U.S. Steel to build new mill in Arkansas

U.S. Steel Corp. will build a sustainable, technologically advanced steel mill in Osceola, Arkansas, near its existing Big River Steel plant. The melt shop will consist of two electric arc furnaces (EAFs) with 3 million tons per year of liquid steelmaking capability, an endless casting and rolling line, and finishing capabilities. This first use of endless casting and rolling technology in the United States brings significant energy, efficiency and capability enhancements to the company’s operations, the Pittsburgh-based company stated.

Upon completion, this project will apply to become LEED certified. Permitting for the project is underway and the company expects to break ground this quarter, with startup to occur in 2024.

“With this location selected and shovels ready, we are reshaping the future of steelmaking,” said U.S. Steel President and CEO David B. Burritt. “We had numerous competitive site options, but Osceola offers our customers incomparable advantages.”

The new steel plant—combined with Big River Steel—will form a complex able to produce 6.3 million tons per year of advanced, sustainable steels. The new non-grain-oriented electrical steel and Galvalume/galvanizing lines now being built at Big River Steel will further advance U.S. Steel’s ability to respond to customers’ pressing supply chain needs to satisfy their own domestic manufacturing expansion. The location affords abundant, increasingly renewable and clean power from Entergy Arkansas, Class 1 rail service from BNSF with connections to other railroads, Mississippi River docks and interstate trucking access.

CMC to build micro mill

Commercial Metals Co., Irving, Texas, announced, as the next phase of its long-term growth strategy, a plan to construct a micro mill where it will serve the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest markets. CMC is in the site selection process, and leadership expects the location and capabilities of the planned facility will augment CMC’s assets in the Eastern U.S. and complement its existing operational footprint.

SAF implements high-tech solution to improve aluminum

SAF, Atlanta, is has incorporated X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) technology into its polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) finishing process. The enhancement enables SAF to provide its customers with verification that its coatings meet key industry standards for performance and durability set by the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA). By using XRF technology, SAF can accurately measure the quality of its conversion coatings. For customers, this ensures an accurate pretreatment, which leads to a successful PVDF application and a long-lasting architectural finish. The XRF analyzer determines whether the metal meets AAMA 2605. Results are available in seconds as opposed to traditional laboratory testing, which can take days.

Nucor selects West Virginia for new sheet mill

Nucor Corp., Charlotte, North Carolina, will build a sheet mill in Mason County, West Virginia. The location, on the Ohio River, provides Nucor with transportation and logistics advantages, and greater access to customers in the Midwest and Northeast, the two largest sheet consuming regions in the U.S. When fully operational, the $2.7 billion mill will employ 800 people. The facility will be able to produce 3 million tons of steel annually. The new mill will be equipped to produce 84-inch-wide sheet products, and among other features, will include a 76-inch-wide tandem cold mill and two galvanizing lines.

Trumpf appoints product managers

Clinton Coleman has been appointed as TruMark product and project manager and Edyth Nicholson has become product and project manager for high power lasers at the Trumpf Laser Technology Center in Michigan. Coleman will be responsible for TruMark customer projects and before- and after-sales technical support related to laser marking solutions. Nicholson will be responsible for before- and after-sales technical support and management of customer projects related to high-powered lasers.

Grand Steel launches Tennessee operation

Grand Steel Products, Wixom, Michigan, has started up operations in Clinton, Tennessee. GSP-TN serves as a toll processing and warehousing facility, featuring two slitting lines, de-canning and freight forwarding services for steel and aluminum products. GSP-TN is able to handle up to 25-ton master coils that are received by truck and rail. It has a three-car indoor rail siding serviced by Norfolk Southern Corp. GSP-TN will service a wide range of industries but the primary focus is toll processing for automotive customers.

Reliance acquires Rotax Metals

Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co., Los Angeles, has acquired Rotax Metals Inc., Brooklyn, New York, a service center specializing in copper, bronze and brass alloys. Founded in 1947, Rotax has a diverse customer base including distributors, manufacturers and the commercial and residential construction markets.

Ryder purchases logistics specialist

Transportation and logistics provider Ryder System Inc., Miami, has agreed to acquire Whiplash, a national provider of omni-channel fulfillment and logistics services, for $480 million. Based in City of Industry, California, Whiplash provides scalable e-commerce and omni-channel fulfillment solutions to more than 250 brands. The company’s 19 dedicated and multi-client warehouses total nearly 7 million square feet and provide access to key port operations and gateway markets. Ryder plans to integrate Whiplash’s facilities, operations, technology, warehouse automation and robotics into its e-commerce fulfillment solution within the supply chain solutions business unit. Ryder plans to retain Whiplash’s executive team and workforce.

Leeco names sales manager

Leeco Steel promoted Eric LaPorte to service center sales manager. He now manages and implements sales and customer service strategies for Leeco’s service center sales team, from its Lisle, Illinois, headquarters. LaPorte joined Leeco in 2011 as a sales representative. He was promoted to account manager in 2020 and senior account manager in 2021.

Company wins patent for advanced metal deposition technology

Plus Mfg. LLC, Erlanger, Kentucky, won its first patent for its metal deposition technology, an additive manufacturing process that it claims will fabricate metal parts more cleanly, more safely, less costly and more sustainably than traditional processes. Features of its patented AM process include: Quenching parts during fabrication so that part temperatures are controlled throughout the fabrication process; building on a non-stick surface so that expensive substrates are not needed; allowing multiple materials in the same build so that the part performance and weight can be optimized; and reducing energy input so that the environmental impact and operating costs are reduced.

AZZ purchases galvanizer

AZZ Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, has acquired the assets of Steel Creek Galvanizing Co. LLC, a hot-dip galvanizing company based in Blacksburg, South Carolina. AZZ will operate the new facility as AZZ Galvanizing South Carolina. This further extends AZZ’s ability to support customers in the Southeast U.S. The Steel Creek operation will be integrated into AZZ’s network of galvanizing plants, bringing its coil coating network to 40 sites across North America.

Canadian steelmaker to recycle EV batteries

Stelco Holdings Inc., Hamilton, Ontario, has executed licensing and option agreements with Primobius GmbH to commercialize Primobius’ proprietary electric vehicle battery recycling and processing technologies in North America. This deal enables Stelco to advance commercial lithium-ion battery feedstock sourcing agreements and begin the engineering and approvals processes. The company proposes to recycle 20,000 net tons per year of specialty metals at an integrated shredding and hydrometallurgical refinery at Lake Erie Works. The company will be able to reclaim up to 18,400 net tons of nickel, manganese and cobalt sulphates, and lithium hydroxide and carbonate. The recycling plant is also expected to generate up to 40,000 net tons of ferrous scrap steel per year, which will be recycled into Stelco’s steelmaking operations.

Producer adds second coil coating line

Ternium USA will install a second coil coating paint line with annual capacity of 120,000 tons at its Shreveport, Louisiana, facility. The $98 million project will increase Ternium’s production capacity in the U.S. by 53 percent. Construction of the project will begin during first quarter. Ternium expects commercial operations at the added production line to begin by mid 2024.

Walter acquires Allegro Industries

Walter Surface Technologies, Montreal, purchased Allegro Industries, a Piedmont, South Carolina-based manufacturer of high-quality safety equipment, respirators, air sources and ventilation equipment. Through this acquisition, Walter is expanding its safety and PPE product line, complementing its metalworking products. Allegro will continue to operate under its own brand. Activities for both customers and suppliers remain unchanged.

Ontario service center orders CTL line

Taylor Steel Inc., Stoney Creek, Ontario, has ordered a Herr-Voss Stamco cut-to-length line from Andritz Metals USA Inc., Callery, Pennsylvania. The line will process 0.625-inch-thick by 72-inch-wide material from coils weighing up to 40 tons. The equipment is designed to meet Taylor Steel’s product requirements and includes a precision roll feed system coupled with a production shear that can cut both long and short blanks with high efficiency and extreme accuracy.