Converter steelmaking for carbon steel

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.

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.