Trends in today’ s steel production show increasing demands for highly-sophisticated steel grades. Therefore,the steel industry will eventually be required to install best performing technologies to meet governmental specifications designed to significantly reduce environmental emissions.Such efforts are supported by innovative new solutions in the entire steel making process.One process that will need to be addressed is the cleanliness of the steel in the liquid steel phase,especially during the BOF-tapping process. The new converter gate(CG)(Fig.1) best supports the slide gate tapping technology for converters in terms of clean steel,productivity,yield and availability-at reduced costs. The CG gate introduces a unique feature for converter slide gates:The bottom plate can be exchanged while the gate remains mounted on the converter.This new feature allows for an increased utilisation of the refractory parts and a significant reduction of the downtime of the converter.This 'designed efficiency' is achieved with a refractory set consisting of three identical plates-two bottom plates and one slider plate-and a nozzle.A number of other improvements such as automatic cylinder coupling using the Interstop SNAP technology and a two step tensioning system have also been implemented. The new system is designed to meet minimal space requirements and therefore will adapt to most BOF shops.To perform preparation,service and maintenance work the modular CG gate can be dismounted from the converter and simultaneously replaced by a ready-to-use unit.The degree of automation for dismounting and mounting as well as for off-line preparation has been enhanced and reduces manual efforts. This paper provides a solution to the obvious trend towards efficient and controlled production of clean steel,in general,and especially at BOF shops.Moreover,it specifically describes the operational results of this innovative BOF tapping equipment at Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH,Germany.
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