of the existing equipment (such as the lower and upper furnace shells) could be reused.”

Primetals Technologies, a portfolio company of Japan-based Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., has approximately 7,000 employees worldwide and acts as a provider of technologies, products and services, including integrated electrical automation, digitalization and environmental solutions.