SKF and ArcelorMittal have signed a five-year contract to introduce new technologies in the continuous casting machines of their operations in Fos-sur-Mer, France, which will have a major beneficial impact on performance.

SKF and ArcelorMittal have signed a five-year performance-based contract to migrate all bearing positions in the two slab continuous casting machines operating in Fos-sur-Mer to SKF relubrication-free technology bearings. This is the result of several years of tests and close collaboration between the local technical teams of the two companies.

“What really sets SKF apart as the ideal partner for such a project is its ability to provide fast, local support in the 20-plus countries where ArcelorMittal has its production plants, across Europe and beyond in other regions of the world”, says David Breuil, who is Buyer of Bearings & Standard Spare Parts at ArcelorMittal.

Better profitability, safety and sustainability

The reliability-proven solution from SKF, including SKF sealed spherical (SRB) and sealed torodial (CARB) roller bearings, has several proven advantages. Extensive tests in the operation show that the solution has drastically increased the equipment service life, significantly reduced grease consumption, and considerably reduced water contamination and risks of fire in the machines. 

The project has been designed in two steps. First, in 2018, trials were launched on four pieces of equipment to validate the performance of this technical solution. The second phase involved substantial work by the procurement department and SKF to validate the expected value for ArcelorMittal.

“This is a long-term effort that has come to fruition thanks to the commitment of many people within the continuous casting department who believed in the project. We are pleased to see this partnership materialise, which should enable us to improve our reliability while reducing our costs”, says Thierry Chidekh, who is Head of Continuous Casting Maintenance at Arcelor Mittal Fos-sur-Mer.

In order to reduce environmental impact, the bearings will be systematically remanufactured in the SKF Service Center in Steyr, Austria. Depending on the degree of processing, the carbon footprint of a reconditioned bearing will be significantly lower compared to the manufacturing of a new one.

“This is the first contract of its kind for SKF in the Metal sector, involving the full migration of all bearing positions in a continuous casting machine to SKF relubrication-free technology bearings. The ArcelorMittal group is clearly setting a new industry standard in pursuing the triple bottom-line ambitions of profitability, safety and sustainability”, says Grégory Dunon, who is Head of EMEA Metal Industry at SKF.

New cladding technology reduce cost

In addition to migrating to SKF relubrication-free technology, the scope of the contract also extends to pioneering the testing of a new cladding technology for continuous casting rolls. This innovation has delivered promising performance results in the first testing phase, and has uncovered an even greater potential for reducing total cost of ownership.

“It is crucial that our business partners propose innovative technical solutions that improve steel quality and equipment availability, and reduce production costs, while also improving plant safety and reducing environmental impact. That is what we get from the collaboration with SKF”, explains Mathieu Dorlé, who is Head of Commercial Parts at ArcelorMittal.