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By Felipe Beluche Lima, Caio Augusto Silva Santos

Brazil is the largest producer of crude steel in the Americas by BOF process and many challenges come along with the increasing market demand. In the BOF, a tubular wall hood structure has been showing premature failures related to the overlay welded tube technology placed in the hood wall. The main root causes were: thermal fatigue at 1800°C, hot spot formation, high heat-affected zone (HAZ) leading to susceptibility of stress cracking, carburizing corrosion and superficial wearing. Based on that, co-extruded tube technology (named composite tube by Sandvik) was the alternative chosen to enhance hood performance without compromising BOF process. In order to rises safety and productivity, composite tube has 100% metallurgical bond assuring stable expansion, high heat exchange efficiency, better corrosion resistance and less rough surface finishing. It was highly suggested to many others mills due to similar and already existing reported cases.

Oct 1, 2019

By Diogo Barcellos Moraes

O presente trabalho tem como premissa abordar estudos baseados na metodologia Troca Rápida de Ferramentas (TRF ou em inglês, SMED – Single-Minute Exchange of Die), e realizar um estudo de caso na empresa Votorantim Siderurgia. O objetivo principal é a redução do tempo de setup da máquina de Tela de Coluna, a fim de minimizar o desperdício de tempo e maximizar a produtividade. Além disso, obteve ganhos efetivos no layout de ferramentas, programa 5S, tempo de atividades, entre outros.

Oct 30, 2017

By Ana Luiza Chaves de Oliveira

Com o avanço do conceito de sustentabilidade e as novas legislações ambientais, percebemos um crescente aumento da responsabilidade ambiental. As empresas cada vez mais investem em coletas seletivas, tratamento dos resíduos, etc., buscando minimizar os impactos ambientais, preservar os recursos naturais e assegurar a sustentabilidade. Tendo como objetivo apresentar uma solução integrada para a reciclagem e reaproveitamento dos resíduos refratários após o uso. Este trabalho propôs a produção de três classes de argamassas secas e úmidas através da utilização de reciclados. Foram realizadas quatro etapas (identificação visual das matérias-primas, cominuição, formulação/produção e acompanhamento durante a estocagem). Procurando avaliar o potencial dos reciclados o acompanhamento será realizado através da variação reológica e da determinação da força ligante após a fabricação e durante a estocagem (período de 12 meses). Os resultados evidenciaram que há potencial de reaproveitamento dos reciclados tanto na produção de argamassas secas e quanto úmidas sem que ocorra perda de suas propriedades reológicas, químicas e termo-mecânicas.

Aug 17, 2017

By Leticia Costa Macêdo

Esse trabalho tem como objetivo analisar por meio da termodinâmica computacional a influência do K2O na dissolução das fases sólidas formadas durante o processo de dessulfuração de ferro gusa. Para isso, foi utilizada a cal como agente dessulfurante e a Sodalita (Fonólio) como fundente, realizando uma adição de K2O no fluxante de 1% a 10%, com uma temperatura de trabalho de 1400ºC. Por meio do uso de software de termodinâmica computacional FactSage, foi possível simular e avaliar as fases sólidas e líquidas formadas na temperatura determinada e comparar com os resultados obtidos com outras análises. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que o aumento gradativo de K2O levam a um aumento do potencial termodinâmico de dessulfuração e melhores condições cinéticas, sendo a mistura que apresentou os melhores resultados a que continha 10% de sodalita com adição de 10% de K2O na fonte.

Oct 30, 2017

By Ernesto Furtado de Mello Neto, Eliezer Thuler, Claudio Vano Nunes, Carlos Alberto Cristofari

The Brazilian steel industry is dealing an adverse scenario with direct competition from global emerging markets. In this scenario, the need to improve asset operational performance, makes complex studies involving technical knowledge and asset life behavior, become important tools to support companies strategic accomplish. These studies allow consider performance, costs and operational risks relationship in the decision make process. The Asset Management approach support these studies in order to observe the whole asset life cycle, understand value chain through all company process and optimize the asset economic life. In this context, the present technical work has the purpose to support asset management decision making regarding ArcelorMittal Vega cold rolling drive motors, through the motors fail behavior modelling and estimated the risks involved in asset management decision. Through the Reliability, Availability and Mantenability (RAM) analysis, simulations were performed considering the failure, repair cost data and investments to build options to mitigate the operational risks.

Oct 9, 2019

By Tobias Krull

The characterisation of iron ore from a materials handling point of view is paramount in order to provide the best possible design for the desired application and maximise equipment uptime at the lowest possible capital and operational expenditure. Problematic issues in materials handling applications often arise in the iron ore industry due to the high density of the ore as well as the abrasive nature of the product. One of the key issues encountered during the handling of iron ore is excessive wear due to either impact or sliding abrasion. The applications and equipment typically affected by accelerated wear issues are mass flow hoppers, transfer chutes and conveyor belts. These wear issues often result in unplanned down times and loss in production which can lead to a considerable loss in revenue. This paper provides an overview of the best practises in the materials handling characterisation of iron ore and discusses available techniques for the modelling of iron ore in applications where accelerated wear is experienced. The application is illustrated through a number of industry relevant case studies for which engineering design work was undertaken to successfully reduce the wear rates of different materials handling equipment.

Aug 1, 2018

By Patrick Tassot

Increased worldwide highly competition in steel market imposes innovative measure for the steelmaker targeting cost reduction and climate-friendly steelmaking process in order to have the ability to withstand the pressure of the market. At the same time the demand for high purity and highest quality steels continues to grow from year to year, especially in the sector automotive in transportation of oil and gas, in the construction Industry and in the manufacture of heavy plate. As they allow producers to be up to the requirements while allowing expanding their product mix, new secondary metallurgical treatments have become a must additionally to standard equipment elements of steel plants modern. Most of these treatments occurs in the steel ladle increasing the pressure to ensure a reliable and as possible neutral reactor. Intelligent solutions for refractory lining ladles should integrate better adaptation to the operational process parameters and the high reliability/availability at the best cost/performance. This challenge has conducted Refratechnik to develop new concepts to overcome the frontier between shaped and unshaped materials and that’s what will be covered in this paper.

Aug 17, 2017

By Patrik Bloemer

Reliable and accurate furnace bath level data during the melting process is invaluable for good decision making and furnace optimization, while obtaining such information rapidly and safely on a regular basis is of paramount importance. This paper shows how a melting process problem was identified as a concern, how a solution was sought and how a real-time measurement system was tested by simple modification to an existing temperature sampling manipulator. Also how, with furnace power on or off, taking reliable hot heel, fill and running levels could be used to assist melting control, aid decision making and improve safety.

Jul 30, 2018

By Jovanir Francisqueto, José Fagundes, Nayara Neves Coutinho, Marco Túlio Costa

The purpose of this project is to increase the visibility of which will be daily produced on the hot strip mill (HSM). The forecast was performed through the implementation of an automated tool for weekly HSM production planning. The project was started with the definition of the weekly planning process, through the determination of the main business objectives, like as: priorities of service (customers and delivery date), definition of HSM’s rules and restrictions of operating resources. Using a sophisticated mathematical model, through the computational simulation is possible the experimentation of various production scenarios, allowing the visualization of volumes by type of sequence, clients / priorities, mix to be produced, cylinder change quantity forecast, better forecasting of the productivity of the HSM, consumption of utilities, within others. Main benefits: sequencing which production orders should be produced, reducing unforeseen stops due lack of material, improving the quality of the stock which allows the reduction of the aging of slabs in the slabyard and the vision of customer services. Computational simulation as a weekly planning tool achieve, with other benefits, to present alternatives for better decision making.

Oct 6, 2019

By César Junior dos Santos, Fábio da Silva dos Santos, Robson Rodrigues Martins

Tailings disposal has been a recurring theme of research in the major mining process development centers. This is due to the great interest of companies in reducing the social and financial impacts of their environmental liabilities. Another major driving force behind the search for new alternatives is the recent cases of environmental accidents in Brazil and abroad. According to the International Commission on Large Dam (ICOLD), two major accidents per year involving dams are reported worldwide. Hence, we realize that the analysis of the topic as well as the search for solutions becomes a challenge for both entrepreneurs and research institutions. In this work, a case study of the Herculano Mining will be carried out, working in the extraction and processing of iron ore. The main stages of the study are: technological characterization of tailings from the beneficiation process, analysis of filtration processes of this material for disposal in piles, bench tests and evaluation of the performance of the industrial facilities of the company in question. Herculano has an installed ceramic filtration equipment that faces operational difficulties in certain types of ore. At first, all the possibilities of adjusting this process will be analyzed so that it can filter the necessary mass of waste, acting in the rheology of the pulp (sedimentation, flocculation), regeneration of the ceramic plates and adjustments of the machine (filter), in order to obtain the best condition.

Oct 3, 2019

By Aaron Samuel Young, Hiago Antunes Amador de Oliveira, William Pratt Rogers

Low commodity prices and lack of new high-grade deposits are pushing the mining industry for innovation. Lean mining has been vastly discussed in the past decades as a way to continuously improve mining efficiency. Although very theoretical, lean mining presents a set of new solutions enabled by the digital transformation that the mining industry is going through. This paper proposes a framework for a short interval control system with the purpose to allow timely responses by front line supervisors upon operational deviations. In the first part, the author briefly reviews concepts of short-range planning and lean mining. Then, the materials and methods used for the development of the short interval control system are discussed. Finally, alpha trial results are presented, and next steps discussed.

Oct 3, 2019

By Fabiano Soares

Strand guide rolls in continuous casters are crucial components for guaranteeing an optimum process for the production of high-quality steel grades. The properties of these rolls greatly influence the quality of the slab produced. The most commonly used designs so far have been the axle roll and the solid roll. A quite new roll concept is the STEC-Roll®. It combines the advantages of the axle roll with those of the solid roll. This paper explains the development of this roll type and shows the current design. The characteristics of the STEC-Roll® are presented in greater detail and are underlined by a number of simulation results. Beside the design itself, the benefits for casting and maintenance are explained, including for example the easy assembly and dismantling or the use of the roll for dry casting. A brief examination is made of the TCO for the STEC-Roll® and an estimation is provided of the exchangeability of this roll. To conclude, an overview on the current applications is presented.

Aug 17, 2017

By Raúl Daniel López

Ternium-Siderar steelmaking has been focused in permanent improvements and process optimization. At present the Slab Continuous Caster N°1 has been totally transformed after 20 years of uninterrupted work. The authors of this paper summarize and comment on aspects which were the main changes and place emphasis largely on those technological developments in which they have been active during that period. Productivity and quality have been our goals during the last 20 years; it has led us to improve process and to achieve better control tools. In the development of this presentation, the authors will put special emphasis on the explanation of those works that were made following their own experiences through the technical personnel who belong to the staff of the company.

Jul 30, 2018

By Mariano de Córdova

A operação dos altos-fornos com injeção de carvão pulverizado ou gás natural requer uma alta qualidade do coque. Para um custo mínimo do coque, mantendo a qualidade necessária, a escolha de carvões e a formulação da mistura é um tema muito importante. Uma ferramenta amplamente utilizada para o design de misturas é a modelagem, precedido pela caracterização de carvões e seguido de teste no forno piloto. Neste trabalho, revisa-se o desenvolvimento dos modelos, com base la literatura pública. Três etapas cronológicas são levadas em conta, desde os anos sessenta até a atualidade.

Aug 17, 2017

By Alexandra de Almeida Diego

O controle da transferência de calor é uma das principais funções que o fluxante exerce durante aplicação no molde de lingotamento contínuo. O fluxo de calor na interface placa / molde deve estar adequado aos parâmetros de processo e ao tipo de aço, caso contrário pode provocar preferencialmente alarmes de agarramento em aços baixo carbono e trincas longitudinais em aços médio carbono, podendo levar até ao breakout. Este trabalho tem o objetivo de caracterizar os filmes de escória aplicados em aços baixo (Filme BC) e médio carbono (Filme MC), ambos comerciais, utilizando as análises de Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura (MEV) com Energia Dispersiva de raios-X (EDS) acoplado e Difratometria de raios-X (DRX). As diferenças entre os filmes de escórias foram discutidas e relacionadas aos dados presentes na literatura.

Aug 16, 2017

By Andrea Taurino

Innovation means implementing a new product or a product that has undergone significant improvement over time, in terms of method, form and performance. Innovation encompasses all the scientific, technological, organizational, financial and commercial steps that need to be taken to put it into operation. Innovation combined with research and development makes it possible to perfect the product with consistency over time. Taking inspiration from the bases developed by the Austrian economist Joseph A. Schumpeter back in 1911, Danieli came up with the concept of “Innovaction” – a combination of Innovation and Action, to refer to the development and advancement of various products for the steelmaking industry, including the loop laying head for wire rod.

Aug 17, 2017

By Gian San Ana d Ávila, Rodrigo Marcelino Guilherme, Bruno de Alcantara Monteiro, Rafael César de Souza, Denilson de Souza Braga

O Objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar a implantação inovadora de testes das proteções intrínsecas nos Gasômetros de gás de Alto Forno (BFG) e gás de Aciaria (BOFG) denominado de "Testes Espoleta", no qual são realizados testes a quente de todas as proteções existentes, estando os gasômetros em operação normal e conectados ao processo produtivo. Estes testes foram idealizados a partir de benchmark com empresas do setor siderúrgico em função do acidente ocorrido com um gasômetro em 2018 no Brasil, e principalmente durante os trabalhos desenvolvidos por um grupo de trabalho multidisciplinar em conjunto com a consultoria especializada em Análise de Riscos de Processo (ARP). Como resultado deste trabalho, foi definida uma recomendação de testes no sistema de proteção após classificação de grau de risco 1 (Gravidade/Probabilidade) do perigo de explosão / incêndio em caso de falha nas proteções dos Gasômetros e as redundâncias existentes.

Aug 1, 2019

By Paul Riches

LR Process Expert is a cost-efficient process automation system for all types of long rolling mills, including, rod, bar, section, rail, reversing mills, and flat blocks. The system performs a wide range of tasks for optimized operation – from suggesting pass schedules to calculating and downloading optimized mill settings according to the availability of rolls. LR Process Expert also monitors and collects data from the raw material stage through to the finished product. It delivers valuable mill reports to the operator staff and management so they can easily assess a plant’s performance and optimize production. Defined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) help to assess a plant’s performance; this system is not limited to one plant but can enable plant-toplant performance at corporate level.

Aug 16, 2017

By Felipe Darabas Rzatki

Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) is a high performance thermoplastic often selected for high temperature tribological applications under chemically aggressive environments. The present work evaluate the tribological behavior of a high performance PEEK composite under ambient and high temperature (30 and 80°C, respectively). The atmosphere was also varied (air or tetrafluorethane). An AMTI tribometer equipped with a hermetic chamber and a heating system was used to carry out sliding tests of PEEK cylinders on 304 stainless steel polished discs (Sq < 10 nm) with reciprocating movement and 175 N normal force. Surfaces roughness analyses were performed with a white light interferometer. As expected, there was a strong influence of temperature on the tribological behavior of the samples tested in ambient atmosphere (25% decrease in friction coefficient associated with a 100% increase in wear rate). On the other hand, samples tested in tetrafluorethane atmosphere showed no significant friction temperature dependence.

Jul 31, 2018

By Karl Berger

As the hot rolling of steel moves into new more compact and effective processes, and as steel producers look for new ways to reduce their costs and increase their margins in ever tightening markets and tolerances, the evolution in Steckel mill technology, layouts, and new innovations may well keep the Steckel mill as a viable option, especially in areas of the world where minimized capital investments are required. In this paper we examine the evolution of the Steckel mills over the last two decades, with emphasis on new innovations and practical results, and provide a summary of hands on experience with some of these innovations. Also a focus on the South American Installations is given (from Siderperu to Gerdau’s newest Combination- Plate-Steckel-Mill). In addition, we aim to show the viability of the Steckel mill as an option for many existing or prospective steel producers, as the quality of the products rolled with Steckel mills reaches new quality parameters and as new innovations permit the rolling of thinner and wider materials, reaching new applications and wider share in markets, while maintaining a strong foothold in the traditional uses of Steckel mill products such as stainless steel, structural, and line pipe materials. As the ability to handle heavier, thicker, and wider coiled plate products increases, the coiled plate Steckel mills option is as strong an option as ever.

Aug 17, 2017