Quard and Quend: new high value added products developed by NLMK Clabecq

In October 2011, NLMK Europe launched the Quenching & Tempering Steel transformation line at the Clabecq site (Belgium). This was a strategic investment of more than EUR 100 million for NLMK Europe’s plate business unit.

Located in Ittre, Belgium, NLMK Clabecq produces steel plates of thicknesses ranging from 3 to 120 mm. The plant is close to the port of Antwerp and at the centre of a major European motorway network. It distributes its sheets to the four corners of the world, with a third of sales destined for locations outside Europe. The NLMK Clabecq plate mill is unique in combining a reversible quarto mill and a continuous finishing mill with four independent stands. Specializing in the production of thin plate, NLMK Clabecq is known for its surface finish, flatness, and thickness control. In recent years, the trend has been to supply the plate market with lighter products that possess superior mechanical properties. The Q&T unit investment was confirmed in 2009 despite the global financial crisis.

“Thanks to the Q&T line, we are now able to supply quenched and tempered steels of a quality that helps to increase our customers’ productivity – for example, in the manufacture of large industrial equipment – and provides new design options to manufacturers of construction machinery. Our Quard range of wear plates has been recently extended to include the new 500 HB grade, and in the area of high-strength structural steels, we now offer Quend 960 grade in addition to the 700 MPa grade. This extremely high-quality steel is typically used for the production of telescopic booms for mobile cranes”, says Marc Bianchi, Sales & Marketing Director, Q&T and Export.

This investment supports NLMK Group’s strategy of development and innovation, which has also recently been exemplified by the launch of a new blast furnace and a new 300t basic oxygen furnace at the Group’s main production site in Lipetsk (400 km from Moscow). Both production facilities were built using the best available technology, which will enable NLMK to create the high-quality slabs needed for the production of Q&T steels.

“The combination of a reversible quarto mill and a continuous finishing mill with four independent stands enables us to produce thin and wide heavy plates, starting at 3 mm, which is unique. For the final touch, the new Q&T line is responsible for both the consistent achievement of high mechanical properties such as hardness, strength, and impact energy, and also for an extremely low tension level in the plate”, says Bianchi. “These qualities provide our customers with several benefits: it takes less time to align and set up the machines, which reduces cycle times and improves productivity. Also, new designs are possible thanks to tighter tolerances. The excellent surface quality is very much appreciated in demanding sectors like the tipper or crane industries.”

NLMK plans to increase the production of quenched and tempered steel plates in the coming years to 200,000 tonnes, covering a wide range of thicknesses from 3 mm to 60 mm. To achieve this goal, a large international sales and distribution network has been established and is continuing to expand.

“Many customers enjoy the possibility of a non-binding technical conversation: for example, with one of our application engineers", Bianchi remarks. "Our dedication to quality and service is a top priority. We offer both to our customers, and that makes all the difference.”