Vacuum oxygen decarburization from Siemens launched at voestalpine Giesserei Linz GmbH

• Plant broadens product portfolio with sophisticated steel castings for energy and mechanical engineering industries
• Electrically driven vacuum pumps make steam consumption superfluous

A vacuum oxygen decarburization (VOD) plant from Siemens Metals Technologies with a capacity of 50 metric tons commenced operation at voestalpine Giesserei Linz GmbH. The Austrian company is thereby adding to its equipment for secondary metallurgical treatment of steel castings for sophisticated applications in the energy and mechanical engineering industries. The plant features electrically driven mechanical vacuum pumps instead of steam injectors and therefore does not require any steam generator.

For the new vacuum oxygen decarburization plant at voestalpine Giesserei Linz GmbH, Siemens handled the configuration and supplied all the core components. These included, for example, a special ladle hood made of copper-plated sheet. This minimizes the occurrence of baked slag on the upper edge of the ladle and on the vacuum lid. The scope of supply also included the vacuum lid, an oxygen-blowing lance system, a gas cooler and a filter system, mechanical vacuum pumps and the hydraulic system. The order also included a water management system matched to the overall plant as well as the complete automation technology and instrumentation.

As one of the first VOD systems worldwide, the plant in Linz uses a combination of electrically driven, mechanical vacuum pumps to generate a vacuum. This includes roots blowers and screw compressors. Unlike the conventional steam injectors used in secondary metallurgy, these do not require any process steam, so there is no need for any external steam or the installation of a separate boiler to generate steam. voestalpine Giesserei Linz GmbH is completing its secondary metallurgical treatment options with the new vacuum oxygen decarburization plant. This enlarges the product portfolio and will play a major part in achieving cost-efficient production.

voestalpine Giesserei Linz GmbH is the parent company of the voestalpine Giesserei Group and a 100 percent subsidiary of voestalpine Stahl GmbH, a company belonging to the Steel Division of the publicly owned voestalpine Group. It employs around 450 people and has two main areas of business. The group has operations in Linz and Traisen, Austria, as well as in Yinchuan and Shanghai, both in China, and produces around 35,000 metric tons of steel castings, gray cast iron and non-ferrous metal castings every year. The steel casting foundry is the global leader in the production of high-grade castings with an individual weight of 10 to 200 metric tons. The castings are used especially in the energy industry and in mechanical engineering.

This press release and a press picture are available at www.siemens.com/press/pi/IMT201407491e

(Vacuum oxygen decarburization (VOD) plant from Siemens at voestalpine Giesserei Linz GmbH in Austria)

The Siemens Industry Sector (Erlangen, Germany) is the world’s leading supplier of innovative and environmentally friendly products and solutions for industrial customers. With end-to-end automation technology and industrial software, solid vertical-market expertise, and technology-based services, the Sector enhances its customers’ productivity, efficiency, and flexibility. With a global workforce of more than 100,000 employees, the Industry Sector comprises the Divisions Industry Automation, Drive Technologies and Customer Services as well as the Business Unit Metals Technologies.

The Metals Technologies Business Unit (Linz, Austria), part of the Siemens Industry Sector, is one of the world’s leading life-cycle partners for the metals industry. The Business Unit offers a comprehensive technology, modernization, product and service portfolio as well as integrated automation and environmental solutions covering the entire life cycle of plants.

Based on SMS Group information