Ladle Furnace (LF/LMF) and Trimming Station
State-of-the-art equipment for ladle metallurgy treatment and refining, ensure the precise control of the steel temperature and chemical composition for improved productivity, flexibility and quality. For ordinary, special and stainless steel grades.
Overview
The ladle furnace (LF) makes it possible to divide the steel melting operations, carried out in EAF, from those of treatment and refining. The liquid steel produced by the EAF is poured into the ladle, which serves as a reactor for metallurgical operations at the treatment stations. The ladle is transported under the LF hood, where alloying and reheating operations are performed to target values for the next process station.
Adjustments to the liquid steel are managed by the process automation system that, by monitoring the actual operating conditions, adjusts the treatment practice as per the parameters of maximum efficiency and quality of the steel to be produced.
Technical data
Tenova is able to assist its customers in the entire offer and design phase of the plant, providing a service that translates into a tailor made configuration with respect to the specific needs of each case.
EQUIPMENT & CONFIGURATION
- AC-type electric energy configuration
- Single of twin type configuration
- Trimming station configuration (LF without heating equipment)
- 5 to 350 and more tons heat size
- Up to 6°C/min heating rate
- Single-point / multi-points roof lifting
- Standard, hybrid and controlled atmosphere roof
- Ferroalloys injection, wire injection
- Emergency lance
- Temperature & Sampling manipulator / robot
- Many layout variants available, to fit different melt shop reality
PROCESS & OPERATION
Improving steel temperature and analysis control is a key aspect of the secondary metallurgy processes. Tenova Ladle Furnaces enable precise control of the melt temperature and of the chemical composition to guarantee improvement of productivity, flexibility and quality.
- Low OPEX
- Exceptional reliability: >98% on the whole unit
Innovation
More than 50 years after the first LF industrial installation, Tenova is enduring an intensive, continuous research activity on the basis of the long-standing experience and engineering expertise developed in the steelmaking sector.
The effort in development process, brings Tenova’s LF to be the most advanced ladle metallurgy furnace on the market today, a leadership achieved through the maximum availability, efficient use of energy and raw materials, easy operation and maintenance, and respect for the environment.
The innovation process never stops and touches the system as a whole, from the design of the equipment to the search for ever better performance, from adaptation to increasingly severe operating conditions to integration with modern auxiliary technologies.
In this context, attention to safety and the improvement of the working conditions of operators are a fundamental driver for Tenova, as well as the attention and commitment to make the steel industry increasingly green.
Safety
Tenova designs and manufactures its equipment with the utmost attention to safety and reliability:
- Strong and sturdy mechanical construction
- Reliable electrical and automation configuration
- The water cooling circuits are equipped with TENOVA Safe+ technology for the leakage detection and prevention of damages.
- TENOVA No-One-On-The-Floor technologies
- Possible closed-design of the control room
- Design and supply safety operation areas around the equipment
Automation
More and more in modern electric steel mills a role of strategic importance is assumed by the operational and management coordination between the different production phases.
This need becomes more evident where synchronization between the various phases must always be guaranteed. Tenova automation systems are conceived and designed with the aim of guiding the operator through each phase of the production process, providing reliable and comprehensive decision-making support, especially where the normal production flow is modified by unforeseeable causes.
The set of Innovative Technologies implemented in Tenova's automation systems, guarantee steel production by eliminating the presence of the operator inside risky areas, bringing the necessary inspection and control operations in remote and eliminating the direct interaction of man with the machine, guaranteeing the strictest safety conditions.
This, by applying solutions aimed at improving production/maintenance aspects, i.e. improving the continuity of operation of the plants, their productivity and troubleshooting assistance.
Tenova Automation suite assure the best and easy way to control the EAF thanks to the latest state-of-the-art Automation and Process Control systems, including the innovative TENOVA iMeltShop concept for the integrated control of the whole melt shop production line.
All the operations can remotely managed thanks to the possible close control room design and all technological packages included in TENOVA No-One-On-The-Floor: Temperature and sampling Robot with Polyeye for EAF internal visual check, Tenova Auto Tapping system, Scrap basket automatic charging system.
Environment
The TENOVA’s LF is the steel melting technology developed according to the most modern and efficient ecological criteria, ready for the energy transition that the steel industry has recently faced.
Digital
Digital technologies are changing our world, including the way we make steel. Using technologies like predictive maintenance, industrial Internet of things (IIoT), cloud platforms, augmented reality and artificial intelligence, through a data-driven approach, you can now gain insights into your plant, improve your decision making and optimize your production process.
Tenova is able to provide you with the ultimate technologies in this field to cover a huge variety of applications as you can see in the image below.
With the purpose of making easier the access to these innovations, Tenova has decided to propose them into modular digital packages, each of them focusing on a specific aspect.
These modules can be composed and customized to help you reach your goals.
The target of such solutions is the activation of an overall process of digital transformation in the steel production processes, enabling:
- Staff safety;
- Increase of production efficiency which results in lower OPEX and lower consumption of resources (hence a more environmental conscious production).
- Higher production flexibility;
- Improved planning and optimization of maintenance activities Quicker (and in some cases immediate) response with regards to the services provided;
- Quality and personalization of products;
- Transparency, traceability and sustainability of production processes;
- Staff training.
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