Expanded Le Creusot steel plant adds overhead cranes
15 Mar 2010
Le Creusot, France - ArcelorMittal steelworks in Le Creusot, France is operating two overhead cranes from Taim Weser (TW). The cranes company was chosen just over a year ago to supply, assemble and start up two large-tonnage overhead cranes for the steelworks. Final start-up took place just before 1 Feb at the newly enlarged steelworks.
The facility will produce special steel ingots to meet the needs of Creusot Forge, an Areva subsidiary, which specialises in forging large components for the nuclear industry. TW supplied an overhead crane with a 600/150 tonne capacity and 19.4m span between rails. This crane will be used for the mould release and maintenance of forged ingots weighing between 50 and 500 tons. The crane has two separate trolleys running along three main girders.
An overhead casting crane with a 175/50/20 tonne capacity, 19.4m span was also supplied. The crane’s design is unusual due to space limits in the facilities in question. TW’s solution consisted of a crane in which the main trolley runs along the top of the main crane girders, while the auxiliary trolley runs along the bottom of these main crane girders. It also has a third girder with a 20-tonne lifting capacity hoist to perform maintenance work in the steelworks.
The steelworks expansion is the result of a strategic agreement between ArcelorMittal and Areva, which was signed in 2008 in Le Creusot to increase the output capacity of Industeel, an ArcelorMittal subsidiary, to be able to supply steel bars to Creusot Forge, an Areva subsidiary, which manufactures cast parts for the nuclear industry.
With a Euro70m investment, the new production facilities in the steelworks measure 3,500 m2 and 120m long and have the necessary equipment to increase the plant’s output from 30,000 to 50,000 tonnes of 250-tonne steel bars.
