The galvanizing plant in the Krakow unit of ArcelorMittal Poland will expand its offer with a new coating based on zinc, magnesium and aluminum. It is a product with much better plastic properties and greater corrosion resistance than existing alloys. The investment allowing for the production of such a coating in Krakow will cost about PLN 40 million. This is another project, in addition to the ongoing modernization in the annealing plant, worth over PLN 52 million.
The Optigal coating, which will be produced in the Krakow unit, first of all, makes it possible to reduce the consumption of zinc in the process, and thus to reduce the extraction of this raw material from natural deposits. Secondly, products coated with this coating are also more durable and show greater corrosion resistance.
“Sheets covered with this coating will be used mainly in the construction industry, e.g. for the production of sandwich panels and trapezoidal sheets necessary for the construction of modern industrial or commercial halls. This application requires very good adhesion and high plastic properties during cold forming" emphasizes Tomasz Plaskura, member of the Management Board of ArcelorMittal Poland, CMO East Europe. "The new product will find customers not only in Poland, but also in Central and Eastern Europe, m.in. in the Czech Republic and Slovakia" he adds.
The galvanic coating with the addition of magnesium is already used in the Świętochłowice branch of the company, but the one that will be produced in Krakow will be characterized by a lower thickness of the zinc and magnesium coating. The recipients of sheet metal from the Cracow unit – companies producing sandwich panels and trapezoidal sheets – do not require such parameters as the product manufactured in Świętochłowice.
The implementation of the new coating in the Cracow unit requires a number of modernization works in the cold rolling mill. Design work began at the end of last year. A two-bath system is being designed, as there is currently one galvanizing bath in the Krakow galvanizing plant. In addition, it will also be necessary to build accompanying installations, take care of ventilation and electrical installation.
"We are consistently investing in the processing part of our Kraków unit. We continue with environmental projects in the annealing plant, where we are replacing furnaces using the atmosphere generated from the decomposition of ammonia with new hydrogen furnaces. In turn, thanks to this investment, we are expanding the portfolio of the Krakow steelworks with a product that is valued on the market by the construction industry - emphasizes Wojciech Koszuta, CEO of ArcelorMittal Poland. "The value of both projects is almost PLN 100 million" he sums up.
The construction works that will allow the production of sheets with Optigal coating in Krakow are worth PLN 40 million and are to be completed in 2025. Production will start after certification – in 2026. The launch of the new galvanizing bath will expand the portfolio of products offered by the cold rolling mill in Krakow.
