Wempco starts producing wire rod

On May 19th, 2016 the hot commissioning activities ended at Wempco’s wire rod mill with the Final Acceptance Certificate (FAC) release on the same day.

The 0.3 Mt/y plant is fed by a 60 t/h pusher type reheating furnace, suitable for heating up to 130 mm and 120 mm sq. billets, weighing up to 1,550 kg. It integrates a 14-stand continuous rolling mill made up of SHS housingless stands in H and V configuration and a 10-pass DWB type high-speed wire rod block. The line includes an OFB-Oil Film Bearing loop laying head (patented); a QTR+WCC Wire rod Controlled Cooling line and a CCC-Controlled Cooling Conveyor with coil reforming station, and associated vertical coil transporting system, compacting, tying and final collecting services. Although the mill can produce wire rod from 5 to 16 mm dia at the maximum speed of 80 m/s, its production is currently focused on 5.5 smooth wire rod at the rolling speed of 74 m/s to feed the existing Wempco drawing lines for the local market.

Full production capacity is expected within a couple of months.