Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works has officially begun work on the second stage of its new cold rolling complex.
The new complex will produce high-quality rolled and galvanized steel and will be capable of producing two million mt of finished product. The steel will primarily be used in the production of exterior and interior car parts, as wells as for home appliances and use by the construction industry. MMK has invested $1.363 billion in the project – the cost of the equipment totaled $599.7 million, SteelOrbis reports.
In 2007, MMK signed a contract with German machinery maker SMS Demag to deliver equipment for the first stage of the cold rolling complex. Construction began in March 2008 with the final stages of the complex coming to completion in July 2011.
The complex will create finished products with a thickness range of 0.28-3.0 mm and a width range of 850-1,880 mm, in coils weighing up to 435 mt. The new complex will have an annual production capacity of 700,000 mt of galvanized steel, 400,000 mt of cold rolled products and 900,000 mt of cold-worked coils, according to SteelOrbis.
The maximum mill speed is 1,500 meters per minute. MMK expects the complex to reach its full capacity by the end of 2012, SteelOrbis reports.