ABB to supply ArcSave electromagnetic stirring solution to Austrian steel plant

ABB’s ArcSave electromagnetic stirrer will be delivered in March 2020 and installed on an energy-efficient, 55-ton electric arc furnace (EAF) at the new voestalpine BÖHLER Edelstahl steel plant in Kapfenberg, Austria, helping optimize annual output of 205,000 tons of high-performance steels from mid-2021.

Requiring no contact with the bottom of the EAF, ArcSave enhances stirring during the melting of large scrap items, reducing stratification via forced convection. This improves EAF operation by homogenizing temperature distribution and chemical composition, while speeding scrap and ferroalloy melting compared with natural convection alone.

ArcSave, with its patented technology also contributes to lowering environmental impact by reducing electricity usage, process additions such as alloys and lime, and consumables such as electrodes.

“We created ArcSave to help manufacturers improve productivity while also prioritizing safety, energy efficiency and product quality,” says Anders Lehman, Vice President of ABB Metallurgy Products. “As the leading provider of electromagnetic stirring solutions, we are extremely proud to supply one of the world’s most advanced special steel plants.”

Plant construction group SMS, which is responsible for the engineering, process technology and start-up of the fully automated melting system, specified ArcSave at the core of the Kapfenberg plant, which unites cost- and energy-efficiency with a high degree of automation and digitalization.

ArcSave’s advanced, efficient technology aligns perfectly with voestalpine’s ambition to be at the cutting edge of specialist steel production.

Source and Photo: ABB