01-12-2009, 02:04 PM
Trucklover Wrote:So if i understand this correctly, the molten iron goes to the BOF or Open Hearth Furnace and then goes to the Rolling Mill?
Well, there are a few other steps in between. If the steel is teemed (poured) as ingots, the moulds have to be removed from the ingots (usually) before they go to the rolling mills. There, they're re-heated before rolling. Mould handling is a whole separate issue.
If the steel is for use in a continuous caster, it goes into ladles (usually) then is teemed into the caster "mould", which is basically a large, adjustable-size, vibrating hole in the floor. If a caster is in use, the first mill in the rolling process ( a slabbing mill) is eliminated, and the resulting cast slabs go to a plate or strip mill and cast blooms go to a bloom and billet mill.
Most modern-day facilities use multiple BOFs in conjunction with a continuous caster, usually housed in the same building. This building can be as high or higher than the blast furnace, as the process is largely a vertical operation.
Wayne