Grinding balls of 100 mm in diameter are the largest balls that Kamet Steel produces today. Production of these balls was launched at the plant almost a year ago at production line #2 of the ball rolling section. In 2023, almost 11 thousand tonnes of these products were shipped to customers. They are used to grind ore in ball mills at mining and processing plants.

To master the production of 100 mm balls at production line #1, the rolling specialists upgraded the equipment according to their own drawings. In particular, the rolling stand was re-equipped, the design of cartridges and mill screws was changed. Using own resources the plant also manufactured a newly designed receiving table and upgraded the loading device in front of the mill to increase its productivity.

Particular attention was paid to optimising the heating mode for a 100 mm diameter billet in the reheating furnace #1 of the ball rolling mill and the hardening parameters at the first ball hardening unit to meet the requirements for the surface hardness of the balls.

– The development of new types of steel products with higher margins is one of the key indicators of the plant's operational efficiency. The ball-100 is such a product, which is also in high demand among consumers. This was confirmed by last year's results, but the rolling specialists are not resting on last year's achievements. In February, we mastered the rolling of balls-100 on both production lines of the mill and thus gained additional opportunities to increase output of this product, which is in demand primarily by Ukrainian customers, – Sergii MISHURIN, Deputy Head of the Rolling Shop for Axle and Ball Rolling Sections, says.