Metal Asia March 2012 Issue

A Complete Metal Magazine

SPECIAL FEATURE

Pacesetter for the Metals Industries
After the new investment and steel boom of recent years and the interim economic crisis, companies in the steel industry have had to develop strategies to adapt their products to match global developments and meet the environmental challenges of the 21st century. The main goal will therefore be on continuous modernizations and the integration of new methods and process technologies. Through the use of modern IT, for example, productivity potential can be improved. And with the Siemens VAI product families Simetal and Siroll, a plant’s efficiency and flexibility can be quickly and cost-effectively increased. In fact, some packages boast a payback period of just one to two years.

COMMENT

Budget 2012-13 shows positive outlook for Metals Industry
The Union Budget for the financial year 2012-13 is a mixed bag for the metals and mining sector. Generally, the Budget looked reasonable and pragmatic for the non-ferrous metal industry.

NATIONAL TRENDS

• L&T Electrical & Automation highlights innovation in safety, energy efficiency & automation at ELECRAMA 2012

  Larsen & Toubro, the electrical and automation major and leaders in low voltage switchgear, has put up an impressive display of innovative products, systems and solutions at ELECRAMA 2012 as well as launched a number of products for the future.

• NMDC signs MoU with Govt. of India

  A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between NMDC Limited and Ministry of Steel, Govt. of India on the commitments of NMDC concerning its performance in the year 2012-13.

• Alcoa in talks with Indian firms to sell surplus alumina

  The U.S. based aluminium maker Alcoa Inc., is in talks with Indian firms to sell surplus alumina, indicating the purpose of increasing its presence in India.

• L&T wins ‘Best Product’ award for T-ERA switchboard at ELECRAMA 2012

  The design and development capabilities of L&T’s Electrical & Automation earned rich recognition at ELECRAMA 2012 when its T-ERA switchboard was declared winner of ‘THE BEST PRODUCT’ award at the Industry Day celebrations on Friday, January 20, held at the exhibition venue in Mumbai.

• Rio Tinto to invest $2 bln in Odisha iron ore project

  Australian mining major Rio Tinto will invest around $2 billion (Rs. 9,886 crore) in setting up a major iron ore mining project in Odisha. The investment, largest so far by the miner in India, would help it establish a strong foothold in the country’s mining space.

• Coal India may divert coal under e-auction to power sectors

  According to the latest report, Coal India Limited (CIL) may perhaps divert a portion of the coal meant for e-auction to power plants in order to meet fuel supply commitments to the power sector.

INTERNATIONAL TRENDS

• Anode & Cathode Recording Ammeters

  VHE has launched a new range of recording anode and cathode ammeters.

• Outotec to acquire shares in Numcore Limited

  Outotec strengthens its process control technologies by acquiring all shares in Numcore Ltd. in Kuopio, Finland.

• Outotec and Zambia's Kansanshi Mining sign sulfuric acid technology deal

  Outotec has signed a contract with the Zambia-based mining company Kansanshi Mining plc for the design and delivery of a gas cleaning system and a sulfuric acid plant.

• ESTAL: European Association for Surface Treatment on Aluminium New Management

  ESTAL represents the aluminium finishing industry in Europe. For ESTAL, representation means standing for the shared interests of a modern economic sector with innumerable future prospects.

• Indonesia’s Nickel ore and Bauxite exports may plunge 75%

  Nickel ore and bauxite shipments from Indonesia, the top supplier to China, may plunge 75% in 2012 as a ban on metal ore sales comes into force in May 2012, two years earlier than scheduled.

IN FOCUS

• Indian Copper Industry to shine in the coming years

  The Indian copper industry is looking forward to shine in the days to come. However, this advancement and upliftment will take some time-thanks to a number of connotations numbering up as retraining prices hovering over the euro zone debt crisis along with the downturn of global economy.

COMPANY NEWS

New 6-high cold mill for Chunlei Copper, P.R. of China

In the mid 1990s, Danieli Fröhling (DF) supplied a 20-high cold rolling mill for copper and copper alloys to Chunlei Copper. This equipment has performed very well and to full customer satisfaction since then. Currently, Taiyuan Jinxi Chunlei Copper is planning to increase capacity and the diversity of its product range and it solicited several international bids for respective equipment.

Six-high “Diamond Mill” technology for Aleris new aluminium wide cold mill in Duffel, Belgium

With this order, Danieli Fröhling is responsible for the supply of all mechanical, electrical and automation equipment of the mill, including major auxiliary equipment such as Danieli Fröhling’s innovative fume cleaning and oil recovery system DAN-ECO2 -the most ecologically effective system for separating Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), as well as the DANPurity filter system.

PRODUCT / MARKET

SIROLL ALU Aluminium Foil Rolling Mills

Siemens VAI is a globally active full-line supplier for the iron, steel and aluminium industry, providing advanced and unique solutions from mining to the finished product. Subsidiary companies, engineering offices and workshops located throughout the world ensure that we are always close to our customers.

COMPANY PROFILE

SGS Technologies main business line is COMBUSTION SYSTEMS BUSINESS

M/S SGS Technologies activities include i) Marketing the burners to government sectors government undertakings, semigovernment companies public limited companies and even to private originations in small sectors, ii) Indigenously making the burners & combustion systems, iii) Supplying & commissioning these burners & systems in India and iv) Providing solutions for improving productivity & energy saving.

REFRACTORY

Nano-structured Refractory Castables for Alumina Calciners

Anti-erosive and high thermal shock resistant refractories are essential for alumina calciners. This aspect is a consequence of high wearing coupled with high speed erodible particles transportation and also sudden temperature changes in such equipment, owing to cold air injection to cool down the calcined alumina. Considering that the steel-making industry comprises the major volume consumption of refractories, calcium aluminate cement-based refractories are usually offered to the aluminium industry, but presenting densification temperatures higher than 1300°C, which is not the most suitable option for this application. Taking these aspects into account, a novel castable formulation concept was designed in this work, aiming to attain sintering at lower temperatures, to meet the usual calciner temperature range (1000-1250°C).

RAW MATERIALS

Sol-Gel Derived Binary Oxide Coatings on Graphite for Application in Carbon Containing Castables

Mullite, spinel and calcium aluminate coated graphites have been prepared and investigated to explore their commercial applications in carbon containing unshaped refractory composites. Graphite, being a potential source of carbon, its applications in refractories is widespread due to excellent thermal shock resistance and its low wettability towards molten slag and metal. But its application is restricted due to poor oxidation resistance and low tendency to be dispersed and mixed with water.

TECHNOLOGY FOCUS

Danieli Fröhling Dan-Purity filter

Excellent coolant filtration is a fundamental pre-requisite for superior performance and product quality in the rolling and forming of metals. The Danieli Fröhling ‘Dan-Purity Filter’ ensures the highest level of filtration to maintain rolling oil in optimal condition.

CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION

wire 2012: Leverage Electromagnetic Phenomena

Copper and aluminium wire is indispensable in the production, transmission and utilization of electricity. A special version, enamelled or winding wire, is processed into coils, which then have a key function in electrical components. Among others, the 2012 wire trade fair, which is being held from 26 to 30 March in Düsseldorf, presented machinery for manufacturing wire of all kinds, including enamelled wire, but for the first time also showed its further processing into coils.