First CSP® Nexus plant
The first CSP® Nexus plant worldwide produces at the new flat steel complex of Steel Dynamics in USA.
The CSP® Nexus plant enables SDI to produce thin slabs with thicknesses of up to 130 millimeters (5.2") and slab widths of up to 2,134 millimeters (84"). The CSP® continuous caster is designed as a single-strand curved mold plant (VLB – Vertical Liquid Bending).
With a maximum strip width of 84 in (2,134 mm) and an annual capacity of 3.0 million short tons (2.7 million mt), SMS group is once again setting the dimension and production possibilities for thin slab casting and rolling plants.
At the same time, the design of this mill allows the production of high quality thin strip, down to a minimum strip thickness of 0.047 in (1.2 mm), as well as API hot strip grades with thicknesses of up to 1 in (25.4 mm). Even thinner final strip thicknesses are possible with this plant concept.
The central technological feature of the CSP® Nexus is the flexible adjustment of the temperature profile and the high reduction capacity of the independent rolling mill groups, with a roller hearth furnace in front of and behind the roughing mill. The distances between the caster and roughing mill as well as between the roughing mill and finishing mill allow casting, roughing-edging-rolling, and finish-rolling to be performed independently, to achieve the most favorable production basis that takes the steel grade and product dimensions into account. The resulting layout creates the basis for producing high-quality final products, especially in terms of final rolling temperature (uniformity) requirements.