The Kametstal Metallurgical Plant, part of the Metinvest Group, has become the first in Ukraine to begin producing No. 16 channel sections on a pipe-making mill. The development of this new shaped profile is part of the company’s program to restore its product range, which was partially lost after the start of the full-scale war, according to a press release.
Channel bar 16U is a high-demand, high-margin product widely used in construction, mechanical engineering, and shipbuilding. Before the war, this profile was produced at the group’s facilities in Mariupol, and now its production has been launched at the Kametstal site. For the company, this allows it to re-establish its presence in the important shaped rolled steel segment and expand its offering for the domestic market.
The company emphasizes that the decision to master the production of complex shaped profiles specifically on a tube-making mill is unprecedented for Ukraine. The design parameters of the rolling mill primarily call for the production of round and square billets; however, the SVP-27 and SVP-33 profiles had already been mastered on this equipment previously. It was this experience that served as the foundation for finding technical solutions in the new project.
As part of the preparation, new design drawings and calibration plans were developed, and changes were made to the mill’s process line, including the modernization of the rolling mill roll pads to stabilize the rigidity of the stands and ensure consistent geometric parameters of the rolled stock along its entire length. In addition, the division implemented an investment project to commission a 12-meter stationary chain cooler, which allows for the transportation, cooling, and storage of long-length bar and shaped sections without deformation.
The first batches of channel sections, totaling 358 tons, successfully passed certification for compliance with DSTU requirements and received positive feedback from Ukrainian customers. Metinvest expects that the new product will help strengthen its position in the high-margin products segment for the construction industry and will become one of the elements of the metallurgical base for Ukraine’s future recovery.
Source: https://gmk.center
