Metec-Estad 2023

Vesuvius comprises two Divisions, Steel and Foundry. The Steel Division operates as three business lines: Steel Flow Control, Steel Advanced Refractories, and Steel Sensors & Probes.

The Steel Flow Control business unit supplies the global steel industry with consumable ceramic products, systems, robotics, digital services and technical services. These products are used to contain, control and monitor the flow of molten steel in the continuous casting process. The consumable ceramic products that Vesuvius supplies have a short service life (often a matter of a few hours) due to the significant wear caused by the extremely demanding environment in which they are used. These products must withstand extreme temperature changes, whilst resisting liquid steel and slag corrosion. In addition, the ceramic parts in contact with the liquid steel must not in any way contaminate it. The quality, reliability and consistency of these products and the associated robotic solutions and digital services we provide are therefore critical to the quality of the finished metal being produced and the productivity, profitability and safety of our customers’ processes.

The Steel Advanced Refractories business unit supplies complete value-added solutions to its customers including specialist refractory materials and advanced installation technologies which harness mechatronic solutions, computational fluid dynamics capabilities and lasers. The specialist refractory materials are subject to extreme temperatures, corrosion and abrasion, they are in the form of powder mixes, which are spray-applied or cast onto the vessel to be lined (‘monolithics’) and refractory shapes (e.g. bricks, pads, dams and other larger precast shapes). The service life of the products that Advanced Refractories supplies into the steel-making process can vary (some a matter of hours and others for a period of years) based upon the type of refractory and the level of wear caused by the demanding environment in which they are used. An integral part of our success depends on our best-in-class installation technologies which improve the consistency and performance of installed Vesuvius refractories, as well as the high level of collaboration with our customers.

The Steel Sensors & Probes business unit offers products to our customers to enable them to make their underlying processes more efficient and reliable. The business unit focuses on providing a range of products that enhance the control and monitoring of our customers’ production processes, complementing Vesuvius’ strong presence and expertise in molten metal engineering. This aims to create new technologies that can be integrated into expert process management systems. These products include temperature sensors, oxygen, hydrogen and sublance probes, iron oxide and metal sampling for the steel, aluminium and foundry industries. By using these technologies, customers can focus on critical parameters within their processes, enabling them to refine their production methods to improve quality, lower production costs and maximise efficiency.