A new Walking Beam Furnace (WBF) replaced three reheat furnaces that used technology from the 1960s and 1970s. The new high-efficiency furnace is equipped with the latest technology and is built longer than most designed by Tenova, making it one of the longest in the United States.

The furnace is eco-friendly, using 25-30% less gas and reducing stack emissions. Its advanced technology and design contribute to this. The furnace can accept a 380-inch slab, whereas the old furnaces were limited to 360-inch slabs, allowing the rolling mill to make full-size coils from a thinner slab. On average, the furnace will accommodate 42 slabs with a 2-inch spacing between each slab.

The slabs' top and bottom temperature uniformity will reduce the turn-up and turn-down on the mill. With the old furnace, slabs were pushed across the hearth before exiting. Now, slabs will no longer have significant temperature differences from skid marks that cause narrow width deviations at the finishing mill. This is most significant as the new WBF technology gently picks up slabs and sets them down, significantly reducing surface defects and creating new market opportunities for the company.

About NLMK Group

NLMK Group is a vertically integrated steelmaking company, the largest in Russia and one of the most efficient steel producers in the world.

NLMK Group’s steel products are used in various industries, from construction and machine building to the manufacturing of power-generation equipment and offshore wind turbines.

NLMK operates production facilities in Russia, Europe and the United States. The Company’s steel production capacity exceeds 14.5 million tonnes per year.

For more information on NLMK Group, please visit our website.

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