Jiangsu Yonggang Iron and Steel Group is fully operating its new, Danieli eight-strand billet and bloom casters for producing high-quality steel grades, such as high-carbon, tyre cord, bearing and spring steels, in Zhangjiagang city, Jiangsu province, China.

The two casters are designed with 10-m and 12-m nominal radiuses and a 1370-mm strand distance to produce 160×160, 200×240, and up to 240×240 sections, respectively.

High product quality is ensured by moulds with external EMS stirrers and radioactive level-control systems; hydraulic oscillators; fixed curved sections with advanced secondary cooling and containment; and movable, final EMS stirring systems with adjustable positions along the strand.

A twin-module withdrawal and straightening system applying mechanical soft reduction ensures top-notch quality. Controlled by the Danieli LPC dynamic solidification model, the system can be adjusted in line with changing casting conditions.

Each caster strand is equipped with five twin-modules for 10 reduction points, providing fine control of the soft reduction process for a wide variety of steel grades and casting speeds.

The casters operate with Danieli Automation L1 and L2 process control systems. The total nominal productivity of the two casters exceeds two million tons per year.

All core equipment was assembled at Danieli China workshops in Changshu.