Steel bar producer Warren Steel Holdings reports that, after a substantial investment, it has completed the hot commissioning of its vacuum tank degasser and the related systems, and the equipment is fully operational now. According to Wayne Smith, v.p. of Sales, the steelmaker has started shipping bar products in vacuum-treated alloy grades to customers.
Warren Steel Holdings is a steel bar producer in Warren, OH, which took over the longtime Copperweld Steel facilities in 2006. Production equipment includes a 110-ton electric arc furnace, and a three-strand billet caster.
After a year-long improvement program, the plant returned to operation last fall as Warren Steel Holdings. It is producing about 800,000 tons/year of billets ranging from 8.25 to 12.5 in. in diameter.
Vacuum degassing is a post-combustion process in steelmaking, in which a low-pressure atmosphere makes it possible to remove excess gasses from molten steel, in order to achieve more specialized grades. “Through this process, we gain even tighter chemical composition control, micro cleanliness, and inclusion morphology,” according to Smith.
Forging is one market where Warren Steel expects this capability to be appreciated. Its customers also include producers of seamless pipe/tube, automotive and aerospace suppliers, and producers of bearings.