SMS group supplies Saarloha with a continuous caster to produce round blooms

Saarloha Advanced Materials Pvt. Ltd. (Saarloha), a Kalyani Group company, has awarded an order to SMS group for a continuous casting plant to produce India’s largest round blooms at its facility in Pune, Maharashtra.

Designed for section sizes of 160 x 160 to 340 x 400 millimeters and with a round diameter of 500 millimeters, SMS will supply the complete plant technology for the continuous caster with largest round profile in India. The start of production is planned for July 2024.

The caster will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology for enhanced cast product quality in a variety of special steels. These include CONGAUGE, the patented mold level control system that also measures and controls the mold powder thickness along with the liquid steel level, CONDRIVE (mold oscillator drive) with servo drive for improved surface quality, as well as the mold and electromagnetic stirrers for enhanced internal quality and porosity. The caster will come with a mechanical soft and hard reduction system for improved segregation and center porosity. For re-stranding, a rigid dummy bar system will be provided, which enables fully automatic dummy bar insertion, and a traversing dummy bar unit. The system is designed for high productivity and low maintenance while at the same time facilitating precise alignment of the strand. For optimal process control and tracking, SMS plans to supply its Level 2 automation solution.

The new continuous caster will be built next to the existing caster without affecting ongoing operations. The current scale pit will also be used by the new caster. Working together with the Saarloha team, the SMS team has designed the most compact layout to fit inside the available space.

“SMS is a world leader in supplying advanced, high-quality equipment to the metals industry. Saarloha has recently launched India’s first green steel on the market – KALYANI FeRRESTATM. With its green steel offering and the addition of a feature-packed continuous caster from SMS, Saarloha will be able to get into new product segments and regional markets. We look forward to continued support from the SMS team,” says R. K. Goyal, Director at Saarloha.

‟The very good performance of existing process equipment and extensive discussions during the pre-sales phase increased our confidence in the SMS team. We decided to award yet another project to SMS group for the most challenging project of installing a continuous caster within a limited amount of space”, says Srinivas MRS, COO of Saarloha.

‟We sincerely thank Saarloha for their trust and look forward to working well together. We are proud to deliver India’s biggest bloom caster”. Stephan Feldhaus, CEO of SMS Concast.

Saarloha Advanced Materials Private Limited (Saarloha) is a Kalyani Group Company and produces high-quality carbon and alloy steels, tool and die steels, valve steels, stainless steels, micro alloyed steels, as well as ESR (electroslag remelting) and VAR (vacuum arc remelting) route steel. Saarloha is one of the most preferred specialty steel companies for developing customized steel grades that satisfy all customer requirements.

SMS group is renowned worldwide for its future-oriented technologies and outstanding service for the metals industry. The company applies its 150 years of experience and its digital know-how to provide the industry continuously with innovative products and processes – even beyond its core business – and generates worldwide sales of around 2.6 billion euros. SMS is the right partner for challenging projects, and supports its customers throughout the lifecycle of their plants, enabling profitable and resource-efficient value creation chains. Paving the way for a carbon-neutral and sustainable metals industry is the company’s stated goal. As a global player with German roots, SMS takes responsibility for its 14,500 employees.

Source and Photo: SMS group