Romanian steel manufacturer UMB Steel s.r.l. has commissioned German plant engineering company SMS group to supply a continuous mill technology, specifically the CMT 700 mill, to its Otelu Rosu site.

The new long-products mill will be integrated into the existing steelmaking complex and will operate in a continuous process. The company says this will result in minimal carbon emissions and high production efficiency.

UMB Steel says that the investment will support increased demand for sustainable construction materials, especially for the UMB group’s highway construction activities.

The CMT 700 is designed to enable yearly production of about 700 000 t of straight bars, compact coils and wire rod. SMS group will deliver the plant on a single-source basis, including mechanical, electrical and automation systems, to integrate the new caster and rolling mill into the existing complex.

The CMT technology will enable uninterrupted production of long products from scrap by continuously feeding cast products from the melt shop to the rolling mill. It also says that the mill will reduce CO2 emissions by up to 30% as no natural gas will be required for billet reheating.

The plant has been designed to allow a flexible production mix through the combination of a vertical compact coil system for coils weighing up to 8 t, a wire rod line for high-carbon construction grades produced in a billet- to-billet process, and a straight bar finishing area.

The new continuous caster incorporates technological features intended to optimise product quality and process control, including a CONREX mould tube for high casting speeds and CONDRIVE mould oscillation to improve surface quality. An induction heating system between the caster and rolling mill will set the required rolling temperature during the multi-strand billet-to-billet production process.

The mill is also said to incorporate the TBK REBAR gauge, described as an autonomous laser measurement system that enables early detection of dimensional anomalies and reduces material waste by maximising production tolerances.

This project marks the first collaboration between UMB Steel and SMS group and, the companies state, it is expected to strengthen UMB Steel’s position in the Romanian long-products market while advancing more sustainable steel production in Europe.