Sydney Steel Mill billet caster conversion a boon at Rooty Hill

InfraBuild’s Sydney Steel Mill has increased the throughput rate of its billet caster after increasing the diameter of its billets, resulting in efficiencies for the business which will flow on to customers.

As productivity continued to improve from the Electric Arc Furnace, the team identified the need to ensure the throughput rate was not impacted.

After an initial engineering study with the billet caster’s Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and months of planning and engagement, the decision was made to increase the diameter of billets produced from 127mm square to 130mm square size.

The first moulds were cast in March this year and the results were immediate with prime quality billets continuing to be produced since then.

InfraBuild Executive General Manager of Manufacturing Shane Murphy said the conversion to 130mm meant the mill can produce 5 percent more steel tonnage with the same linear speed of the strand.

“This was a great effort from a number of our Meltshop teams and has had a positive impact on our throughput rate over the past three months,” he said.

“The 130mm billet is also a more common international standard and the increased billet mass for the same length means we have fewer inter-billet gaps in rolling and fewer crop cuts.

“InfraBuild’s mission is to build futures through sustainable steel and process improvements such as this conversion all play a part in helping our teams live this mission through their work every day.”

InfraBuild is Australia’s only fully vertically-integrated steel manufacturer spanning scrap metal recycling, steel manufacturing and downstream distribution.

The Sydney Steel Mill at Rooty Hill is one of two steel long producing Electric Arc Furnaces operated by Infrabuild on Australia’s East Coast with the other located in Laverton in Victoria.