Chinese steelmaker Angang Ltd. has given the final acceptance certificate (FAC) to Primetals Technologies for its completion of a full automation upgrade at its Bayuquan plate mill.

The modernization, including Level 1 and 2 automation systems, a camera system, and a new human-machine interface (HMI), allows Angang to produce high-performance steels such as X60MO for subsea pipelines, featuring stringent shape, surface quality. Besides, Primetals Technologies’ new advanced process models can produce thinner plates with a thickness of down to 5mm, with better flatness and quality.

This upgrade, driven by successful past collaborations, enables Angang to expand its high-value-added product range. After the upgrade, Angang’s 3.8-meter plate mill will have an annual production capacity of 1.4 million tons, producing plates with a thickness from 5 to 50mm and a width from 1,450 to 3,600mm, with main products of high-quality medium-thick plates and special steel products.