In-process testing is required at several stages in the steelmaking process in order to achieve the tight chemistry tolerances demanded of high quality steel; sampling probes are directly inserted into the liquid steel to retrieve samples which cool to form “lollipops”, or discs about the diameter of a quarter

A Level 2 VAX computer systems tracks the movement of steel “heats” (batches) from Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) vessels, through Ladle Metallurgical Facilities (LMF), Vacuum Carbon Degasser (VCD), and billet or bloom Casters; operators at each of these facilities use EASON keypad display terminals to identify each lollipop sample sent via a pneumatic tube system to a centralized chemlab

Heat chemistry results are automatically displayed back on the shop floor in just minutes; the VAX maintains sample identity throughout all phases of the analytical process through real-time communication with the 8 EASON sending stations, 4 PCs, 3 LECO machines, and 2 nitrogen analyzers; chemistry results are archived on the VAX and transmitted to the Level 3 ERP system for quality assurance use in downstream steel processing and shipping operations

Reduced costs through chemlab manpower reductions

Reduced analysis time through more consistent and automated sample preparation and the ability to prioritize in-process tests ahead of lower priority magazine tests