Steelmaking
Process

The process of making a semi-product, a Square Billet, includes melting steel scrap to remove impurities and casting the Square Billets through adjustment of chemical composition. Daehan Steel produces 1.4 million tons of Square Billets a year.

STEP 1Charging Steel Scrap into the Electric Furnace
Transporting steel scrap in the basket for charging Transporting steel scrap in the basket for charging

Steel scrap is considered one of the most important resources which accounts for more than about 70 percent of the manufacturing costs of steel products in steelmaking process. Daehan Steel is striving for the stable supply and management of steel scrap, and carrying out strict inspections throughout the entire process from sourcing to charging into the furnace in order to generate high-quality steel products.

STEP 2Electric Furnace (Smelting)
Steel tapping in primary melting Steel tapping in primary melting

The electric furnace stage is called a smelting process of melting steel scrap into molten metal. An electric furnace uses electricity to heat steel scrap. Depending on heating methods, it is divided into arc-type furnaces and DC (direct current)-based furnaces. Daehan Steel utilizes the electric arc furnace to melt steel scrap and removes impurities to generate steel during this process.

STEP 3Refining
Maintaining the temperature of molten steel at between 1,550 and 1,600 °C Maintaining the temperature of molten steel at between 1,550 and 1,600 °C

The ladle serves to increase the temperature of the molten metal transported from the electric furnace and adjust the composition of five chemical properties of steel including C, Mn, Si, P and S in accordance with the related regulations. The properties and temperature of steel are significant factors to decide the quality and shapes of steel. Daehan Steel performs stringent testing to maintain the optimal chemical composition of steel. Moreover, we improve the stability and productivity of the subsequent continuous casting process by maintaining the molten steel temperature at between 1,550 and 1,600 °C.

STEP 4Continuous Casting
Billet solidification during continuous casting Billet solidification during continuous casting

This is a process of making the ladle-refined steel into billets. Throughout the continuous casting, the steel that has so far remained liquid is solidified into a shape. The semi-finished billet is utilized to produce a wide range of products after various processes.

STEP 5Transfer
The finished billets The finished billets

Billets made in the continuous casting process are fed into the mill through an automatic transfer system. Daehan Steel has a capacity of 1.4 million tons of billets annually.