ATLANTA -- Siemens announced today it was awarded a contract by Steel Dynamics, Inc. (SDI), to engineer and manufacture a new 4-strand billet/bloom casting machine for its Structural and Rail Division in Columbia City, Ind. Start-up of the casting machine is slated to occur during the first quarter of 2009. The contract amount has not been disclosed.
This project is part of the $75 million investment approved by SDI’s Board of Directors in July 2007 to increase the mill’s combined production capacity for structural steel and rail product to 2 million tons annually.
With the addition of this second caster at the Columbia City facility, SDI will be able to provide steel to both of its rolling mills, each with a planned production capacity of 1 million tons per year. The design of the new casting machine will enable SDI to produce high quality rails at its Columbia City facility.
The new Siemens supplied 4-strand billet/bloom caster will introduce several technological innovations to North America for billet and bloom casting; including the first Dynamic Soft Reduction application and the first DynaGap (2 module) unit for bloom casting.
Siemens will provide engineering and equipment, including plate molds, external MEMS, hydraulic oscillation, air-mist secondary cooling and DynaSpeed Metallurgical Cooling Model, DynaGap soft reduction, cassette-type soft reduction units, full level II system and technological models, and Siemens modular PLC architecture. SDI is responsible for construction and installation. The Siemens caster will be installed initially with four strands and designed for expansion to five strands as warranted by market conditions.
“SDI currently has several projects underway with Siemens,” said Kevin Perala, SDI Columbia City – Manager Melting & Casting. “We chose Siemens based on its proven technology for casting high-quality blooms.”
In March, Siemens announced the award of a contract by SDI to add a fourth strand to an existing three-strand bloom/beam blank caster also at the Columbia City facility. This project is currently scheduled for commissioning in the fourth quarter of 2007.
Steel Dynamics, Inc. is the nation’s fifth largest producer of carbon steel products with 2006 annual revenues of $3.4 billion and annual shipments of 4.7 million tons. SDI’s steel manufacturing operations consist of five electric-furnace mini-mills and these facilities employ approximately 2,500 individuals.
About Siemens
In the U.S., Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc. represents the I&S Group within Siemens AG. I&S is the systems and solutions integrator for industrial and infrastructure facilities and global service provider for the plant and projects business covering planning, installation and operation across the entire life cycle. I&S uses its own products, systems and process technologies to enhance productivity and improve the competitiveness of companies in metallurgy, water treatment, pulp and paper, oil and gas, marine engineering, open-cast mining, airport logistics, postal automation, intelligent traffic systems and industrial services. In fiscal 2006 (to September 30), I&S employed a total of 36,200 people worldwide and achieved total sales of EUR 8.819 billion, according to U.S. GAAP. For more information, please visit:
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Siemens AG (NYSE:SI) is one of the largest global electronics and engineering companies with reported worldwide sales of $107.4 billion in fiscal 2006. Founded nearly 160 years ago, the company is a leader in the areas of Medical, Power, Automation and Control, Transportation, Information and Communications, Lighting, Building Technologies, Water Technologies and Services and Home Appliances. With its U.S. corporate headquarters in New York City, Siemens in the USA has sales of $21.4 billion and employs approximately 67,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Eleven of Siemens' worldwide businesses are based in the United States. With its global headquarters in Munich, Siemens AG and its subsidiaries employ 475,000 people in 190 countries. For more information on Siemens in the United States:
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