Siemens to supply vacuum decarburization plant for foundry in Austria

The voestalpine Giesserei Linz GmbH, part of the Steel Division of the listed voestalpine corporation, ordered a 50-ton vacuum oxygen decarburization (VOD) plant with mechanical vacuum pumps from Siemens VAI Metals Technologies. The Austrian company is thus supplementing its facilities for secondary metallurgical processing of cast steels for demanding applications in the energy industry and in the machine-building industry. The new vacuum decarburization plant is expected to be operational from the end of the calendar year. 

Siemens will handle the engineering, and will supply all the core components for the new vacuum decarburization plant of the voestalpine foundry in Linz. This includes, for example, a special ladle roof of copper-clad sheet steel that minimizes the formation of skull on the upper edge of the vessel and the roof. The scope of delivery also includes the vacuum roof, an oxygen blowing lance, a gas cooler, and filter system, mechanical vacuum pumps, the hydraulic system, a water management system matched to the overall plant, as well as all the automation and instrumentation. The project will be implemented jointly with Siemens AG Austria.

As one of the first VOD systems in the world, the plant in Linz will use a combination of electrically driven mechanical vacuum pumps to create the vacuum. This includes Roots blowers and screwtype compressors. In contrast to the conventional steam ejector pumps used in secondary metallurgy, these do not require any process steam. There is therefore no need for an external source of steam or for installing a separate boiler to generate steam.

The new vacuum decarburization plant completes the secondary metallurgical processing options of the voestalpine foundry in Linz. This expands the product portfolio and will make a significant contribution towards cost-efficient production.

As a leading company of the voestalpine foundry group, voestalpine Giesserei Linz GmbH is a 100-percent subsidiary of voestalpine Stahl GmbH, a company of the Steel Division of the listed voestalpine corporation. It has around 450 employees and encompasses two business fields: The Group operates sites in Linz and Traisen, Austria, as well as in Yinchuan and Shanghai, both in China, and it produces approximately 35,000 tons of cast steel, spherulitic graphite cast iron, and non-ferrous cast metals per year. The steel foundry is a global leader in the production of highgrade castings with unit weights of 10 to 200 metric tons. The castings are used above all in the  energy industry and in the machine-building industry.  

Further information about solutions for steelworks, rolling mills and processing lines is available at: http://www.siemens.com/metals

Please see: http://www.siemens.com/mt-picture/IMT201207231
(Computer-animation of the vacuum decarburization plant from Siemens for 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. For more information, visit www.siemens.com/industry

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 lifecycle of plants. For more information, visit www.siemens.com/metals

The company voestalpine  

The voestalpine Group is a global steel, processing, and technology corporation. It manufactures, processes and further develops high-grade steel products. The Group has a presence in more than 60 countries on five continents, with 360 production and sales companies. It has been quoted on the Vienna stock exchange since 1995. With its top-grade flat steel products, the company is one of the leading partners to the European automobile and household appliance industries, as well as to the oil and gas industry worldwide. Furthermore, the voestalpine Group is also the global market leader in turnout technology, tool steel, and special sections. With revenues in excess of twelve billion euros, the Group achieved earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of 704 million euros in fiscal year 2011/2012, and employs around 46,500 people worldwide.

Based on Siemens (Industry Sector, Metals Technologies) information