A highly innovative 3-strand slab caster has been hot-commissioned at Hebei Jinxi Steel.

This continuous caster will hot-charge its slabs to downstream rolling production.

Its projected annual output will be 2.30 million tonnes of qualified slabs.

CISDI’s most advanced tech and products have been applied and represent the latest advancements in China’s state-of-the-art continuous casting sector:

- The tundish is equipped with a large-capacity ‘dam and weir’ to control the flow of liquid steel. As a result, the liquid steel’s temperature difference is within four deg. C among the three strands and casting stability and uniform quality are ensured.

- The mould’s hydraulic oscillator is operating stably and reliably. No alarm or fault has been reported since the caster‘s startup.

- The caster has been designed with improved inter-strand service space and an enclosed, isolated system, which gives maintenance workers easier access and thereby extends the service life of critical equipment.

- The fully-enclosed secondary cooling exhaustion system features a large draught and ensures zero steam emission.

- An intelligent transfer car control system has improved travel stability and reliability and reduced manpower requirements.

Thanks to close collaboration and organisation between CISDI and Jinxi Steel, civil work, equipment installation, piping flushing, electrical and automation tests and individual and combined commissioning were completed in 135 days. Practical hot commissioning occurred a week ahead of schedule.

The project was completed in record time for a project of this kind in China.

In a letter of thanks to CISDI, Jinxi commented: ‘We are very grateful to CISDI’s leadership for prioritising our slab caster project and thank their team for the diligence and intelligence they devoted to every milestone in this project.’

Teams celebrate the successful hot-commissioning of 3-strand CCM at Jinxi Steel

Jinxi Steel’s 3-strand caster goes on stream for ramp-up