The improvement in productivity followed
not only the meltshop revamping, but also
the personnel learning trends. When SOVEL
founded the steel plant in the area, it was
understood that converting local farmers into
specialized industrial workers would take some
time. However, due to the improved quality of
life that the plant offered to the workers, the
job satisfaction and inspiration, together with
respect for the growing SIDENOR group,
they effectively succeeded in their goals. It
was a real case in which a company’s success
resulted directly from the success of a team
of workers.
Within the next three years, in which continuous
improvements were made, the annual
production leveled off to values around
770,000 tonnes. These production results were
attained during night and weekend operations
(around 5,000 production hours per year),
due mainly to domestic electric energy pricing.
Then, a top-management decision was
made that production should be increased
even further.
The selection of the Consteel® process
was not an overnight decision. From the primary
meltshop installation, it was the Consteel
process that was envisaged as the future key
method of production. Even the tilting EAF
platform was selected in such a way that the
foreseen production method would fit, with
minor changes. In addition to this, space in
the scrap yard was the most necessary part
for a successful implementation of the new
system, and this was improvised by the team
of the main technical office of the SIDENOR
group, at the proper time.