China Steel Corporation grants acceptance certificate after successful modernization of the RH facility by SMS group

SMS group has successfully completed the modernization of the vacuum pump of China Steel Corporation’s RH facility at the steelworks in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. In February 2021, SMS group received the Final Acceptance Certificate (FAC) for the modernization.

With the 800,000 ton-per-year RH facility (Ruhrstahl-Heraeus process), originally supplied by SMS group in the 1980ies, China Steel Corporation produces a wide range of steels, including higher-strength structural steels, higher-strength steels for shipbuilding, Cr-Mo-alloyed steels, tool steels and concrete reinforcing bars.

As part of the modernization, which was aimed at increasing plant availability and enhancing steel quality, SMS supplied a powerful four-stage vacuum pump and revamped the vacuum lock system.

Thanks to the modernization of the vacuum system, China Steel Corporation is now able to use the plant without interruption at significantly higher condensate cooling-water temperatures of up to 38 degrees centigrade. Also the suction capacity of the vacuum pump has been significantly increased. Now final pressures of less than 1 mbar can be reached in shorter evacuation times.

Chun Chang, Chung, Superintendent of BOF PLANT I, China Steel Corporation: “We are very satisfied with the performance of the new vacuum pump from SMS group. Commissioning went smoothly and we were able to start production before the scheduled date.”

Commissioning of the RH facility was performed in February 2021 under Corona conditions.

China Steel Corporation operates a steelworks in the south of Kaohsiung, Taiwan's second largest city.

SMS group is a group of companies internationally active in plant construction and mechanical engineering for the steel and nonferrous metals industry. It has some 14,000 employees who generate worldwide sales of more than EUR 2.9 billion. The sole owner of the holding company SMS GmbH is the Familie Weiss Foundation.