Voestalpine Donawitz is home to the world’s most innovative bloom caster that produces reliable, consistent, high-quality steel products with ease. Replacing its two-strand continuous caster, CC2, the CC4 is the most modern continuous bloom casting facility in the world and is capable of producing 950,000 metric tons of high-quality blooms per year in a fully automated plant. Embracing digitalization strategies, voestalpine is a leader in steel production, producing steel products for use in railway infrastructure projects, premium wires for the automotive industry, and high-quality seamless tubes. In Donawitz, CC4 is setting a new standard for homogeneous high-quality steel production.
Fully Automated Bloom Casting
Taking advantage of the capabilities of a fully automated plant, the CC4 bloom caster can produce flexibly according to various product sizes and shapes with exceptional purity, raising the bar in terms of production capabilities for bloom casters. Featuring a hydraulic mold oscillator (DynaFlex) and fully automatic mold level control (LevCon) ensure optimal surface characteristics of end products. These automation features combine with Dynacs 3D and DynaGap Soft Reduction to create a three-dimensional temperature profile to monitor cooling, assessing the heat transfer from the slab surface. A stable temperature profile means an extremely homogenous product with unparalleled consistency. Moreover, a fully automated operation ensures exceptionally safe working conditions and with optimized operation in a “closed-loop” scenario product quality is maintained as systems automatically adjust production in real time.
Super Clean is the New Standard
Beyond automation and digitalization features, CC4 is also equipped with technologies to support clean operating conditions and exceed environmental standards. A growing concern for steel producers worldwide in all areas of the value chain, continuous casting is no exception. Using modern filter technologies, mold fume exhaust systems, and torch cutting absorbers, working conditions remain clean, safe, and better for the environment. To maintain smooth operation, logistics beyond the casting machine are fully automated allowing blooms to be directed to the cooling bed or automatically stored into slow cooling boxes for even more optimal temperature control. CC4 is a welcomed addition to the world’s most modern compact LD steelworks.
