ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih produced a record 70 heats in a series at CCM №2

In the difficult conditions of the war, despite blackouts, staffing difficulties and a shortage of spare parts, the steelmaking team of ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih set a new record of 70 continuous melts at Continuous Casting Machine No. 2 (CCM-2) in the BOF Shop. The record series lasted 65 hours and involved about 200 employees from all four teams. This was reported in the corporate newspaper Metallurg.

Increasing the batch rate can significantly reduce the cost of steel billets by reducing energy, materials and waste. According to Kirill Chmirkov, Deputy Shop Manager, the success was made possible by the coordinated work of steelmakers, casters, repairmen, refractory workers and operators.

The company’s engineers improved the lining of the intermediate ladles by changing the design, selecting new shotcrete materials, and reinforcing the overheating zones. They also introduced an automatic steel temperature measurement system that allows for prompt process control.

Significant progress has also been made in repairs. The team has been strengthened with technicians, and maintenance has been organized according to international standards. This has helped minimize downtime and improve equipment reliability.

In 2021, the average figure was 23 melts per series, and in 2025, 33 are already planned.

As GMK Center reported earlier, in November 2024, ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih achieved 60 melts in one batch at continuous casting machine No. 2. In total, the company has produced more than 16 million tons of billets since the launch of the CCM complex. Initially, the BOF Shop had one CCM, while now the complex consists of three units.