Zaporizhstal completed important repairs of rolling equipment

The mills of BTLS-1680 and Slabbing-1150 underwent a large-scale upgrade

Zaporizhstal Iron and Steel Works has carried out large-scale repairs of the hot rolling shop equipment, namely the BTLS-1680 and Slabbing-1150 mills. This is stated in the press release of Metinvest.Media.

«The tandem of the unit’s main units was shut down for 17 hours for repairs. During this time, Metinvest-Promservice specialists together with the hot strip mill specialists completed a considerable amount of work,» the company said.

In particular, the main works at BTLS-1680 included the replacement of the spindles of the DUO, spindles of stand No. 9, the base of stand No. 9, stripping of the knives of the end shears, restoration of the ejector clutch No. 3, and the replacement of the cradle on the Coilbox intermediate rewinder. The pulling rollers on the coilers were replaced.

At Slabbing-1150, specialists from the Hot Strip Mill Shop and Metallurgical Equipment Repair Shop No. 1 and 2 successfully replaced the screw pair of the pressing device for the mill’s horizontal rolls, repaired the gearbox for the shearer’s line drive, repaired the metal structures of the roller conveyor chutes, and repaired the equipment for the pincer well cranes.

«Timely and high-quality maintenance of equipment in the main and auxiliary departments extends its service life, ensures the accuracy and stability of the operating mode, and prevents downtime. We work in close tandem with the shops’ specialists at all stages of repair, and as a result, all work on the mills was completed on time, efficiently, without any hiccups and according to the schedule. Today, the equipment is back in operation,» said Dmitry Tatarenko, Head of the Rolling Equipment Repair Shop at Metinvest-Promservice.

As GMK Center reported earlier, Zaporizhstal increased its output by 50.6% year-on-year – to 7.24 million tons in 2023. In particular, the plant produced:

• pig iron – 2.72 million tons (+35.3% y/y);
• steel – 2.47 million tons (+65.4%);
• rolled goods – 2.05 million tons (+57.2%).

Enemy shelling and destruction, interruptions in the supply of raw materials and energy, and disruption of logistics routes due to the blockade of seaports led to a decline in Zaporizhstal’s production performance compared to pre-war levels. In particular, in 2021, the plant produced 4.5 million tons of iron, 3.8 million tons of steel and 3.2 million tons of rolled products. In 2023, the plant operated at an average of 70% of its capacity.