Nucor Corp. will build a $240 million galvanizing line at the company’s sheet mill in Arkansas. The new line will have an annual capacity of approximately 500,000 tons and is expected to be operational in the first half of 2021.
The project is in addition to a $230 million investment currently underway to build a specialty cold mill complex at Nucor Steel Arkansas. These projects are part of Nucor’s strategy to increase its automotive market share.
Galvanizing is the process of applying a protective zinc coating to steel or iron, to prevent rusting. The most common method is hot-dip galvanizing, in which parts are submerged in a bath of molten zinc.
Cold rolled steel is processed in cold reduction mills, where the material is cooled at room temperature followed by annealing or rolling. The process produces steel with closer dimensional tolerances and a wider range of surface finishes.
Nucor says it is also evaluating building additional galvanizing lines at its other sheet mills as part of efforts to further expand its sheet business.
Nucor and its affiliates manufacture steel products, with operating facilities primarily in the U.S. and Canada.