INTECO

EPH

TECHNOLOGY

The INTECO Group

INTECO is a 100% private Austrian engineering company founded in 1973 and is

specialized in the field of steel plant as well as special metal & casting technology and is

fully committed to the steel and related industries.

Supply of various equipment and process technology for the steel industry is one of

our core activities. INTECO is able to design and build single units as well as whole

production plants for the metallurgical industry from one hand ensuring single cast

design of the entire plant.

In the last 45 years INTECO has acquired the technology and know-how for the

entire production of quality steels, special steels, metal powders, ferro-alloys and

non-ferrous metals by working with metallurgists and process experts who have

worked and gained valuable long-term experience in the metal production

industry worldwide.

Introduction

Hard Facts

The INTECO Group

HEADQUATERBruck an der Mur, Austria

EMPLOYEESApprox. 400 worldwide

TURN OVERApprox. 100 Mio €

EXPERIENCEOver 45 years

LOCATIONS14 Offices on 4 Continents

The INTECO GroupLocations

The INTECO Group

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MELTING & REFINING

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INTECO Metals Application Suite (IMAS)

SPECIAL MELTING REMELTING POWDER TECHNOLOGY

VACUUM TECHNOLOGY HEAT TREATMENT

ROLLING MILLS

CASTING TECHNOLOGY

TITANIUM TECHNOLOGY

Product Portfolio

The INTECO Group

Selected Customers

EPH TechnologyElectro Plasma Heating

EPH

Concept

Heating steel with argon stabilized plasma arc

Heating of small ladles or tundishes (temperature compensation)

Avoiding C-pick up because of plasma shrouded arc

Heating rates of 5°C [ 9°F]

EPH heating devices shall be used for maintaining a constant temperature or increasing the temperature of the liquid steel in the

LMF as well as in the tundish. Conventional graphite electrode with a bore whole diameter of approx. 15mm [16/32”] for plasma

gas supply are used. The so generated plasma stables the arc.

Based on the INTECO ESH process the EPH concept was developed

In the 1980`s Development and Patenting of INTECO‘s Electro-Slag Heating (ESH) Process.

ELECTRO-SLAG HEATING

INTECO Developed & Patented Technology

Principle:

Compensation of temperature losses during casting

Isothermal casting over a long period of time

Possibility of casting near liquidus

No time restriction during casting

Avoiding re-oxidation during casting

Possibility of metallurgical treatment

Reduction of non-metallic inclusions

Reduced radiation (no arc)

Newly developed power controller (IHEC)

Benefits:

Graphite or consumeable electrodes

Single or multiple electrode system

Free choice of current (AC or DC)

General:

Resistance heating of electrically conductive slag

ELECTRO-SLAG HEATING

INTECO Developed & Patented Technology

The INTECO Electro-Slag-Heating (ESH) process is used for controlling the

temperature in various metallurgical aggregates such as tundishes and ladles.

The INTECO ESH concept uses two graphite electrodes that are initially aligned

to a common bottom position and then simultaneously moved

electromechanically. The electrodes are immersed in a slag layer covering the

steel surface, offering the possibility for metallurgical treatment during heating

and/or casting. Joule heating resulting from the electrical current passing the slag

is used to efficiently heat the steel. A variable voltage or current source is installed

to adjust the electrical energy input.

The target of the heating process is to keep the steel temperature at the nozzle at a predefined and constant value over the whole pouring

process, independent from the tundish content and other disturbing influences (like failures in the measurements, troubles with stirring

system, irregular electrode consumption, etc.).

Based on its many years of experience with controllers for electro-slag re-melting furnaces and electric arc furnaces, INTECO has

developed a sophisticated control system also for the ESH-process. The basic design comprises the so-called IHEC, which fulfils all the

above mentioned requirements. As an option a temperature tracking and prediction model is offered.

In-house simulation of the ESH-Process.

Cu

rren

t De

nsity

The 1st generation is a further

development of the traditional

method to produce powder in an

atomizing chamber utilizing a

tundish (approx. 1 t), requiring

frequent refilling which leads to

entrainment of slag.

1972

ESH for TOOL STEEL POWDER

1991Installation of the first ESH plant

with a heat size of 7 ton at

ERASTEEL KLOSTER AB,

Söderfors, by INTECO.

Development of the

ERASTEEL ASP® Process

7 t Tundish & Argon Stirring & ESH

1999Installation of the second ESH

plant with a heat size of 8 ton at

BÖHLER Edelstahl, Kapfenberg,

by INTECO.

Development of the

BÖHLER microclean® Process

8 t Tundish & Elec.-magn. Stirring & ESH

2011Installation of the third ESH

plant with a heat size of 14 ton

at ERASTEEL KLOSTER AB,

Söderfors, by INTECO.

Development of the

ERASTEEL DvalinTM Process

14 t Tundish & Argon Stirring & ESH

Development of Today‘s State of the Art HSS Process

Pre-alloyed metal is poured into

a funnel, acting as a fairly small

tundish; no temperature control,

high risks of entrainment of slag.

Traditional MethodDevelopment and Patenting of

INTECO‘s Electro-Slag Heating

(ESH) Process.

ESH with IHEC®

1980‘s

HEATING

Comparison of Technologies

Induction Heating (IH)

• No slag layer

• No protection layer between metal

and atmosphere

• Strong stirring during heating

• High refractory wear

• No metallurgical work possible

• Weak separation of non-metallic

inclusions,

Electro-Plasma Heating (EPH)

• With or without slag layer

• High radiation heat load from the

plasma arc

• High refractory wear

• Combined ESH/EPH process

possible

• Minimized Carbon Pick-Up

Electro-Slag Heating (ESH)

• Resistance heating with

metallurgical active slag

• Reduced melt oxidation due to

separation of melt and atmosphere

by the slag layer

• Metallurgical treatment possible

• Argon or electromagnetic stirring

• Highest powder purity, separation of

non-metallic inclusions

ESH / EPH… has developed the combined ESH/EPH-System

Electro-Plasma Heating (EPH):

• For ultra-low carbon requirements

• No contact between graphite electrode and liquid slag

• Argon plasma gas introduced via hollow electrodes

• Operation with flexible slag layer thickness possible

• Multifunctional ESH/EPH operation possible

EPH

Electrical supply

EPH

Plasma gas supply

ESH / EPH

Melt Stirring

Argon Stirring

- Tearing of protective slag layer due to purging

- Good stirring efficiency

- Chances of entrapment of non-metallic inclusions

Electromagnetic Stirring

- Undisturbed protective slag layer

- Very good stirring efficiency and control

- Low amount of non-metallic inclusions

- Safe process, due to external installation

EPH6

1211

1 2 5

97

3 4

8 10

1. HC-clamp

2. Lifting drive

3. Electrode arms

4. 2nd lifting drive

5. Electrode with gas connection

6. Electrode clamp

7. HC supply line

8. Locking horizontal movement

9. Locking swivelling

10. Swivelling device with lifting

spindle

11. Electrode alignment

12. Electrode storage

EPH

EPH

EPH

Secondary Metallurgy

LF-roofLadle in

treatment station

Electrode alignment

Electrode storage

VD-cover

Cover manipulator

N2-Tank

Filter

EPH

EPH (LF)

Electrode

Operator gate

Electrode clamp

Vacuum drought

Liquid steel

Porous plug

Ladle

WFM feeding telescope

Off gas connection

VD (DETEM) Plant

Oxygen lance

Alloy addition

Suction line

Vacuum cover

Vacuum ladle

Vacuum trough

Splash cover

Bursting nozzle

Porous plugVacuum pump

VD - Plant

7

12

1 2 5

97

3 4

8 11

6

10

1. Vacuum cover

2. Furnace camera

3. Compensator

4. Vacuum filter

5. Vacuum valve

6. Nitrogen tank

7. Cover Manipulator (car)

8. Treatment ladle

9. Vacuum trough

10. Suction line

11. Cyclone

12. Vacuum pump

Segment Caster

Segment Caster

1

4

5

9

6

78

1. Tundish car

2. Stopper rod

3. Tundish with stirring coil

4. Mould oszillator with mould

stirrer

5. Bloom discharge system

6. Billet car

7. Stirrer car

8. Mould

9. Torch cutting

3

2

Segment Caster

2

31

1. Withdrawal system

2. Steel structure withdrawal

system

3. Steam exhaust system

PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT

INTECO Metals Application Suite (IMAS)

ERPLEVEL 4

Equipment Control

Material and Equipment

Know-How

Review

Production Planning

IMAS Process Automation

IMAS Plant Management

Data Recording and Tracking

Supervision and Modeling

Control and Monitoring

SHOP FLOOR

OFFICE FLOOR

PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT

IMAS – BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE:

Integration / combination of different data warehouses.

Generation of individual dashboards as desktop or web

application and mobile devices.

Application of advanced

analytics for the evaluation

of historical data in order to

support well-founded

business decisions.

PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT

Our Technology – Your Advantage

• Quality improvement due to standardized and centralized

know-how

• Modular design

• Online production monitoring and supervision

• Data processing and analysis for continuous know-how

improvement

• Seamless integration into any existing IT landscape

• Low to high operator guidance

• Highest availability and reliability due to modular state-of-

the-art software development

• Easy-to-use operation interface dedicated to office and

pulpit operations

• Production reporting from detailed melt report to monthly

recaps

• Business intelligence integration for advanced analytics

DISCLAIMER

© INTECO melting and casting technologies GmbH.

All rights reserved.

The content of this presentation is subject to

copyright. Unauthorized use, reproduction or transfer

of the content, or of parts of this content, is

prohibited. Please contact the publisher concerning

permission to use the content.

INTECO

melting and casting technologies GmbH

Wienerstrasse 25

A-8600 Bruck a.d. Mur

Tel.: +43 (0)3862 53110 0

Fax: +43 (0)3862 53844

Email: inteco.austria@inteco.at

Contact: Dr. Stefan Griesser

Have an eye on our technology www.inteco.at