Russula supplies crank shear and automation upgrade to Nucor’s bar mill in Jackson, Mississippi

Nucor Steel Jackson, Inc., located in Jackson, Mississippi, USA, has contracted Russula to supply a crank shear and control software and drives upgrade for the merchant bar mill. This upgrade counts as the fourth project that Russula has collaborated on with Nucor Steel Jackson over the past thirteen years.

Russula was responsible for the complete mechanical and electrical supply of the new crank-type crop and cobble shear, installed between stands 7 and 8 of the roughing mill’s exit.  The 40-ton force shear is designed for head and tail cutting of rounds, rebar, angles and flats, as well as cobble cutting at speeds between 1-4 m/s. An AC motor drives the crankshafts of the upper and lower knife holders at the same angular velocity, but in opposite directions. Key features are a detachable flywheel to cut large sections, entry and exit guides for all products and an air operated trough to facilitate scrap collection. The shear was provided complete with onboard lubrication, pneumatic and air piping and safety covers.

A software upgrade for the furnace and mill and seventeen DCS800 upgrade kits for the mill stands and dividing shear were included within the scope of supply. Russula provided a new control application for the furnace material handling, which is the system responsible for controlling the billet movements from the charging table to the discharging side. In addition, the existing mill control application that controls the roughing, intermediate and finishing mill areas, as well as the cooling bed was replaced with a Russula Mill Control package. The implementation of the Russula Control Framework in conjunction with the new crank shear will ensure reliable cutting at close tolerances.

The new crank shear was delivered to the plant in the third quarter of 2018. Commissioning of the shear and automation upgrade occurred in late February and early March of 2019 during a maintenance shutdown.

The cooperation between Russula and the Nucor Steel Jackson mill began in 2006 with the upgrade of the AC and DC drives. Since then multiple projects in software and data acquisition improvements were implemented. Russula would like to thank Nucor Steel Jackson for their continued trust and confidence.