SSAB

News from Abroad: Furnace Upgrades, Aluminum Smelters, and Steel-line Expansions

/ HEAT TREAT NEWS

In today’s News from Abroad installment, we highlight several major global developments — from digital furnace upgrades at a steel producer to new aluminum smelter plans and modernization projects at rolling mills and galvanizing lines.

Heat Treat Today partners with two international publications to deliver the latest news, tech tips, and cutting-edge articles that will serve our audience — manufacturers with in-house heat treat. Furnaces International, a Quartz Business Media publication, primarily serves the English-speaking globe, and heat processing, a Vulkan-Verlag GmbH publication, serves mostly the European and Asian heat treat markets.

Digital Upgrade to Strengthen Furnace Control at SSAB’s Finnish Site

The modernisation will be rolled out over a twelve-month period without interrupting production.

“SSAB has selected Fives to modernise the control system of the reheating furnaces at its Raahe site in Finland…SSAB will implement the latest-generation Level 2 control system. The thermal optimiser, Virtuo-R, proposed by Fives, will automate furnace control with precise regulation, significantly reducing manual intervention and ensuring consistent results.”

“Smart Monitoring…will consolidate operational data…through intuitive dashboards. The system will provide real-time performance indicators, enable proactive process and quality monitoring, detect anomalies, and anticipate maintenance needs to enhance both performance and reliability.”

Read more: “Fives Digital Technology to Upgrade SSAB’s Furnace Control” at furnaces-international.com.

Ambitious Aluminum Smelter Project in Ethiopia

With an expected projected timeline of three to four years, the completed plant is expected to operate for up to 50 years.

“RUSAL has signed a memorandum of understanding with Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH) to initiate a large-scale aluminium smelter plant in Ethiopia. The facility is estimated to have an annual production capacity of 500,000 Mt, positioning Ethiopia as a competitive supplier for both regional and global markets. The project is designed to meet growing domestic demand, support industrial development, and significantly reduce foreign currency outflows currently spent on aluminium imports.”

Read more: “RUSAL’s Ethiopian Smelter Project” at furnaces-international.com.

Hot-Mill Modernization Boosts Aluminum Processing Capacity

Manufacturing the gearbox in SMS group’s workshop. Source: SMS Group

“For Gulf Aluminium Rolling Mill B.S.C. (GARMCO), a leading aluminum producer based in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain, SMS group has successfully upgraded the motors and drives in the one-stand reversing hot rolling mill, originally built by a third-party rolling mill supplier…The novel drive system, built to deliver 20 percent higher torque compared to the mill’s original design capacity, has restored GARMCO’s hot rolling mill to full operational capacity and positioned it as a future-ready facility capable of advancing research and development in aluminum hot rolling.”

“The equipment is tailored to meet the rigorous demands of GARMCO’s operations, which include the production of aluminum coils, tread plates, slit coils, and foils for diverse industrial applications such as packaging and heat exchange systems.”

Read more: “SMS Group Expands Aluminum Processing at GARMCO Through Modernization of the Hot Rolling Mill” at heat processing.

New Hot-Dip Galvanizing Line for Ultra-High-Tensile Steel

Bird’s-eye view of the JFE Steel West Japan Works in the Fukuyama district. Source: Primetals Technologies

“Japanese leading steel producer JFE Steel Corporation has placed an order with Primetals Technologies for a new continuous galvanizing line (CGL) at the West Japan Works in the Fukuyama district.

“With alloying capabilities, the new CGL is designed to support the automotive industry’s production of ultra-high-tensile steel sheets, which are crucial for reducing vehicle weight, meeting stricter environmental regulations, and enhancing collision safety standards.”

Read more: “Primetals Technologies Awarded Contract for Hot-Dip Galvanizing Line at JFE Steel” at heat processing.

News from Abroad: Furnace Upgrades, Aluminum Smelters, and Steel-line Expansions Read More »

$74 Million Heat Treat Expansion for Alabama Facility

/ MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS, TEMPERING NEWS

SSAB is investing approximately $74 million to expand its heat treat capacity at its Axis, Alabama facility. The expansion will support the production of premium steel products.

Andy Bramstedt
General Manager
SSAB Alabama
Source: Linkedin

“This expansion will bolster our capacity to produce high-strength steel brands such as Hardox and Strenx and will also increase SSAB Alabama’s truck shipping capacity.” said Andy Bramstedt, general manager of SSAB Alabama.

The project will encompass the construction of a new building equipped with a state-of-the-art tempering furnace, and improvements to the infrastructure.

“We have been working on this investment for a long time, and it is very gratifying to see it come to fruition. This investment will not only expand our capacity for niche products, which are in high demand, but also enable us to offer a broader product range from our Alabama facility,” said Kjell Baeckman, head of Sales Special Steels for SSAB. 

Mobile Chamber
President and CEO
Bradley Byrne
Source: Mobile Chamber

The expansion anticipates the creation of 12 new jobs in the local community.

Mobile Chamber president and CEO Bradley Byrne said, “By expanding production of high-strength, specialized steel, SSAB is reinforcing Mobile County’s role in driving innovation and supplying critical materials to key sectors across North and South America.”

This initiative is set to commence in 2025 and is expected to be completed in 2027.

Press release is available in its original form here.

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News From Abroad: Initiatives, Processing for a Better World

/ AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS, QUENCHING NEWS

In today’s News from Abroad installment, we highlight processing and initiatives that aim to improve operations and improve sustainability. Read more about a method used in the production of parts with complex geometries; a venture to create the world’s first fossil-free, ore-based steel with renewable electricity and green hydrogen; and a production plant that will generate around 9,000 tons of green hydrogen a year to be used for the production of carbon-reduced steel.

Heat Treat Today partners with two international publications to deliver the latest news, tech tips, and cutting-edge articles that will serve our audience – manufacturers with in-house heat treat. Furnaces International, a Quartz Business Media publication, primarily serves the English-speaking globe, and heat-processing, a Vulkan-Verlag GmbH publication, serves mostly the European and Asian heat treat markets.

Press Hardening Prevents Part Deformation

Press hardening neccessary due to part deformation during the rapid cooling phase induced by quenching
Source: Thermi-Lyon

“Press hardening serves a very specific purpose: to prevent part deformation during the rapid cooling phase induced by quenching. This process improves the performance of steels by giving them a martensitic structure without the need for reworking. Designed for high volume production of parts with complex geometries, press hardening is both highly effective and economical….

This process was initially developed for automotive manufacturers, to process large series of parts with complex geometries. In fact, this method is perfectly suited to the processing of large numbers of parts on a production line: since the cooling cycle is automatically programmed, it can be repeated ad infinitum. What’s more, the circulation of quenching fluid around the part held in the press results in uniform, controlled cooling that can easily be reproduced many times over.”

READ MORE: “Focus on Press Hardening and Its Advantages“ at heat-processing.com. 

HYBRIT Platforms Shift to Fossil-Free Steel

An electricity-based process gas heater for the hydrogen-based direct reduction process developed by HYBRIT (Hydrogen Breakthrough Ironmaking Technology)
Source: Kanthal

“Launched in 2016 as a joint venture owned by SSAB, LKAB, and Vattenfall, with support from the Swedish Energy Agency, HYBRIT aims to create the world’s first fossil-free, ore-based steel with renewable electricity and green hydrogen.

This involves shifting from coal-powered blast furnaces that use coal as a reduction medium to a direct reduction process using hydrogen produced via renewable energy. The first HYBRIT pilot plant in Luleå, Sweden, began operations in 2020, with commercial-scale production targeted by 2027.

Kanthal is proud to have contributed to HYBRIT’s groundbreaking journey by developing an electricity-based process gas heater for the hydrogen-based direct reduction process under the name Prothal®. This project showcased the feasibility of fossil-free industrial heating solutions and laid the groundwork for scaling up these technologies to meet the steel industry’s future needs.”

READ MORE: “Innovations by Kanthal Drive the HYBRIT Revolution for Fossil-Free Steel” at heat-processing.com

Largest Green Hydrogen Production Facility Underway

From left: Andrea Prevedello, Global Director Project Management of Green Hydrogen, at ANDRITZ; Walther Hartl, Project Manager of Electrolysis, at ANDRITZ; Sami Pelkonen, Executive Vice President of Green Hydrogen, at ANDRITZ; Gerd Baresch, Managing Director of the Technical Division, SZFG; Thorsten Hinrichs, Head of Pipeline Infrastructure, SZFG
Source: Andritz Group

“On February 12, 2025, the cornerstone was laid for one of the largest production plants for green hydrogen in the whole of Europe.

[Beginning in] 2026, the plant will generate around 9,000 tons of green hydrogen a year to be used for the production of carbon-reduced steel. This will mark the start of the industrial use of hydrogen in SALCOS®-Salzgitter low CO2 steelmaking. SALCOS® is aiming for virtually carbon-free steel production. The 100 MW electrolysis plant will be supplied on an EPC basis by the international technology company ANDRITZ, using the pressurized alkaline electrolysis technology of HydrogenPro.”

READ MORE: “SALCOS®: Cornerstone Laid for the Production of Green Hydrogen” at heat-processing.com

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News From Abroad: Initiatives, Processing for a Better World Read More »

News from Abroad: Growth Via Innovation

/ MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

The growth we’re reporting on in today’s News from Abroad installment is not just about expansions but also modernization and innovation. Read about a continuous galvanizing and annealing line for a Turkish automaker, a new 190-ton EAF set to be one of the largest installations in the world, a next-generation anode furnace to meet sustainability targets, and for reducing CO2 emissions, improving impurity removal capabilities and bringing flexibility in treating secondary materials, and the installation and commissioning of new hot edge inductors for its cold mill rolling line (S5) to address the tight edge issues in aluminum strip that occurred during high-speed rolling.

Heat Treat Today partners with two international publications to deliver the latest news, tech tips, and cutting-edge articles that will serve our audience — manufacturers with in-house heat treat. Furnaces International, a Quartz Business Media publication, primarily serves the English-speaking globe, and heat processing. a Vulkan-Verlag GmbHa publication, serves mostly the European and Asian heat treat markets.

Turkish Auto Maker Expands with Continuous Galvanizing/Annealing Line

View of the Borçelik site

“Turkish steel manufacturer Borçelik has selected international technology group ANDRITZ to supply a combi-line furnace for a new continuous galvanizing and annealing line to produce automotive material. The line will be part of a new cold strip mill complex to be built in Bursa, Gemlik, region. It will supply hot-dip galvanized strip for automotive exposed panels as well as uncoated strip. Start-up at Borçelik is scheduled for the third quarter of 2026. The ANDRITZ scope of supply includes a radiant-tube furnace with annealing and soaking sections and a mixed soaking/slow cooling section followed by ANDRITZ Differential Rapid Jet Cooling.”

READ MORE: “ANDRITZ To Supply Combi-line Furnace to Borçelik, Türkiye” – at heat-processing.com.

Next-Gen Anode Furnace Targets Reduction in CO2 Emissions

Metso’s modernized Anode Furnace

“Metso is launching a next-generation Anode Furnace for reducing CO2 emissions, improving impurity removal capabilities and bringing flexibility in treating secondary materials. The upgraded Anode Furnace features the latest design, advances in process safety, and ease of maintenance. Furthermore, it presents two exciting methods for reducing CO2 emissions. The Anode Furnace delivery scope consists of all key equipment required for operating the furnace. Metso’s holistic competence in smelter process optimization and integration of automation systems ensures that the furnace will be seamlessly integrated into the processing chain in both brownfield and greenfield applications. When combined with services and on-site support, a smooth commissioning and start-up is ensured.”

READ MORE: “Metso Launches Modernized Anode Furnace With Improved Impurity Removal and Innovative Reductant Options To Reduce Emissions” at heatprocessing.com. 

190-Ton EAF Under Construction at SSAB

Oxelösund, where SSAB’s new 190-ton EAF will be installed

“Swedish steelmaker SSAB has chosen plant supplier SMS group for the construction of a new 190-ton EAF, which is set to be one of the largest installations in the world with an upper shell diameter of 9.3 metres. The new EAF, located in Oxelösund, has its first heat scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026 and will lower total CO2 emissions in Sweden by 3%, say the companies. Powered by a 280 MVA transformer, the EAF will also utilize technology to meet the limitations imposed by the grid authority in terms of flicker, power factor, and harmonic distortion. SSAB has also entrusted SMS group with the integration of a direct feed (DF) system from GE Vernova to be fitted in the new furnace at Oxelösund. The technology aims to ensure the new EAF operates smoothly and efficiently without disrupting the grid, thereby contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions.”

READ MORE: “SSAB contracts SMS group to build 190-ton EAF“ at furnaces-international.com.

Hot Edge Inductors for Cold Mill Rolling Line Installed

Hot edge inductors installed by Primetals Technologies at Hulamin’s cold mill rolling line (S5) in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

“Primetals Technologies have signed the final acceptance certificate (FAC) with aluminum producer Hulamin following the installation and commissioning of new hot edge inductors for its cold mill rolling line (S5) in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. This upgrade aims to address the tight edge issues in aluminum strip that occurred during high-speed rolling, leading to improved product quality. The moving induction heating head assembly has been installed on the exit side of the mill, below the exit delivery table. These assemblies are positioned close to the roll surface, just outside of the strip width, effectively counteracting the thermal camber that causes tight edge issues during high-speed rolling. The hot edge inductors have resolved the tight edge issues by providing additional heat to the work roll at the strip edge, expanding the roll and alleviating tight edges. This has led to better control of the strip edge shape. The aluminum producer has observed noticeable improvements in the on-line strip shape performance and continue to further optimise and refine the use of these actuators in its rolling programme.”

READ MORE: “Implemented Hot-Edge Inductors at Hulamin” at furnaces-international. 

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News from Abroad: Safer Technologies and Carbon Cutting

/ BURNERS & COMBUSTION SYSTEMS, BURNERS COMBUSTION SYSTEM NEWS, FOUNDRY CASTING, FOUNDRY CASTING NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS, HEAT TREAT NEWS INDUSTRIES, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

Today’s News from Abroad installment highlights more carbon-cutting trends from the steel industry, ranging from robots in the cast house to recycling best practices.  

Heat Treat Today partners with two international publications to deliver the latest news, tech tips, and cutting-edge articles that will serve our audience — manufacturers with in-house heat treat. heat processing, a Vulkan-Verlag GmbH publication, serves mostly the European and Asian heat treat markets, and Furnaces International, a Quartz Business Media publication, primarily serves the English-speaking globe. 

Robots Bring Safety to Casting 

Primetals Technologies’ new customized LiquiRob robotics system in operation at Siam Yamato Steel’s Map Ta Phut plant Source: Primetals Technologies

“Thai steel producer Siam Yamato Steel has implemented a new robot concept from Primetals Technologies, including LiquiRob, at its steelworks in Map Ta Phut . . .. Thanks to the robotics solution, safety and occupational health in the steelworks have significantly improved. Previously, workers who manually operated the shadow tube had to stand directly next to the distributor and the stream of steel flowing out of the ladle. In the case of a so-called ‘frozen pan.’” 

READ MORE: “Primetals Technologies: New robotics concept for safer casting processes” at heat-processing.com

Carbon Cut with Induction Solution at High Heats

CELES EcoTransFlux™ brings green high heating abilities to the induction heating technology. Source: Furnaces International

“Nippon Steel Stainless Steel Corporation and Sojitz Group met with our induction team at Fives headquarters in Paris for a detailed design review of the transverse flux induction heating system. CELES EcoTransFlux™ is an induction heating technology with very high heating rates at extremely high temperatures, and a compact footprint. It also has a minimal environmental footprint, making it beneficial for steelmakers to improve their carbon, stainless or electrical steel production.” 

READ MORE: “Breakthrough technology for steelmakers” at furnaces-international.com

Standards To Maximize Can Recyclability

EAGP members signed an agreement to engage in a standardisation project for beverage cans. Source: Anrita1705/Pixabay

“Four leading flat-rolled aluminium manufacturers and members of the European Aluminium Packaging Group (EAPG), Constellium, Elval, Novelis and Speira, have signed an agreement to engage in a standardisation project to maximise the recycled content levels of the beverage can and thus substantially lower carbon emissions, focused on increased recyclability of the can end.” 

READ MORE: “European Aluminium Producers Agree on Standardisation Project for Cans” at heat-processing.com

Mini-Mill Investment Transforms Future for Swedish Metal Manufacturer

Fossil-free mini-mill Source: Furnaces International

“SSAB’s Board of Directors have taken the decision to proceed with the next step in SSABs transition, building a state-of-the-art fossil-free mini-mill in Luleå, Sweden. When completed SSAB will close the current blast furnace-based production system. This will reduce Sweden’s CO2 emissions with 7% in addition to the 3% from the Oxelösund mill conversion.” 

READ MORE: SSAB continues the transformation with a fossil-free mini-mill in Luleå, Sweden” at furnaces-international.com

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Fringe Friday: Making Steel “Green”

/ FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT

Source: Engineering & Technology

Sometimes our editors find items that are not exactly “heat treat” but do deal with interesting developments in one of our key markets: aerospace, automotive, medical, energy, or general manufacturing. To celebrate getting to the “fringe” of the weekend, Heat Treat Today presents today’s Heat Treat Fringe Friday best of the web article reviewing why and how the steel industry is contending with hydrogen as a “green” solution to CO2 pollution.

The heat treat industry is bustling with visions of using hydrogen as the heating gas for combustion burners; in fact, you can watch the debate unfold as to it’s potential, promise, and application in this Heat Treat Radio episode here. But Thomas Wingens of WINGENS International Industry Consultancy told us that much of the hype is really coming from the steel industry: the potential to replace the coke in blast furnace productions with hydrogen. This would decrease a lot of CO2 emissions. In a previous Heat Treat Fringe Friday, we shared the world’s first “fossil-free” steel delivery. This time, read how other steel producers are responding to the pressures to go green.

[blockquote author=”” style=”1″]Around 71 per cent of steel produced today comes from an iron-ore-based method. This typically uses a blast furnace at temperatures of around 1,500°C in which carbon, usually coal, is used to remove oxygen and impurities from the ore to make pig iron. The latter is then turned into steel via a basic oxygen furnace whereby oxygen is blown onto the liquid iron to burn unwanted elements.[/blockquote]

Read more at: “Gearing up for green steel: how the sector plans to decarbonise”

 

 

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Fringe Friday: First “Fossil-Free” Steel Delivered to Volvo in Sweden

/ AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, FEATURED NEWS

Source: New Atlas

Sometimes our editors find items that are not exactly “heat treat” but do deal with interesting developments in one of our key markets: aerospace, automotive, medical, energy, or general manufacturing. To celebrate getting to the “fringe” of the weekend, Heat Treat Today presents today’s Heat Treat Fringe Friday Best of the Web article covering Volvo’s fossil-free steel use.

The world’s first “fossil-free” steel delivery, created with green hydrogen instead of coal and coke, will be delivered to the Volvo Group, where it will be used in electric trucks. Sweden’s SSAB Oxelösund made the trial delivery to Volvo in the hopes of building towards a 100% emissions-free manufacturing future.

[blockquote author=”” style=”1″]SSAB’s HYBRIT process uses hydrogen as the reductant as iron ore and limestone are combined to create steel, replacing “coke,” or baked coal. The traditional coal-fired blast furnace is also replaced with an electric arc furnace. The company makes sure the hydrogen electrolyzers, as well as its own arc furnaces, are run on “fossil free” renewable energy as well. What’s more, all of the iron ore used in the process will come from “fossil free” mining operations.[/blockquote]

Read more at: “First “fossil-free” steel delivered to Volvo in Sweden” and “The world’s first fossil-free steel ready for delivery“

Fringe Friday: First “Fossil-Free” Steel Delivered to Volvo in Sweden Read More »

Steelmaker Invests in Q&T Production at Alabama Plant

/ FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

A Swedish steelmaker is responding to the increase in demand for quenched and tempered (Q&T) steels in the U.S. by investing the equivalent of approximately $110 million in its Mobile, Alabama, steel mill.

Martin Lindqvist, SSAB’s President and CEO

SSAB’s investment is targeted to increase annual production capacity of Q&T in Mobile from 330,000 tons (U.S.) to 440,000 tons (U.S.) and to reduce costs.

“SSAB is a global leader in Q&T steels and we have largely driven market growth through application development together with customers,” said Martin Lindqvist, SSAB’s President and CEO. “Over the past 20 years, we have increased Q&T volumes by an average of 7 percent a year. There is great market potential as Q&T penetration is still relatively low in, for example, North and South America, where we now plan to increase capacity.”

The investment of around SEK 1 billion is scheduled to take place 2019-2021 and is targeted at three areas: formatting, blasting & painting, as well as shipping capacity.

In parallel, a new, accelerated cooling system will also be installed and this will improve the potential to grow volumes of more advanced premium products while reducing the need for alloys. The investment has been designed to include the potential to build additional Q&T capacity through direct quenching similar to the technology currently used at SSAB’s production facilities in Finland and Sweden.

 

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Steelmaker Commissions for Modernization of Annealing Line

/ AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT, AUTOMOTIVE HEAT TREAT NEWS, FEATURED NEWS

A global steelmaker based in Sweden has turned to a French industrial engineering group to modernize the thermal part of its continuous annealing line at its Borlänge plant.

Fives will update the SSAB facility with the goal to increase the efficiency and capacity of the existing CAL in order to produce advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) with a view to meeting increasing demand from the automotive industry. Once complete, the line will have the capacity to produce 650 000 tons per year, up from the current production rate of 500 000 tons per year.

Fives was contracted to modernize the thermal part of the CAL by replacing the jet preheating furnace and installing inductors in cascade to increase efficiency. Fives will install a new Stein jet preheating furnace to recover the heat from the radiant tube furnace and four CELES MP inductors.

The optimized design of the preheating furnace blowing boxes and tightness of the new seal is expected to result in the recovery of more power will be recovered, allowing the strip to be preheated to higher temperatures. CELES MP inductors, a proven technology, will then increase the strip temperature before the strip entries into the radiant tube furnace.

In total, 16 MW of power will be installed as part of this project. The modernization of the thermal part will be implemented very quickly and will be completed by November 2019.

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SSAB Modernizes Hot-Dip Galvanizing Line No. 3 at Finnish Facility

/ FEATURED NEWS, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT, MANUFACTURING HEAT TREAT NEWS

Swedish specialty steel producer SSAB will modernize its continuous hot-dip galvanizing line No. 3 in Hämeenlinna, Finland. The upgrade essentially involves switching the old air-knife into a new air knife system from Duma-Bandzink with strip stabilization and the integration of an inductive booster in the furnace. The conversion measures will be implemented in cooperation with SMS group, Drever International and EMG Automation. The measures will be realized at the end of this year (2017).

The installation of a new Duma-Bandzink Jet-Pro air knife system with EMG eMASS® strip stabilization – in the so-called “Integrated Solution” – will help to save zinc and improve the quality of the coating. The line will be designed for strips between 0.4 to 3.0 millimeters thick and 650 to 1,550 millimeters wide. In the process section, the strips will be zinc-coated at speeds of up to 160 meters per minute. Inductive strip pre-heating to about 350 degrees Celsius will increase the capacity of the furnace.

SSAB Modernizes Hot-Dip Galvanizing Line No. 3 at Finnish Facility Read More »

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