VAI blast furnace automation-a powerful solution for highest production economy

Permanently increasing cost pressure in the iron and steel industry means that cost-optimized operation and highest production quality along the entire process route are the key factors for competitive and profitable production. This is particularly true in the blast furnace sector where hot metal production costs are determined by the factors of: productivity; fuel consumption; selection of raw materials; and hot metal quality. Because these factors have an inverse effect upon each other, improvements in one area generally mean less favorable results in the other areas. It is also obvious that the overall operational objectives, the market, existing blast furnace equipment as well as operational know how additionally play an important role in defining the production strategy. It is therefore only through the application of an optimized automation system that the maximum potential for cost savings in blast furnace operation can be achieved. The VAI blast furnace process automation solution is introduced, which allows for simultaneous cost reductions and/or improvements in all of the above four areas, i.e. higher blast furnace productivity, lower fuel consumption, lower raw material costs and improved hot metal quality.