Continuous Online Analysis for Steel Production
Analysers are used throughout the ironmaking, coke making and steel making processes. Measurement of raw material quality at the source, through to feed quality control for smelting. GEOSCAN-S helps steel producers reduce process variability, improve furnace stability and optimise production through continuous process monitoring.
Steel production depends on consistent raw material quality to maintain stable furnace operation, maximise productivity and meet product specifications. Scantech’s GEOSCAN-S and ReadiMoist TBM and CM200 provide continuous elemental and moisture measurements for iron ore, coal, alternative fuels, ferrous scrap (including Cu, Ni, Cr, Mn, Zn, Pb, Ca, etc) and intermediate products such as pellets, DRI and pig iron. Key measurements include iron ore chemistry (including phosphorus), B4 basicity for sinter control, coal quality for coke making and scrap elements for EAF feed classification. These representative measurements help operators respond quickly to material variability, improve blending and process control, reduce fuel consumption and support greater furnace stability, productivity and operational efficiency.
Consistent raw material quality is essential for efficient steel production. Variations in iron ore, pellets, sinter and fluxes can reduce furnace performance, increase fuel consumption and impact hot metal quality.
Scantech’s continuous analyser solutions continuously monitor iron ore conveyors, pellet feed, sinter feed, flux conveyors and raw material blending systems, providing operators with real time information on material composition before charging the furnace. Continuous measurements enable operators to identify quality variations early, optimise raw material blending and maintain a more consistent furnace feed, supporting improved productivity and lower operating costs.
Applications
Iron ore and coal quality monitoring
Pellet quality monitoring
Flux material quality and addition monitoring
Burden chemistry control
Feed consistency monitoring
Effective blending of coal, iron ore, pellets, sinter and fluxes is essential for maintaining stable furnace operation and consistent hot metal quality. Variations in raw material chemistry can reduce process efficiency, increase fuel consumption and impact overall plant performance.
Scantech’s continuous analyser solutions continuously monitor blending conveyors, stockpiles and furnace feed conveyors, providing operators with continuous information on material composition throughout the blending process. Continuous measurements enable operators to optimise blending strategies, maintain consistent furnace feed chemistry and improve overall process stability.
Applications
Material blending
Stockpile management
Blend optimisation
Feed consistency
Process feed chemistry control
Production planning
Consistent sinter chemistry is essential for maintaining blast furnace productivity and reducing process variability. Variations in sinter composition can affect furnace performance, fuel consumption and overall plant efficiency.
Scantech’s GEOSCAN-S uniquely measures B4 basicity (Si, Al, Ca, Mg) for optimised and unmatched sinter basicity control (e.g. limestone addition) for blast furnace feed. ReadiMoist TBM is used for moisture monitoring to determine dry tonnage.Â
Scantech’s analyser solutions continuously monitor sinter plant feed, sinter product conveyors and return fines, providing operators with timely information on material composition throughout the sintering process. Continuous measurements help optimise raw material blending, maintain consistent sinter quality and support more stable blast furnace operation.
Applications
Sinter feed monitoring
Sinter quality control
Return fines monitoring
Flux control
Product consistency
Process optimisation
Fuel quality plays a critical role in maintaining stable blast furnace operation, maximising productivity and controlling operating costs. Variations in coke quality can affect combustion efficiency, furnace permeability, hot metal quality and overall process stability.
COALSCAN 9500X is used to measure and control coal blending to produce a consistent coke product. Alternatives to coal can also be measured for improved coke quality control. Coke product from the ovens can be monitored using ReadiMoist CM 200 for residual moisture content prior to furnace feed for correct proportioning of coke to iron materials in each charge.
Scantech’s analyser solutions continuously monitor coal conveyors, stockpiles and reclaim conveyors, providing operators with continuous information on fuel quality and chemistry control throughout the production process. Continuous measurements enable operators to optimise material blending, maintain consistent furnace feed and identify quality variations before they impact blast furnace performance.
Applications
Coke quality monitoring
PCI coal monitoring
Ash monitoring
Moisture monitoring
Fuel consistency
Combustion optimisation
Maintaining consistent material quality is essential for stable production and efficient downstream processing as well as ensuring consistent final product quality.
GEOSCAN-S measures elements in ferrous scrap, Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) / Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI), pig iron, ferroalloys, carbon sources and fluxes used in EAF (electric arc furnace) feed. Measuring ferrous scrap allows contaminant levels to be identified and controlled through the proportioning of different scrap feed material streams and additives. Ideally scrap steel quality is measured once received and classified and stockpiled based on quality to provide flexibility when selecting sources for the EAF feed.
Scantech’s continuous analyser solutions continuously monitor transfer conveyors, stockyards, reclaim systems and plant feed conveyors, enabling operators to identify quality variations early, optimise material handling and maintain consistent production.
Applications
Transfer conveyor monitoring
Product consistency
Material tracking
Stockyard management
Feed optimisation
Quality assurance
Improve Moisture Control
Moisture plays an important role in material handling, blending and furnace efficiency throughout the steelmaking process. Variations in moisture can affect raw material consistency, material flow and overall plant performance.
ReadiMoist TBM microwave analysers are effective at moisture measurement on many raw materials such as non-magnetite ores, coal and fluxes. ReadiMoist CM200 is used for moisture measurement in coke, magnetite, DRI/HBI materials and scrap steel.
Scantech’s analyser solutions continuously monitor iron ore, coke, pellets and other bulk materials, providing operators with accurate moisture information throughout the production process. Continuous moisture measurements support improved process control, optimise material handling and help maintain consistent feed conditions for more stable and efficient steel production.
Applications
Moisture monitoring
Dry tonne calculations
Material handling
Blend optimisation
Process efficiency
Commercial reporting
Laboratory testing remains an essential part of quality assurance, providing highly accurate analysis of sampled materials. However, laboratory results are typically based on periodic samples and are only available after the material has already moved through the process.
Continuous online analysis complements laboratory testing by continuously monitoring the entire material stream as it is conveyed. This provides operators with immediate process information, enabling earlier identification of material changes, faster process adjustments and improved control over product quality and plant performance.
Limitations of Traditional Laboratory Testing
Periodic sample analysis
Delayed results
Limited sample representation
Primarily used for quality verification
Benefits of Continuous Online Analysis
Continuous measurement across the entire material stream
Immediate process information
Earlier identification of quality changes, particularly contaminant detection
Improved burden control
Better blending decisions
Reduced production variability through more consistent process feed quality
Increased furnace stability
Integrated steel plants differ in layout, raw material mix and control philosophy.
Each steel raw material analyser system is configured to align with site-specific process objectives, conveyor configuration and control systems. Measurement frequency and analyser specification are tailored to suit operational requirements.
Common locations include raw material conveyors feeding sinter plants, coke handling systems and blast furnace burden preparation belts. Analysers can also be used for scrap steel quality measurement to determine contaminant levels and acceptable blends for furnace feed.
Continuous elemental measurement supports better control of blend composition and basicity, helping reduce variability entering the blast furnace.
Yes. Systems are engineered for industrial applications including dense iron ore and flux materials. Other materials requiring measurement may include DRI/HBI pellets or briquettes or scrap steel.
No. Online systems provide continuous operational data, while laboratory analysis remains important for verification and reporting.
Yes. Moisture analysers are configured to suit conductive and dense materials typical in steel production environments. Scantech’s CM 200 is used successfully for moisture measurement in coke and magnetite.
