August 25, 2014
ArcelorMittal continues its programme of investment in Duisburg. The group has invested around €200 million since 2010, including €135 million on the new wire rod mill alone. With this plant – the latest plant of its type in the world – the plant also has enough reserve capacity for future extensions to process new steels for the automotive industry and renewable energy and machine industry applications. In addition, the new wire rod mill can process high-strength and ultra-high-strength steels, as latest technologies enable thermo-mechanical rolling processes. In parallel, a new factory laboratory has been installed for quality assurance of product analyses.
Currently, ArcelorMittal is continuing to invest in the Ruhrort site. The changeover to a symmetrical format for continuous casting line 2 offers customers in the automotive supply sector high-quality steel ingots for producing forgings. For example, these include gearbox parts that create less vibration in the engine and therefore reduce noise emissions.
“We are investing €6.5 million in the format change in order to adapt the plant to future requirements, to offer flexibility in more product sectors and to increase our competitiveness. After construction of the new wire rod mill, this is the next step towards securing the future of jobs and steel production in Duisburg,” commented Mr. Thorsten Brand, CEO, ArcelorMittal Duisburg.
Higher quality and more environmentally friendly
The planned investments will be used to change over the mould format of continuous casting line 2 from the current 265×385 mm (rectangular) to 320×320 mm (square). At the same time, this will improve the rolling tolerance, which will enhance the quality of the product.
The new format will also extend ArcelorMittal’s product range and increase the flexibility of customers who process the steel to make forged parts such as gearboxes, crankshafts, gear wheels or axles, predominantly for use in commercial vehicles.
The investment delivers forgings made from semi-products at ArcelorMittal Duisburg, which will meet the highest requirements of the strict European guidelines on noise emissions for commercial vehicles.
Preparations for the investment project have already begun. Refitting of the plant will take place in the middle of 2015.
ArcelorMittal’s Duisburg site supplies semi-products for forging as well as high-strength and ultra-high-strength wire rods for the automotive industry and renewable energy applications (for example, offshore wind farms) for fastening elements and machine building.
