New organic coating line opens at ArcelorMittal Galati

ArcelorMittal Galati (Romania) has unveiled one of the only large-scale organic coating lines in the country. The new line will see organic coated steels from ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products produced in Romania for the first time. As well as meeting the needs of the local market, the line is expected to create new export opportunities for Romanian producers of sandwich panels and other architectural products.

Galati’s organic coating line was installed as part of the mill’s ARC 2020^E transformation project. ARC, which stands for Accelerate Succeed Consolidate, aims to implement new technologies, increase the efficiency and productivity of the plant, and reduce costs and energy consumption.

Line relocated and upgraded

The organic coating line was transferred to ArcelorMittal Galati from ArcelorMittal Volos (Greece) where it had operated for 11 years. It took 18 months and a major investment to move the line to Galati and implement improvements. These improvements included a new surface treatment section, safety systems, and an inspection cabin to guarantee quality.

Initially the line will produce organic coated steels which are popular with manufacturers of roofing, guttering, and cladding systems. As production is ramped up, the product range will be extended to include products from ArcelorMittal’s Granite^® range.

“This new line should enable ArcelorMittal to accelerate deliveries to local customers like us,” notes Cosmin Pătroiu, CEO of TeraSteel, a leading producer of roofing and insulation panels in Romania and Serbia. “Our market has significant growth potential. Romania is a net exporter and producers such as TeraSteel export up to 55% of their output.”

European quality

“We have been waiting for this moment!” says Horaţiu Ţepeş, CEO of Bilka Steel which makes roofing and cladding systems for residential and industrial buildings. “Until now we have had to purchase organic coated material from as far away as France and Italy. Recently, we bought significant quantities from ArcelorMittal Galati and noticed that it is reliable material, comparable to organic coated steels produced in Western Europe.”

Local companies such as TeraSteel, Depaco, and Bilka Steel are so pleased with the commissioning of the new line, they have requested ArcelorMittal include a local back stamp on the coils. “Customers have been asking us to put ‘Made in Romania by ArcelorMittal Galati’ on the back of our coils,” explains Bogdan Ifrim, commercial area head for Romania at ArcelorMittal Galati. “They want to show their customers that we have the skills and expertise in Romania to make these high-quality materials.”

ArcelorMittal Galati’s new organic coating line is undergoing final qualification by engineers from ArcelorMittal’s organic coating R&D laboratory in Liege (Belgium). Once final testing is completed, ArcelorMittal will offer its standard European guarantee on organic coated products created in Galati.