Large-scale reconstruction in the conditions of existing production began in 2007. Novokramatorsk Machine-Building Plant (NKMZ) became the manufacturer of the main technological equipment for the 2500 mill. In February 2018, PJSC MMK signed a contract with SMS group GmbH for the supply of equipment for the reconstruction of the finishing group of mill stands.
In July 2010, a cut-to-length unit No. 3 was commissioned at mill 2500. cutting strips into sheets of measured length with a cut edge with the issuance of products in the form of sheets laid in bundles.
In 2012–2013. Instead of the previously operating six reheating furnaces, dismantled and taken out of operation, three new high-performance reheating furnaces of the Italian company Tenova with a wider hearth were built in the shop, which will allow to accept slabs up to ten meters long. The furnace capacity will be 370 tons of metal per hour (previously - about 100 tons, today - 280 tons). State-of-the-art heating technology guarantees reduced scale formation. In addition, the new furnaces are more economical and environmentally friendly: compared to the previous ones, they require half the amount of natural and coke oven gas to operate. The technological line was renewed as part of the roughing and finishing groups of stands, all transporting roller tables, coilers, a line for transporting and collecting coils.
In 2019, two new universal reversing stands with vertical and horizontal rolls were put into operation at the roughing section of the 2500 hot rolling mill. Basically they work in tandem, but each stand can also work autonomously, each with its own rolling mode. Also, new coilers No. 7-8 were launched, allowing to reel up coils up to 40 tons from a slab up to 10 meters, and conveyors for moving coils to the hot-rolled coil warehouse of Rolling Shop No. 4 on a horizontal axis, which significantly reduces the output of defective products. In September this year, another conveyor was built with a trolley for transferring rolls to the rolling mill # 5, the so-called harvesting line # 3. With its commissioning, the rolls are unwound and sent for further processing in the rolling shop No. 5 in a horizontal position, which excludes their further damage during transportation.
In the summer of this year, with the commissioning of the finishing group of stands, the large-scale reconstruction of the mill was completed. In June 2020, a cut-to-length unit No. 1 was built, which made it possible to exclude claims for non-flatness and expand the product range. In July 2020, new N65 shears and a water descaling unit (hydraulic descaling unit) were put into operation. Also, as part of the reconstruction of the finishing group of stands, a new stand F0 was put into operation (delivered under a contract with NKMZ), four new stands (under a contract with SMS group) instead of the old stands 7-10, a new take-off roller table with an upgraded laminar strip cooling system, a new coiler No. 6. As part of the reconstruction of the finishing group, a coil box (manufactured by NKMZ) was also installed. It is an intermediate rewinding device that reels the roll coming from the roughing train at high speed, immediately unwinds it at a lower speed and sets the other end into the finishing train of stands. This technology allows you to maintain the temperature of the strip and equalize the mechanical properties along its entire length, eliminate the temperature wedge and reduce the energy-power modes of rolling.
The updated 2500 mill is equipped with the most modern automation, control and monitoring of the rolling process. The circulating water supply cycle has been changed, an additional water supply cycle has been built for stoves, main drives for roughing and finishing groups. Part of the old production premises was dismantled, instead of which new modern spans were built.
For the implementation of the project for the reconstruction of a 2500 hot rolling mill, Magnitogorsk Metallurgical Combine was recognized as a laureate of the competition "The main event of 2020 in Russian metallurgy", which was held as part of the leading specialized industrial exhibition "Metal-Expo '2020". In September of this year, the 2500 mill was named after Anatoly Ilyich Starikov, director
