Shaping the future – converter steelworks from SMS group

Since the early 1950s, SMS group and its predecessor companies have been using their know-how for highly productive and modern converter steelplants for carbon and stainless steel worldwide.
SMS group is one of the leading companies in this market and meets the growing demands of its customers with advanced and reliable mechatronic systems. In cooperation with universities and institutes, eco-friendly and economical solutions are developed that are used worldwide. 

The product range is wider than ever. This includes complex BOF and AOD converter steelplants with a high degree of automation and digitalization, as well as new paths in the metallurgical process and modernizations. Our solutions are durable and sustainably reduce maintenance costs. Tailor-made maintenance procedures, customer-specific training programmes and effective spare parts management round off our range of services. SMS group Technical Services is your contact for this: Service packages tailored to your requirements are available worldwide.

Modernizations lead to strong results

As a global machine and plant supplier for the steel and nonferrous metals industry, we are not only experts for new plants, but also your best partner for revamps. That's because our modernization specialists draw on both longstanding experience and profound know-how.

Plant types

  • Oxygen steelmaking

    Efficiency for you

    Our experts are passionate about converter steelplants. We join forces with you to work together in partnership, always finding the best possible solution. We are at your disposal to help you achieve your goals. With our tailor-made solutions, you set new performance standards with your converter steelwork. We have gained our experience and a great deal of know-how in many projects and references. This enables us to tailor our solutions precisely to your processes and specifications. Our comprehensive portfolio is constantly being further developed and expanded. Our technologies increase your productivity, process quality and process reliability. 

    Stability and quality
    Our experts, as well as a strong R & D department and advanced engineering tools, are crucial to our excellent design. This enables us to plan complex plants and modernizations and to implement them successfully. Our customers give us feedback that our designs lead to reliable and efficient systems. Because our technology also ensures long equipment and component life. Some SMS group converters have been operating for more than 40 years and are still running smoothly. Our customers appreciate this continuity and our quality.

  • CONPRO

    New technology

    In view of the expected rising costs for CO2 emissions, large price fluctuations of the charge materials for the BOF converter process and the increased scrap availability to be expected in the future, SMS group has developed a new primary smelter named CONPRO. 

    The CONPRO makes use of the proven BOF converter and electric arc furnace technologies, offering the most efficient and flexible combination of energy sources. Characteristics of the new type of melting unit are a high flexibility of charge materials and high economic efficiency combined with the reduction of emissions.

    The CONPRO can be operated in the same manner as a BOF converter. In this way, the ratio of scrap (cooling scrap) or any other coolant can be reduced to approximately 15 percent. Oxygen is introduced by means of a top lance combined with side wall lances. If during operation no sufficient amounts of molten pig iron are available temporarily or permanently, or if the production of molten pig iron is to be discontinued entirely, the CONPRO can be operated in the same manner as an electric arc furnace. Conversion to the EAF mode is uncomplicated and can be performed during a single shift. The sequence for a heat in the EAF mode is only slightly different from the BOF mode.

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Technology

  • Tilt drive

    A well-made tilt drive made in the SMS group workshop in Germany exceeds the basic function of just turning the vessel: It provides superior process control, reliability and maintainability. SMS group tilt drives can be seamlessly integrated in a Genius CM® condition monitoring system in order to require even less attention by plant maintenance personnel.

    Highlights

    • Advanced gear design and optional case hardening of bull gear result in higher safety and smaller footprint
    • Highly customizable for tilting speed, acceleration, arrangement, etc.

    Benefits

    • Higher tilting speeds and acceleration increase productive time by approx. 250h per year and converter
    • Higher acceleration reduces carry over slag during BOF tapping
    • Superior availability reduces maintenance cost and provides unsurpassed operational stability
  • Sublance

    The sublance allows an automatic measuring and sample taking and can be combined with a robot for probe handling.

    Highlights

    • Measurement of bath level and bath temperature
    • Determination of carbon content and soluble oxygen
    • High positioning accuracy of
    • +/- 15 mm

    Benefits

    • Shorter charge-to-tap time and thus time savings up to 15 %
    • Increased safety for operation personnel
    • Improved hitting rates
    • Reduced reblows
  • Pneumatic slag stopper

    The pneumatic slag stopper plugs the tapping stream of the BOF converter by blowing inert gas into the tap hole at the end of steel tapping.

    Highlights

    • Closing time < 2 seconds
    • Plugging without contact to the tap hole
    • Heat resistant
    • Easy to retrofit
    • Automatic actuation possible in combination with a slag detection system

    Benefits

    • Max. 2 kg of slag carryover per ton of tapped liquid steel
    • Less rephosphorization
    • Reduced consumption of alloying & deoxidation material
    • Improved ladle refractory time
    • Higher safety
  • Bottom stirring

    Bottom stirring with inert gas (Ar/N2) serves to improve the homogenization of the bath. The bath/slag reaction is enhanced and conditions close to the thermodynamic equilibrium can be reached.

    Highlights

    • Flow rate and type of stirring gas adapted to process phase and steel grade
    • Optimization of blowing process
    • Minimization of inert gas consumption by low flow control
    • Alternating stirring as add-on available

    Benefits

    • Increased yield
    • Good metal homogeneity
    • Reduced material consumption
    • Low final carbon content at lower final oxygen level
    • Lower FeO content in the slag
    • Possibility of N2 alloying with N2 stirring gas

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