The heart of steel making

SECONDARY METALLURGY
 SMS MEVAC Secondary Metallurgy

SMS MEVAC
leading in secondary metallurgy
About us RH Recirculation
SMS Mevac provides equipment, process know-how Degassers
and additional services required for the production decarburisation
of high-quality steel grades. The range of secondary degassing
metallurgical equipment covers vacuum-type and alloying/fine trimming
atmospheric type treatment processes.

History
During the merger of SMS Schloemann-Siemag AG
and Mannesmann Demag Metallurgie in 1999 also
RH-TOP Recirculation
SMS Vacmetal GmbH and MDM Messo merged to
Degassers with TOP Lance
form the new company called SMS Mevac GmbH.
decarburisation
degassing
Both companies, being predecessors of SMS Mevac,
desulphurisation
significantly enforced the development of equipment
dephosphorisation
for vacuum and atmospheric treatment processes
chemical heating
during the second half of the last century and thus
alloying/fine trimming
became the leading companies for the supply of
secondary metallurgical equipment. In this tradition,
SMS Mevac is continuing the development of inno- VD/VD-OB Tank Degassers
vative technology in cooperation with renowned degassing
steelmakers throughout the world. decarburisation
desulphurisation
We are serving the world market for secondary alloying/fine trimming
metallurgy, together with our associate company slag management
SMS Mevac UK, which is jointly owned by shape control
SMS Mevac and Corus.

VOD Tank Degassers

with Oxygen Lance
decarburisation
stainless steel production
degassing
desulphurisation
chemical heating
alloying/fine trimming

2
LF Ladle Furnaces
electrical heating
desulphurisation
alloying/fine trimming
slag management CONTENTS
shape control
2 About us

4 Secondary Metallurgy – what does it mean?

CHS Chemical
6 Secondary Metallurgy – the heart of steelmaking
Heating Stations
chemical heating
8 RH/RH-TOP Recirculation Degassers
desulphurisation
alloying/fine trimming
10 VD/VD-OB Tank Degassers
shape control

12 VOD Vacuum Oxygen Decarburisation Units

14 LF Ladle Furnaces
LTS Ladle
Treatment Stations 16 CHS Chemical Heating Stations
desulphurisation
alloying/fine trimming 18 LTS Ladle Treatment Stations
shape control
20 HMP Hot Metal Pretreatment Stations

22 Automation Systems

HMP Hot Metal Special Features:

Pretreatment Stations
powder injection 24 RH-TOP Lance Systems
for desulphurisation
deslagging 25 Powder Injection Systems

26 Automatic Inert Gas Coupling Systems

27 In-line Bag Filter Systems

HMP Hot Metal 28 Modernisation, Revamping and Upgrading

Pretreatment Stations
KR mechanical stirring 30 Innovations
for desulphurisation
deslagging
31 Customised Services

3
 SMS MEVAC Secondary Metallurgy
SECONDARY METALLURGY
– what does it mean?
The conventional practice of steel
making is characterised by pro-
ducing the required steel grade in
one single operational unit. The
consequences are long melting
times, extended refining periods
and high stresses on the steel-
making equipment itself.
Using modern technology the
steel production is divided into
a primary and a secondary step
which makes steelmaking much
more economical. The primary
step comprises the production
of a basic melt. After oxidation of
carbon and phosphorus, the melt
is tapped directly into a ladle. The
temperature of the melt is kept at
a low level which prolongs the life
cycle of the refractory lining and
increases productivity. Secondary
metallurgy takes place exclusively
in the ladle and comprises all fur-
ther measures required to produce
a high-grade steel.
Functions of the
equipment for
secondary metallurgy
The necessary functions of the
equipment used for secondary
metallurgical treatments are as
follows:
introduction of inert stirring gas
to homogenise the ladle content
accurate addition of alloying
elements, achieving high alloy
yield and close chemical com-
position tolerances
4
vacuum treatment to remove
hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and
last, but not least, carbon
injection of powder materials,
particularly for desulphurisation
purposes
feeding of solid or cored wires
containing various powdered
materials for micro-alloying and
inclusion shape control
heating of the melt with elec-
trical energy through graphite
electrodes or, alternatively,
with chemical energy using
the exothermic reaction of
aluminium and oxygen.
Vacuum treatment –
a special application of
secondary metallurgy
Pressure dependent reactions are
the key to remove certain undesired
elements in steel. Such vacuum
treatment results in removal of
elements like carbon, oxygen,
hydrogen or nitrogen from the steel.
For these reactions to take place,
the thermodynamic equilibrium,
the inert gas flow rate and the
transfer kinetics from the liquid
to the gaseous phase are factors
which play an important role.
SMS Mevac has applied these
principles to units of industrial
scale, tailor-made for the wide
range of customer requirements,
utilizing interfacing modules with
proven design.
Application
Grades
Hot rolled plates
(e. g. DDQ, EDDQ)
Automobile plates, micro-alloyed
(e. g. IF)
Silicon steel
(e. g. electrical sheets)
Low carbon structural steel
(e. g. case hardening, heavy plates)
Medium carbon structural steel
(e. g. forgings)
High carbon structural steel
(e. g. bearings)
High alloyed steel
(e. g. hot work tools)
Stainless steel
(e. g. austenitic and ferritic)
Advantages and
economy
increases in productivity of the
steel plant
shortening of the tap to tap
time of the melting unit
savings on primary energy and utilities
use of low cost charge material
as well as ferro alloys
consistent steel quality from
heat to heat
Secondary Metallurgical Unit
RH/RH-TOP VD/VD-OB
preferred (without restrictions)
production of ultra clean steel
development of new steel
qualities
low maintenance cost
improved co-ordination of all
units involved in the production
sequence
better working conditions for
the operating personnel.
VOD LF
possible (with restrictions)
SMS Mevac, being a small but
powerful company employs a large
variety of specialists in metallurgy,
process technology, mechanical
and electrical engineering, automa-
tion as well as project managers. It
is our strength to address the indi-
vidual needs of the customer very
effectively.
CHS LTS
Secondary Metallurgy –
what does it mean?
Jointly with other divisions of the
SMS Demag Group, SMS Mevac
can provide all integrated iron and
steelworks equipment from ore
preparation to the final product.
The customer is served by a single
contract partner for all his process
requirements.
5
 SMS MEVAC Secondary Metallurgy

SECONDARY METALLURGY
– the heart of steelmaking
Secondary metallurgical units form Long products Stainless steel products
the multi-purpose link between the Steel plants which produce long For melting and refining of stain-
primary melting furnace and the products with the main emphasis less steel grades there are many
continuous or ingot casting unit. To on steel cleanliness, e. g. bearings, different process routes. The indi-
satisfy the permanently increasing springs, forgings, pipes or high alloy vidual choice is influenced by raw
demand of day-by-day quality and structural steels, require a highly material availability, desired final
productivity, every steelplant has to sophisticated refining technology. product, existing shop logistics and
implement new successful meas- Ladle furnace and tank degasser capital economics. In general the
ures, which enable the steel plant (with or without oxygen blowing stainless steelmaking process can
to manage said demand. With the lance) are significant investments be classified as a DUPLEX or
investment in secondary metallur- to optimise secondary metallurgical TRIPLEX type. The DUPLEX re-
gical plants and equipment every refining techniques for the produc- fining process which is composed
steel plant has the possibility of tion of these clean steels. of electric arc furnace melting,
considerable improvements in Metallurgical work like adjustment followed by converter refining, can
the fields of process reliability and of chemical composition, top slag be extended to a TRIPLEX refining
product quality, productivity and desulphurisation and deoxidation is route by installation of a VOD plant.
competitiveness. carried out at the ladle furnace at a This is necessary, if very low car-
defined temperature, supported by bon, sulphur or nitrogen contents
Flat products inert gas bubbling. Further refining must be achieved in the final pro-
For flat steel producers with their steps, as there are degassing and duct.
main emphasis on the production removal of deoxidation products,
of low carbon and ultra low carbon take place in the tank degasser.
grades, the installation of a RH
or RH-TOP unit between melting
and casting allows the production
of extra deep drawing qualities
(EDDQ), improves steel cleanliness
and enables the steel producer to
Typical process route for flat steel products: BOF-LF/RH-CCM. Depending
optimise the economic mass pro- on the steel grade to be produced, LF or RH-TOP fulfil the necessary metall-
urgical tasks for economic mass production.
duction of these grades. A RH or
RH-TOP unit can manage metallur-
gical tasks like decarburisation,
degassing, deoxidation or analysis
and temperature adjustment with
very high accuracy. For steel grades
that do not require any vacuum
treatment, but nevertheless have a
necessity of high steel cleanliness
and excellent castability, a ladle fur-
nace fulfils metallurgical tasks like
slag management, desulphurisation
and homogenisation.

6
Typical process route for long products: EAF-LF-VD-CCM. LF and VD are Typical process route for stainless steel production: EAF-MRP/AOD-
significant investments to optimize secondary metallurgical refining VOD-CCM. VOD is a low-cost investment for production of special
techniques for the production of clean steel at competitive prices. steel grades with lowest levels of carbon, sulphur and nitrogen.

7
 SMS MEVAC Secondary Metallurgy
RH/RH-TOP
Recirculation Degassers
The RH process
The Ruhrstahl Heraeus (RH) recir-
culation degassing process has
proven its eminent suitability for
operations requiring short tap-to-
tap times in more than 130 units,
built mainly in BOF shops, and
with heat sizes of up to 400 tons.
Highlights of this
process are:
short treatment time
minimum temperature losses
no special slag measures
265t-RH-TOP ThyssenKrupp Stahl,
Duisburg-Beeckerwerth, Germany
8
no special requirement for
ladle freeboard
no porous plug required
extremely favourable decarbu-
risation and degassing results
RH process applications:
decarburisation to lowest levels
degassing (hydrogen removal)
efficient alloying/fine trimming
with high accuracy
fast homogenisation of ladle
content, even when large
amounts of silicon are added
vacuum deoxidation
Design highlights:
fixed vessel installation
(ladle lifting system)
movable vessel installation
(vessel lifting system)
fast vessel exchange system
for increased availability
duplex vessel installation for
increased availability
RH-TOP Anshan Iron&Steel,
P.R. China
240-RH-TOP Degasser, EKO Stahl, 180 t RH-TOP Degasser,
Germany US Steel Kosice, Slovakia

9
 SMS MEVAC Secondary Metallurgy
VD/VD-OB
Tank Degassers
The VD process
The tank degassing process has
proven its high availability and its
suitability for the production of
high-quality steel grades in more
than 140 units, built in EAF and
BOF shops, and with heat sizes
of up to 340 tons.
This process is charac-
terised by:
slag-free tapping at the
melting unit
application of ladles with
sufficient freeboard
inert gas stirring through the
ladle’s bottom by means of
porous plugs
low operational costs
VD process applications:
degassing (hydrogen and
nitrogen removal)
decarburisation to lowest levels
desulphurisation by metal/
slag reaction
efficient alloying/fine trimming
with high accuracy
slag management
shape control
homogenisation of ladle content
10
The application of
oxygen blowing lance
systems (VD-OB)
The installation of an oxygen
blowing lance system features
the following additional process
applications:
oxygen blowing for forced
decarburisation from high
carbon start levels e.g. for
the production of Ultra-Low
Carbon (ULC) steel grades
oxygen blowing for chemical
heating by aluminum
combustion
Design highlights:
fixed tank installation above
or below shop floor
movable tank installation
twin tank installation for
increased availability
vacuum ladle design
mechanical vacuum pumps
240 t VD Plant, SOLLAC FLORANGE, France
165 st VD-OB Plant, Nucor Berkeley, U.S.
 SMS MEVAC Secondary Metallurgy
VOD Vacuum Oxygen
DECARBURISATION UNITS
The VOD process
The Vacuum Oxygen Decarburi-
sation process (VOD) has proven
its economic operation and its suit-
ability for the production of high-
quality stainless steel grades with
highest cleanliness in more than
75 plants with heat sizes of up to
200 tons.
Due to the lower partial pressure
of CO under vacuum, decarburi-
sation of high-alloy melts to mini-
mum carbon contents is possible,
while simultaneously, high chromi-
um yields are achieved without
excessive refining.
The VOD plant usually operates
either in combination with an elec-
tric arc furnace (DUPLEX process)
or in combination with an electric
arc furnace and a MRP/AOD con-
verter (TRIPLEX process).
12
This process is
characterised by:
slag-free tapping at the
melting furnace
application of ladles with
sufficient freeboard
inert gas stirring through the
ladle’s bottom by means of
porous plugs
oxygen lance with high
efficiency and minimised
splashing
VOD process
applications:
stainless steel production
homogenisation of ladle content
Design highlights:
fixed tank installation above
or below shop floor
movable tank installation
twin tank installation for
increased availability
vacuum ladle design
120 t VOD Plant, Shanghai No. 1, P.R.China

13
 SMS MEVAC Secondary Metallurgy
LF Ladle Furnaces
The ladle furnace
process
The use of secondary steel making
processes such as degassing or
desulphurisation results in signifi-
cant losses in steel temperature.
This temperature losses have to
be compensated either by super-
heating in the melting unit prior to
tapping, or by using ladle furnaces.
The superheating in the melting
unit causes various problems:
reduced productivity of the
melting unit
increased consumption of
refractory material
increased absorption of
detrimental gases
A ladle furnace is the perfect so-
lution to avoid such disadvantages.
SMS Demag and SMS Mevac
have been building ladle furnaces
for several decades. More than
200 plants installed in EAF and
BOF steel making plants, with
14
heat sizes of up to 400 tons, have
proven the superiority of the ladle
furnace over other concepts.
LF process applications:
electric heating
desulphurisation by metal/
slag reaction
alloying/fine trimming
slag management
130 t LF, Panzhihua Iron&Steel,
shape control P.R.China
homogenisation of ladle content
buffer function between melting
and continuous casting units to
ensure sequence casting
Design highlights:
fixed roof installation
slewing roof installation
two treatment positions or two
ladle transfer cars for increased
availability
power conducting arms made
of copper or aluminium plates
inert gas roof for special
applications
170 t LF, Saldanha Steel, South Africa

15
 SMS MEVAC Secondary Metallurgy

CHS Chemical
HEATING STATIONS
For chemical heating, the exother- CHS process
mic reaction energy created by the applications:
oxidation of aluminium (or silicon) chemical heating
is used. The process is run under alloying/fine trimming
atmospheric conditions and fea- shape control
tures a refractory-covered bell or homogenisation of steel quality
ring. The bell or ring is partially and temperature
immersed into the liquid steel bath, desulphurisation by metal/
so that the entire process is per- slag reaction
formed under inert gas conditions.
This technique is an effective More than 30 plants installed in
method for attaining clean steel EAF and BOF steel making plants,
and precise chemical composition. with heat sizes up to 400 tons,
have proven the reliability of this
concept.

16
320 t CAS-OB Unit,
CORUS Port Talbot, U.K.

17
 SMS MEVAC Secondary Metallurgy
LTS Ladle
Treatment Stations
SMS Mevac has developed various
ladle metallurgy processes to suit
the purpose of ladle refining. In
these processes ladle refining is
conducted without installing large-
scale equipment, hence at low
cost and by simple operation.
Ladle treatment stations are
positioned between the melting
and continuous casting facilities.
More than 60 plants installed in
EAF and BOF steel making plants
have proven the reliability of this
concept.
18
LTS process applications
deoxidation by the addition of
aluminium or microalloys
adjustment of chemical com-
position by wire feeding and
alloy additions
homogenisation of liquid steel
by bottom purging or lance
stirring
desulphurisation by addition
of synthetic slag or by powder
blowing
addition of cooling agents
for temperature adjustment
serving as a liquid storage
buffer prior to casting
100 t LTS POSCO Pohang, Korea
165 t LTS, Saarstahl AG, Germany
100 t LTS POSCO Pohang, Korea Ladle treatment station: for steel desulphurisation
under inert gas atmosphere

19
 SMS MEVAC Secondary Metallurgy
HMP Hot Metal
PRETREATMENT STATIONS
In most steel plants, the hot metal
leaves the blast furnaces with a
sulphur content of 0.04 to 0.12 %.
Caster operations and final product
quality require, however, a sulphur
content of as little as 0.01 to
0.001 % in the hot metal charged
to the oxygen converter.
Therefore, pre-treatment of hot
metal, which means adjustment of
the composition (desulphurisation,
sometimes dephosphorisation and
desiliconisation) and temperature
of hot metal produced in a blast
furnace, is absolutely mandatory.
Moreover, modern EAF-process
routes also require a certain per-
centage of virgin raw material to
dilute tramp elements in the steel.
The charging of hot metal with
low sulphur, in addition to carbon
Movable KR station with 2 treatment
positions
20
scrap, is often practiced to produce
high quality steel grades.
The introduction of co-injection
technologies meant a technological
leap in regard to reducing the costs
for the injected powders. Before
being jointly injected into the hot
metal via a refractory-lined sub-
merged injection lance, the various
reagents are separately fluidised,
followed by a controlled mixing
step in the transport line. This
technique allows a wide range of
reagent combinations while the
delivery rate of each reagent can
be independently adjusted.
More than 20 stations installed in
BOF and EAF steel making plants,
with heat sizes of up to 350 tons
have proven the reliability of this
design.
An alternative technology to be
applied in HMP plants is the KR
process, which features a good
efficiency of the desulphurisation
reagent (mainly lime) as the
particles are dispersed deeply
and uniformly into the hot metal
by mechanical stirring.
HMP process
applications:
desulphurisation
dephosphorisation
desiliconisation
deslagging
homogenisation of hot metal
quality and temperature
Design highlights:
mono- or co-injection of
desulphurisation agents
KR mechanical stirring process
225 t Hot Metal
Desulphurisation Station,
EKO Stahl, Germany

CaC2 day silo

& dispensers
5 t jib crane 5 t jib crane
magnesium magnesium N
dispenser dispenser

injection lance/
sampling unit injection lance/
sampling unit
control
room lance
storage
moving fume hood to fume
extraction
plant

hydraulics
lance storage room moving fume
hood
hoist hoist
well well

ladle support/tilting stands

21
 SMS MEVAC Secondary Metallurgy

AUTOMATION SYSTEMS
SMS Mevac provides the full range
of automation systems for the Interaction of Automation Levels
process control of the respective
secondary metallurgical unit. The
systems include PLC based basic
automation systems for process
data collection, interlocking and STATE PREDICTION
sequence control (Level 1) in com- (Analysis, Model
Temperature, Weight)
bination with systems for screen
operation, monitoring and supervi- Cyclic Process
sion (Level 1.5). In addition, metal- Evaluation Calculation
LEVEL 2
lurgical models on process com- - Material Addition - Alloying
- Decarburisation - Decarburisation
puters (Level 2) assist the operator - Oxygen Blowing - Degassing
in meeting the desired steel quality. - Element Losses - Deoxidation
- T/O Measurements - Heating
These automation systems are
- Analyses - Temperature
typically interfaced with the steel
shop automation system (Level 3) HEAT STATE
SETPOINTS
and the laboratory computer. This Model
integration guarantees a plant-wide
co-ordination of units according to
the production schedule as well
as quality assurance.
Measurements Execution
- Sample
The automation system ensures - Material Addition - Material Addition
LEVEL 1,5 - Oxygen Blowing
maximum support to the operator - Off-gas Analysis
- Vacuum
- Oxygen Blowing LEVEL 1
for an easy, reliable, safe and effi- - T/O Measurements - Argon
cient control of complex secondary - Vacuum
- Argon
metallurgical processes including
operation of the plant
monitoring of plant status
communication with the steel Production Production Planning
Level 3
shop computer system Automation Quality Control
alarm handling
data acquisition Process Process Guidance
Level 2
determination of process set points Automation Metallurgical Models
preventive maintenance through
continuous monitoring of critical
Process Visualisation
equipment data Level 1.5
Control Operation
reporting.

Level 1 PLC
SMS Mevac’s process automation
systems have been installed in
more than 170 plants so far. Process

22
Control room of 110 t 320 t CAS-OB Unit,
CAS/CAS-OB Twin Unit, SSAB, CORUS Port Talbot, U.K.
Sweden

23
 SMS MEVAC Secondary Metallurgy

SPECIAL FEATURES
RH-TOP Lance Systems
A top lance for oxygen blowing
onto the liquid steel recirculating
within a RH vessel was already
implemented in a Thyssen RH
facility in Germany in the late sixties.

In the eighties, Kawasaki Steel

Corp. developed the KTB process,
combining the RH top lance oxygen
blowing function with the new idea
of putting heating energy into the
RH vessel by using the post-com-
bustion effect, burning CO emer-
ging from the liquid steel to CO2.
Using the oxygen supplied by the
top lance, forced decarburisation
as well as chemical heating of the
liquid steel by aluminium combus-
tion became standard practices in
many steel plants. This process
proved to be most suitable for mass
production of ultra low carbon steel
with consistently high quality.
Consequently, many RH degassers
built by SMS Mevac have since
been using this technology.

Since the nineties, lance types with

multiple functions were developed
to incorporate further features
with new operational benefits.
TOP lances nowadays may include
features such as:
short lance design to blow from
a large distance onto the liquid
steel, thus simplifying the equip-
ment installed and allowing the
installation of TOP lances even
in steel shops with restriced
headroom above the RH
powder blowing for decarburi-
sation, desulphurisation or
dephosphorisation
TOP lance system RH-TOP Plant 300 t RH-TOP Plant N. V. SIDMAR,
Belgium
gas heating for adjustment of
proper vessel refractory tem-
perature and skull removal
video camera installed in the
lance tip, providing an excellent
view into the RH vessel
More than 60 TOP lances have
been installed so far, many of them
incorporating the multiple function
design.

24
SPECIAL FEATURES
Powder Injection Systems
Powder injection systems are
widely used in ladle metallurgy.
Often, these systems are an
additional feature installed in ladle
furnaces, chemical heating sta-
tions, ladle treatment stations or
even tank degassers to increase
their desulphurisation capabilities.

SMS Mevac provides the entire

system from storage silos to
dispensers and injection lance
manipulators as well as the respec-
tive lance exchange magazines.
Often, the lance system is used
to provide a backup argon bubbling
facility by a dedicated argon lance
in case of failure of the porous
plug.

Workshop test of
Inclined Lance

Powder
control valve

25
 SMS MEVAC Secondary Metallurgy
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Automatic Inert Gas Coupling
Systems
Vertical inert gas
coupling system
The automatic inert gas
coupling system
Inert gas stirring, either with argon
or nitrogen, through the ladle’s
bottom by means of porous plugs
is essential for various secondary
metallurgical processes.
To avoid time-consuming manual
connection and disconnection of
inert gas supply lines, reliable
automatic systems have been
developed by SMS Mevac.
Depending on the specific applica-
tion, horizontal coupling systems
with actuator or vertical coupling
systems without actuator are used.
The system which is most fre-
quently used is the vertical coupling
26
Horizontal inert gas
coupling system
system which is characterised as
follows:
The rigid upper part of the inert
gas coupling is always installed on
the ladle while the flexible lower
part can be installed in various
locations, like:
on the ladle transfer car in
tapping position
on the ladle transfer car at
the ladle furnace
inside of the vacuum tank
on the ladle stand at the
ladle treatment station
on the ladle turret of the
continuous casting machine
The coupling is automatically per-
formed when the ladle is lowered.
The horizontal coupling system
incorporates a pneumatic cylinder
which actuates the mechanical link
of the argon line after the ladle has
been set down.
More than 30 automatic inert gas
coupling systems have proven the
reliability of our design.
Design features:
individual gas supply to up to
3 porous plugs
applicable under vacuum
conditions
vertical coupling system
horizontal coupling system
SPECIAL FEATURES
In-line bag Filter Systems
Process gases generated during
vacuum treatment of liquid steel
may be heavily dust-loaded. Steam
ejector vacuum pumps are ideally
suited to handle these kind of
gases. During the process, the
dust is deposited in the condenser
cooling water and can be removed
later by standard water treatment
equipment.
As an alternative, the dust may be
separated before entering the first
booster of the vacuum pump. This
technology makes use of large
in-line bag filter units installed in
View at the gas
cooler/bag filter
the suction line. An efficient gas More than 20 in-line bag filter
cooler serves to protect the bags systems, mainly installed in combi-
from thermal stress. nation with VOD and VD-OB units
of any heat size, have proven the
Highlights: reliability of this concept.
low steam ejector maintenance
the off-gas meets all
environmental regulations
low investment cost and
operational costs for water
treatment facilities
ideally suited for VOD units
bag filters in combination with
mechanical vacuum pump
systems offer no-steam
operation of small VD/VD-OB/
VOD units
27
 SMS MEVAC Secondary Metallurgy

MODERNISATION,
Revamping and Upgrading
SMS Mevac has already revamped
more than 20 units, some of them
under the most difficult conditions.

In order to determine the actual

status of an existing unit that is to
be revamped, a feasibility study is
performed. This feasibility study
enables the customer to select
from different solutions and to de-
fine the extent of revamping which
offers the optimum economical
merits to him.

Typical revamping
objects
conversion DH to RH
TOP-lance installation
vacuum vessel design
snorkel maintenance
vessel exchange system
vacuum pump system
automatic sampler
alloying system

Economical merits
increased productivity
decreased operational cost
higher availability
reduced maintenance
lower variance in heat
characteristics
higher product quality
new areas of steel application

28
29
 SMS MEVAC
INNOVATIONS
SMS Mevac actively supports the
development of innovative techno-
logies. This includes, together with
partners worldwide, the introduction
of new processes as well as the
improvement of equipment for the
benefit of our customers. Examples
of recent developments are:
Automatic sampler
using industrial-type
robots
With increased performance and
reliability, standardised robotic
systems with dedicated gripping
tools simplify the automatic
sampling procedure for analysis,
temperature and oxygen activity.
Selecting, attaching and detaching
the probe and even the sampling
procedure itself are carried out in
a repeatable and reliable manner.
1000
pressure in hPa
100
10
0 60
30
Secondary Metallurgy
Splash control in
vacuum degassers
The intense reaction of CO forma-
tion leads to excessive splashing
of metal inside the vacuum vessel
at certain pressure levels. With the
introduction of continuously adjust-
able needle valves in steam ejec-
tors, an energy-saving control of
the suction capacity has been devel-
oped. Optimised pump-down curves
are realised with this technology,
with a very high, reproducable
decarburisation behaviour at an
acceptable splashing level.
Injection of oxidising
agents in VOD
Oxidising agents for the production
of stainless steel such as iron oxide
are added simultaneously with oxy-
gen via the lance into the steel for:
UV
acceleration of decarburisation
better nitrogen removal for
production of low nitrogen
stainless steels
improved control of temperature
profile
less addition of cooling scrap
pump down curve A
pump down curve B
Temperature (°C)
(optimized)
Pressure (mB)
120 180 240 300
time in s time (min)
Customised SERVICES
Customised services
In addition to the supply of equip-
ment, SMS Mevac offers a com-
prehensive variety of services to
ensure the selection of the most
suitable process unit, a smooth
start-up of the unit according to the
time schedule as well as a reliable
operation of the equipment.
All engineering services are in
accordance with international
standards and state-of-the-art
technologies.
Consultant services
studies for modernisation
and revamping projects, com-
prising productivity and quality
improvements as well as
reduction of production costs
start-up and metallurgical
assistance
know-how transfer
Engineering services Supervision services
recommendation of the most supervision of manufacturing
suitable process supervision of erection
tailor-made integration of supervision of cold and hot
equipment into existing steel commissioning
making plants
engineering related to After sales service
mechanical equipment as supply of consumables and
well as electrical and process spare parts
automation systems support of plant operation by
supply of metallurgical models our process engineers and
project co-ordination metallurgists
handling of turn-key projects support for modernisation and
revamping
Training services
theoretical and practical training
on-site and off-site training in
co-operation with well-known
European steel makers,
e.g. CORUS (formerly
known as BRITISH STEEL
and HOOGOVENS),
THYSSENKRUPP STAHL (TKS)
and SIDMAR
31
 SMS MEVAC Secondary Metallurgy

SMS Mevac office in Essen/How to find us:

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5000/10/05· aA · Printed in Germany

SMS Mevac GmbH

Bamlerstrasse 3a
45141 Essen
Germany MEETING your EXPECTATIONS
Telephone +49 201 63 23-0
Telefax +49 201 63 23-200
H1/ 301E

mail@sms-mevac.com
www.sms-mevac.com