Southwire Contracts a New Copper Rod Mill for Jinchuan Group

Southwire Company has awarded a contract to Primetals Technologies for rolling mill equipment for a new Southwire Continuous Rod (SCR) copper rod system for the Jinchuan Group Company in Gansu Province, China. The Jinchuan Group will use the new SCR copper rod mill to produce electrolytic tough pitch (ETP) copper in the form of wire and cable for the construction industry.

A Long-Term Relationship

This is the third SCR copper rod system that Jinchuan has ordered, further strengthening the well-established long-term business relationship, and providing additional evidence of the value of the solutions offered by Southwire and Primetals Technologies. Primetals Technologies will engineer, supply, and implement the rolling mill, coiler, and a large portion of the coil handling equipment. The Southwire SCR 7000 rolling mill includes a Morgan NO-TWIST mill with 13 independently driven roll stands. The contract also includes a 610-millimeter entry shear and table, one 457-millimeter roughing mill stand, four 305-millimeter roughing mill stands, one 320-millimeters rotary shear and table, and eight-stand finishing mill, all with hydraulic roll mounting, a rod cooling and cleaning system with injectors and air wipes, rollerized turndown, two pinch rolls, coiler, designs for an inline conveyor system, and two oil lubrication systems.

Decades of Experience

Based in Carrollton, Georgia, Southwire Company developed the SCR process in 1963. It has partnered with Primetals Technologies to implement new and updated systems for decades. Globally, more than 50 percent of all copper rod is currently produced using the SCR process.

Jinchuan Group, founded in 1958, is a state-owned enterprise with its majority interest held by the People’s Government of Gansu Province. Jinchuan Group specializes in mining, agglomeration, metallurgy, chemical engineering, and further downstream processing. Jinchuan Group is a renowned mining corporation, the third-largest nickel producer, and the fourth-largest cobalt producer in the world, as well as the fourth-largest copper producer in China.