Birmingham brought Japanese steelmaker Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd. on board as technical advisors. To decide on equipment for the new mill, the companies visited mills and suppliers in Europe, Japan, South America, and Taiwan. Production and sales have increased consistently each month since the mill started up in mid-1996, says Robert Garvey, Birmingham's chairman and chief executive officer. He expects the mill to reach full production later this year. The plant's capacity is 700,000 tons a year, or roughly 58,000 tons per month.
Reheated billets pass through a high-pressure descaler before they enter the rolling mill.
Mill stands have entry roller guides and automatic tension controls. The billet passes through, stops on a free-bar table, and then enters the rest of the mill. Running the roughing mill faster reduces the rolls' cooling and wear, says Ron Murach, process metallurgist at the Cuyahoga Heights mill. That enhances your surface quality. Bars then enter the precision-sizing block.