JFE Steel Introduces Slab Sizing Press in East Iron Works

JFE Steel announced on Monday the firm introduces a slab sizing press and increases the output of rolling mill’s motors in a hot rolling plant of Keihin area, East Iron Works with investment of 5 billion yen. The firm aims to increase its supply capacity and quality for hot rolled steel sheet to meet the users’ demand for higher quality. The new equipment is scheduled to start operation during a half year to March 2009. The output capacity of the hot rolling plant will increase by 240,000 tonnes per year.There are 2 rolling mills (R2 and R4) and one finished rolling mill (7 stands) in Keihin area of East Iron Works. A new sizing press will be set before the rolling process to press down the width of slabs. The firm will renew motors of R2 rolling mill from direct current 10,000 kilowatt type to alternate current 16,000 kilowatt type.JFE Steel has 2 hot rolling mills in Keihin area and Chiba area of East iron works, and 3 hot rolling mills in Kurashiki area and Fukuyama area of West iron works. The firm has introduced the equipment such as a sizing press or a heating furnace and improved the productivity to meet increasing demand for hot, cold and surface treated steel sheets. The firm has increased its hot rolling mills’ production capacity by 2 million tonnes to 19 million tonnes per year compared with fiscal 2005 ended March 2006.