Converter steelmaking (Stainless Steel)

Metallurgy

Shaping the future – converter steelworks from SMS group

Since the early 1950s, SMS group and its predecessor companies have been using their know-how for highly productive and modern converter steelplants for carbon and stainless steel worldwide.
SMS group is one of the leading companies in this market and meets the growing demands of its customers with advanced and reliable mechatronic systems. In cooperation with universities and institutes, eco-friendly and economical solutions are developed that are used worldwide. The product range is wider than ever. This includes complex BOF and AOD converter steelplants with a high degree of automation and digitalization, as well as new paths in the metallurgical process and modernizations. Our solutions are durable and sustainably reduce maintenance costs.
Tailor-made maintenance procedures, customer-specific training programmes and effective spare parts management round off our range of services. SMS group Technical Services is your contact for this: Service packages tailored to your requirements are available worldwide.

The key features are
High productivity and product quality
Latest process technologies and superior products
Project solutions with a fast return-on-investment.

Concepts

Future-oriented stainless steelmaking

What's special about our process lines is that we tailor your plant to your conditions. Included in these considerations are availability of raw materials, infrastructure, and energy supply.

The upshot is that you can produce high-quality materials at low cost.

Efficient, custom-engineered vacuum converters

We specially develop vacuum converters for producing stainless, acid-resistant, and heat-resistant steel grades as well as highly alloyed special steels, manganese, and chromium alloys, plus medium and low-carbon ferromanganese and ferrochrome.

AOD converter

The AOD converter is key equipment in the stainless steelmaking process: An argon-oxygen mixture is being injected into the molten steel through sidewall-nozzles which provokes a very efficient carbon removal.

Technology

Vessel design

Scientific studies and practical experience prove that the shape of the AOD vessel has a significant impact on the AOD process. SMS group was a leading force in researching the optimum height-to-diameter (h/d) ratio of the AOD melt and now designs vessels accordingly.

Highlights

Vessel shape is slightly deeper than for classical AOD conver-ters with an h/d ratio of ~0.7
Safe and low-maintenance but powerful and economic converters due to proper vessel design
Outstanding converter performance in combination with the hydraulic torque retainer

Benefits

Minimum chromium oxidation and therefore high Cr yield
Optimum slag dissolution
Better cleanliness of final product
Ideal mixing energy
Best refractory performance

Hydraulic clamping device

The converter vessel is held in the trunnion ring by three clamping elements. Vessel pins, which are welded to the vessel shell, are mounted in support brackets attached to the trunnion ring.

Highlights

Automated system
Allows thermal expansion of the vessel in the trunnion ring
Mechanically secured against unintentional opening

Benefits

Quick converter exchange with an exchange time ≤ 30min
Higher safety standard for operators

Selected References

Fuxin Special Steel

Since 2014, Fuxin Special Steel Co. Ltd. of China in Taiwan has been operating a steel mill supplied by SMS group for the…

Voestalpine BÖHLER Edelstahl

SMS group is contributing various plants to the new high-tech stainless steel plant of voestalpine BÖHLER Edelstahl GmbH & Co KG.

Sandvik Materials Technology

Sandvik Materials Technology, Sweden, commissioned a 75-ton AOD converter modernized by SMS group at its Sandviken site in August…

Insitu gas measurement with X-Pact^® Sense

Maintenance free and fast process gas measurement (CO & CO₂ / O₂)

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Ladle identification with X-Pact^® Sense

Full automatic infrared all-in-one ladle recognition system

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Leakage detection with X-Pact^® Sense

Water leakages detection for Submerged arc furnaces

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X-Pact^® Auto Tapping

Better process with automatic tapping

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X-Pact^® Gas Cleaning Assist

Energy-efficient automation for dedusting plants

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X-Pact^® Ladle Management

Integrated and automated ladle management

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X-Pact^® LIMS

Comprehensive management of sampling and analysis results

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X-Pact^® Process Optimizer (AOD)

For AOD converter- Process assistance systems for the complete process line

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Digital twin

Digital counterpart of a customer-specific plant

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Plug & Work

3D real-time simulation of technology prior to installation

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Product quality analyzer (PQA^®)

Solution for smooth process flow and constant high quality

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Remote service

Always at your side, quickly and dependably, worldwide

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Upgrade Package Basic Automation

New state of the art hardware, latest development software

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Virtualization

Safeguarding plant lifetime

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X-Pact^® Business Intelligence

Systematic analysis of data in an electronic form

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X-Pact^® Drive

Low voltage frequency converter as integral part of X-Pact^®

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X-Pact^® MES 4.0

Production planning and scheduling for all production units in the plant

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X-Pact^® Process Condition Analyzer (PCA)

The "transparent" plant

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X-Pact^® Process Guidance

New standard for the future automatic control of complex plants

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X-Pact^® Sense

Intelligent sensor system and camera-based solutions

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X-Pact^® Vision Operation and Visualization

Innovative HMI and new control station

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Service

Drive Systems

More reliability in the drive train due to Drive Systems provided by SMS group.

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eDoc

Digital documentation: First step to a smart plant.

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Emergency support - Remote Service

For easy identification of defects and malfunctions and quick initiation of measures for fault elimination.

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Equipment check

Regular inspections and maintenance form the basis for safeguarding the efficiency of your equipment.

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Safety Locator

Protect your most valuable asset - your employees - with the SMS group Safety Locator!

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Smart Maintenance

Digitalize your maintenance with SMS group!

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Downloads

Contact

Jan Bader

SMS group GmbH
General Manager Technical Sales Steelmaking
Eduard-Schloemann-Straße 4
40237 Düsseldorf
Germany

Phone : +49 211 881 6638

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Uwe Gerike

SMS group GmbH
Project Management Steelmaking
Eduard-Schloemann-Straße 4
40237 Düsseldorf
Germany

Phone : +49 211 881 5856

Send Mail

Wolfgang Linden

SMS group GmbH
Head of Electrics/Automation Steelmaking and Environmental Technology
Eduard-Schloemann-Straße 4
40237 Düsseldorf
Germany

Phone : +49 211 881 6779

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SMS group Connect

Converter steelmaking (Stainless Steel)

Highlights

Benefits

Highlights

Benefits

SMS group Connect app

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