German cold-roller group Waelzholz is installing a new four-high reversing mill and a two-base bell annealing furnace at its Brazilian unit Waelzholz Brasmetal.
In addition, the site in São Paulo is planning to install four more bell annealing furnaces, a slitting line, and a packaging line, Kallanish hears from the parent group. This expanded production capacity will mean an additional 33,000 tonnes/year of cold rolled steel strip
The four-high reversing mill and the two-base bell annealing furnace are scheduled to be up and running by May 2026. This investment alone will increase the Brazilian location’s production capacity by 11,000t/y.
The rolling mill, equipped with a twin-drive system, features digital drive and control technology. In addition, the roll gap control and strip tracking systems have been designed and optimised for rolling asymmetric thickness profiles, Waelzholz explains
The measures represent the largest single investment in the history of Waelzholz Brasmetal, the parent group notes. It sees them as a strategy also against tariffs and trade restrictions that are changing the global economic environment. To meet these challenges, it says it is investing specifically in the respective economic regions, as this allows to adapt production and logistics systems to local conditions.
Christian Koehl Germany
