Annealing and tempering are two heat treatment processes that make steel more ductile and elastic. The coils that arrive at this production line are subsequently sent to the galvanising or tin plating lines, so controlling the temperature of the process is a key requirement.

The following short video details thow a few years ago, the ArcelorMittal Asturias technical team decided to change the pyrometers on the annealing line for new high-precision ones. The new pyrometers were incompatible with the old set up, as it made it difficult to correctly focus the pyrometer on the strip it is pointing at.

Steel Additive Manufacturing allowed the team, lead by Juan Pablo Alonso, to create a new design for the entire equipment. “This way”, he recalls, “we would not only achieve a more precise measurement, but we could also add other features to the system, such as a shut-off valve that would allow us to isolate the pyrometer from the nitrogen-inert atmosphere of the furnace in case we needed to perform any maintenance operations on it”.

In addition, Juan Pablo’s team redesigned the part including a new cooling system, using fins, to prevent heat conduction from the oven to the pyrometer, which increases the service life of the equipment, 3D-printed in AdamIQ™ 316L.

Steel Additive Manufacturing parts are performing in the harshest production conditions enhancing production quality and reliability, boosting productivity and delivering value-in-use.