Here’s a look at how steel is produced in a steel mill or factory, and what the “smartization” of steel factories will look like.

So, how is steel made?

Iron Making

To make steel, manufacturers first need molten iron. Molten iron comes from two raw materials; iron ore and coal. Iron ore is converted into sinter ore in a sintering plant and coal is converted into raw coke using a coke oven. The processed materials are poured into a blast furnace where hot air reaching 1200℃ is blown in from the bottom through tuyeres, causing a chemical reaction. This process oxidizes the coke and reduces the sintered ore, creating molten iron.   

Steelmaking

In the steelmaking stage, the molten iron is transported to the steel making plant via a torpedo car, where the liquid is poured into a converter. Then, oxygen is blown into the converter to burn off all the impurities. All that is left is pure molten steel.

Continuous Casting

This is where steel finally becomes solidified into different shapes such as slab, bloom and billet. Liquid steel is poured into molds and cooled as it passes through a continuous casting machine until it solidifies into the desired shape.

Hot steel passes through rolling machines to be rolled into specific sizes and thicknesses. (Source: Global Sourcing Blog)

Rolling Process

During the rolling process, steel is heated once more to achieve various sizes and thicknesses. Steel slabs are heated to over 1100℃, then pass through rolling machines. This results in hot-rolled coils that can be shaped for different uses such as thick plates. They can also be processed into long, wire-shaped rods for billets. Often, the hot-rolled coils are rolled at room temperature for cold-rolled coils. Cold-rolled coils can be fabricated to produce galvanized and electrical steel products.

“Smartizating” these processes will involve converging IoT, Big Data, and AI to connect the different facilities, IT systems and workers in order to collect and analyze data for optimization.

POSCO is “smartizing” the steel-production process

POSCO is a steel company looking to lead the industry in adopting smart factories. CEO Kwon Ohjoon made “smartization” one of the 4 key priorities for POSCO starting back in 2014, and Kwon will continue to increase those investments.

POSCO smart factory incorporates artificial intelligence to enhance safety and efficiency.

SEE ALSO: How Smart Factories are Changing the Manufacturing Industry

In 2016, POSCO established its Smart Solution Council in order to research AI, big data and IoT applications. In the same year, POSCO ICT’s smart factory platform, PosFrame, was completed and installed in POSCO’s Gwangyang Steel Mill. PosFrame allows engineers to collect and monitor big data. So far, the company has saved over USD 14 million by incorporating the new technology in its production practices.

Here are some other features of POSCO’s Smart Factory.

POSCO’s Smart Blast Furnace

The Pohang Blast Furnace No.3 became a smart furnace in 2017, following a 102-day repair period. The furnace is now equipped with automated sensors that monitor and control its internal conditions using AI technology. Smart sensors monitor the blast furnace for factors like raw material quality and ventilator status, preventing breakdowns and ensuring a much longer lifecycle.

SEE ALSO: Will Artificial Intelligence Lead to Breakthroughs in the Steel Industry?

Worker Safety

Smart sensors can be used for more than just process monitoring. The company is working toward a full implementation of smart sensors for safety purposes, using IoT to create a better working environment.

Steel manufacturing involves high temperatures and high pressure levels, which is dangerous for workers who come in close contact with the equipment. With smart sensors monitoring all of the factory information, workers will instead be monitoring operation from a safe distance.

Workers in POSCO’s smart factory wear smart sensors for safety.

Wearable sensors, in conjunction with factory smart sensors, will be able to detect if and when workers are approaching potentially dangerous areas, and will alert them. These sensors will also detect and alert with regards to any impending accidents, or life-threatening situations like gas leaks, explosions, or fires.

Also, dust, sulfur, and nitrogen compounds will be removed via a high-plasma method, creating an eco-friendly steel plant and a healthier environment for workers.

POSCO will continue to add more smart features to its steel mills to increase efficiency, safety and sustainability. In efforts to learn and implement new technologies, POSCO CEO Kwon Ohjoon visited GE’s smart factories to learn about their technology earlier this year. POSCO also held the 2017 Smart POSCO Forum to share its insights with clients and affiliates, all as part of its expanding smartization efforts.

1. Announcing ‘Innovation POSCO 2.0’: Accelerating Business Restructuring
In July, POSCO announced “Innovation POSCO 2.0,” which included five major management reform plans and focused on restoring public trust and securing core competitiveness for the next 50 years. After the announcement, POSCO resolved to overcome crises by holding a briefing on management reform plans and a resolution meeting. POSCO also implemented large-scale company restructuring in August to improved organizational efficiency. Meanwhile, CEO Ohjoon Kwon and executives took the lead in overcoming the management crisis by giving up part of their salaries and repurchasing treasury stocks.

2. POSCO Sold 38 Percent Stake in POSCO E&C to PIF in Saudi Arabia
POSCO sold a 38 percent stake in POSCO E&C to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) in exchange for the sales amount of 1.24 trillion won on September 30. The PIF investment is expected to bring positive improvement to POSCO in its financial structure, and the PIF can rapidly respond to the post-oil era in Saudi Arabia. POSCO E&C and PIF opened a joint operation, POSCO E&C Saudi Arabia (PECSA) in Saudi Arabia on December 21.
Related Article: POSCO Strengthens Business Alliance

3. Extension of Retirement Age to 60 and Introduction of Salary Peak System
POSCO extended the retirement age from 58 to 60, and introduced a 4–year salary peak system. Starting next year, the retirement age will be extended to 60, and according to the salary peak system, employees aged 56 will receive 90 percent of the amount they are paid at the age of 55. The salary will be reduced by 10 percent over the next two years. They will receive 80 percent at the age of 57, and 70 percent from the age of 58 through to 60. POSCO initiated salary peak system in 2011 and reached an agreement with labor on major labor innovation issues, such as the expansion of the salary peak system and a salary system restructuring based on performance.

4. POSCO Named World’s Most Competitive Steelmaker for Six Consecutive Years
POSCO was named the world’s most competitive steelmaker for the sixth consecutive year. The WSD (World Steel Dynamics) ranked 36 steelmakers from around the world by analyzing 23 categories, including production capacity, profitability and technology innovation. POSCO ranked at the top of the world-class steelmaker list, receiving the highest score in four categories, and an average of 7.91 points out of 10. POSCO received positive responses in its sales expansion of World Premium products and solutions marketing, proving POSCO is the world’s best steelmaker.
Related Article: POSCO Named World’s Most Competitive Steelmaker for 6th Consecutive Year

5. POSCO Exports Its Own CEM Technology Abroad for the First Time                                                                                                                                        POSCO signed an agreement on POSCO’s own compact endless casting and rolling mill (CEM) technology licensing and co-marketing with German engineering group, SMS on July 3. CEM is an innovative technology which produces hot rolled coils by integrating continuous casting and rolling process into one. According to the licensing agreement, POSCO will be paid a technology transfer fee from the SMS group, and engage in co-marketing efforts with SMS group for the sale of CEM technology.

6. Visible Progress in Solutions Marketing, Including EOLAB Project
The EOLAB Project, which succeeded in creating new demands by offering technologies for steel materials for car body and chassis, was selected as the best case of POSCO’s solutions marketing. The EOLAB Project is the result of POSCO’s constant effort to improve customer value by providing total solutions, from the development of new steel materials to the manufacturing of components. POSCO has been focusing on expanding its sales channel of World Premium products and improving customer value through human.
Related Article: Renault’s EOLAB Shines at 2015 Seoul Motor Show

7. Introducing ‘POSCO Masters,’ the Highest Honor Awarded to On-Site Engineers
POSCO selected its first POSCO Masters, who are equipped with professional knowledge, and have been leading on-site creative improvement activities and technical competitiveness. Beginning this year, the honorary recipients of the first POSCO Masters are Master Son Byoung-rak, EIC Technology Department at Pohang Works, Master Jo Gil-dong, Steelmaking Department at Gwangyang Works, Master Kwon Yung-kug, Hot Rolling Department at Pohang Works and Master Cho Young-ki, Ironmaking Department at Gwangyang Works. The four POSCO Masters will receive special benefits including treasury stocks, prize money, overseas couple trips and special promotions.

8. Making POSCO an Accident-Free Workplace through Self-Directed Safety Spread
POSCO set 2015 as the starting year for the settlement of its self-directed safety culture and has been striving for the realization of POSCO the Great through the expansion of safety Self-Directed Safety Spread (SSS) activities. POSCO held its “POSCO Family Safety SSS Festival” in January, and awarded prizes to excellent groups and individuals in August. POSCO takes the lead in making POSCO an accident-free workplace through constant safety SSS activities.

9. The 1st and 2nd Special Reward for Innovation POSCO Project
POSCO selected Construction Steel Materials Solution Project Team as the first recipient of Innovation POSCO (IP) Project’s special reward on July 23, awarding 150 million won of incentives for their achievement of excess profit. The IP Project special reward is given to the IP project team in proportion to the outcome, when achieving over 1 billion won of extra profit and the second special reward was awarded to PJT for the construction of a high profit PO-expanded production system in December.
Related Article: Innovation POSCO Grand Project Kick-Off

10. Cessation of POSCO Weekly, Smartization of Communication
POSCO Weekly, a weekly newspaper which delivered POSCO’s latest news and its development and innovation internally and externally for the past 21 years, ceased its publication on July 30. POSCO Today is serving the role of POSCO Weekly, creating POSCO’s unique communication culture, and delivering real-time news of POSCO to its employees. In line with the increased use of internet and mobile devices, POSCO Today is solidifying its position as a group-integrated communication channel, accommodating various needs of POSCO group employees.

Be sure you never miss any of the exciting steel stories from The Steel Wire by subscribing to our blog.

World Steel Association

Formed in 1967, (then the International Iron and Steel Institute), the non-profit organization promotes steel to the industry, customers, media and the general public. Benefits of being a member of worldsteel include access to the latest technical and economic data, industry trends and performance impacting the steel industry. Members cooperate in developing programs and initiatives to drive the global common marketplace. Networking and access to events and conferences are also enjoyed by members. Worldsteel is not involved in competition of the steel industry, but rather unifying the industry on a global scale.

Steel Production by the Numbers

Worldsteel’s Steel Statistical Yearbook findings for 2015 show that Asia produces over 68 percent of the entire world’s crude steel. According to the Steel Statistical Yearbook, the four countries that produce the most crude steel are China, Japan, India and South Korea. Russia rounds out the top five. While many countries like the U.S. have decreased its crude steel production, South Korea has increased almost every year (the most recent yearbook shows data since 2005). Asia produces over 1 million tons of crude steel, and the second largest steel producing region is Europe, which produces just under 300 tons.

South  Korea produced over 71,000 tons of crude steel, 868 tons of ingots and 70,405 tons of continuously cast steel. The majority of the steel produced in South Korea uses electric furnaces or oxygen-blown converters. South Korea does not employ open hearth furnaces for steel production. In 2014, worldsteel reports that South Korea produced almost 69,000 tons of hot rolled products.

Though the largest of crude steel producing companies are located in Asia, and Asia is the largest exporter of semi-finished and finished steel products, Europe uses the most crude steel by kg per capita. Asia is by far the largest producer and exporter of pig iron, the intermediate product of smelting iron ore.

When iron is smelted from ore, it contains more carbon than desired. To form steel, the carbon must be reduced to the proper amount, at which point other elements can be added to reinforce it. In the past, steel was cast into ingots which would be stored until use in further refinement processes that resulted in the finished product. In modern processes of production, the initial product is closer to the final product through continuously cast it into long slabs, then cut and shaped to produce the final product. Continuous casting is more cost-efficient and is used in mass production and increasing the standard of quality.

POSCO Steel Production

One of five major steel companies located in Korea, POSCO is recognized as one of the world’s largest corporations by Fortune Global 500. On September 21, 2015 POSCO celebrated cumulative sales of 800 million tons since the opening of Pohang Plate Mill in 1972. Ninety-eight percent of the crude steel produced by POSCO is made through continuous casting, which replaced the process of using ingots.

For the full report, please visit worldsteel.

Be sure you never miss any of the exciting steel stories from The Steel Wire by subscribing to our blog.

This recently developed innovation maintains moldability and corrosion resistance of normal stainless steel grades while greatly lowering the content of expensive raw materials such as nickel and molybdenum, raising cost competitiveness.

Lean duplex stainless steel with super ductility using a strip-casting process has been produced using poStrip technology, POSCO’s unique, new steelmaking method. The technology has significantly simplified pre-existing processes such as continuous casting, heat treating, rough rolling and surface finishing, while integrating them into one. With poStrip technology, molten iron can immediately produce hot rolled coils without additional processes, drastically reducing the consumption of energy and emission of carbon dioxide, nitrogenous compounds and sulfur oxides.

POSCO first developed lean duplex stainless steel with super ductility using a strip-casting process in 2009 and started mass production in September 2014 after putting the material through rigorous and continuous quality control tests and optimization processes.

Currently, lean duplex stainless steel with super ductility using a strip-casting process is most often used for tableware and construction materials, though POSCO plans to expand its demand to other products, such as indoor piping and home appliances, through continuous solution marketing activities.

The Steelie Awards have been presented at worldsteel’s annual conference in October since 2010. They recognize member companies or individuals for their contribution to the steel industry over a one-year period in a series of seven categories impacting the steel industry. Categories include Website of the Year, Innovation of the Year and Excellence in Education and Training. POSCO was awarded the Excellence in Sustainability Reporting Steelie in 2010 and received the Innovation of the Year award in 2012 in recognition of the company’s own POSCO-Carbody Concept for Electric Vehicle.

The primary reason for the ‘Age of Iron’ to continue further is in the nature of iron (Fe). Iron is highly stable because it holds the highest bond energy compared to all other artificially-created elements. Also, it is much more economic than other metals or advanced materials because iron is the second most abundant metal after aluminum. Since it is flexible to transform into alloys by various purposes, it is can be applied in almost every industry field.

Second, demand for industrialization and urbanization is another factor that continues the ‘Age of Iron’. Realistically, it is hard to say that its growth will pause or recess at a global level. Therefore, the growth of the industry and economy will still remain as a dominative and indispensable paradigm.

Certainly, as the industry and economy develops, the demand for iron could relatively show less increase. However, almost all industries including the manufacturing and energy sector will extend their demands for steel and other fields such as construction business will expand their alternative and steel demands. As China and India, which officially have entered the developmental stage, Southeast Asia, Middle East area and even Africa go through urbanization and industrialization, the global scale of steel demands could increase largely in the future.

Lastly, the steel industry itself is transforming into an eco-friendly and energy-saving business. Coming from nature and returning to the nature, iron is a highly recyclable material. However, energy-guzzling activities and emissions of environmental pollutants occur while processing iron to fulfill the needs of human-beings. Nevertheless, these side effects are even decreasing as technology and endeavor develop further.

More Beneficial to Human-beings and Nature
The continuation of the ‘Age of Iron’ does not necessarily mean that there will be no perceptible change. Like all things, iron and the steel industry are experiencing their own evolution. In fact, it is not only about the evolution of producing and processing method. The relationship between iron and human-beings is also going through a transformation. In other words, iron is evolving into a better direction for human-beings, nature and the earth.

High-strength steel sheet aptly supports this view. High in tension and strength, the high-strength steel sheet is five times stronger than regular steel sheet of same thickness. The high-strength steel sheet is environmental-friendly because it increases fuel efficiency by reducing the vehicle’s weight. Also, it is capable of saving human life through its high collision safety that stems from its exceptionally high strength.

Electrical steel sheet is another example that minimizes energy loss and preserves the environment. As numerous motors are used in an automobile, a motor with good energy efficiency and magnetic characteristic is required for maximized energy use in a limited energy source and space; the electrical steel sheet precisely fulfills this required condition.

Despite the fact that iron is an environment-friendly material, it is undeniable that toxic substance has been coated or added in order to secure or enhance the special functions of steel sheets. However, lately there has been a wide use of eco-friendly steel sheets which do not contain the harmful substance but highlight the environment-friendly features.

As shown, iron has been evolving into a direction of benefiting human-beings while minimizing the damages on nature and eco-system. Also, it has been used most fundamentally and widely among all other materials, and this is expected to continue in the future. Especially, iron will maintain its pinnacle in the fields of marine and aerospace, the prospective categories of the most rapid developmental pace.

New Product Research and Development for the ‘Future of Iron’
Future is a subject to be pioneered rather than to be given. It is important to predict coming days of the ‘Age of Iron’, but it is much more crucial to figure out the general picture of the ‘Age of Iron’ that we create for the future.

Firstly, when we consider the technical aspect, it took about 25-50 years to discover a technical change that had significant influence on the steel industry. For instance, electricity was developed 100 years ago, and open-hearth furnace which was vanished in the late 1980s in the United States as basic oxygen furnace was invented in the 1950s. Moreover, continuous casting technology, which was developed in 1960s, has improved in its technological maturity, but is still in the process for completion.

Fundamentally, it is inevitable for the prospective iron and steel industry to move forward in a direction for the humans, the society, and the earth. In addition, the industry should advance with a direction that maintains a position of steel known for its diverse functions and economic efficiency.

Recently, main subjects of technology in the steel industry are cost reduction and high productivity, simplification of production, utilization of economical materials, new product development technology, and etc. Even though there are still financial and environmental issues in the way, there are endless possibilities in steel manufacturing and technology development opportunities related to the steel industry. In fact, these possibilities are tried in action every day.

The future of iron and the steel industry is promising when these useful features are expanded. Only those steel companies, whom maneuver their directions into researching and developing iron and steel products in corresponding ways, will be qualified to be the leader of the prospective steel industry.

Please keep your eyes open for POSCO, who is striving to be the leader of the future iron and steel industry through its futuristic perspectives on iron and steel products!

POSCO hosted Best Case Presentation session of POSCO TRIZ on the 6^th of November. POSCO and PTA (POSCO group TRIZ Association) participated in the event, which was themed around ‘Creative Thinking with TRIZ’. Among the 260 TRIZ utilized project cases, 2 Grand Prize cases and 4 Runner-Up Prize cases were selected through two different preliminary selection process.

POSCO has established TRIZ University in 2010 to provide structured training programs for its entire employees in order to provide improvement in creativity capabilities. The employees has been sharing their successful cases at an annual presentation for projects of excellent results.

POSCO has implemented project-oriented working method this year, establishing their unique innovation model called POSTIM (POSCO Total Innovation Methodology) and replacing it with unified methodology. TRIZ has been used as a tool to provide creative solution to solve technical difficulties within its frame.

Also, Corporate Project Management Department will be supporting this through following activities: providing creative solution related to future corporate cost-reduction, and reducing risk through preliminary verification of ideas using computer simulations.

POSCO’s Strategic TRIZ Methodology

POSCO set-off an insight that problem-solving logic and algorithm of TRIZ can be applied to business category and has been brainstorming about harmony business strategy and TRIZ.

Value of Strategic TRIZ comes from 1) how it develops algorithm that can provide several effective solutions on specific problem, 2) the fact that anyone can easier use it, and 3) how it provides creative ideation method and logical procedure in strategy establishment and business contradictory problem solving by combining traditional strategy and a thought process.

POSCO is now moving one-step forward from strategic TRIZ on to creating process that solves business strategic problem with TRIZ and eventually developing it into ‘POSCO-type Strategic TRIZ Methodology’.

Excellent Cases of ‘POSCO’s TRIZ Application’

[Best Example] Development of Wireless Power Transmission Technology for Cylinder Sensor

–Lee, Ki-bum/ RIST Team Leader

Problems to Solve

In a general steel mill, there are two types of rolling process for a slab: hot rolling and cold rolling. In order to roll a slab, there are spins connected between spins and the rolling mill.

As the motor spins the rolling mill, the mill rolls the slab and creates a torsion which damages the spins. To prevent this from happening, it is possible to attach a strain gauge sensor, the torque sensor, on the surface of spin to diagnose the torsion status. However, the spin continues its circular motion even with the strain gauge sensor which makes it impossible to supply power to the torque sensor. For a consistent monitoring, wireless energy transmission technology could be an alternative solution. As a part of this technology, electric resonance method enables wireless power transmission to the rotating body that is 30cm distant from the power source.

However, a recieving coil attached on the spin for wireless power transmission experiences centrifugal force due to its large size. In order to reduce the centrifugal force, it was attempted to reduce the size of the coil but it caused a contradiction by also creating a decline in the receiving rate. Therefore, TRIZ method was applied to discover a solution to reduce the size of the receiving coil and its tie bar.

Problem Solving Result of TRIZ Method

As a result of various TRIZ method research, it was able to reduce 85% of the frequency shift even when the tie bar was shortened. Also, by applying pattern layering and wave method, more than 30% of the size of the receiving coil was reduced.

The rotating body wireless power transmission system can be used in thick plate, hot and cold rolled steel sheet roughing mill and finishing mill spindle diagnostics. Also, the system is applicable on diagnostics of chatter mark which occurs to hot and cold rolled steel strip.   

[Best Example] Bloom Continuous Casting Machine Claim Reduction and Strand Extracction Improvement 

– Kim, Sung-jul / Research Institute Senior Researcher

Problem to solve

Continuous casting of different grades of steel is a casting method for each different steel grades in a same tundish. Because the areas of blended ingredients that result from this method cannot be retailed as quality products, they are processed as scraps or redundant members.

Since the 4-Bloom continuous casting machine does not have a system that predicts the blended areas, every 12m of a strand has been truncated en bloc. As a result, each process of different grade casting generated 150 tons of scraps. Despite the excessive truncation amount, claims for ingredients of strand products processed through this casting method.

The problem is that if the truncation amount is increased, the claims will decrease but the strand extraction rate will decrease as well. On the other hand, if the truncation amount is decreased, the strand extraction will increase, but the claims will increase as well.

Problem Solving Result of TRIZ Method

According to the analysis on the length of 4-bloom continuous casting mixer, there are differences depending on the strands but they did not exceed a certain length. In other words, if the length of various mixers depending on each processing condition, claims can be reduced and the shortened length for truncation will lead to a situation where extraction rate can be raised.

The very first step of the TRIZ method was a thorough analysis on the cause of the phenomenon and on available resources. The reason for an inaccurate prediction on the mixer and the phenomenon of mixer’s long appearance were thoroughly analyzed. As a result, eight core problems and eight concept solutions for the corresponding problems were concluded.

Furthermore, specific solutions for the eight concept solutions were suggested. The suggested solutions are practical and effective because of their imminent applicability and capability to utilize the existing resources without any capital investment.

In steps of the TRIZ method, the actual situation was reflected for a better prediction for the mixer and established a new forecasting system by utilizing a real-time operation data. When the detailed solutions drawn by the TRIZ method were applied to different steel grades processes, it was successful in both reducing claims for the bloom continuous casting machine and increasing the strand extraction rate.  

[Excellent Case] Drastic Decrease in Working Time for Covering Work Using Water 

– Kim, Seung-Moon / Raw Material Technology Development Team, POSCO

In order to solve two following solutions, water is used for its readily-availability as natural resource: Gunnysack is not suitable for fixing and covering the materials and takes-up too much time manufacturing. Therefore, this can drastically decrease working time and evolutionally increase effectiveness of the covering work.

[Excellent Case] Cost Reduction through Internal/external Steel Structure Unification 

– Kim, Ah-rem/ POSCO A&C

Potential problem caused by temperature change that could occur when modular construction method is applied in Russia and other arctic region was improved through a new idea called ‘Unification of Internal/external steel structure’. In fact, company could achieve 39% cost reduction in comparison to an existing panel.

[Excellent Case] Advanced Supporting Capacity of Electrode Bar through Reverse Thinking 

– Lee, Jae-min/ SNNC

Electrode bar in electric furnace is a crucial function supplying heat to the furnace, therefore, rupture of electrode bar leads directly to revenue loss. With reserve thinking, company could improve supporting capacity of electrode bar and minimized weight of electrode bar placed at bottom part, achieving decrease in electrode bar breakage by 64% using electricity.

[Excellent Case]  Continuing Undersea Tunnel Project with Strategic TRIZ 

– Kim, Sang-min / New-Business Development Team 

TRIZ can not only be applied in technology (IT) area, but also in strategic area. Company could come up with an effective countermeasures using strategic TRIZ for complicating business structure of the undersea tunnel project that connects KwangYang and YeoSu, saving the project from foundering.

Pictured here: Scene from one of POSCO’s steel plants

Steel is one of the most common and useful metals. But do you know how it is actually made? Let’s go behind the scenes of one of the world’s leading steelmakers, POSCO, to discover the process of how steel is made.

Pictured here: Gwangyang Works is a world leading works with optimal layout to specialize in the production of automotive steel

The 3 Step Steelmaking Processes

For easier understanding, steel is made through 3 different stages which are ironmaking, steelmaking and rolling (continuous casting processes).

1)      Ironmaking: a process of smelting iron ores into hot metal.

Iron ore and coal are gathered from all around the world and unloaded onto the raw materials dock.

Pictured here: Dock where iron ore and coal are gathered

For proper heat transfusion in the blast furnace, iron and coal must be solidified from their powder form. The process of solidifying iron and coal is called sintering and coking, respectively. The pretreated iron and coal are stacked into layers in a 100m tall blast furnace. Then hot air at 1,200 degrees Celsius is blown into the furnace, causing the coal to burn which melts iron ore into molten iron.

Pictured here: 100m tall blast furnace where iron ore melts into molten iron

 2)      Steelmaking: a process of removing impurities from hot metal to create crude steel.

The molten iron created in the blast furnace contains various impurities that diminish its strength and durability once it is hardened into steel. The molten iron from the blast furnace is transported into a torpedo car and poured into a converter furnace.

Pictured here: The molten iron from the blast furnace is transported into a torpedo car to be taken to a converter furnace

In the converter furnace, pure oxygen is added to burn off substances such as carbon, phosphorous and sulfur to create purified molten steel. At this point, the temperature and substance composition is precisely adjusted to customer’s various demands.

Pictured here: Molten iron being poured into a converter furnace to be purified

Pouring the molten steel into molds and cooling into solid creates a semi-finished material called slabs which are used to make finished steel products.

Pictured here: Molten steel being created into slabs

Solid steel is categorized based on shape. Slabs are wide and flat. Blooms are rectangular bars and billets are thinner, square bars.

3)      Rolling: a process of pressure forming crude steel into various finished products.

The final stage of the steelmaking process involves continuous casting where steel is forged into various steel products. Through the process of rolling, steel can be treated differently to be put to a variety of uses.

Pictured here: Slabs being passed between rollers to turn crude steel into finished products

What is steel used for?

POSCO steel products are used in every part of our daily lives ranging from buildings to smartphones to satellites in space.

The different types of products that can be created include:

1)      Hot-rolled products

2)      Cold-rolled products

3)      Coated Steel

4)      Electrical Steel Plates

5)      Steel Plates

6)      Wire Goods

7)      Stainless Steel

Read on to find out more about the steel products around us.

Hot-rolled products are made from slabs passed through rollers above 1,100 degrees Celsius. These are used for construction materials and pipes in various industries.

Cold-rolled products which are created by making hot rolled products thinner at room temperature are used in general appliances, barrels and automobile frames.

Coated steel which is created by coating cold rolled products with zinc are used in high end appliances, office equipment and automobile exteriors. 

Electrical steel plates are created by adding electrical properties are used in transformers and motors. 

Steel plates which are thick and rectangular in shape are used in large structures such as buildings, vessels and oil pipelines. 

Wired goods are created when billets are passed through a roll with a round hole and is used for automobile tire cords, wires for bridges, piano strings, underwater cables and more. 

When nickel and chrome are added to steel it produces stainless steel which are used in kitchen appliances, medical equipment, exterior walls and roofs of buildings. 

POSCO Ushers in Era of New, Eco-friendly Technologies 

Pictured here: Pohang Works, the root and heart of the Korean steel industry.

POSCO was the first in the world to use a more economical and eco-friendly method of steelmaking compared to a blast furnace. The FINEX method uses iron ore and coal in its original form, skipping the coking and sintering processes. 

Pohang Works is driving innovations in steel technology and leading in production of high quality products. It operates a state of the arts R&D center and production monitoring center that monitors production 24/7. 

In addition, there is an Environmental Center that monitors emissions of pollutants in real time. 

Click on the videos below to see the full steelmaking process at POSCO’s Gwangyang Works and Pohang Works, the root and heart of the Korean steel industry.

‘One-to-One Mentoring System’ For Global Staffs and POSCO HQ Employees

On the last day of the education session at POSCO HQ, a ceremony for ‘One-to-One Mentoring System’ was held between the global staffs and POSCO HQ employees. The system was initiated in 2011 by POSCO South Asia’s suggestion to manage local customers effectively by using the local language and learning their culture. Since the launch, POSCO has been supporting the mentoring initiative in order to develop POSCO global staffs’ capabilities to become professional business consultants.

POSCO Continues Efforts to Strengthen Global Staff’s Competence

So far, POSCO has recruited a total of 25 global staff worldwide, and they are currently supporting sales drive with POSCO’s overseas technology service providers in different countries. When a claim occurs, they are at the forefront to visit the customer who flagged the claim and provide prompt services. POSCO’s global staffs are also working on releasing real-time news monitoring which includes VOC (voice of customer), market condition and other significant information about local areas. By the end of this year, all of the 25 POSCO global staffs would be joining the mentoring system.

POSCO will also continue supporting the global staffs via ‘Smart Workplace System,’ which would enable them to take parts in the online training sessions with their mentors at POSCO HQ. ‘Hello, POSCO’ will continue delivering the stories of our global staffs and their activities.

Interviews with POSCO Global Staff