Optimizing production

Alexander Schlemminger* discusses the ‘expanding global presence’ of QuantoLux, which looks to revolutionize EAF, BOF, and LF operations through the use of its rapid slag analysis.

1. How are things going at QuantoLux? Is the steel industry keeping you busy?

The steelmaking industry is experiencing a growing demand for change, resulting in an influx of requests. We are actively working on converting this demand into a feasible plan to serve our customers promptly. Our efforts include attracting top talent, securing reliable suppliers, and scheduling the construction of our company building in Kleve. In summary, we are fully occupied with these tasks.

2. What is your view on the current state of the global steel industry?

The steelmaking industry has played a crucial role in industrialization for centuries, with significant strategic and political implications. It is now at a crossroads, with a need for a complete transformation in a relatively short period – even less than half the average lifetime of its primary equipment, the blast furnace. This transformation will have far-reaching consequences, rendering former knowhow irrelevant, much like the shift from combustion to electric engines in the automotive industry. It is imperative for the steelmaking industry to adapt and evolve quickly to meet the demands of the future.

3. In which sector of the steel industry does QuantoLux mostly conduct its business?

Our rapid slag analysis technology is revolutionizing EAF, BOF, and LF operations by revealing previously concealed information. Steel mills can now adapt to in-situ deviations in real-time, enhancing yield, product quality, and process efficiency.

4. Where in the world are you busiest at present?

Over the past year, the development and market implementation of our latest product, the QLX9 rapid slag analyzer, has been a top priority, starting with Germany and followed by other European countries. We’re excited to announce that due to high demand from our global partners, we’ll be taking the QLX9 beyond Europe in 2023, with Turkey and the USA being our next destinations. In 2024, we plan to introduce the QLX9 to the first Asian countries. Stay tuned for more updates on our expanding global presence! the aluminium and steel industries. While both materials have their advantages, one key advantage of steel is the presence of real recycling processes already in place. In the aluminium making, we mostly rely on down-cycling and refer to it as recycling. For instance, a car door made of aluminium cannot be turned into another car door. On the other hand, with precise pyrometallurgical treatment in steelmaking, a rebar steel can be transformed into a car body part in its next life and back. This is a significant advantage, however, as technologies for high-purity aluminium sorting continue to develop, the gap between the recycling capabilities of aluminium and steel is gradually narrowing.

7. What are your views on Industry 4.0 and steelmaking and how, if at all, is QuantoLux using it?

5. Can you discuss any major steel contracts you are currently working on?

We work with five existing clients, all of which are either integrated or electric steel mills that prioritize energy and resource efficiency. As our customers seek to use more secondary resources, our rapid slag analysis technology becomes essential in managing process variations safely, without compromising quality or efficiency.

6. Where does QuantoLux stand on the aluminium versus steel argument? At QuantoLux, we are present in both

The steel industry must embrace ‘Industry 4.0’ swiftly for efficient use of equipment and advanced decision-making tools, as outdated steelmaking methods won’t suffice in the future. Our QLX9 provides valuable data for simulations and decisionmaking, meeting Industry 4.0 standards. By establishing digital homogenization of data instead of physical homogenization of samples within our product, we enable a quantum leap in improvement. At our company, we prioritize software development that aligns with Industry 4.0 standards, including a unified architecture that enables seamless integration of our products into modern manufacturing processes. We recognize the importance of interoperability and communication across different operating systems and strive to provide added value for our users by ensuring compatibility with various platforms.

8. Hydrogen steelmaking appears to be the next big thing. What’s your view?

Hydrogen is being touted as a versatile solution for a wide range of problems, including steelmaking and vehicle power. However, it is important to avoid viewing it as a universal solution that simply shifts the problem of limited energy supply from one source to another. Steelmakers should also be aware that the use of hydrogen represents a major change in existing processes, rendering previously developed strategies obsolete. The use of DRI/HBI, for example, significantly increases treatment times in the EAF. To address these challenges, new ways of adjusting processes are needed. This is where rapid slag analysis can be helpful, as in-situ analysis values enable highly volatile processes to be operated with little experience and optimized for the best possible results.

9. In your dealings with steel producers, are you finding that they are looking to companies like QuantoLux to offer them solutions in terms of energy efficiency and sustainability? If so, what can you offer them?

Steel producers seek practical solutions to enhance their processes, yet the conservative and demanding nature of the industry poses a challenge. To gain their trust, we’ve comprehensively understood their requirements and customized our Rapidslag analyzer to meet their demands for practicality. Additionally, we provide tools like the slag knock-off funnel, which streamlines and expedites sampling to further enhance the overall process.

10. How quickly has the steel industry responded to ‘green politics’ in terms of making the production process more environmentally friendly and are they succeeding or fighting a losing battle?

I think the turn to ‘green politics’ has been rather fast. And I think that is reasonable, since green steel will be a valuable business case in the long term as well.

11. Where does QuantoLux lead the field in terms of steel production technology?

Our QLX9 analyzer provides the fastest, reliable slag composition analysis on the market. In the past, analysis took over 10 minutes, but our analyzer can provide accurate results in just six seconds, which surpasses previous approaches by a factor of 10. This is crucial because the slag holds important information about the steelmaking process, allowing for a more precise choice of process windows and immediate adaptation to deviations. By optimizing slag composition, energy consumption, iron yield, and other factors in EAF, BOF, and LF can be significantly improved.

12. How do you view QuantoLux’s development over the short-tomedium term in relation to the global steel industry?

Our latest product is in high demand due to its revolutionary character and the need for improvements in the steel industry. We are prioritizing the markets we target and will accelerate the global roll-out as demand fluctuates. This strategy will ensure sustainable growth over the next three to five years, independent of the global steel economy.

13. Where do you see most innovation in terms of production technologies – primary, secondary or more downstream?

While I personally observe significant advancements and progress in primary and secondary steelmaking, I acknowledge that my perspective may be biased as our solution is centred around that domain, and therefore, may not be universally applicable.

14. How optimistic are you for the global steel industry going forward and what challenges face global producers in the short-to-medium term?

History has taught that turbulent and uncertain times can offer significant opportunities for innovative and adaptable individuals and organizations. Similarly, in the steel industry today, companies that invest in cutting-edge technologies rather than remaining complacent have tremendous potential for success.

15. QuantoLux is headquartered in Germany; what’s happening steel-wise in the country?

While energy costs remain a concern for steel producers, they have decreased by approximately 50-70% since reaching an all-time high at the end of 2022. While this has eased the existential fear for many producers, there remains a necessity for optimization within the industry. To this end, there are a wide range of activities underway to drive improvements and efficiencies across the sector.

16. Apart from strong coffee, what keeps you awake at night?

Thanks to our resilient supply chain and strong customer demand, I can easily break from my daily routine. However, my lack of sleep is typically caused by our two young children who tend to stay up during the early morning hours and resist going to sleep.

17. If you possessed a superpower, how would you use it to improve the global steel industry?

I would look into the future and find out which green-steel approach turned out to be the perfect fit. Based on that knowledge, I would work on the steel industry taking the right path to the future. �