Ladle Metallurgy Furnace, Material Addition Optimization Steel Mfg. USA

Location: EAF steel maker in Decatur, Georgia

Challenge: Ladle Metallurgy Furnace (LMF) / Steelmaking furnace are used to refine molten steel to special grades while remaining in the ladle. Critical to producing a range of quality products, the chemical composition of steel is most affected at the LMF by the addition of various material components. Such materials are often added in bulk and iteratively, with chemical samples determining composition after each addition. The amount and type of each addition, traditionally determined by hand, has huge impacts on profitability and quality. Computer calculation of such additions is a proven means of optimizing amounts and costs while maintaining quality.

Solution: A predictive model was built by Argus’s SME to optimize & automate material additions to achieve final chemistries.

(Deployed at plant) 

Impact: 80% reduction of material inefficiency -> $3M annually