I went to visit a steel mill or 2

I registered for the AISTech conference. Unfortunately I could not actually stay for the conference, but that was fine because registration for students was free. I did, however, get to go to 2 steel mills, also for free. The first was Nucor. We could not take any photos in there but there is a little video under "Our Story".

The second mill was Steel Dynamics. We could take photos there. This is a bar product mill doing a lot of specialty products.
From the outside.

The ladle after the useful steel was poured into the tundish on its way to the moulds. This thing is huge and hot and amazing.

The slag being pourd out to cool.


After the steel goes into the tundish, it is poured out of the bottom into three rectangular moulds. This is one of the pours.

The steel comes out the bottom of the three moulds in strips 14 inches wide and 8 inches thick. There is only about a half an inch solid skin and it is still molten inside.

By here it is fully solid and heading for cutting into about 20 foot lengths.

The start of the casting run heading for the first cut.

The stips are cooled outside.

Then they are heated back up in another furnace. This is the strip coming out of the furnace into the rollers.

The strip going through the first rollers.

Going through more water cooled rollers.



The bar almost at the end of all the rollers. It is going about 60 miles per hour here after starting at about 35 inches a minute out of the caster.

Me in front of the line.


After the Nucor tour, Nucor took us out to dinner at a Hibachi grill.



I stayed at the Hyatt. I got a great deal through expedia so got a nice hotel for a cheap price.