lichtbogenofen_header
We are
INTECO

LADLE FURNACE

Ladle furnaces are increasingly being installed in basic oxygen plants as well as electric arc furnace melt mills. INTECO offers tailored solutions for every ladle furnace application. With a tailor-made design, INTECO’s ladle furnaces fit even the tightest spaces while also meeting the requirements of special steel plants with long, intensive metallurgical treatments as well as high performance, short-cycle treatments in BOF steel plants. Special attention is given to ensuring easy and low maintenance requirements to guarantee a long and trouble-free operation.

1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Top lance
Top lances are used for emergency stirring (when the porous plug is blocked) or for injection of reagents (e.g. CaO, C, CaC2) according to the metallurgical requirements.
Temperature measurement and sampling
Temperature measurement and sampling done by manipulators or robots ensure consistent and reproducible results. Available solutions for automated probe handling minimize operator intervention.
Wire feeding machine
Wire feeding is known as the most precise process to add small quantities of deoxidants and alloys into the melt. INTECO supplies wire feeding machines along with the entire wire guiding systems and coil storage.
High current system
The properly designed high current system, (triangulated, lowest asymmetry and impedance) in combination with INTECO’s electrode controller ensures low energy consumption and high heating rates.
Electrode lifting system
Whether floor mounted or hanging, the electrode lifting system is designed to make optimum use of the available space. Rotating portals are used for INTECO’s Twin LF’s featuring two treatment positions. INTECO’s guiding system for the electrode columns is maintenance friendly and allows easy adjustment of the lifetime lubricated guide rolls.
Water-cooled furnace roof
The water-cooled furnace roof is available in different design variations (pipe to pipe, antistick flat design, …). INTECO’s patented roof design ensures minimum reoxidation and low electrode consumption.
Ladle transfer car
Ladle transfer car to move the ladle between different treatment positions. The transfer car can be equipped with a tilting frame for deslagging in combination with a deslagging stand. INTECO‘s automatic gas couplers are smoothly integrated on the car connected to the gas stirring unit and greatly enhance operator safety.
  • Single or twin stand (with swiveling portal)
  • Heat sizes from 6 to 300t
  • Different roof designs available (pipe to pipe, flat inner surface, copper cladded)
  • Standard or hanging portal system
  • Ladle transfer car with optional tilting stool and weighing device
  • Designed with gas or electromagnetic stirring system
  • For steel plants, foundries, and ferroalloy plants
  • Furnace roof with flat inner surface (steel plates or copper plated)
  • Fast exchangeable guide blocks
  • Automatic gas coupling system
  • INTECO ISEC electrode control
  • Easy access for maintenance and repair
  • All auxiliary equipment from a single source

Digitalization and smart production are transforming the steel industry, driving development and change. At INTECO, we offer not only first-class engineering in plant construction, but also customized digital solutions tailored to our customers’ demands. Enhance your production with our digital solutions and utilize the collected data to make strategic adjustments and drive continuous progress.

1
2
3
4
5
INTECO Smart Electrode Controller (ISEC)

INTECO’s Smart Electrode Controller (ISEC) was developed to meet modern furnace operation requirements especially Electric Arc Furnaces and Ladle Furnaces. Designed to control different arc operations, the ISEC can also be applied to other types of electric furnaces for non-ferrous metals, ferro-alloys and even slag heating. The ISEC is based on a state-of-the-art embedded controller that allows high sampling rates and precise computations/calculations of all electric/power values in real time. For flexible operation and fast diagnostics, a modern web-based visualization system is integrated. It offers direct access to advanced information such as working points, control stability, arc lengths, and energy input. Moreover, the ISEC comes with advanced features such as automatic dip testing, automatic valve scaling, adaptive set point control, and a fuzzy logic based foaming slag manager. Standard interfaces such as PROFINET, PROFIBUS or Ethernet/IP facilitate simple integration in new or retrofit projects.

Smart process camera

The smart process camera is a retractable and therefore well protected optical system that directly streams a high-resolution video to the control room to ensure safe low-manpower operation. The optional thermal imaging variant provides a clear view through smoke and dust and serves for automatic stirring adjustment. Additional generated process information such as slag height and stirring eye detection enhances metallurgical model accuracy and safety.

INTECO’s Material Handling System Automation

INTECO’s Material Handling System Automation offers precise and time-critical alloying for all secondary metallurgy plants. Its recipe-based approach serves various technologies such as positive and negative weighing, shuttles, weighing bands, or hoppers and integrates micro-dosing systems and wire feeding machines. Moreover, it provides fallback modes for redundant feeding lines as well as sequential dosing of materials or material groups to add slag builders and alloys in the correct order.

Temperature and thermochemical model

The thermochemical model calculates oxide and element activities based on current process conditions and events, current heat state and energy losses and gains. In this context, IMAS modeling includes a thermophysical property library, reaction enthalpies, coefficients for interactions providing the necessary parameters, and coefficients to determine and calculate the activities.

The temperature model accounts for the temperature losses due to radiation and convection as well as the changes in temperature due to purging, material addition and heating. Temperature changes due to reactions are also taken into account and are therefore coupled with the basic thermochemical model. Both are not only used to calculate the actual heat state but also to predict take-over time and temperature.

IMAS process automation

IMAS-PA-LF provides advanced top-down process guidance through dynamic or static treatment planning and integrated optimization tools. Process supervision is massively improved by the cockpit view and integrated real-time process models. IMAS provides instant real-time information and alerts, based on which the operators can control and steer the process just-in-time. The heat-based data recording stores sensor data, including complex information such as video streams, allowing observation of real-time data for quality assurance and process improvement.

PROJECTS

thyssenkrupp Steel Europe

265t Twin Ladle Furnace with material handling system an all complementary auxiliaries

Columbus Stainless

110t Ladle Furnace with flat inner surface roof ,material handling system and all complementary auxiliaries

voestalpine Stahl Donawitz GmbH

5t Plasma ladle furnace

Saarstahl AG

220t Twin Ladle Furnace with hanging portal, material handling system an all complementary auxiliaries

Aperam

Furnace suitable for different ladle sizes (6t & 15t), in combination with a DETEM degassing plant and all complementary auxiliaries

Anglo American

2x50t Ladle Furnace for Ferro-Nickel refining with material handling system and all complementary auxiliaries

Inteco Group Headquarters

INTECO melting and casting technologies GmbH
Wienerstrasse 25
A-8600 Bruck a.d. Mur

+43 (0)3862 53110 0
+43 (0)3862 53844
inteco.austria@inteco.at

INTECO melting and casting technologies GmbH

1) Top lance
Top lances are used for emergency stirring (when the porous plug is blocked) or for injection of reagents (e.g. CaO, C, CaC2) according to the metallurgical requirements.
2) Temperature measurement and sampling
Temperature measurement and sampling done by manipulators or robots ensure consistent and reproducible results. Available solutions for automated probe handling minimize operator intervention.
3) Wire feeding machine
Wire feeding is known as the most precise process to add small quantities of deoxidants and alloys into the melt. INTECO supplies wire feeding machines along with the entire wire guiding systems and coil storage.
4) High current system
The properly designed high current system, (triangulated, lowest asymmetry and impedance) in combination with INTECO’s electrode controller ensures low energy consumption and high heating rates.
5) Electrode lifting system
Whether floor mounted or hanging, the electrode lifting system is designed to make optimum use of the available space. Rotating portals are used for INTECO’s Twin LF’s featuring two treatment positions. INTECO’s guiding system for the electrode columns is maintenance friendly and allows easy adjustment of the lifetime lubricated guide rolls.
6) Water-cooled furnace roof
The water-cooled furnace roof is available in different design variations (pipe to pipe, antistick flat design, …). INTECO’s patented roof design ensures minimum reoxidation and low electrode consumption.
7) Ladle transfer car
Ladle transfer car to move the ladle between different treatment positions. The transfer car can be equipped with a tilting frame for deslagging in combination with a deslagging stand. INTECO‘s automatic gas couplers are smoothly integrated on the car connected to the gas stirring unit and greatly enhance operator safety.
1) INTECO Smart Electrode Controller (ISEC)
for stable melting and heating

INTECO’s Smart Electrode Controller (ISEC) was developed to meet modern furnace operation requirements especially Electric Arc Furnaces and Ladle Furnaces. Designed to control different arc operations, the ISEC can also be applied to other types of electric furnaces for non-ferrous metals, ferro-alloys and even slag heating. The ISEC is based on a state-of-the-art embedded controller that allows high sampling rates and precise computations/calculations of all electric/power values in real time. For flexible operation and fast diagnostics, a modern web-based visualization system is integrated. It offers direct access to advanced information such as working points, control stability, arc lengths, and energy input. Moreover, the ISEC comes with advanced features such as automatic dip testing, automatic valve scaling, adaptive set point control, and a fuzzy logic based foaming slag manager. Standard interfaces such as PROFINET, PROFIBUS or Ethernet/IP facilitate simple integration in new or retrofit projects.

2) INTECO's smart process camera
to safely monitor operation

The smart process camera is a retractable and therefore well protected optical system that directly streams a high-resolution video to the control room to ensure safe low-manpower operation. The optional thermal imaging variant provides a clear view through smoke and dust and serves for automatic stirring adjustment. Additional generated process information such as slag height and stirring eye detection enhances metallurgical model accuracy and safety.

3) INTECO’s Material Handling System
for precise and fast alloying

INTECO’s Material Handling System Automation offers precise and time-critical alloying for all secondary metallurgy plants. Its recipe-based approach serves various technologies such as positive and negative weighing, shuttles, weighing bands, or hoppers and integrates micro-dosing systems and wire feeding machines. Moreover, it provides fallback modes for redundant feeding lines as well as sequential dosing of materials or material groups to add slag builders and alloys in the correct order.

4) Temperature and thermochemical model
for real-time temperature, steel and slag analysis

The temperature model accounts for the temperature losses due to radiation and convection as well as the changes in temperature due to purging, material addition and heating. Temperature changes due to reactions are also taken into account and are therefore coupled with the basic thermochemical model. Both are not only used to calculate the actual heat state but also to predict take-over time and temperature.

The thermochemical model calculates oxide and element activities based on current process conditions and events, current heat state and energy losses and gains. In this context, IMAS modeling includes a thermophysical property library, reaction enthalpies, coefficients for interactions providing the necessary parameters, and coefficients to determine and calculate the activities.

5) IMAS process automation

IMAS-PA-LF provides advanced top-down process guidance through dynamic or static treatment planning and integrated optimization tools. Process supervision is massively improved by the cockpit view and integrated real-time process models. IMAS provides instant real-time information and alerts, based on which the operators can control and steer the process just-in-time. The heat-based data recording stores sensor data, including complex information such as video streams, allowing observation of real-time data for quality assurance and process improvement.