Product and hot rolling process development of NV 40 steel plates 1

The Companhia Siderúrgica Paulista – COSIPA is an integrated steel plant of the Usiminas System located in the municipality of Cubatão, in the coastal region of the São Paulo state, Brazil. This works produces 4.5 millions tons of steel per year; 1.0 million tons of this output are delivered as rolled plates, which meet a wide range of uses, such as those in agricultural implements, industrial machinery, pipelines, boilers and pressure vessels, building industry, shipbuilding and offshore platforms. COSIPA’s Plate Mill line started up in 1978. This factory has two walking-beam slab reheating furnaces, one four-high reversible rougher mill that produce plates with maximum width of 4.100 mm, one shear line to cut plates with thickness up to 40 mm and gas cutting line to cut plates with thickness over 40 mm and one heat treatment line. The Usiminas System produces all plates used in the Brazilian shipbuilding industry and COSIPA works is responsible for 90% of this output.