NLMK builds new NGOES capacities

21 января 2019

NLMK Group, a leading global and Russian producer of electrical steels, is upgrading its production capacities at its flagship site in Lipetsk. New equipment will enable the company to fine-tune the production of premium non-grain-oriented steel grades of the optimal thickness and chemical composition for electric vehicles and large-scale energy equipment.

Note: NLMK Group supplies a broad range of non-grain-oriented steels, including High Grades with low magnetic losses and a thickness of 0.50 and 0.35 mm, and High-Frequency grades with a thickness of 0.35, 0.30, and 0.27 mm. High grades are especially in demand among producers of high-power electric equipment. High-Frequency steel is mainly meant for the electric vehicles segment.

The upgrade implies the commissioning of five units at NLMK Lipetsk: an RH vacuum degasser at the BOF stage and four (coil preparation unit, reverse mill, continuous annealing line (CAL), and cutting line) at the cold process stage. The degasser is meant for making steel with a minimal content of carbon and impurities, which is critically important for obtaining the most in-demand electrical steel properties. The unit for hot-rolled coil preparation is being introduced to improve the quality of steel cutting for the next production stage. The reverse mill capacity will enable the rolling of minimum-thickness steel, while the CAL will enable the application of the optimal temperature modes during steel treatment.  

The new capacities will enable NLMK to offer High-Frequency grades up to 0.2 mm and to produce non-grain oriented steel with an ultra-low carbon content, significantly expanding the rage of High and High-Frequency grades. Mikhail Kulikov, NLMK Group Head of Marketing (Electrical Engineering), said: “Both factors – lower carbon content and lower thickness – enable low magnetic losses in electric equipment, increasing the efficiency of electric engines.”

The new line will be launched in late 2022.  The equipment’s capacity will be approximately 70,000 per year, increasing the Group’s overall NGO steel output by 20%.