WOODINGS’ GLOBAL CAPABILITY PAYS OFF FOR MITTAL GALATI

February 10, 2006) Around the world, borders are fading to reference points as the steel industry becomes more and more global.

Keeping pace with the industry that now literally spans the world, Woodings Industrial is wrapping up a project that calls for eleven new hot blast valves, six new hydraulic guns and two new hydraulic drills to be installed for the Mittal Galati steel plant in Galati, Romania.

Designed and manufactured by Woodings Industrial, all of the valves are water-cooled hot blast valves featuring high velocity cooling in the body and bonnet, spiral cooling in the disc and refractory lining in the throat. Mittal’s #3 and #5 furnaces have each received 5 of the valves. The final valve will be installed on the #4 furnace.

In addition to the valves, Woodings has engineered and produced two fully hydraulic taphole drills for installation on Mittal’s number #5 furnace. The drills incorporate a hydraulic drifter that is configured in a unique housing design.

Unlike traditional drills, the Woodings hydraulic drifter is built with a single, common housing. This design allows for just two hydraulic hoses instead of four which reduces maintenance time and damage potential. The drills also have only one set of controls so operation is much simpler and operator errors are greatly reduced. Because the drill has only one housing, it is significantly smaller and more compact than traditional drills and can be used in much smaller spaces.

The all-hydraulic operation of the Woodings drill provides some dramatic benefits. The drifter has the maximum rotational torque available with high frequency impactors which are capable of operating with 50 to 100% impact energy. Therefore, impact energy may be reduced to the minimum requirements for opening the taphole. This method provides a smooth consistent diameter taphole that is opened very quickly and with reliable integrity.

Mittal Galati has also installed four guns that Woodings engineered and manufactured to its own design. The guns, two of which were installed on the steelmaker’s #3 furnace and two on the #5 furnace, have an operating pressure of 4,200 psi and a nozzle pressure of 3,000 psi, feature a high-performance hydraulic system with PLC control. Two additional guns slated for installation on the #4 furnace have also been ordered and are scheduled for shipping in March.

“This project is indicative of our ability to answer the needs of steelmakers anywhere in the world and underscores our global reputation for providing engineering and manufacturing solutions in critical areas such as performance and reliability,” said President Robert T. Woodings.

Mittal Galati is the largest integrated iron and steel works in Romania. Its output accounts for at least fifty percent of Romania's domestic steel production.

About Woodings Industrial Corp.
The only hot metal equipment supplier offering design, engineering, manufacturing and service from one source, Woodings Industrial Corp. is the oldest continuous family-operated business in North America’s steel industry. A worldwide leader in the manufacture of metals industry equipment, Woodings uses the most current technologies to design, engineer and manufacture an extensive line of traditional and not-so-traditional hot metal equipment, such as tap hole drills, clay guns, tuyere stocks, blast furnace valves and engineering specialty products for continuous casters. Woodings is the exclusive supplier of Grabe overlay components in North America and has plants at its headquarters in Mars and Harmony, Pa., along with offices in Detroit and Gary, Ind.