The new bloom caster at Wakayama Steel Works has been very successfully commissioned in January 1979. It took only eleven months to build this machine. Owing to the experience of twin bloom casting operation at No. 2 slab caster prior to the new caster installation, the monthly production of new caster has increased rapidly since start up. The nominal production capacity of 80000 ton has already been reached in the second month from start up and the stable operation has established international record of long sequence casting of 775 heats in September 1980.
The quality of the products is much better and more stable than conventional ingot and twin materials, so the application of cast bloom has been extended quickly to A.P.I. P-110 seamless tube production.
