A new out-of-furnace steel processing unit was launched at Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) oxygen converter shop on February 19, 2010.

MMK PR Department reports the modern hi-tech unit is part of a bigger system meant for manufacturing new, competitive products that meet all the global standards (including the requirements for pipe steel with strength index up to Х120). The launch of the unit will make it possible to use the company’s CC machine No.6 for producing at least 2 million tons of slabs a year; the slabs will then be used in thick plate production at Mill 5000.

MMK and SMS MEVAC, the German machine-building concern, signed the agreement for the delivery of all the needed machinery in July 2007. OAO Magnitogorskiy Gipromez acted as the project’s chief designer and ZAO Stroykompleks, OAO Prokatmontazh, and OAO PO Montazhnik were chosen as the general contractors.

‘Once the new unit has been launches, MMK can manufacture steels for high-quality pipes and automobile steels whose carbon and sulfur contents come to 0.003% and 0.001%, respectively. Also, our new dust-trapping and gas purification facility is expected to reduce the level of dust emission in our oxygen converter shop,’ MMK reports.