A Ladle Furnace Power Input Control System for improved secondary steelmaking

This paper describes a Ladle Furnace Power Input Control (LF-PIC) System developed to integrate are heating with fluxing and other metallurgical provide an optimal balance between productivity and quality. Initial results are presented following commissioning of the system on the combined ladle furnace and vacuum tank at Sidenor's Basauri plant. The system is also being used in European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) research to develop new practices to improve the manufacture of clean steel, and the paper also provide insights into are stability which will benefit operation of electric are furnaces (EAFs), both AC and DC. The LF-PIC system is currently in use during all production periods at Basauri, giving benefits in process time and costs. Productivity has improved through a 10% increase in average power and at the same time the refractory costs have been decreased by 6%.