Ametek Land collaborated with Danieli on an automatic tapping system to increase operational safety and improve process control for steel plants. With the Danieli automatic electric-arc furnace (EAF) tapping system, it is possible to execute a complete furnace tapping remotely from the main pulpit of a steel plant. The system starts furnace tilting in automatic mode, controlling the furnace position during the complete tapping process.

Embedded within the system are two thermal-imaging systems from Ametek Land: its slag detection system (SDS-E), branded as Danieli’s Q-Slag, and a near-infrared (NIR) fixed thermal imager that is an integral part of the ladle level detection (LLD) system. The thermal-imaging systems are used in conjunction with Danieli software to control steel flow in real time.

Q-Slag makes use of an SDS-E imager to detect the transition between steel and slag. It also quantifies the amount of slag that may pass into the ladle. That information is useful for fine-tuning alloys and lime additions for the secondary metallurgy. In parallel with Q-Slag, the LLD system controls when steel inside the teeming ladle has reached preset level positions. Back tilting can be done either in automatic mode or by remote intervention of the EAF operator from the main pulpit.