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Chinese plant designers rely on EIRICH and "Made in Germany"

Chinese plant designers and their customers repeatedly rely for iron ore processing on mixing technology from EIRICH and Made in Germany

China produces more than 60 percent of the world's steel. Production capacities and thus its leading position on the global steel market are being steadily expanded. According to media reports, the capacity load of steel plants in China is over 95%. Environmental protection and sustainability are seen as important requirements. More than half of the mills already operate with state-of-the-art technologies. The remaining steel mills are to be upgraded to the latest technological standards to reduce emissions to a minimum. In addition, new plants will be built to the latest standards. Efficient plant designers advise and supply the industry. For the conditioning of fine ore before pelletizing and for sinter preparation before the blast furnace, companies regularly opt for the best available mixing technology - for EIRICH.

Environmental protection and sustainability - in pelletizing, for example, this means reducing the consumption of binding agents, and in sinter preparation, for example, working with less carbon. The Eirich mixing system proves to be advantageous for both processes. The so-called Eirich mixer - a further development of the ring trough and planetary mixer - demonstrates its unique performance capabilities here. The operating principle - a rotating container for transporting the material to be mixed and a variable, slow to fast running mixing tool for mixing - provides advantages that are almost entirely unique selling points. Compared to other mixing systems, friction and wear are greatly reduced. The speed of the mixing tool can be adapted to the respective task. One and the same mixer can mix, granulate, coat, knead and disperse. The tool speeds can be between 1 and more than 30 m/s. The power input into the mixture can thus be specifically controlled. Higher tool speeds mean better distribution of binders in pelletizing, and better distribution of reducing agents in sinter preparation, as well as the possibility of agglomeration of very fine ores. Especially in sintering plants, this allows a flexible response to the worldwide trend towards ever finer starting materials without losing performance on the sinter belt.

Eirich mixers have been operating in Europe since 1960 in the conditioning of fine ore for subsequent pelletizing. The fine ores are mixed with binders. Because the mixer distributes the binder better, the quantities of binder can be reduced. This results in considerable savings. In these plants, which are equipped with continuously operating mixers with a useful volume of up to 12,000 liters, operating times of several months without downtime and repairs due to wear are standard.

Eirich mixers for the preparation of sinter mixtures have been in use - starting in Japan - since 1985. According to customer reports, this has resulted in higher strength and permeability, as well as in a reduction in coke requirements and an increase in the capacity of the sintering plant. By granulating in the Eirich mixer, in sizes up to 12,000 liters in use, up to 60% finest ores can be used without reducing the output at the sinter belt.

For more than two decades plant designers in China and also their customers, who are among the leading steel producers, have repeatedly relied on the best available processing technology.

Currently, the plant designer Beijing Shougang International Engineering Technology Co, Ltd. (BSIET) has planned an R33/70C mixer (effective volume 7000 liters, continuous operation) for sinter processing modernization in Shougang Group Qiangang Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. in Qianan. The same plant designer supplies the new steel mill of Zhongtian Iron and Steel Group Co., Ltd. in Nantong with a mixer type R33/60C (usable volume 6000 liters, continuous operation), for fine ore conditioning in the pellet plant. The plant designer Sinosteel Equipment & Engineering Co.,Ltd. supplies a new steelwork of Magang Group Holding Co., Ltd., also known as Masteel Group in Maanshan also with a mixer of the type R33/60C (usable volume 6000 liters, continuous operation), for fine ore conditioning in the pellet plant. And Taigang Stainless Steel Holdings Co., Ltd. (TISCO) has ordered a DW40C mixer (usable volume 12,000 liters, continuous operation) for sinter processing in the plant in Taiyuan.

The investment in an advantageous mixing technology will enable the companies to operate economically on the one hand and contribute to the improvement of the environmental situation in China on the other hand.

More information:
Contact: Torsten Henk, E-Mail: torsten.henk@eirich.de