Cogne invests in Aosta plant

Italian stainless long steel producer Cogne Acciai Speciali is investing in the modernisation of its Aosta plant in Italy by revamping the cooling chamber of the continuous casting machine for special steel blooms.

The goal is to enhance machine efficiency and simplify maintenance activities, Kallanish notes. The upgrade will be carried out during this year’s four-week summer shutdown.

As part of the intervention, a new cooling chamber made of stainless steel will be installed in the mobile curved zone, covering the wet zone that has been impacted by secondary sprays. With this design, there will be a significant decrease in the amount of saturated air that needs to be aspirated, resulting in substantial electricity savings for the fans and a noticeable reduction in maintenance time, says Danieli, which is revamping the unit.

The work will include a series of new roller modules; new hoods, designed for heat containment and ease of operation and maintenance; and new extraction guides for all operational stirrers across various casting lines. This will make operations more efficient and give them a longer lifespan, Danieli notes.

Cogne, a subsidiary of Taiwanese stainless steelmaker Walsin Lihwa, completed this year the acquisition of its main stainless steel scrap supplier, ComSteel Inox, as well as part of Outokumpu’s long products business in Degerfors and Storfors, Sweden.

Since it was acquired by Walsin Lihwa, the steelmaker has expanded through a series of mergers. Last year, it completed the acquisition of Sheffield-headquartered Special Melted Products (SMP). Walsin is investing over €110 million ($119m) in Cogne’s Aosta plant between 2022-2024. The growth strategy involves gaining market share in Europe and Asia, and developing the group’s presence in the US (see Kallanish passim).

Natalia Capra France