Metallurgy/Steel and Iron

Whether it be for melting, annealing and hardening or as a shielding gas – gases are indispensable when it comes to really giving steel the required hardness and strength.

Germany: steel network

The good relations between the Austrian Böhler Group and Messer Austria are also bearing fruit in Germany, where Messer Industriegase now supplies the Böhler Group-owned company EschmannStahl in Gummersbach with high-purity nitrogen for a completely new heat treatment process. Its total annual requirement comes to 125,000 cubic metres. EschmannStahl is a European leader in special tool steels and plastic mould steels.

Germany: hardening at Seeger-Orbis

Seeger-Orbis, based in Königstein/Taunus, develops, manufactures and sells a wide range of fastening elements, retaining rings, circlips, shims and support washers. Seeger-Orbis is the leading manufacturer in Europe in this segment. In 2008, Messer Industriegase took over the supply of nitrogen for the hardening and annealing processes.

Estonia: lead recycling with oxygen

The lead recycler Ecometal has been convinced of the advantages of an oxy-fuel burner. Messer is supplying the liquid oxygen for the rotary furnace.

Austria: basalt fibres need oxygen

Asatec (Assamer Basaltic Fibers) has installed its first production tank for the production of basalt fibres.

Basalt fibres are thin fibres of basalt and are categorised as mineral fibres. They are manufactured from molten basalt at a temperature of about 1,400 °C. Basalt fibres are used as reinforcing fibres in fibre-plastic composites or as heat protection material, for example in car making. After concluding the supply contract for the oxygen needed to operate the first tank-type furnace, Messer Austria put the burners into operation just four weeks later, in December 2008.

Poland: brilliant result at WRJ Serwis

WRJ Serwis, the largest manufacturer of seamless steel pipes in Poland, uses Endolin in its heat treatment processes. A roller hearth furnace has been fitted with an Endolin supply system. At the company’s site in Siemianowice Śląskie, Endolin is used primarily for annealing pipes that are earmarked for export. These pipes require a particularly smooth surface, which was impossible to achieve with exogas. WRJ Serwis is delighted with the results: exports of these goods have risen markedly since the conversion to Endolin.

Poland: nitrogen for Tele-Fonika cables

Tele-Fonika is the largest manufacturer of cables and wires in Central and Southeast Europe. At its site in Kraków/BieŜanów, the company anneals copper wires under nitrogen with 0.5 per cent hydrogen and aluminium wires under nitrogen. Having signed a new supply contract, Messer Polska is now the sole supplier at all five locations in Poland.

Poland: zinc oxide production with oxygen

Arkop in Bukowno produces zinc oxide in a rotary furnace. After successful tests, Messer Polska fitted the furnace with a burner and a control unit, in addition to which it is supplying 1,000,000 cubic metres of liquid oxygen annually.

Romania: aluminium alloys with shielding gas

After many years of negotiations, Alro S.A. in Slatina (formerly Alprom) has opted to use nitrogen for recrystallisation and soft annealing of aluminium alloys. To begin with, a newly acquired chamber furnace from the Otto Junker Group was equipped with protective gas.

Serbia: Derventa seamed tube factory

Messer’s extensive experience in the heat treatment of steel tubes convinced the Derventa seamed tube factory of the advantages of the Neutrotherm^® process. It offers a high degree of flexibility, better surface quality and a marked reduction in the amount of maintenance required compared with exothermic gas. Messer Tehnogas supplies liquid nitrogen and gaseous hydrogen to Derventa.

Serbia: Lola Pom iron foundry

In the Lola Pom iron foundry in Serbia, an oxygen enrichment system for a cupola furnace has been installed. Messer now also supplies smaller quantities of gas to this customer for other applications. In addition, Messer is working on the use of oxygen in the electric arc furnace at the same factory.

Czech Republic: nitrogen for Schmolz + Bickenbach

The Schmolz + Bickenbach Group is a partner of Messer Industriegase GmbH. A new air separation plant is currently under construction at the company’s Siegen site. Schmolz + Bickenbach owns six steelworks in Europe: one in Switzerland (Swiss Steel AG, Emmenbrücke), one in France (Ugitech) and the four “Deutsche Edelstahlwerke” sites in Siegen, Hagen, Witten and Krefeld. Schmolz + Bickenbach operates a hardening bay at Hustopeče, where nitrogen is used for hardening, bright tempering and quenching. Messer Technogas supplies the liquid nitrogen that is required there.

Ukraine: experience is crucial

Messer has installed oxy-fuel burners in a new rotary furnace for lead recycling and signed a ten-year supply contract for liquid oxygen. Messer’s expertise and the technical support it can provide were key factors in winning this contract.

Hungary: Variocarb-direct for New MGM

The Turkish company New MGM in Diósd has opted for direct injection of nitrogen into its hardening furnaces for the hardening of ball bearing and rolling contact bearing rings. The in-house production of shielding gas been stopped because the tried and tested Variocarb-direct process from Messer provides New MGM with better product quality and more safety in the manufacture of ball bearings.

Vietnam: partner to the stainless steel industry

Messer Haiphong has signed a contract with Son Ha, a Vietnamese manufacturer of stainless steel products, to supply 15 tonnes of liquid argon a month. Ha Anh, a company that manufactures stainless steel tubes, also receives liquid argon from Messer Haiphong.