At the beginning of March Tenova acquired ‘LanceStat’, the
‘anti-slopping’ technology developed by the US Company Nupro
Corporation, to prevent ejection of scrap and steel from the
furnace during the BOF (basic oxygen furnace) steel production
process. LanceStat is a technology which monitors the vibrations
of the BOF oxygen lance interpreting the harmonic frequencies
generated in order to predict and anticipate undesired slopping
events.
The acquisition is of strategic importance for Tenova
Goodfellow, owner of the EFSOP® (expert furnace system
optimization process) process, a continuous real-time off-gas
analysis technology that is applicable for both EAF (electric arc
furnace) and BOF steel production processes. Combining
LanceStat technology with the EFSOP for the BOF application
will enable Tenova to gain entry into important new markets such
as the BOF dynamic oxygen converter process control.
LanceStat, so far used by Nupro on an experimental basis, was
successfully tested on an industrial scale by Tenova in 2009 on
one of the six furnaces at the Riva Taranto steel plant. Thanks to
the excellent results of the pilot test, Riva decided to extend the
application to all its converters in the Taranto facility (six BOFs in
operation).
LanceStat, a new Tenova technology to deliver significant
savings in process costs and boost hourly productivity rates.
Tenova designs and supplies advanced technologies, products
and services for the metals and mining industries. Tenova
operates close to its customers through a network of 33
companies based on the five continents.