Steel Production Chain Completion
Maintaining self-sufficiency and utilizing high-quality ingots for the production of steel products is consistently one of the primary concerns and overarching policies of Bafgh Steel. The establishment of the steelmaking and casting factory with a capacity of 1 million tons of ingots per year is another endeavor by Bafgh Steel towards completing the steel production chain and achieving a strong presence in the country’s steel market.
Steelmaking Production Process
The method used for producing steel ingots at Bafgh Steel is designed to be electric arc. In this process, sponge iron and other additives are first poured into the electric arc furnace, which is designed as a large, shallow container. They are then melted by the heat generated by the electric arc between the electrodes and the material in the furnace. To prevent the breaking of the electrodes and maintain the quality and properties of the molten steel, our experts consistently strive to select the best and most suitable composition of raw materials possible. In the end, after collecting the slag, the molten steel is sent to the casting unit to be molded and then, following the cooling step, it is transformed into steel ingots.
The high quality of steel ingots affects the manufacturing of products; therefore, recognizing this importance, Bafgh Steel has engaged European contractors to establish this industrial unit.
Bafgh Steelmaking Sections
Bafgh Steelmaking sections consist of the following:
Material Transportation Section
The responsibility of this section is to prepare and assemble the required materials according to the technical specifications set by experts, and to transfer them to the designated sections. In this section, electric arc furnaces are installed for the production of molten steel. After transferring the sponge iron and other additives to the furnaces, the furnace roofs are closed, and the melting operation commences. After the complete melting of the sponge iron, Bafgh Steel’s advanced machinery is employed to purify it, a process involving fine-tuning the temperature settings and analyzing them based on laboratory results In the end, the furnaces are emptied into ladles positioned beneath them.
Secondary Metallurgy and Ladle Preparation Section
In this section, ladles with specific capacities are utilized to store various materials such as ferrosilicon, lime, aluminate calcium, etc. In this step, various procedures are carried out on the molten material to prepare it for delivery to the continuous casting section. The procedures are as follows:
- Deoxygenation via addition of aluminum to the molten material
- Slag Production
- Chemical analysis and addition of required material to the melt
- Specifying the temperature and the time of delivery to the continuous casting section
- Purifying the melt and removing its impurities for the production of high-quality ingots
Continuous Casting Section
The dedicated specialists in this section strive to transform molten steel into high-quality steel ingots according to the dimensions demanded by our valued customers. After that the ingot is delivered to the cooling section.
Ingot Preparation Section
After cooling the ingots with air and water, inspectors and experts at Bafgh Steel carefully examine them, identifying any irregularities or deficiencies in the products.
Upon final approval, these ingots are transferred to the hot rolling area in a preheated state (hot charge), where they are utilized in the production of various Bafgh Steel products such as rebars and wire rods. In this method, a significant reduction in pollution and energy consumption is achieved in the production process by maintaining the temperature of the ingots and avoiding storage. Excess production in this production unit is loaded and sent to customers based on their orders and the principle of premium quality production, with minimal storage time considered.
