With an annual production capacity of 119 million tonnes and 232,000 employees in 60 countries, ArcelorMittal is one of the biggest steel and mining companies in the world. The company’s revenues in 2013 amounted to USD 79.4 Billion with a steel production of 91.2 million tonnes, which was 6% of the world production. Mining operations account for an essential part of ArcelorMittal’s development strategy. In 2013, the company manufactured 70.1 million tonnes of iron ores and 8.8 million tonnes of coal. For 2015, the company’s strategy focuses on increasing the volumes of iron ores to 84 million tonnes.
In Romania, ArcelorMittal Galaţi is the largest steel plant in the national market with a production volume of around 1.7 million tonnes of steel estimated in 2014. 2013 was a difficult year for the steel industry, as manufacturers dealt with overcapacity. However, if the market has an ascending tendency, this year could be similar to the previous one and ArcelorMittal Galaţi’s situation could improve in H2 2014. The company’s goal is to use the equipment to its full capacity to maintain the competitive structure of costs.
Over the past 11 years, ArcelorMittal Galaţi has invested around EUR 800 Million in the technological modernisation of units and production capacities and in replacing the equipment with exceeded life expectancy. The effect of these investments consisted in the reduction of specific consumption per production chain, as well as the increase and improvement of productivity.
To that end, the latest project of ArcelorMittal Galaţi is the launch of the remote control Shunting Robot for heavy-duty shunting operations with a speed of 5 km/h and a maximum weight of 1500 tonnes. The machine will only operate in the area of the industrial plant (under the furnace, at ArcelorMittal Galaţi plant) and for specific purposes to carry out the positioning operations of the Torpedo cars for loading with liquid cast iron. The vehicle’s power supply source is exterior, the power supply being made through cable-driven cars which enable the range limit movement with radio remote control. The Shunting Robot has been developed through the modernisation and transformation of the 1250 HP diesel hydraulic locomotive (by replacing main components and equipment), increasing its reliability, efficiency and performance in operation. The transformation of the locomotive has consisted in replacing the diesel-hydraulic traction with electric traction, the appropriate fitting and modification of auxiliary services. Also, the truck has been kept, as well as the coupling system. A new reductor has been designed and assembled and the chassis has been ballasted to ensure the required mass to obtain the corresponding adherence.
The new components have direct effects on safety, security and quality, but also environment protection, energy costs, maintenance, consumables and even fuel extraction.
The project has been developed by România Euroest, in partnership with Integral Consulting R&D (electro-pneumatic and command equipment), Reşiţa Reductoare (reducer supplier), Master (supplier of exterior mobile electric installation), DDS Group (frequency converter supplier), Valiadis (electric motor supplier).
ArcelorMittal Galaţi owns a sinter plant, one blast furnace in constant operation (one idle), one steel melting shop, three mould slab casters, one galvanizing plant, one hot strip mill, and one cold rolling mill.
Access to and from the plant, as well as transport of raw materials, unfinished materials and end products would not be possible without an efficient internal logistics infrastructure which includes 200 km of railways, a rolling stock fleet of almost 1600 wagons and 83 locomotives, including 10 remote controlled locomotives.
Share on:
