Published 29th April, 2022 by Matthew Moggridge
US Steel giant, Nucor Corporation, has contracted Italian plant builder Danieli to supply its endless casting and rolling technology for long products and has ordered a MIDA® QLP minimill to be installed in the steelmaker’s facility in Lexington, North Carolina.
This latest order marks the 20th order for Danieli MIDA QLP® minimills worldwide and the third from Nucor Corporation, which is already operating MIDA minimills in Sedalia, MO and Frostproof, FL.
According to Danieli, the new MIDA plant QLP® fully endless Quality Long Products minimill will produce 410kt/yr of quality rebars from recycled steel scrap, melted by Danieli’s Digimelter® and LF powered by Q-One® digital power feeder technology with the possibility of utilizing renewable energy such as solar, wind and others. A single-strand, high-productivity caster featuring Danieli’s high-speed Octocaster® technology will feed the rolling mill in full endless mode. The company claims that MIDA QLP® technology grants the best product quality at the most competitive construction and conversion costs with the lowest environmental impact.
Nucor’s new MIDA micromill will be managed by Danieli Automation’s advanced process technologies and artificial intelligence. Q3 pulpits will support Nucor’s operators in supervising a fully automated plant, making extensive use of big-data analysis. Robotized solutions will increase plant safety according to the ‘zero-man on the floor’ concept. Production scheduling and tracking will be performed by the Q3-Met manufacturing execution system.
Nucor’s selection of Danieli’s ‘toward net-to-zero emission’ MIDA QLP® minimill fits perfectly with the US steel giant’s approach to green steelmaking.
The new MIDA QLP minimill is expected to start production by the summer of 2024 and, as already achieved in Sedalia and Frostproof, is expected to reach full productivity within a few months after start-up.
Nucor Corporation recently placed orders with Danieli for one QSP-DUE® hot-strip project and two cold-strip projects. Including this MIDA QLP® order, the steel giant has invested over US$750 million in Danieli and its equipment and automation technology.