Mechel OAO has commissioned a new modern ring rolling mill at its Urals Stampings Plant OAO steel subsidiary in Chebarkul, Russia. A ceremony commemorating the commission was held on May 26th and was attended by Mechel CEO Igor Zyuzin and the Chelyabinsk Region Governor Petr Sumin.
The new ring rolling mill RAW 200 (250)/160 (200) 3500/1000 was manufactured by SMS MEER, Germany, and was designed to produce weldless straight and section rings by radial-axial rolling. Total cost of the new equipment was more than RUR266.0 million (over US$11 million).
The new machine will enable Urals Stampings Plant to produce rings with an outer diameter of 400-4200 mm and a height of 60-1000 mm.
The machine is fully computerized to reduce production costs and time, and ensure high product quality. The machine's average capacity is four tonnes per hour.
Options included with the machine by SMS Meer include ROLLTRONIC, complete digital measuring and indication of the rings' size during the entire rolling process with the help of a laser measuring device; ROLLTRACK, which provides graphics support during manual rolling operations; and CARWIN, a program for automating ring rolling, which includes optimal selection of billets and tools and rolling process modeling.
Urals Stampings Plant, one of Mechel's steel subsidiaries, specializes in producing a wide range of metal forgings. The plant has a 22% share of the Russian forgings market and is one of the leading manufactures of rough axles for locomotive rolling stock. Currently, Urals Stampings Plant exports its products globally including to the U.S., Canada, Slovakia, and Czech Republic. The plant is also the leading producer of forgings over 1,000 kg in Russia.