The tool is a new take on the association’s The Making, Shaping and Treating of Steel Wheel, which is a printed, graphical reference that shows all of the stages in steelmaking, from the heating of steel's three fundamental ingredients -- iron, limestone and coke, to the making of finished goods.

“The original AIST Steel Wheel shows the most common processes in concentric circles so the viewer can visualize the different production routes. The Online Steel Wheel has added descriptive text and three-dimensional imagery to each part of the Wheel, giving the viewer a richer experience in seeing how steel is made,” said Brian Bliss, AIST’s general manager of technology services, in a statement.

“We hope that this tool will provide insight and understanding to anyone wanting to learn more about steel manufacturing or to just see what happens inside a steel mill,” he said.

AIST collaborated with Purdue University Calumet’s Center for Innovation Through Visualization and Simulation (CIVS) and the Colorado School of Mines’ Advanced Steel Processing and Products Research Center to create the online tool.

CIVS is a multi-disciplinary center that combines advanced simulation techniques with 3D visualization and virtual reality technologies. CIVS has been globally recognized by its integrated and application-driven approaches to solve real-world problems.

“Our students truly enjoyed working closely with the AIST staff on this project. They were excited to collaborate with industry experts and apply their knowledge to this very useful and important tool to further advance the steel industry,” said Chenn Zhou, CIVS’ director.

To check out The Making, Shaping and Treating of Steel Wheel, click here.