NEW HORIZONTomorrow’s ideas today

FOREWORD

PRODUCTION OF NON-FERROUS METALS

E-WASTE RECYCLING

EXTRACTIVE METALLURGY

POWDER PRODUCTION

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

HYDROGEN UTILIZATION

PORT LOGISTICS

WIND TOWER PRODUCTION

DECENTRALIZED ENERGY PRODUCTION

NEW FORMULA FOR SAFETY – ILTEC

FRICTION WELDING

ADVANCED DIGITAL SOLUTIONS

PQA® – PRODUCT QUALITY ANALYZER

NEW DIGITAL PRODUCTS

STARTING UP

NEW HORIZON

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“ WE LISTEN – WE LEARN – WE DELIVER”

Digitalization, the fourth industrial revolution, novel materials ... the world is changing at a breathtaking pace. Growing complexity, volatile markets, and disruptive technologies demand new thinking and a willingness to embrace change. As the “leading partner in the world of metals”, SMS group is gearing up for this future. Focusing on our core business – metallurgical plant and machinery construction – we have developed our “New horizon” offensive. This involves expanding our product program, establishing additional business fields, and grasping today’s growth opportunities with both hands.

It comes with a clear pledge to our customers: “We listen, we learn, we deliver”. That means we look toward future markets. And talk with customers about their requirements in today’s digitalized business envi-ronment. We establish joint ventures, initiate cooperation projects, and take on fresh challenges. We are open, learn faster, use agile methods, and deliver solutions that make the world sit up.

Already, we offer learning steelworks, innovative processes, and high-per-formance materials, plus digitalized and cross-linked processes, addi-tive manufacturing, and sustainable, green technologies that boost our customers’ profits. Furthermore, we are developing and working intensively on major ideas with great potential. Included here are smart digital products and a revolutionary port logistics solution..

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Yet all our activities have one thing in common: they are part of a per-manently evolving change process. So we never stand still, but actively pursue new ideas and constantly update our innovation strategy. We are confident most of our projects will be successful. But not all of them. However, mistakes only make us stronger because “we listen, we learn, we deliver”. Our company will continue to supply groundbreak-ing products and solutions that set new standards. That is and always has been our goal. We have the right people, the right ideas, and the right partners on board.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Katja WindtDr.-Ing. Guido Kleinschmidt

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NF METALS ARE CHANGING THE WORLD

Non-ferrous metals are essential in smartphones, tablets, and computers. Built into these devices are materials with specific properties that form the basis of our modern life. So it’s good news that SMS group is ready for this huge market – with a metal production value of more than EUR 300 billion.

Instrumental here is the joint venture PolyMet Solutions founded by SMS group and Mettop, an Austrian engineer-ing service provider. The new company aims to develop in-novative technical solutions and enhance customer value.

It supplements the wide range of solutions from SMS group in the field of NF metals. There is a major focus on primary pyrometallurgical process routes that produce metals from ore concentrates. Also available is a secondary process route for recycling metals. That’s both eco-friend-ly and saves resources. But both processes can also be combined. So what the joint venture is all about is enabling us to offer holistic plant solutions for these process lines.

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NEW HORIZON 7

More than 40 million tons of electronic waste is collected – every year. That’s because it’s a valuable source of metals. Professional recycling is not only good for the environ-ment, but also makes economic sense.

This is where Austrian company UrbanGold GmbH offers solutions for the metallurgical treatment of non-ferrous grades extracted from WEEE (Waste of Electrical and Elec-tronic Equipment) materials. SMS group and UrbanGold, an affiliate and spin-off of Mettop, signed a cooperation agreement in October 2016. It’s their common objective to market UrbanGold’s technology for efficient recycling of precious materials such as gold, silver, platinum, nickel, and copper. More than 98 percent of these metals can be fully recovered and converted into pure metal products.According to recent studies, the payback period for users of this technology may be less than two years.

In 2017, Aurus, a company based in Moscow, Russia, placed an order with SMS group for an UrbanGold com-pact plant. We’ll build the facility near Moscow with a capacity to process some 6,000 tons of printed circuit boards per year. It will produce LME-grade (London Metal Exchange) metals such as copper, nickel, gold, silver, and platinum.

A GOLDEN FUTURE WITH INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY

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NEW HORIZON 9

METALS FROM LOW-GRADE AND SECONDARY SOURCES FOR TECH-NOLOGY APPLICATIONS

Global CO2 reduction targets are driving demand for light-weight, stronger metals for vehicle manufacturing. Also much in demand are high-tech materials for local storage of energy from renewable sources, energy-efficient light-ing (LEDs), and reflective coatings and paints designed to reduce power consumption by air conditioning systems.Simultaneously, high-grade primary sources for many of these metals are becoming depleted, or are simply too expensive to exploit because of their remote and difficult geological locations.

SMS group develops integrated pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical processes and plants for the cost-ef-fective extraction of these valuable metals. Included here are nickel, cobalt, high-purity alumina, titanium, vanadium, lithium, and various rare earth elements.

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NEW HORIZON 11

THE MATERIAL FOR THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

SMS group has built and commissioned its own industrial- scale pilot plant to produce high-purity metal powder. This is the primary ingredient in additive manufacturing – a key technology in the fourth industrial revolution. There is a special focus here on automated production of customized products.

The pilot plant for powder atomization went into pro-duction on April 5, 2018. SMS group is gaining practi-cal experience so we can offer our customers efficient, high-performance solutions in the future. The starting material for additive manufacturing is top-quality metallic powder of high purity. It consists of microscopic spheres with a homogenous size of approx. 15 to 45 micrometers – used to produce novel workpieces by laser, for instance in the powder-bed procedure. The metals and alloys are melted inductively in a crucible under vacuum. Next, the melt flows from the tundish to the core component of the plant, a nozzle with a diameter of just a few millime-ters. Pure argon with the exclusion of oxygen is injected to atomize the liquid metal. Then the droplets solidify to form tiny spherical particles in the micrometer range.

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NEW HORIZON 13

NEW HORIZONS FOR EQUIPMENT DESIGN

The breakthrough of 3D printing for home use, predicted in 2010, is yet to come. Nevertheless, a revolution is taking place – not as expected in homes, but in industry. And it’s happening at breathtaking speed. More and more sectors of industry have been recognizing and making use of the advantages of 3D printing and additive manufacturing, not least the plant and mechanical engineering industry.

SMS group has, for many years, been very active in this innovative field. The company uses its own 3D printer installed at the Mönchengladbach (Germany) facility to gain experience in this field and transfer knowledge into practical applications. There is a young and dedica ted research and development team that is advancing and promoting additive manufacturing within the company. The team’s activities go beyond investigating which new and optimized components could be produced by addi-tive manufacturing (AM). Equally significant is introduc-ing a new way of thinking in the design and engineering departments.

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NEW HORIZON 15

The replacement of carbon to avoid CO2 emissions is becoming a more and more realistic future scenario for the iron & steel industry. Green hydrogen could evolve into a major substitute for carbon. Green hydrogen, i.e. hydrogen exclusively produced using renewable energy sources, will also be required for the production of chemicals and synthetic fuels (e-fuels). E-fuels, as part of e-mobility, will play a key role in the future. That applies especially for heavy-duty transportation such as trucks, ships and airplanes.

Paul Wurth aims to offer future-oriented solutions to its customers in the iron & steel industry. It will also investigate the opportunities for further diversification of its product portfolio so it can participate in this new growth area.

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GREEN IRONMAKING – THE DISRUPTIVE APPROACH

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NEW HORIZON 17

GAME-CHANGING INNOVATIONS FOR CONTAINER TERMINALS

Container ports worldwide are facing a host of challenges: ultra-large container ships need new, efficient concepts for faster loading and unloading. Higher container vol-umes demand significantly more warehouse capacity and simultaneously more terminal space. The productivity and cost-effectiveness of all operating procedures are important indicators in global competition.

The concept. AMOVA has developed an integrated solution for au-tomatic handling and storage of ISO containers in con-tainer ports. It’s a system that consists of an automated high-bay warehouse with direct links to waterside and landside loading.

The benefits. The storage system offers maximum space utilization of up to 4,000 standard containers per hectare – with all the benefits of fully automated operation. Included here are energy savings and occupational safety. Direct connection to the container cranes on the quay enables up to 500 container movements per hour. The system also offers all the necessary connections for intermodal transport – rail/road/barge.

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INNOVATIVE SOLUTION IN WIND ENERGY

Ever-tougher competition and declining subsidies are forcing wind turbine manufacturers worldwide to look for ways to make their turbines more attractive for electricity generation. Now there is a new manufacturing process from SMS group GmbH that can cut the cost of steel tower shells by up to 30 % compared with conventional methods. This is technically feasible with spiral welding because it essentially enables a greater automation level, requires less space and personnel, and ensures more precise tube tolerances.

The patented manufacturing process is based on the spiral welding method already familiar from steel pipe production. New about this process is that it makes conical tubes in variable wall thicknesses possible. Unlike con-ventional systems, the premium spiral tower plant can continuously produce tower shells in a single step. This involves simultaneous sheet metal forming and welding on a joint bending and welding stand.

There is a high potential for this production line type due to the steady growth of wind energy and the vast market share of steel towers.

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MORE COMPETENCE ON NEW MARKETS

Decentralized energy involves generating electrical and thermal energy in small-capacity, grid-connected plants (<10MW). Unlike conventional large power stations, de-central energy production units are modular and flexible. They are located close to consumers and typically use alternative or renewable energy sources.

Now, after the incorporation of an Italian company in 2017 with experience in incineration technology, Paul Wurth is a player on the growing market of decentra-lized energy production. Paul Wurth Energy supplies W2E (waste-to-energy) and B2E (biomass-to-energy) plants as well as solutions for biological treatment and cogenera-tion/trigeneration.

Recently, the company commissioned a new W2E plant in Albania. It has also secured further contracts for the design, supply, and construction of similar facilities. Paul Wurth draws on engineering expertise, knowhow in com-bustion processes and gas cleaning as well as project management. Another focus is developing advanced thermal treatment technologies such as gasification of municipal waste and biomass.

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THE BENEFITS OF COOLING WITHOUT WATER

Some conventionally water-cooled areas in metallurgical vessels are prone to explosion. That obviously has dramat-ic consequences for the equipment as well as the safety and health of personnel. Now there is a new solution to protect equipment and improve workplace safety.

SMS group’s innovative, non-explosive cooling medium IL-B2001 eliminates the risks associated with furnace cooling. It prolongs the vessel lifetime and revolutionizes the principles of metallurgical processes. What’s more, the technology is fully proven and already applied in ref-erence plants within the metals industry. This is how to add value along the entire value chain.

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INLINE FRICTION WELDING OF SLABS FOR ENDLESS ROLLING

Today’s CSP plants operate reliably in 1 or 2-strand mode down to minimum final gages of 1 mm. It makes sense for producers who mainly roll thicknesses of 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm to use endless rolling. This avoids the break-out risk inherent in each passing and threading operation.

A compact friction welding system joins the individual slabs in 2-strand operation. That allows for continuous generation of the mass flow necessary for endless rolling in a conventional 2-strand CSP plant. It also ensures reli-able production of extremely thin strip and high-strength steel grades.

The friction welding process takes just a few seconds, yet extensive tests have shown it achieves very stable joining of the slabs. Friction welding is already in use on an industrial scale, e.g. for manufacturing turbine gears. It’s valued as an economical and reliable process, although the faces to be joined are much smaller than those involved in joining thin slabs. The compact friction welding system introduces cost-effective endless rolling into a conventional CSP plant. That substantially expands the potential product mix.

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NEW HORIZON 27

THE LEARNING STEEL MILL: OUR VISION

What distinguishes a learning steel mill is that it auto- adaptively optimizes the production processes from raw materials through to the final product. The process is embedded in an integrated supply chain featuring physical and data-based models.

All this inevitably entails digitalization. But how does a steel mill learn? Simple, it uses data and derived values as the basis for decisions relevant to business oper-ations and process control. Primarily, digitalization is about intelligently interconnecting and systematically cross-linking knowledge and data. Yet there may be the common problem that these two resources are distrib-uted throughout organizations or stored in data silos with strict access restrictions. That’s exactly the kind of structure we need to overcome. Information must be freely available within the company – either in parts of the organization or even across company boundaries – in real time, so that it provides the basis for effective decisions. Such decisions ensure the steel mill achieves logistics targets including adherence to deadlines and short delivery times at low cost.

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THE DIGITAL PATH TO SUPERIOR QUALITY

PQA® (Product Quality Analyzer) monitors, documents, and safeguards process and product quality right from the start of the steelmaking process chain through to the surface-finished or coated strip. To achieve these improvements, the tool continually records all relevant production and process data. Then it applies sophisticated methods to analyze the results. According to pre-defined rules, the system also monitors process data. In case of deviations, it issues instructions for action so that potential shortcomings during the production process are recorded and corrected in good time. Finally, PQA® assesses the suitability of semi-finished products for various applica-tions based on proven MET/Con knowhow as well as the quality execution system (QES) from QuinLogic.

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X-PACT® MES 4.0

X-Pact® MES 4.0 Production Planning is a state-of-the-art, intelligent planning tool based on optimization algorithms and AI. Combined with SMS group domain knowhow, it helps customers create optimized production processes that boost your business success.

X-Pact® MES 4.0 Business Intelligence is an interactive web-reporting system. It delivers crucial knowledge at any time or place and in the right context – straight to the user’s PC, tablet, or smartphone. Data is transformed into information, ensuring better decision-making.

X-Pact® MES 4.0 Warehouse Manager controls the warehouse management, e.g. of coils. It generates trans-port movements into and out of storage, and provides a clear, 3D visualization of all information about the coils.

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X-PACT® VISION THE MOBILE CONTROL STATION – MACHINE OPERATION IN RESPONSE TO TODAY’S REQUIREMENTS

Increasingly, manufacturers want to be able to control plants on the go. Now, the expansion of X-Pact® Vision to include mobile terminal devices delivers the basis for this. The goals here: structured content, responsive design, and reliable, intuitive touch control.

Your benefits at a glance●● Mobile access to information●● Process-linked reporting to tablet and smartphone●● Easy evaluation of process results●● Secure due to internal WLAN with

access authorization●● Time saving with easy process optimization●● Efficient quality management

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GET STARTED – SMS DIGITAL AND SMART ALARM

SMS digital creates digital solutions in close cooperation with you to meet the challenges of the fourth industrial revolution. Let’s take for example Smart Alarm. It helps you learn more about your plant, increase overall equip-ment availability, and prevent downtimes. This solution requires no additional hardware because it uses existing data from the automation system.

Here’s what you can expect in terms of substantial im-provements in equipment availability: The system issues alarms, documents solutions for specific alarms, and displays statistics complete with analyses that illustrate alarm trends. Also integrated is a novel visualization in the machine tree that facilitates fast error identification and correction.

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ySMS group GmbHEduard-Schloemann-Straße 440237 Düsseldorf • GermanyPhone +49 211 881- 4604 communications@sms-group.comwww.sms-group.com

The information provided in this brochure contains a general”description of the performance characteristics of

the products concerned. The actual products may not always have these characteristics as described. In particular,

these may change as a result of further developments of the products. The provision of this information is not

intended to and shall not have legal effect. An obligation to deliver products having particular characteristics shall

only exist if this has been expressly agreed.