What Your Operation Is Up Against
Production Downtime
- Unexpected drive failures can disrupt production schedules and impact delivery commitments.
Downtime caused by equipment fatigue, harsh operation conditions, and deferred maintenance
Downtime in steel and metals operations can impact multiple downstream processes and significantly increase costs.
High Shock Loads and Demanding Duty Cycles
- Steel mill equipment operates under severe loads and continuous operation.
- This is caused by frequent start and stops, impact/shock loading, and high torque requirements
- Drive systems must withstand extreme operating conditions while maintaining reliability.
Aging Infrastructure
- Many facilities must improve performance without complete plant replacement.
How We Serve the Steel Industry
Increase Reliability in Processes
Robust drive solutions and engineering expertise support continuous operation in demanding environments.
Support Modernization Initiatives
Retrofits and drop-in replacement solutions extend equipment life and improve performance.
Reduce Maintenance Burden
Predictive maintenance tools and aftermarket services help identify issues before failures occur.
Improve Operational Efficiency
Drive system optimization helps increase throughput, reduce energy consumption, and improve overall plant performance.
Navigate Solutions by Application
Steel mills demand maximum performance of their equipment, able to withstand 24 hours a day and 7 days a week operations, with high efficiency and low maintenance. We understand that the high shock loads, dust, heat, and moisture in the corrosive environments of the steel industry require robust, reliable, and efficient products.
Ironmaking & Raw Material Handling
Scrap Conveyors
Scrap conveyors carry heavy metal scrap, turnings, and cutoffs to recycling or furnaces using durable steel apron pans or heavy belt systems.
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Skip Hoists
Skip hoists haul raw materials like iron ore, coke, and limestone up steep inclines in specialized buckets to charge blast furnaces.
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Stackers/Reclaimers
Stackers build large stockpiles of bulk steelmaking raw materials, while reclaimers scoop them up to feed processing and furnace lines.
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Steelmaking
Ladle Turret
Ladle turrets hold and rotate massive liquid steel ladles above continuous casters, enabling seamless ladle changes to maintain continuous casting.
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Ladle/Tundish Car
Ladle and tundish cars transport molten metal vessels horizontally, positioning them precisely over casting molds to control liquid steel flow.
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Mold Oscillator
Mold oscillators drive continuous up-and-down motion in casting molds to prevent solidifying steel from sticking and ensure smooth shell formation.
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Segment Drive
Segment drives rotate driven rolls inside continuous casting segments, pulling the solidifying steel strand smoothly through the caster machine.
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Dummy Bar System
Dummy bar systems plug continuous casting molds to receive molten steel, guiding the initial strand down through the cooling spray segments.
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Rolling Mills
Billet/Slab Pusher
Billet and slab pushers use mechanical or hydraulic rams to move hot solid steel shapes into reheat furnaces or onto cooling beds for downstream rolling.
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Roll/Runout Tables
Roll tables use driven rollers to transport hot steel slabs, billets, or plates between mill stands, cooling beds, and downstream processing.
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Reheat Furnace
Reheat furnaces heat cold or warm semi-finished steel like slabs or billets to high temperatures, making them malleable for hot rolling.
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Pinch Rolls
Pinch rolls grip and apply pressure to hot or cold steel strip, bar, or rod, maintaining tension and guiding the product through rolling lines.
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Coil Handling Systems
Coil handling systems use c-hooks, upenders, and walking beams to safely lift, position, and transport heavy rolled steel coils through finishing lines.
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Levelers
Levelers bend flat steel strip through staggered rollers to eliminate internal stresses, flatness defects, and wave distortion before processing.
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Processing, Finishing & Material Handling
Coil Processing
Coil processing cleans, cuts, flattens, or coats master steel coils to convert raw mill rolls into precise sheets or narrower strips for manufacturing.
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Accumulator
Accumulators use vertical looping rolls or hydraulic reservoirs to maintain continuous strip tension and speed during coil loading or splicing.
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Slitter
Slitters pass wide steel coils through circular rotary knives, slicing the sheet into multiple narrow strips for downstream manufacturing.
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Bridle Roll
Bridle rolls use driven rubber or steel rolls to control line tension and prevent slippage on moving steel strips through continuous process lines.
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Warehouse Conveyors
Warehouse conveyors move heavy steel products, coils, and packaged materials through storage areas to distribution and shipping stations.
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Cranes and Transfer Systems
Cranes and transfer systems hoist and move molten metal ladles, slabs, and finished steel products safely across mill facilities.
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Steel Solutions in Action
Every application has its own challenges, and choosing the right solution requires confidence in both the product and the team behind it. Our customer stories show how we work through real requirements, real environments, and real operating demands to deliver solutions built for the job.
The Best Gearbox, The Fastest Response
One of the largest steel recyclers in the United States has a sheet mill in Hickman, Arkansas that keeps plenty busy--recycling over two million tons of steel each year. With such a large recycling operation, one would expect that Nucor’s management constantly keeps a watchful eye on its machinery to prevent breakdowns. In 2007, as part of a capital project, Nucor upgraded 48 of its tunnel furnace rolls. During this project, due to performance and delivery issues with its former gearbox supplier, Nucor decided to trial 10 gearboxes manufactured by Sumitomo Drive Technologies.
Resources to Support You
Review our Steel Industry brochure for more information on our industry solutions.