It produces the largest continuous cast rectangular bloom cross-sections in the world with industry-leading internal cleanness.
It rises more than 180 feet above ground and descends 90 feet below ground for an overall height of nearly 300 feet, TimkenSteel’s jumbo bloom vertical caster is the biggest continuous vertical bloom caster in North America.
The $200 million caster makes sections of special bar quality (SBQ) steel that measure up to 18 inches x 24 inches, referred to as “jumbo blooms,” which are later rolled into bars and tubes. The first heat from the caster, produced on Oct. 21, 2014, was sold to a customer – a testament not only to the strength of the new technology, but the skill and expertise of the team operating it. It serves several markets, including industrial, energy, bearing, military and heavy machinery.
The caster utilizes a vertical design that allows for continuous casting of high-alloy grades. The design provides for uniform steel with better inclusion distribution. The caster uses an optimized tundish design and advanced clean steelmaking technology. Its advanced operating technology also includes electromagnetic stirring, dynamic soft reduction, air-mist cooling, and thermal treatment for optimized surface quality. The fully automated jumbo bloom vertical caster is designed to operate consistently, featuring innovative process monitoring and control.
With an ability to cast difficult-to-produce alloy steel grades, Faircrest Steel Plant offers the only combination in the world of a large continuous vertical bloom caster and an in-line forge press. The forge press, coupled with the vertical caster, expands our capabilities and 
helps improve sound centers in large-bar sizes, efficiently giving customers more of what they need.
The caster – combined with other assets – enables the broadest size range combination in North America for steel bars and billets, and seamless mechanical tubing.
- Contact us today to discover how the jumbo bloom vertical caster can help you with your needs.
- See below for details – and visit the Resource Library page to download a copy of our caster brochure.