ABS produces one of the widest ranges of engineering special steels in Europe, in terms of both quality and dimension. The plant is equipped with two melting lines. The first is composed of a 100-tonne AC electric furnace whereas the second one features a 100-tonne DC electric furnace. Depending on the different cycles, the production is completed with the refining process outside the melting furnace and with vacuum degassing, in order to guarantee particularly low hydrogen content.
 
The 100-tonne AC furnace is equipped with a 75 MVA transformer and since 2007, MORE Module Technology chemical energy package (burners, oxygen, carbon and lime injection system) has been in operation with highly satisfactory results.
 
In order to improve the efficiency of the post combustion, optimize the melting process and have in operation a reliable and accurate detection system for any water leakages inside the shell, ABS decided to award MORE and Danieli for the supply of an integrated process control based on LINDARC off-gas analysis system.  
 
This well proven technology, with lasers installed on the movable duct, just after the roof elbow, uses the technique of “Tuneable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy” (TDLAS) to perform real-time measurements for the furnace off-gas atmosphere tracking CO, CO₂, H₂O and off-gas temperature.
 
The laser measurement technique guarantees precise and quick results (less than 2 seconds) even with a very high dust content and high off-gas temperature. The measurements are made on the real off-gas volume: no sampling, drying or filtering are needed as per conventional extractive systems. The sturdy design and the high quality manufacturing equipment, allows for a highly accurate and reliable off-gas monitoring system over time.
 
So far, the LINDARC system has proven its reliability resulting in maintenance free operation, and the optimization of carbonaceous fuels combustion with subsequent electric energy, oxygen and natural gas reduction.
 
Real time water gas concentration tracking is processed by a smart and self-learning adaptive detection system that warns the operator in case of undesirable and harmful water leaks in the furnace. This unique feature improves the safety level.
 
A closed-loop control system operates for the dynamic control of the chemical energy package and for a future installation of dedicated post-combustors to perform CO, H₂ and CH₄ combustion into the EAF furnace shell.
 
An intelligent process supervisor has been integrated in the system by Danieli Automation based on its 3Q-Intelligence. The system is a self-learning and adaptive optimizer. It is currently under training and in a short time it will be able to evolve the static melting profiles to the best performing and adapted to the ever-changing scrap based steel production.
 
It will also be able to dynamically adjust the carbon boil through the decarburization oxygen modulation to obtain the target steel grade with the minimum iron loss. 
 
The expected results are a reduction in electric energy consumption of 15 kWh/t and 1.5 min in power-on with a payback of less than 10 months. Additional benefits will be obtained from carbon credits by the reduction of the environmental footprint, too.
 
Furthermore MORE, Danieli, Danieli Automation and ABS tech teams are cooperating and developing together additional furnace control process modules to improve the dynamic control of all the melting phases, as well as improving operational safety and reducing transformation costs.