Gwangyang Steelworks, Complete Digitalization of Refractory Management

Ensuring Both Equipment Quality and Safety

Preventing Erosion Accidents and Enhancing Stability

POSCO Gwangyang Steelworks (Head Lee Jin-su) announced that it has started operating the ‘Digital Refractory Integrated Management System,’ which enables real-time management of refractory data, achieving the ‘two rabbits’ of improving steelworks equipment quality and enhancing safety.

Refractory materials are special materials that can withstand high temperatures and play a crucial role in preventing equipment that holds or transports molten metal from melting or burning at temperatures above approximately 1500℃.

Employees of Gwangyang Steelworks are holding an inauguration ceremony for the digital refractory comprehensive management system that collects and manages refractory data in real time, and are taking a commemorative photo.
Photo by Gwangyang Steelworks

The ‘Digital Refractory Integrated Management System’ that manages these refractory materials is a system that monitors refractory-using equipment in real time.

Until now, Gwangyang Steelworks has collected related data not only from its own sources but also from refractory suppliers and operational departments. However, all of this was done manually, limiting accurate data analysis. To overcome the limitations of manual data management, the ‘Refractory Integrated Management System’ was independently developed to improve the speed of refractory quality enhancement through a computer-based data management system.

With this system, all vessels within Gwangyang Steelworks can be monitored in real time, and refractory data can be analyzed, which is expected to greatly contribute to improving refractory quality and enhancing equipment safety.

Due to the nature of vessels exposed to high temperatures, it is difficult to directly assess the internal refractory condition. In this case, using the real-time monitoring system allows the refractory condition to be analyzed by computer.

In particular, equipment using refractory materials may experience accidents where the equipment melts or burns due to refractory erosion caused by the hot molten metal. Since molten metal can leak outside the equipment, predicting the remaining life of the refractory is very important for securing equipment safety.

The newly introduced system can measure the amount of refractory erosion and analyze erosion factors. Based on the collected data, refractory quality can be continuously improved, and accidents where molten metal leaks outside the equipment can be prevented in advance.

Park Jong-hwa, head of the Labor Group at Gwangyang Steelworks, said, “With the newly established digital integrated management system, we have achieved the dual benefits of improving equipment quality and securing safety.” He added, “Going forward, Gwangyang Steelworks will continue efforts to build POSCO as a corporate citizen contributing to the local community based on the two core values of quality and safety.”

Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik hss79@asiae.co.kr

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.