Siemens modernizes cooling conveyor of wire-rod mill at Keystone

• Upgrade extends product range and improves quality

• Improved cooling allows for production of stronger and more uniform wire rod

United States producer Keystone Steel and Wire Co. placed an order with Siemens Metals Technologies to upgrade the cooling conveyors of a two-strand wire rod mill in its Bartonville, Illinois production facility. The project includes new blowers, auxiliary systems as well as electric and automation equipment. This will enable Keystone to produce steel grades with higher tensile strengths with improved and more uniform quality, thus extending their product range. The new equipment is expected to be commissioned in late 2014.

The project is updating a mill built previously and modernized by the former Morgan Construction Company in the late 1980s. Siemens has also provided high speed shears and water boxes to Keystone in a multi-phased upgrade. Siemens´ contract scope for the current upgrade includes five large blowers with Optimesh control system on each strand of the rolling mill, together with plenums, as well as close coupled switch disconnect, transformer, switch panel, drives and a new automation cabinet.

With this upgrade, Keystone will produce wire rod of greater tensile strength and uniformity to meet the demands of the cable market. The upgrade is part of an ongoing modernization project undertaken by Keystone to expand into markets for higher value-added products. Founded in 1889 in Dillon, Illinois, USA, the Keystone Steel & Wire Company is a rod and wire products supplier that produces and processes quality steel that exceeds AISI and ASTM standards to meet stringent customer specifications. Located in Bartonville, Illinois today, it operates one of the largest wire mills in the world ,with more than 2,000,000 square feet of fully integrated manufacturing space, for annual steel capacity exceeding 700,000 tons.

This press release and a press picture is available at www.siemens.com/press/pi/IMT201409700e

(Blower for a cooling conveyor from Siemens)

The Siemens Industry Sector (Erlangen, Germany) is the world’s leading supplier of innovative and environmen-tally 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 metallurgical 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 Siemens information