Waterjet systems manufacturer Jet Edge, Inc recently became one of the first US companies to take advantage of the United States’ new free trade agreement with South Korea, shipping two containers of industrial ultra-high pressure waterjet equipment valued at more than US$700,000 to the Republic of Korea. Under the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA), which went into effect on March 15, 2012, some 80% of US industrial and commercial exports to Korea are now duty free, nearly 95% of trade will become duty free within five years, and most remaining tariffs will be eliminated within 10 years. The KORUS FTA is the United States’ most significant trade deal since the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada in 1994. It is expected to add $10-12 billion to annual US GDP.

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After recovering in the third quarter (390,500 tonnes), from the weak second quarter (345,700 tonnes), Japanese order income for stainless steel flat products fell again in the final quarter to just 343,200 tonnes. As a result, total order income in 2011 was 7.3% down on the previous year at 1,499,500 tonnes. Details are also available for Japanese trade in 2011. Total imports were up 11.9%; exports, on the other hand, were down 4.6%.

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On January 31 it was 150 years to the day since Göran Fredrik Göransson’s new company was formed in Sandviken, Sweden. At that time, Sandvik was the first in the world to use the Bessemer process, which would revolutionise steel manufacturing. Meanwhile, Sandvik Materials Technology has initiated negotiations with the unions in Sweden to restructure the wire and resistance strip operations, which will enable a shift in the product mix toward more advanced and profitable products in key segments, such as the energy sector.

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RathGibson, a leading manufacturer of welded, welded and drawn, and seamless stainless steel, nickel, and specialty alloy tubing, has agreed to be acquired by Precision Castparts Corp (PCC). The acquisition is pending regulatory approvals.
Precision Castparts Corp is a worldwide, diversified manufacturer of complex metal components and products. It serves the aerospace, power, and general industrial markets (see Stainless Steel Focus, Issue No. 03/2011).

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The April issue also carried a feature on tube and wire including articles from the following companies: Bewo - celebrates 75 years; Nevatia Steel & Alloys - wire from India; Corrotherm International celebrating twenty years; Sosta - expands product range and capacity; Heavy Metal and Tubes - growth through innovation; Combilift triumphs at the FLTA awards; Barrett Steel - continuing investment in lasers and stockholding; hpl-Neugnadenfelder Maschinenfabrik strip edge trimming lines; SMS Meer ecoplants; Bültmann straightening machines; Hart nickel alloy piping materials; Wuppermann expands customer base; expansion at Hempel Wire; Faspar - continues process of internationalisation; Tubacex - returns to profit in 2011; and THG Titan - supplying full range of specialty materials.

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The April issue carried a feature on Eastern Europe including articles on Musa Demir continuing to invest and expand; and production increases at Centravis Production Ukraine.

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Allegheny Technologies Inc reported net income for the fourth quarter 2011 of $31.7m, on sales of $1.25 billion. Fourth quarter 2011 results were impacted by restructuring and Ladish acquisition expenses, which reduced earnings by $2.8m. In the fourth quarter 2010, ATI reported net income of $15.1m, on sales of $1.04 billion. For the full year 2011, net income was $214.3m, on sales of $5.18 billion. For the full year 2010, net income was $70.7m, on sales of $4.05 billion.

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The March issue also carried a feature on tube and wire which included articles from Ernst Blissenbach GmbH – the art of ID-Scarfing; Bartz – Werke GmbH – specialist for stainless welded tubes; 25 years for Schenk Stahl; Schwarze-Robitec GmbH – tube bending machines; Sandvik celebrating 150 years; high performance Rüsch bandsaws; RathGibson serving diverse industries; Schmolz + Bickenbach special steel solutions; and Polysoude first cladding handbook.

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The board of directors of Outokumpu recently approved the proposed combination of Outokumpu and Inoxum, the stainless steel unit of ThyssenKrupp. The transaction is designed to create a new global leader in stainless steel under the operational leadership of Outokumpu, and is expected to be completed during 2012.

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The Van Leeuwen Pipe and Tube Group has acquired Jean Wauters-acier speciaux SA and its subsidiary, IPM Acier SAS. Jean Wauters, based in Brussels, is a leading supplier of bar steel for a variety of industrial sectors in Belgium. The French subsidiary, IPM, has branches in Lyon and Paris and concentrates on the French market.

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Waterjet systems manufacturer Jet Edge, Inc, is now offering waterjet training and demonstration workshops at its local Shanghai office and showroom. Workshops were scheduled for February 22-24 and June 18-20. During the workshops, Jet Edge technical experts will demonstrate the company’s 6200 bar X-Stream waterjet cutting technology and will provide basic operation and applications training on a Jet Edge precision waterjet cutting system.

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The February issue carried an article from India - The “Stain”less people: The Laxcon Steels success story. Laxcon Steels is a success story that reflects a saga of hard work, perseverance and integrity scripted by a dedicated and dynamic workforce. Today, Laxcon Steels is one of the leading manufacturers and exporters of long steel products including austenitic, ferritic, martensitic, duplex, super duplex, and precipitation hardening steels.

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The January issue carried a special feature on the USA including articles on significant weakening of the US market; ATI sees benefits of investments and focus; AK Steel: operating profit in Q3; Carpenter net income of $23.8m; RathGibson offers redrawn tubing; a second Jet Edge system for Precision Waterjet Concepts; and TKS ramps up Alabama.

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Nisshin Steel Co Ltd and Nippon Metal Industry Co Ltd have entered into a basic agreement to begin considering integrating their businesses, targeted for October 1, 2012, assuming that the companies obtain the necessary approvals from shareholders and the relevant authorities. Since 2004, the companies have been successfully pursuing various cooperative measures such as in the area of production. In order to continue to enhance the corporate value of the companies by expanding the business platform and by strengthening the stainless steel business, the companies believe it is indispensable for them to further enhance their relationship.

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Aperam reported that sales in the third quarter of 2011 decreased by 11% to US$1,520m compared to $1,708m in the second quarter of 2011. Shipments in the third quarter decreased by 10,000 tonnes, or 2%, to 429,000 tonnes compared to 439,000 tonnes in the second quarter of 2011. EBITDA was $62m in the third quarter of 2011 compared to $102m in the second quarter of 2011. Aperam had an operating loss in the third quarter of $20m compared to an operating income of $24m in the previous quarter. The company recorded a net loss of $41m in the third quarter of 2011, inclusive of an income tax benefit of $35m.

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Spain’s Tubacex reported a consolidated EBITDA of Euro23.70m for the first nine months of 2011. This is nearly four times higher than that achieved during the same period of 2010. Consolidated net profit rose to Euro2.61m during the first nine months, which contrasts sharply with losses totalling Euro8.22m recorded in the same period of 2010. Consolidated sales in the period reached Euro364.57m, compared to Euro264.58m in 2010. More than 95% of these revenues are generated outside Spain.

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Japanese order income for stainless steel flat products which already showed signs of recovery in July, increasing by 15.3% compared to the previous month, again increased in August. At 130,400 tonnes, August orders were 3.7% higher than recorded in July. Total domestic demand in August was 9.3% higher than in the previous month, due primarily to higher orders from the automotive sector (+11.2%), and higher orders from domestic service centres and converters (+14.1%). Orders from the trade were up 5.8%. Direct mill exports orders, in contrast, were down 10.1% in August. Total Japanese order income for stainless steel flat products during the first eight months of the year was, however, 5.2% down on the same period of last year. Direct mill export orders were down 2.7%, with domestic demand down 6.2%.

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The December issue carried a special feature on the oil & gas, energy sector including articles on a UK move for Barrett Steel’s strip and alloys business; Bürkert insights into choosing the right flow meter; Outokumpu leading the way in duplex; Thompson Valves installing a Turbex batch cleaning machine; a government loan for Sheffield Forgemasters; and Kingfisher helping to reduce plant maintenance costs.

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Erasteel, a 100% subsidiary of Eramet, has inaugurated a new gas atomizing tower at its Söderfors plant in Sweden. Erasteel is the world leader for the production of high speed steel through the process of gas atomized powder metallurgy. Thanks to this new facility, Erasteel will be able to extend its product range to new steel grades, such as stainless steel, nickel and cobalt alloys, and to reach new, fast growing markets. This new equipment represents an investment of around Euro20m. Construction was on time and on budget. The plant’s capacity after this investment will reach 14,000 tpy. This will strengthen Erasteel further as the world leader in powder metallurgy using the gas atomizing process. In 2011, Eramet Alloys is commissioning four strategic facilities (powder metallurgy in Sweden, titanium, aluminium and nickel alloys in France) for a total capital expenditure of around Euro120m.

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The October issue carried a special feature on developments in the Australian stainless steel industry including a fresh focus on whole-of-life costing at Gold Coast City Council which has led to the specification of stainless steel for long-term structures in the foreshore zone; and an article on Grade 431, a versatile, high strength martensitic stainless steel, prepared by ASSDA Technical Committee member Peter Moore from Atlas Steels.

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Sales at Aperam in the second quarter of 2011 increased slightly by 2% to US$1,708m compared to $1,681m in the first quarter of 2011. Shipments in the second quarter decreased by 13,000 tonnes, or 3%, to 439,000 tonnes compared to 452,000 tonnes in the first quarter of 2011. EBITDA was $102m in the second quarter of 2011 compared to $139m in the first quarter of 2011. Aperam had operating income in the second quarter of $24m compared to $70m in the previous quarter. Net income was $2m in the second quarter, inclusive of an income tax benefit of $4m.

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The September issue carried a special feature on China & the Far East including: Japanese order income down 6.2% in the first five months; Chinese exports surge to over 1m tonnes in the first half; Stellar acquires Engineers India Ltd (EIL) enlistment certificate; and Japan’s Nippon Metal Industry recycling performance.

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Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co has completed the acquisition of all the outstanding capital securities of Continental Alloys & Services, Inc and certain affiliated companies, for a transaction value of $415m, subject to certain adjustments.
Meanwhile, Reliance has reported that for the 2011 second quarter, net income was $98.7m, up 60% from 2010 second quarter net income of $61.5m, and up 7% from $92.3m in the 2011 first quarter. Sales for the 2011 second quarter were $2.05 billion, up 26% from 2010 second quarter sales of $1.62 billion, and up 7% from 2011 first quarter sales of $1.91 billion.

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The August issue carried a special feature on cutting and welding which included: Jacquet Mid Atlantic adds a fourth Jet Edge machine; £1/2m welding machinery investment at Arc Energy Resources; Barrett Steel extends laser tube cutting facilities; Spartanics supports metal nameplates manufacturers; AMB 2012 exhibition space in great demand; new consumables from Thermal Dynamics; evolution and innovation at Hypertherm; and latest laser processing technology for Turbomeca.

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Allegheny Technologies Inc has signed a long-term sourcing agreement with Rolls-Royce for the supply of ATI 718Plus® Alloy, the newest nickel-based superalloy developed by ATI which is being manufactured into a variety of jet engine components. Rolls-Royce will be the first jet engine manufacturer to use ATI 718Plus alloy for rotating applications, which require premium quality triple melted material. The agreement covers ATI 718Plus alloy disc-quality products sold to Rolls-Royce and its suppliers by ATI Allvac, an operating unit of Allegheny Technologies. This agreement is for the period 2011 through 2024.

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Outokumpu and Andrea Gatti have signed a letter of intent on a joint venture arrangement for Outokumpu's tubular unit (OSTP). They have agreed that subject to the signing of the final agreement a company controlled by Gatti will acquire 36% of the shares in OSTP. Additionally, he will have an option to acquire shares to 51% ownership in a three-year time period. Outokumpu will have an option to redeem the shares at original value if Gatti does not acquire the majority of OSTP. It is also agreed that Outokumpu will remain OSTP's main raw material supplier. A final agreement on the joint venture is expected to be signed by the end of the third quarter.

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The July issue also carried a special feature on Duplex which included examples of Outokumpu’s new duplex grades LDX 2101® and LDX 2404® in use around the world; Sandvik’s duplex hollow bar now available from stock; and part one of a technical paper from Ugitech, Schmolz + Bickenbach Group – a new lean duplex stainless grade with improved machinability.

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The July issue carried a special feature on Germany which included: German stainless order income down in 2011; fibre laser system XFocus 1000 from Kjellberg Finsterwalde; double digit growth at ThyssenKrupp in the first half; a solid year for Schmidt + Clemens; SMS to supply the Bahru Stainless mill in Malaysia; Trumpf software controls entire manufacturing line; and a compact power supply Orbimat® from Orbitalum Tools.

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Brazil’s Gerdau, a leader in long steel production in the Americas and one of the largest suppliers of special steel in the world, celebrated 110 years on May 17, 2011. On this date, the company celebrated with its 45,000 employees, in their respective countries, a successful track record focused on the quality of its products and services and the excellence of its management processes.
Meanwhile, in the first quarter of 2011 a greater demand for steel fuelled the growth of Gerdau net revenue to R$8.4 billion, an increase of 18% compared to the same period last year.

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Sales in the first quarter of 2011 increased by 17% to US$1,681m. Shipments in the first quarter of 2011 rose by 86,000 tonnes to 452,000 tonnes. EBITDA was $139m in the first quarter of 2011 compared to $22m in the fourth quarter of 2010. This increase was primarily driven by higher volumes, margin improvement and the contribution of the “Leadership Journey” initiative of $33m during the quarter. Aperam had operating income in the first quarter of $70m compared to an operating loss of $77m in the previous quarter. The company recorded net income of $25m in the first quarter of 2011, which included an income tax benefit of $1m.

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Oryx Stainless, the third largest stainless steel scrap trading company in the world, based in Mülheim, Germany, and Dordrecht, the Netherlands, increased its turnover by 140% to approximately Euro800m in fiscal year 2010. At 450,000 tonnes, around 60% more stainless steel scrap was traded compared to the previous year. The company expects turnover to exceed Euro1 billion in fiscal 2011.

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Outokumpu reported an operating profit of Euro33m for the first quarter 2011, compared to an operating loss of Euro85m in the final quarter of last year, and a loss of Euro21m in the first quarter of 2010. However, this figure includes some Euro45m of raw material-related inventory gains as a result of higher metal prices, and consequently the underlying operational result in the first quarter was a loss of Euro12m (compared to a Euro68m loss in the fourth quarter 2010). New ceo Mika Seitovirta has stressed that the company must improve its financial performance.

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Jet Edge, Inc, recently opened a new water jet sales, service and showroom office in Shanghai, China. This will allow the Minnesota, USA-based manufacturer to directly supply and support local customers with service and training facilities, a water jet equipment demonstration showroom, and a water jet parts warehouse. Haihong (Samuel) Song was recently appointed area manager for the new sales office in Shanghai.

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European stainless steel production in 2010 was significantly stronger than was anticipated early on in that year. Total output reached 7.49m tonnes, 25.3% higher than in 2009. Following the usual seasonal decline at the end of the year, EU production recovered strongly in January of this year, reaching a level of 675,500 tonnes, 44.3% higher than in December. All countries reported a higher output in January of this year than in the same month of last year.

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Japanese crude stainless steel production in 2010 totalled 3,426,900 tonnes, an increase of 31.5% compared to the previous year. Production of ferritic grades rose very sharply, by 52.9%, driven primarily by strong demand from the automotive sector. Full year 2010 incoming orders were up by almost a quarter (+22.6%) compared to the previous year. Domestic demand surged by 29.7%. All major enduse sectors contributed to the rise. Japanese imports in 2010 were 37.7% higher than in the previous year, and exports increased 19.6%.

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With three consecutive quarters of positive results, net sales of Euro4,500m, Ebitda totalling Euro390m, and a result after taxes and minorities of Euro123m, Acerinox’s results for 2010 can be considered outstanding, the company said. The result was achieved against a background of raw material price fluctuations and uncertainty in international financial markets. The Acerinox group increased its melting production by 14%, cold rolled output by 20.5%, and long products output by 51% compared to 2009. Acerinox also reported that the first investment phase at Bahru Stainless in Malaysia is progressing according to schedule and is due to be completed with the start-up of the cold rolling mill in summer 2011.

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AK Steel said that the first heat of steel was melted on March 4, 2011 in the company’s new 175-ton capacity electric arc furnace (EAF) at its Butler, Pennsylvania Works. Also, a new ladle metallurgy furnace (LMF) at the Butler plant has begun processing molten steel. Addition of the new EAF and LMF to the Butler melt shop is part of a modernisation of the company’s specialty steel operations during the past several years totalling more than $180m.  Meanwhile, the company increased base prices for all 200, 300 and 400 series flat rolled stainless steel products, effective with shipments on February 27, 2011.

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The March issue carries a special feature on the marine sector which highlights new developments for the forthcoming SPE Offshore Europe exhibition and conference, to be held in Aberdeen, Scotland from September 6-8, 2011; and a new gantry-type bandsaw from Kasto.

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Germany’s Reika GmbH & Co KG, based in Hagen, has supplied a fully automated finishing line, with integrated non-destructive testing line, to Scandinavia’s largest producer of stainless steel pipes. Reika is one of only a few companies able to supply a pipe transport system for handling long and thin stainless steel pipe, that ensures high reliability and no damage to the pipes.

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Universal Stainless & Alloy Products, Inc has reported that sales for the fourth quarter of 2010 were $51.6m compared with $26.7m in the fourth quarter of 2009 and $51.9m in the 2010 third quarter. Net income for the fourth quarter of 2010 was $3.6m, compared with $1.0m for the fourth quarter of 2009, and $4.1m for the third quarter of 2010. The company noted that total shipment volume for the fourth quarter of 2010 was 3% lower than the third quarter of 2010, but 84% higher than the fourth quarter a year ago. Compared with the third quarter of 2010, volume shipped to the power generation market increased 22% and petrochemical volume rose 7%, while volumes shipped to the aerospace and service centre plate markets were lower by 6% and 54%, respectively.

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ThyssenKrupp made a good start to the new fiscal year 2010/2011. With help from the economy the Group significantly increased order intake and sales from the prior year quarter and generated positive earnings. The business situation in the Stainless Global business area improved appreciably in the first quarter 2010/2011. In terms of volume, orders were up by 18% year-on-year, thanks above all to the 21% growth in demand for stainless cold rolled. Order volumes for nickel alloys and titanium also expanded. Due in part to the increase in alloy surcharges compared with a year earlier, the value of the business area’s orders rose by 57% to Euro1.5 billion.

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Carpenter Technology Corp has reported net income attributable to Carpenter of $9.3m for the quarter ended December 31, 2010. This compares to net income of $3.5m for the same quarter a year earlier. Second quarter earnings benefited from a lower tax rate due to the retroactive extension of the research and development tax credit, which was largely offset by Amega West transaction costs (see Stainless Steel Focus, Issue No. 02/2011), unplanned equipment outages and customer requested volume shifts into the third quarter.

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The March issue carried a feature on nickel alloys which included articles from Haynes International which saw an improvement in fiscal quarter one results and has begun an upgrade of its European processing and distribution facilities; and Precision Castparts Corp which also reported a solid operating performance in its latest quarter attributable, the company said, inter alia, to improved aerospace and general industrial sales.

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Mika Seitovirta has been appointed the new chief executive officer at Outokumpu. He will assume the position on April 1. Juha Rantanen will leave the ceo position on March 31. Seitovirta joins Outokumpu at a time when order income is improving, following a softer market situation that characterised late 2010. Outokumpu recently reported an operating loss of Euro83m for 2010, compared to a loss of Euro441m the previous year.

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The March issue carried a special feature on the United Kingdom which included articles on renewable and low carbon energy in the UK from the BSSA; new equipment at Castle Metals UK; Fine Tubes expansion in India; a new agent for ATM; positive quarter four results from Sandvik; Keighley Laboratories avoiding the risk of critical component failure; First Instruments use of a Star lathe for medical components; Sheffield Forgemasters selling waste for re-use; and the new GGS 28 C Professional grinder from Bosch.

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Allegheny Technologies Inc has reported net income for the fourth quarter 2010 of $15.1m, on sales of $1.04 billion. Fourth quarter 2010 results were impacted by a $19.5m LIFO inventory valuation reserve charge and $20.4m in start-up and idle facility costs. For the full year 2010, net income was $70.7m, on sales of $4.05 billion. Results for 2010 included non-recurring tax charges of $9.2m and were also impacted by LIFO charges of $60.2m primarily due to continued increases in raw material costs, and by $62.4m of start-up and idle facility costs.

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South Korea’s Posco is to establish a new stainless steel cold rolling mill in the Izmit industrial complex near Istanbul, Turkey. Construction of the mill will start this year, with completion scheduled for 2013. Production capacity will be 200,000 tpy. In Vietnam, Posco is planning to install an additional 200,000 tonnes of cold rolling capacity by 2014. Posco has also entered into an agreement with IMFA (Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys Ltd) to establish a ferrochrome manufacturing company, allowing the company to stably and economically secure its main raw materials for stainless.

More in Stainless Steel Focus 02/2011

The February issue of Stainless Steel Focus carried a special feature on Handling & Logistics, which included articles from Konecranes/Cooper SH regarding upgrades to the fleet and the introduction of the largest standard production forklift in the UK; a major Brazilian contract for Ireland’s Combilift; and E&K Automation converting AGVs.

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As of March 1, Outokumpu’s Specialty Stainless operations will have a new organisation. The new business units Special Coil and Special Plate will replace the former units Special Coil & Plate and Thin Strip. The aim of the restructuring is to “develop a flatter and more efficient organisation with increased operational focus. We aim at creating stable profitability through increased sales of special products and more efficient production.” The Kloster plant in Sweden will be included in the Group’s General Stainless operations.

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Sandvik’s board of directors has appointed Olof Faxander as new president and ceo with effect from February 1, 2011. Faxander will succeed Lars Pettersson who, after nine years as ceo, will leave Sandvik in conjunction with an impending generation shift in the company’s group executive management. The change has been made in light of a homogeneous age structure and allows a new president to personally shape the future executive management team.

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Carpenter Technology Corp has acquired Amega West Services, LLC, a Houston-based manufacturer and service provider of complex components for directional drilling equipment. The business was purchased from a group consisting of Energy Special Situations Funds, other investors and certain Amega West employees for approximately $54m. The acquisition provides Carpenter with additional opportunities for selling specialty alloys into the growing oil and gas market. The transaction is expected to be modestly accretive to earnings in fiscal year 2011.

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Following a three year construction period, the new steelmaking and processing plant of ThyssenKrupp Steel USA and ThyssenKrupp Stainless USA in the southeastern USA was officially opened on December 10. “With the startup of the plant in Alabama and the launch of the steel mill in Brazil in the summer, ThyssenKrupp is entering a new dimension of its history”, said Dr. Ekkehard Schulz, ceo of ThyssenKrupp AG, at the opening ceremony in Calvert. “These two projects are the cornerstones of our transatlantic growth strategy.”
The construction of the steelmaking and processing plant in Alabama is one of the biggest ever foreign investments in the USA. ThyssenKrupp has invested US$5 billion in the overall complex, $3.6 billion for the carbon flat steel facilities and $1.4 billion for the stainless area.

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The stainless steel division of ArcelorMittal has published its European prospectus and demerger plan. The new name of the stainless steel division will be Aperam, as at the date of the spin-off.
Aperam is a global player in stainless, electrical and specialty steel, with operations in more than 30 countries. The business is organised in three divisions: Stainless & Electrical Steel, Service & Solutions, Alloys & Specialties.
It has 2.5m tonnes of flat stainless steel capacity in Europe and Brazil, and is a leader in high value added niches - alloys and specialties. Aperam also has a highly integrated distribution, processing and services network and a unique capability to produce stainless and specialty from low cost Biomass (charcoal).

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The February issue carries a special feature on Architecture, Building & Construction, which includes articles on cold rolled profiles from Italy’s Sika; Germany’s Hoppe AG, prepared for “The Future of Building”; a series of “webinars” by Catherine Houska, consultant to IMOA; special steel solutions for the construction industry from Germany’s Schmolz + Bickenbach AG; stainless for construction from Deutsche Edelstahlwerke; further advances in ABC in Italy, courtesy of Centro Inox; a first for chimney products manufacturer, SFL, in the UK; and the use of Outokumpu stainless in two architectural projects.

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After a collapse in 2009, SMS group order intake has rallied in the current business year and looks likely to reach Euro2.8 to 2.9 billion. However, that is still way below the target of Euro3.5 billion or more.
The market for plants from business area SMS Siemag recovered slightly from the middle of 2010, but still lags far behind the pre-crisis level. Due to its broader diversification, business area SMS Meer managed to weather the recession better. However, despite a satisfactory order situation, the market here has not yet reached the level of 2007/2008.

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New company. Almo steel s.r.o. which specialises in the import and export, as well as the stockholding and distribution, of stainless steel sheet, tube and pipe, bar and balustrading, has been operating on the Czech and Slovak markets since October 7, 2010. Tube and bar in aluminium and carbon steel complement the company’s product programme.

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This section looks at the durability of the final finish on stainless steel sculptures, giving many examples, and also looks at photoelectric and inductive sensors in hygienic design for food and beverage applications.

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Sandvik reported that the global market situation improved in the third quarter. Order intake and invoiced sales rose by 23% and 21%, respectively, at fixed exchange rates compared with the preceding year, although they were largely in line with the preceding quarter. Adjusted for a normal seasonal weakening, mainly in Europe and the USA, the sequential development for order intake and invoiced sales was positive in most markets.
Demand developed positively for Sandvik Materials Technology during the third quarter. Order intake rose by 35% and invoiced sales by 25% at fixed exchange rates. Order intake for products to the energy sector and mining industry remained strong.

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Based on the first two months financial performance, Outokumpu's fourth quarter 2010 is expected to be weaker than indicated in the third quarter interim report. The fourth quarter underlying operational result is now expected to be clearly negative instead of around break-even. Continued economic uncertainty and closeness of the year end increased hesitancy among customers, resulting in slightly lower than expected delivery volumes and softer base price development for the fourth quarter. There is potential to increase prices for deliveries in the first quarter 2011.

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Japan’s Nisshin Steel Co Ltd has set up a stainless steel market development office for the southeast Asian region to develop new markets and create demand. The office will also plan and develop regional sales schemes using the Bahru Stainless (Malaysia) joint venture formed in conjunction with Spain’s Acerinox. The company has also reorganised the stainless steel sales department structure.

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Tubacex, the world’s second largest seamless stainless steel tube manufacturer, achieved a positive gross operating profit (EBITDA) of Euro6.25m during the first three quarters of 2010 compared to Euro0.35m in the same period of 2009. From January to September, the accumulated net profit, which was hit by the figures in the first quarter of the year, totalled Euro-8.22m. In the third quarter, the Group achieved a positive EBITDA of Euro5.71m and a consolidated net profit of Euro0.66m, continuing the profit recovery trend started in the previous quarter.

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Brazil’s Gerdau group recorded a 20% increase in consolidated gross revenues in the third quarter of 2010, compared to the same period of 2009. This reflects primarily the 14% rise in consolidated physical sales to 4.4m tonnes, driven by the Specialty Steel Business Operation, the company said. Consolidated production of crude steel grew 9% in the third quarter compared to the same period of 2009, also reaching 4.4m tonnes.

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In 2010, the global economy recovered from the deep recession faster than expected a year ago. As a result, demand for the ThyssenKrupp group’s products and services also improved distinctly. Order intake, sales and in particular earnings showed a clear upward trend in 2009/2010. ThyssenKrupp achieved earnings before taxes of Euro1,135m. Stainless Global’s order situation improved markedly in 2009/2010. The volume of orders received increased by 7%. Demand for stainless cold rolled rose by 11%. Order volumes were also higher for nickel alloys and titanium. Stainless Global improved its earnings before taxes by Euro805m in 2009/2010, but still posted a loss of Euro121m.

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Japanese orders for stainless steel hot and cold rolled sheet and strip fell 10.7% (equivalent to 45,000 tonnes of flat products) in quarter three to 376,300 tonnes, due primarily to a decline in direct mill export orders and in orders from the trade. Orders from domestic end use sectors remained fairly stable, although there was a significant increase from transport due to an upturn in automotive sector demand. Total imports in the first ten months of 2010 were up 36.4%, compared to the same period of 2009, and exports were up 23.7%.

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The January issue carried a special country feature on the USA which included articles on US stainless demand in quarter three; latest company results and news from ATI, Carpenter Technology, Universal Stainless & Alloy Products, AK Steel, Reliance Steel & Aluminum, and Haynes International; also RathGibson developments at home and abroad; the launch of a new fiber laser cutting system from Hypertherm; and new equipment from Jet Edge exhibited at recent trade fairs.

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Commenting on the company’s third quarter results, Lakshmi N. Mittal, chairman and ceo, ArcelorMittal, said: “In Q3 the business performed towards the lower end of our expectations against a background of seasonally lower volumes, weakening spot prices and higher costs. Our outlook for Q4 remains cautious as the expected higher input prices continue to work through the business and demand remains muted, though with some regional differences.”
The Stainless Steel segment crude steel production, shipments and sales all decreased in the quarter, mainly due to the weaker market environment and seasonal slowdown in Europe.

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Salem Steel Plant, a company of the SAIL group (Steel Authority of India Ltd), has successfully put into operation a single-strand slab caster, supplied by SMS Siemag, Germany, for the production of slabs of various stainless steel grades.
Meanwhile, SMS Meer has invested Euro22m in a new production site in Shanghai, which will manufacture complete machines for the Chinese market and components for customers around the world. SMS Meer’s engineering and design operations will continue to be based in Europe.

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The December issue also carried the annual Stainless Steel Focus index where readers can locate all of the cover stories, special features, and articles carried in Stainless Steel Focus throughout the past 12 months.

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Component Solutions for Industry Ltd (CSi) based in Thetford, Norfolk, UK has developed a new condensing heat recovery unit for a leading European manufacturer of oil fired boilers.
CSi Ltd has based this design around a patented high efficiency stainless steel tube designed for products that must recover heat when operating in a very hot and corrosive atmosphere. Type 904L stainless steel was chosen for this application due to its ability to withstand the corrosive effects of sulphur dioxide. The unit is very compact as the boilers are designed to be installed in a domestic application.

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Xstrata Nickel’s Falcondo ferronickel complex, Falconbridge Dominicana, SA, is restarting operations to a planned 50% of installed capacity by March 2011. Falcondo’s restart takes advantage of improved market conditions, optimisation of mining and production plant processes, and the signing of a commercial agreement with local power company AES Dominicana for the supply of electricity, which will enable Falcondo to operate with reduced costs. Xstrata has also approved the development of the second phase of its Lion ferrochrome complex expansion in South Africa. The expansion will involve the construction and commissioning of a 360,000 tpy capacity smelter and will increase the Xstrata-Merafe chrome venture’s total ferrochrome capacity to over 2.3m tpy.

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Steel conglomerate ArcelorMittal is to hive off its stainless business in the first quarter of next year. What has long been discussed has now therefore become official. Market observers see this sale, which is to be handled via Euronext, as the first important step towards a consolidation of the sector in Europe, where there is substantial overcapacity. In 2009 ArcelorMittal had a turnover of some US$4,200m.

The largest manufacturing plant in China dedicated to the production of welded precision tubes, Marcegaglia China extends over 714,000 sq metres and is located in Yangzhou (Guangling Industrial Park), with corporate offices in Shanghai. The Yangzhou plant is currently in its first development phase, including 153,000 sq metres of covered production area equipped with European manufacturing systems, plus 4,200 sq metres dedicated to office buildings. When fully commissioned, the complex will employ about 500 people. The total investment is estimated at Euro150m and is part of Marcegaglia’s ongoing internationalisation plan.

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After declining significantly in July, Japanese order income for stainless steel flat products increased by 11.3% in August to 130,000 tonnes. Orders increased from all major domestic end use segments - ie building and construction, industrial machinery, electrical appliances, metal goods and transport, although orders from the automotive industry, the largest single end use sector and the driver for growth over the past few months, dipped slightly. Meanwhile, details of Japanese stainless steel imports and exports are now available for the first nine months of the year, and show that total imports were up 42.6% compared to the January to September period of last year.

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Spain’s Acerinox has reported a profit (after taxes and minorities) of Euro16.39m for the third quarter of this year, making it the fifth consecutive profitable quarter for the group, despite the unfavourable economic conditions. For the first nine months of the year, the Acerinox group reported a profit after taxes and minorities of Euro97.5m, compared to a loss of Euro235.6m in the same period of 2009. Net sales in the period totalled Euro3,349m, an increase of 51.5% compared to the January to September period of 2009. Group melting production during the period was 1,587,500 tonnes, 14.6% up on the first nine months of last year.

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ThyssenKrupp’s new stainless mill in Alabama, USA, has gone into operation. Production has begun with one cold rolling mill. Cold rolled capacity is initially 100,000 tpy and will increase over time to a maximum 140,000 tpy. Various units have gone into operation to produce and further process the cold rolled strip, including a Sendzimir mill, a cold rolled annealing and pickling line, a skin pass stand as well as finishing equipment such as coil polishing, slitting and cut-to-length lines. Meanwhile, the Stainless Global division’s order situation improved in the first nine months of 2009/2010 compared with the year before. The volume of orders received increased by 17%, with demand for stainless cold rolled up by as much as 27%.

More in Stainless Steel Focus 11/2010

For the first six months of 2010, AK Steel reported net income of $28.6m, compared to a net loss for the corresponding 2009 period of $120.6m. Excluding a special charge relating to healthcare legislation, net income for the first half of 2010 was $53.9m. First half 2010 sales were $3,001.8m compared to $1,715.8m in the first half of 2009. Shipments for the first half of 2010 were 2,835,200 tons compared to 1,519,400 tons in the first half of 2009. The company reported an operating profit of $123.2m, or $43/ton, for the first half of 2010 compared to an operating loss of $172.4m, or $113/ton, for the first half of 2009.

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Société Territoriale Calédonienne de Participation Industrielle (STCPI) and Eramet, have jointly agreed to renew their shareholder agreement within Société Le Nickel-SLN for a period extending to December 31, 2011, upon the current agreement’s expiry on September 13, 2010. The provisions of the agreement will remain unchanged for this new period and will continue to be complemented by the new measures implemented in 2009 as part of SLN’s modernised governance.
Meanwhile, Eramet has reported a sharp improvement in its first half results as global economic activity improved significantly in the first half of 2010. Overall, the Group’s turnover grew 38% in the first half of 2010 compared with the same period in 2009 and was up 59% in the second quarter of 2010 from the second quarter of 2009.

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Bernard Fontana has been appointed chief executive of ArcelorMittal’s Stainless division, which is currently being assessed for a potential spin-off. Fontana was previously head of human resources for the Group and is replacing Jean-Yves Gilet, who has left the company to head up France's Strategic Investment Fund.
Willie Smit, who was vice president employee relations and benchmarking, will replace Fontana as executive vice president, head of human resources and will join the Group's management committee.

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The November issue carried a special feature on the nuclear power sector and included articles on duplex 2205, the new choice for nuclear power piping from the International Molybdenum Assn; the Hexapode CMW 380 high speed machining technology from CMW, France; and specialist pumps for the nuclear industry from Clydeunion Pumps.

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Carpenter Technology Corp has reported net income of $5.9m for the fourth quarter ended June 30, 2010. This compares to a net loss of $20.8m for the same quarter a year earlier. Gregory A. Pratt, chairman of the board said: "During this quarter, we made a decision to support growing customer demand by ramping up production and increasing inventories. "We are excited about our long term growth opportunities, particularly in aerospace and energy; and remain focused on ultimately exceeding our prior peak level of financial performance."

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Stainless steel production in the EU was just 426,600 tonnes in August, 21.6% down on the already depressed July level of 544,100 tonnes. In the “Nordic countries”, dominated by Outokumpu, there were marked differences in output levels. The net result was that output in these countries in August was 12.1% higher than in the previous month at 143,200 tonnes.
Total EU production in the first eight months was 5,073,500 tonnes, up 40.2% compared to the same period of last year.

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Edwards, of Crawley, UK has won orders worth £1m for its new generation steel degassing equipment in India. The dry pumping technology is replacing traditional steam ejector systems in vacuum degassing (VD) processes, enabling users to produce higher quality products with significantly reduced operating and energy costs. 
Steel degassing modules will be installed at companies including Laxcon Steel and Bhawani Steel to run the VD and vacuum oxygen decarburizing (VOD) processes to produce degassed alloy steels and stainless steel used in automotive, electrical and power industries.

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The November issue carried a special feature on Italy which included the cover story on major expansion at Tad Long Products with the acquisition of the Terninox (ThyssenKrupp Acciai Speciali Terni) long products business; an award for Antonio Marcegaglia; a significant increase in stainless steel demand this year; and applications in a wide range of industry sectors.

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Provisional figures show German stainless steel order income up 8.3% in August, compared to the previous month, at 93,500 tonnes. Orders for the first eight months of this year were therefore running 7.3% ahead of those recorded in the same period of last year at 928,200 tonnes. Stainless steel shipments, at 764,900 tonnes in the first seven months, were a quarter (+25.3%) higher than in the January to July period of 2009. German stainless steel production in the first half of 2010 was 815,100 tonnes, a substantial 41.7% increase on the 575,300 tonnes recorded in the first half of last year.

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Fuxin Special Steel Co, Ltd, Taiwan, has placed an order with SMS Siemag, Germany, for the planning and supply of a steelworks for the production of stainless steel slabs. It will be the first stainless steel plant in the world to utilise the waste heat from the AOD converter and the electric arc furnace. The new construction project at the Zhangzhou location in the southeast of the Chinese province of Fujian comprises plant and equipment for stainless steelmaking on a scrap basis via the Duplex route, a continuous slab caster and comprehensive environmental technology systems for gas cleaning and energy recovery.

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Universal Stainless & Alloy Products, Inc has reported that sales for the second quarter of 2010 were $51.3m compared with $30.8m in the second quarter of 2009 and $34.7m in the first quarter of 2010. Net income for the second quarter of 2010 was $4.2m. For the second quarter of 2009, the company reported a net loss of $0.4m, which included a negative tax adjustment. In the first quarter of 2010, net income was $1.4m. The company noted that shipment volume continued to improve in the second quarter of 2010 and volume shipped to the end markets of aerospace, power generation, petrochemical and service centre plate increased 48%, 48%, 38% and 27%, respectively, over the first quarter of 2010.

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Spain’s Acerinox has reported a first half profit, after taxes and minorities, of Euro81.1m, compared to a loss of almost Euro255m in the first half of last year. The second quarter result, a profit of Euro71m, was at the same kind of level as seen prior to the recent economic and financial turmoil. Group net sales in the first half at Euro2,172m were up 68.1% compared to the same period of the previous year. Total stainless steel melting production at the Acerinox group in the first half 2010 was 1.09m tonnes, 41.3% up on the first half of last year.

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The board of ArcelorMittal has decided to assess the spin-off of the stainless steel business from the remainder of the group, subject to appropriate legal and tax analysis and regulatory approvals. Such a spin-off would enable the stainless steel business to benefit from better visibility in the markets, and to pursue its growth strategy as an independent company in emerging markets and in speciality products including electrical steel.

More in Stainless Steel Focus 09/2010

Allegheny Technologies Inc reported net income for the second quarter 2010 of $36.4m on sales of $1.05 billion. In the second quarter 2009, ATI reported a net loss, including special charges, of $13.4m on sales of $710.0m. For the six months ended June 30, 2010, net income, including special charges, was $54.6m. Results included a non-recurring tax charge of $5.3m. Excluding this non-recurring tax charge, net income was $59.9m on sales of $1.95 billion. For the six months ended June 30, 2009, ATI reported a net loss, including special charges, of $7.5m on sales of $1.54 billion. Excluding special charges, results for the six months ended June 30, 2009 were net income of $9.5m.

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Outokumpu reported operating profit of Euro71m in the second quarter of 2010 (I/2010: Euro-22m) including some Euro55m (I/2010: Euro10m) of raw material-related inventory gains, making the underlying operational result some Euro16m (I/2010: Euro-32m). Commenting on the results, ceo Juha Rantanen said: ?After several loss-making quarters it is gratifying to present Outokumpu's return to profits in the second quarter. A clear recovery in the standard grades business and improved prices have been the main factors, while business in capital investment-driven special grades is still lagging?.

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The September issue carried a special feature on China & the Far East which looked at recent statistics for China, South Korea and Japan; reported on forthcoming conferences in the region - wire southeast Asia/Tube Southeast Asia 2011, and Wire & Cable India; and highlighted landmark orders from Japanese companies for Outokumpu?s duplex stainless steel for use in desalination and water treatment plants. The cover story of the September issue featured Stellar Tube & Pipe Group, China?s leading producer of seamless stainless steel pipes; and the Markets, Views section also looked at China which has now become a net stainless exporter.

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