5 Hot developments in ABB Metallurgy this century

The words “this century” still cause most of us to do a brain refresh. We are indeed 23 years in! And since the year 2000, R&D at ABB Metallurgy has filed a stream of research papers and patents in response to industry demands for higher performance and sustainability. Here are five of the most smokin’ commercialized ABB developments advancing the productivity, quality and efficiency of metals manufacture.

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1. ArcSave: The next-gen electromagnetic stirrer for electric arc furnaces

Context:

Electromagnetic stirring, as a means of mobilizing metallurgical melts to achieve higher quality and more effective output, was invented by Dr Ludwig Dreyfus at ABB (then ASEA) in the 1930s. The “stirrer”, or EMS, is positioned outside the furnace and creates a traveling magnetic field that moves the melt, resulting in more consistent temperatures throughout the molten metal, and accelerated slag-metal reactions.

Quantum leap:

In 2015, after several iterations and versions of the EMS had been created for various different applications and furnaces, ABB launched ArcSave. A fully customizable application of the technology for electric arc furnaces (EAFs), it allows controlled stirring intensity, duration and direction for each process step scrap heating, homogenization, melting of alloys, decarburization, de-slagging and tapping in either stainless, carbon or special steel production.

The biggest challenge:

“We couldn’t afford any mistakes in the first ArcSave installation, since the new technology and EAF modification represented a big investment by the customer,” says Hongliang Yang, R&D Team Leader at ABB Metallurgy. “We undertook extra research, and ran and re-ran simulations to be sure the solution would work, and that it could deliver a return on investment within 6-12 months. Our customer’s faith was justified and their experience provided an undeniable proof point for ABB’s new ArcSave technology!”

Benefits:

“By pushing the carbon-oxygen reaction closer to its equilibrium,” says Yang, “ArcSave results in higher steel yield from scrap, improving productivity by 5-7 per cent and reducing energy consumption by 3-5 per cent.” Safer tapping: A more homogenous temperature in the entire melt gives a higher free EBT opening frequency, reducing tapping delays and allowing smoother, more reliable EAF operation. In addition, the flow pattern induced by ArcSave in the melt bath delays vortex formation, resulting in less carryover slag in the tap ladle.

Case study:

Outokumpu Stainless in Sweden produces 500,000 tonnes of stainless steel each year using around 90 per cent scrap, and partnered with ABB to improve the efficiency of its 90-ton EAF. Using ArcSave, it was able to achieve 3-4 percent lower energy use; 6-8 percent enhanced furnace productivity; and a 70 percent increase in tap temperature hit ratio. Says an Outokumpu metallurgist, “We solved our bottom skull problem using ArcSave. The result is smoother, more predictable EAF operations at lower cost.”

2. FC Mold G3: The most advanced flow-control for slab casting

Context:

In the 1990s, Kawasaki Steel (now JFE) collaborated to develop the Flow Control (FC) Mold for conventional slab casters. Slab casting produces semi-finished products, by continuously cooling and solidifying molten steel into slabs for stockpiling or exporting before further processing, such as annealing, rolling or galvanizing. The first-generation FC Mold had a DC magnetic field in the lower part of the mold and a second DC field in the upper, “meniscus”, area; the combination stabilized meniscus fluctuation and thereby increased the ability to control flow conditions.

Quantum leap:

In the early 2000s ABB developed the FC Mold G3 which operates using three independent magnetic fields. In the upper zone of the mold an AC field controls flow speed at the meniscus, and a DC field dampens meniscus fluctuation. In the bottom section, a second DC field covering the entire slab width minimizes downward flow, sending bubbles and inclusions to the surface. Previously such imperfections could remain embedded in the solidifying steel, resulting in high slab reject ratios. The combination of AC and DC fields allows the meniscus to be stirred while simultaneously braking flow speed in the lower part of the mold.

The biggest challenge:

To truly understand flow behavior in the mold. Says Yang: “ABB’s close customer relationships allowed data and experience from previous installations to be collated to provide helpful insights. Further research based on water modeling and numerical modeling then enabled successful development and application of FC Mold G3.”

Benefits:

More comprehensive control over the fluid flow within the mold which further improves slab quality, reducing surface and internal defects by up to 50 per cent under a wide range of casting conditions. FC Mold G3 also reduces reject ratios by up to 80 percent, improving resource efficiency. By enabling a higher casting speed it improves productivity, and it requires very little maintenance over a typically long lifespan.

Case study:

The latest application of FC Mold G3 is by thyssenkrupp Steel Europe (tkSE) at its Duisburg-Brukhausen plant in Germany. ABB has been awarded a major contract to help optimize production of the plant’s two slab casters, using the proprietary ABB FC Mold G3 electromagnetic stirring and braking technology. This upgrade of tkSE’s existing continuous casting capability is expected to be commissioned in 2024. It is part of tkSE’s Strategy 20-30, to optimize operations to meet the requirements of automotive customers seeking improved surfaces, and thinner, higher-performance steels that comply with crash safety standards in the growing e-mobility market.

3. Optimold Monitor and Optimold Control: Providing unparalleled process insight and control

Context:

Metallurgical processes take place at temperatures of 1,500 degrees Celsius or more. “You cannot imagine everything that is going on at that temperature,” says Yang. “You are unaware of a lot of phenomena that are occurring, or of their physical parameters.”

Quantum leap:

In 2016, ABB launched Optimold Monitor, a device that collates 4,000 monitoring points over a complete mold, giving a resolution more than 20 times better than conventional measuring systems. Beyond the capabilities of existing fiber-optic measuring technologies, it tracks not only mold-plate temperature in slab casting, but local thermal and flow events, as well as detecting “stickers” and cracks.

Using ABB Ability™ Optimold Monitor software, data is processed and visualized as a heat distribution image of the mold copper plate, allowing the operator to zero in on areas of concern or interest: for example, factors such as real-time meniscus profile, flow speed, mold cooling, taper control and submerged entry nozzle clogging.

Used in tandem with ABB Ability™ Optimold Control, this technology closes the loop between electromagnetic actuators and sensors, allowing real-time automatic online control of mold fluid flow.

The biggest challenge:

The challenge was to develop measuring techniques that would function under very high temperatures to deliver reliable insights into metallurgical processes. “ABB had the vision and technology partnerships to use optical fiber sensors at a very early stage in their development,” says Yang. “Paired with ABB’s capacity for analyzing the big data generated, monitoring and control of conditions in the mold became far more precise.”

Benefits:

Logging historical data and outcomes enables a more robust, repeatable casting process, reliably high-quality output and a safer, more predictable working environment that requires less manual intervention in processes. Automatic and accurate process control also results in improved productivity and optimized energy consumption.

Case study:

ABB first installed Optimold Monitor at Tata Steel in Ijmuiden, Holland, in 2015. The optical fiber system has shown almost fault free functioning since the very beginning. “When real-time high-resolution temperatures were visualized and analyzed, they revealed many secrets that metallurgists have worked for years to uncover,” says Yang. For example, using this system, paired with big-data analysis, ABB and Tata Steel for the first time demonstrated the correlation between real caster meniscus speed and final product quality. In 2022, ABB completed the world's first installation of Optimold Control with a steelmaker in Asia. “The integration of Optimold Control dictates demands that are in line with ABB’s new competencies, showing that we’re right on target,” says Yang.

4. Broader application of electromagnetic stirring: Improving operations for a variety of aluminum furnaces

Context:

The first installation of an electromagnetic stirrer for a single-chamber aluminum furnace (AL-EMS) was made by ABB in the 1960s. The main purpose of AL-EMS is to improve the kinetics in the aluminum furnace to accelerate the melting speed, reduce the dross amount and thereby improve yield, and increase energy saving. Demand for aluminum has since accelerated and with it the need for more advanced and tailored EMS systems.

Quantum leap:

In the early 2000s, ABB made a strategic decision to invest in the aluminum market segment. A complete series of standardized AL-EMSs has been developed to meet different furnace sizes from 20 tons to in excess of 200 tons. And a variety of furnace types including single- and twin-chamber furnaces; and melting, holding and mixing furnaces have been equipped with AL-EMS. Today AL-EMS has become one of the pillars of ABB Metallurgy; and electromagnetic stirring has become an indispensable technology for aluminum producers.

The biggest challenge:

“To deliver total solutions, not just equipment,” says Yang. “We are deeply involved with both furnace suppliers and end customers, which gives us insights into the changing requirements of manufacturers.” There is no one-size-fits-all solution, he adds. ABB’s strong inhouse team of metallurgists enables it to evolve its market-leading AL-EMS range to provide the best performance, reliability and process efficiency for every application. “We carry out computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations for each customer’s furnace, in order to predict stirrer performance and provide commercial performance guarantees — a unique feature of our service to the industry,” says Yang.

Benefits:

“The ABB AL-EMS series offers manufacturers a host of improvements,” says Yang, including “reduced furnace cycle time which contributes to up to 25% increased furnace productivity; up to 15% reduced dross formation; reduced time for chemical homogenization; homogenization of temperature; up to 10% lower energy consumption; more reliable operation and reduced maintenance.”

Case study:

Global industrial and energy company Mytilineos, wanted to significantly increase the amount of solid scrap it used in its aluminium furnace in Viotia, in Greece. It selected ABB’s AL-EMS to meet its goals. Installed in 2019, the solution “showed significant benefits” said Anastasios Psarros, Casthouse Process Engineer, at AOG, Mytilineos. This included “a 59 percent increase in solid material ratio and a 52 percent shorter cycle time”, he explains. “It also recorded a 23 percent reduction in gas consumption while ensuring a homogenized production process and improved furnace lifecycle.”

5. State-of-the-art simulation: The ability to test breakthrough theories outside the mold

Context:

“Simulation has always been an integral part of technological development within ABB Metallurgy,” says Yang. Building on the groundbreaking work of Dr Ludwig Dreyfus, ABB’s Yngve Sundberg was a leading figure in the calculation and simulation of electromagnetic design until his retirement in the 1990s. Around the same time, Göte Tallbäck of ABB was among the pioneers who applied magnetohydrodynamics to the metallurgical industry.

Quantum leap:

Since 2000, simulation technology at ABB has advanced at a rapid pace, especially in the fields of electromagnetic analysis and fluid flow simulation. Today, our electromagnetic analysis, with its complicated dimensions and physical properties, allows us to simulate the fluid dynamics of molten metal in a variety of vessels. The multi-physics that contribute to bubbles, free surface and solidification of the melt have become a substantial component of our simulation packages. Today, ABB is at the very forefront of simulation technology as it is applied to electromagnetic stirring in metal production.

The biggest challenge:

“The biggest challenge has probably been that because demand cycles wax and wane in the metals business, customers need to know they’ll get a clear return on investing in more advanced technologies. ABB’s continuous investment in critical simulation R&D, knowing that breakthroughs in simulation are core to our offering,” says Yang. In the past few years, he adds, “we have sought out and employed the world’s best researchers in this area”. Customers can come to us at any time, and be assured that our simulations are at the cutting edge of what is possible.”

Benefits:

The major benefit of being able to accurately simulate metallurgical processes is being able to predict the effects of stirring in both R&D projects and individual commercial installations. Says Yang, “The continued development of new applications of electromagnetic stirring would be pretty much impossible without simulation technologies.”

Case study:

One such development is that of Tundish EMS. Because electromagnetic stirring in the tundish is such a new concept, extensive simulations were necessary to discover the best configurations and metallurgical effects of stirring speed and homogenization to achieve cleaner steel. A pilot installation at Zenith Steel Co in Changzhou City, China, has subsequently validated the cleaning and homogenizing effect of electromagnetic stirring in one of the plant’s multi-strand billet caster tundishes.

Learn more

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Metallurgy products – improving furnace efficiency and continuous casting quality
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ArcSave® electromagnetic stirring for electric arc furnace operation
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Hongliang Yang, at the molten edge of metallurgy
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