Edelstahl Witten-Krefeld GmbH is a leading producer of forged and rolled long products made of more than 600 different specialty steels from the fields of engineering and bearing steels, stainless, acid and heat-resistant steels and tool steels. Nearly all steels, duplex and superduplex steels too, are cast in a vertical continuous casting machine. The demanded lowest values of deformation confine in some cases the use of continuously cast material. In these cases long products are produced by ingots.

On the production of big dimensioned long products made of duplex steels peculiarities of this steel group have to be observed. On hot forming high finishing temperatures above a critical temperature range are important to avoid embrittling intermetallic phases. In addition the material has to be cooled down very quick to avoid long exposure times in this range.

The properties of the duplex steels are influenced by the chemical composition and by the annealing temperature. Suitable measures make sure, that on big dimensions made of duplex steels the demanded specified properties are reached without problems.