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ABB Flow Control Mold to improve quality, control and productivity at new US plate steel mill

Latest electromagnetic stirring and braking technology will help Nucor Steel Brandenburg produce cleaner steel faster, with reduced maintenance and at lower cost.

ABB has been selected to supply its Flow Control Mold (FC Mold) electromagnetic stirring and braking solution for one of the world’s widest thick slab continuous casters at the new Nucor Corporation steel plate mill at Brandenburg, Kentucky, USA.

With capacity for slabs of up to 305mm thick by 3,150mm wide, the caster is the widest ever to be equipped with FC Mold. The order – placed by caster supplier, SMS Group – will be operational by 2022.

In continuous slab casting, conditions in the meniscus area of the solidifying steel are crucial to determining end product quality and have a major impact on productivity and overall operating costs. Integrated with the caster, FC Mold uses electromagnetic fields to control meniscus flow speed and fluctuations, while helping prevent gas bubbles and impurities from becoming trapped in the solidifying steel.

Results from more than 40 installations worldwide have proven that FC Mold delivers higher productivity and quality, and lower operating costs for casters operating at all speeds. Typically, installation of FC Mold results in a significant reduction in defects, rejects and downgraded products. In addition, FC Mold can allow for a higher casting speed.

“Having enjoyed a productive relationship with SMS Group for many years, this is our first order for Nucor Brandenburg and our first US order for FC Mold,” said Anders Lehman, Vice President, ABB Metallurgy Products. “The facility’s very wide casting format is challenging, but in addition to improving slab quality, FC Mold will also help optimize its operation significantly. We are looking forward to demonstrating the many benefits of our latest electromagnetic stirring and braking technology at this greenfield site.”

For more information on our metallurgical offerings for continuous casting visit

Caption: Example of an ABB Flow Control Mold installed on a conventional slab caster
Caption: Example of an ABB Flow Control Mold installed on a conventional slab caster

Caption: Three independent magnetic fields generate simultaneous stirring and braking in the mold from one fixed position
Caption: Three independent magnetic fields generate simultaneous stirring and braking in the mold from one fixed position

SMS Group is a group of companies internationally active in plant construction and mechanical engineering for the steel and nonferrous metals industry. The sole owner of the holding company SMS GmbH is the Familie Weiss Foundation.

Nucor and its affiliates are manufacturers of steel and steel products, with operating facilities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Products produced include: carbon and alloy steel – in bars, beams, sheet and plate; hollow structural section tubing; electrical conduit; steel piling; steel joists and joist girders; steel deck; fabricated concrete reinforcing steel; cold finished steel; precision castings; steel fasteners; metal building systems; steel grating; and wire and wire mesh. Nucor, through The David J. Joseph Company, also brokers ferrous and nonferrous metals, pig iron and hot briquetted iron / DRI; supplies ferro-alloys; and processes ferrous and nonferrous scrap. Nucor is North America’s largest recycler.

ABB is a trusted partner and leading supplier to the metals industry, offering a complete range of products, services and end-to-end solutions that improve productivity, quality, safety and cost-efficiency in iron, steel, aluminium and other metals production processes. With over a century of experience, ABB’s offerings are expertly tailored and highly process-specific, serving the entire industry from material yard and primary manufacturing to casting, rolling and processing lines. Across the whole metals value chain ABB demonstrates a commitment to optimizing operations with high performance products and digital solutions. www.new.abb.com/metals

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 110,000 talented employees in over 100 countries.
www.abb.com

For more information please contact:
Media Relations
Chris Brand
Phone: +44 7523 919 978
Email: chris.g.brand@gb.abb.com

ABB Ltd
Affolternstrasse 44
8050 Zurich
Switzerland