Production Loss in Steel Making

Yield performance is a crucial issue for any steel plant chief, since poor yield performance can negatively affect both steel plant output and production costs. In this piece, the writer debates the subject of yield losses and elaborates on their significance.

What are yield losses?

A yield loss pops up in any parts of the iron and steel making process, when for a selected step, the weight of the steel product made is less than the input of steel that is utilized. In a cold rolling mill for instance, if the input – regularly called a charge weight – is a hundred tons of hot rolled coil, and the output is 95 tons of cold-rolled steel, the yield performance equals 95%.

Classic yield loss values are:

3.5% in hot rolled steel coil production (slab to hot rolled coil)

5 % in rebar production (for billet to bar)

8.5% in continual tube making (billet to green pipe).

Why do the yield losses arise?

The yield losses arise for many different reasons. As an example, in the rolling process, there could be a break-out in which the steel bar comes out of its common rolling path, landing ( commonly at speed ) in an area opposite to the rolling mill stands. This length of steel bar wouldn’t be further rolled ; rather, it might be recycled as scrap so bringing down the yield performance achieved on that rolling shift Scale will most likely be formed on a hot slab as it cools. This scale will later be removed from the surface as the slab is prepared for a successive process step When a steel coil is produced, the edge will most likely be trimmed on the final product, causing a little yield loss When billet or slab is cast, the end is commonly cut. Irregularities arising during the procedure of casting are commonly also ground away. Every one of the examples above decreases the final weight of steel product made, compared against the first charge weight of the steel. Why are the yield losses critical? Yield losses are significant for a few reasons. First, it’s important to realise yields to be well placed to envision the output of a mill.

An Example 

A mini mill making 1,000,000 tons of crude steel may for instance only be well placed to produce 850,000 tons of finished steel, if the accumulative yields from casting, hot rolling and cold rolling of the steel amount to 15% 2nd , yields are particularly crucial also from the pricetag perspective. This is due to the fact that, while the scrap steel can typically be recycled, all of the labour and energy expenses related to processing the wasted steel volumes are lost ; and the worth added ( re a last selling price ) isn’t achieved. For some processes, the price of the yield loss can really surpass some of the other parts of conversion cost ( like the value of consumables, electricity or other resources ).

Managing Yield Performance 

Management of yield performance thus is a vital facet of overall steel mill cost control.

Understanding your own yield performance A standard way of understanding the yield performance of a selected steel plant is to compare its current yield performance against that of similar plants. Usually such plants will belong to rivals and may regularly be found in different nations. Technical visits to mills are however very common in the steel industry; and are undertaken particularly so that learning benefits the industry. Metals Consulting Global offer clients pro consulting support with due research, feasibility studies, technique, business planning and modernization – and steel plant performance improvement.