Arvedi ESP first thin slab endless casting and rolling results

AbstractThe Italian steel producer Acciaieria Arvedi SpA operates a minimill for flat rolled products with a single casting line (maximum width, 1300 mm) in Cremona, Italy, with an annual output of 1·3 million tonnes per year of flat products using inline strip production (ISP) technology, patented by Arvedi. Following this positive experience with its continuous thin slab casting and rolling process, improved in several stages over the years and resulting in a stable production unit of high quality hot rolled strip, it was decided to invest in a new line adopting endless strip production (ESP) technology, also patented by Arvedi, a direct evolution of ISP. Owing to its highly compact layout with a total length of ∼180 m, lower investment costs are incurred for an Arvedi ESP line compared with conventional thin slab casting and direct rolling plants. Production costs are also noticeably lower than those of other thin slab plants and also of the ISP plant already operating in Cremona. Productivity of the E...