Technical Success and

Plant Operations
Denis Hennessy P. Eng.
September 12, 2017
 Timeline
• Financial Close June 30, 2014
• Skin pass Mill and Batch anneal started March 16, 2016.
• CSP (EAF/LMF/Caster/HSM) first bar December 11, 2016
• Pickle line first coil March 1, 2017
• Tandem Cold Mill first coil March 20, 2017
• Galvanize line first coil May 1, 2017
• RH degasser first heat July 28, 2017
 BRS/SMS co-design
• Often overlooked is early involvement in the
design and equipment. Ops/Sales/Eng
– Major meetings in USA and Germany
– Supported by weekly telepresence calls with BRS
operations and engineering.
• Equipment modification
• Selection of spare parts “Need vs Wants”
 Construction
• Location
– Osceola Arkansas
– Central to Truck/Barge/Rail
• Obstacles
– Rain- lots of Rain
– Soil Conditions- Having a mill beside the
Mississippi has huge advantages, having to build a
mill beside the Mississippi has its challenges.
 Technologies
• Surcon- installed and operation on the HM,
PKL Galv line. Each was setup and in use
HM PKL CGL

System startup 2/10/2017 3/30/2017 4/12/2017

Commissioning
timeline 2.5 months 3 months 2.5 months

System stable 5/11/2017 6/27/2017 7/07/2017

• BRS plans for all future lines to have
automated surface inspection.
• Currently looking to add at Caster and SPM
 EAF
• 32” Electrode
• Burners
• Tenova alloy system
• Bag house
LMF
 Caster

• LCR – liquid core reduction

• Breakout detection
• High pressure descaler – upgradable to rotary
 HSM

• SMS first Tunnel furnace

• New Laminar model –allows for constant
cooling rate control
• 1” coiler
 PKL
• Lazer welder
• Pickle section capable of handling high Si
 Galvanizing
• Combo Continuous anneal and Galvanize
– Commissioned the line in Cal mode to save since
cost
– IMPOC install on the Galv line
• Microstructure model
 Development

• BRS generated
• Purchased/Liscened Technology i.e Galvalum
• Consultants
• Joint Venture
• Customer developed
 systems

• L3 system from Melt to Galv including order

setup
 Technical Success
• First heat of Medium Carbon
• First heat of API X-52
• First heat of API X-70 ½”
• First heat of Grade 80
• Grade 60 cold rolled
 Technical Support
• SMS is the primary OEM, with that came the
support of METCON. They area second source
for support after the BRS Engineering teams
• BRS generated
• Purchased/Liscened Technology i.e Galvalum
• Consultants
• Joint Venture
 Support

• PQA – Division on SMS its another layer that

sits on top of the L3 to support disposition
and help visualize the mill performance
• Data warehouse
 People
• All the people who helped build Big river,
– Employees
– Contractors
– Equipment suppliers
– Town of Osceola
• They could build a mill anywhere in the world
John Correntti chose Osceola for the people
 Vendors/Partners
• SMS Primary OEM
• CV engineering
• ABB/ Tamini - Transformers
• Pri-metals - substation
• Russula – Water systems
• Tenova – Alloy system
• Instron/Hitachi- Testing
• Mid-River Terminal Barge/Dock operator