6 Steps of the Steel Manufacturing Process

Steel is known for being lightweight but strong, making it suitable for a variety of industries and applications. Next to plastic and paper, steel is one of the most common materials seen in products used in our everyday lives.

In the construction industry, steel is used in the creation of buildings and other structures for strength. Manufacturing processes, such as for cars, airplanes, and kitchen appliances, also rely on steel for production. Last but not least, steel is imperative for communication as it is used in the creation of transmission and cell phone towers.

The steel manufacturing process can be divided into six steps: Making the iron, primary steelmaking, secondary steelmaking, casting, primary forming, and secondary forming.

Step 1: Making the Iron

Steel is a metal alloy made of iron and carbon. Thus, the steel manufacturing process starts by making iron. To do this, limestone, coke, and iron ore are combined and put into a blast furnace. The elements are melted together to create a hot metal known as molten iron.

Step 2: Primary Steelmaking

The second step of the steel manufacturing process can be completed with two different pieces of equipment: a basic oxygen furnace and an electric arc furnace. With a basic oxygen furnace, the molten metal produced in step 1 is infused with scrap steel. Then, oxygen is forced through the furnace to remove the impurities in the molten iron. With an electric arc furnace, as the name suggests, electricity is forced through the furnace to purify the iron. The completion of step 2 results in raw steel.

Step 3: Secondary Steelmaking

Just like there are different grades and families of stainless steel, there are also different types of regular steel. The different grades are determined by the elements that remain in the metal at the completion of the manufacturing process. Secondary steelmaking refines the composition of the steel to create the desired grade. This is done with different techniques such as stirring and ladle injections.

Step 4: Casting

During the fourth step of steel manufacturing, molten iron is cast into molds for cooling. This process starts to set the shape of the steel and causes a thin, hard shell to form. The strands of the shell are malleable and can be worked into the desired shape of flat sheets, beams, wires, or thin strips.

Step 5: Primary Forming

Primary forming continues the shaping process. A hot roller is used to fine-tune the casting. The steel is molded into the desired shape and surface finish. Some examples include bloom, billet, and slab.

Step 6: Secondary Forming

The final step of the steel manufacturing process creates the final shape and properties of the steel. Secondary forming is accomplished with different methods such as shaping (cold rolling methods), machining (drilling), joining (welding), coating, heat treatment, and surface treatment. At the completion of step 6, the steel is fully shaped, formed, and ready for use and processing in various applications.

The harsh environment and extreme temperatures encountered in steel mills during the steel manufacturing process require high-quality equipment built to last. LMM GROUP offers a variety of products suitable for steel mills.