by Farabi Nishi
Slag carryover and unreliable material separation is costing more than you think. Control it in real time!
Slag carryover during tapping is a well-known challenge in steelmaking, often invisible in real time, yet highly impactful on quality, equipment, and process stability. When separating precious metals, unreliable slag removal can also lead to costly material waste.
SL-Inspector was developed to change that. By analyzing the thermal behavior of the melt stream with infrared technology, the system detects the transition from clean steel / other metals to slag as it happens. This gives operators the ability to respond instantly, minimizing losses and protecting both product quality and equipment, right when it matters most.
For plants looking for the highest level of accuracy, we recommend using SL-Inspector together with the AT IRSX640, ThermoView TV36 GigE Vision and DIAS PyroView infrared cameras as part of the SelVision monitoring solution. With different spectral ranges, the high-resolution thermal imaging and live infrared video make changes in the tapping stream clearly visible, helping operators respond quickly and with confidence.
Beyond real-time detection, SL-Inspector supports stable and repeatable operations through seamless automation integration. The system offers OPC communication, material-specific parameter handling, and automatic video documentation for each tapping operation. Structured access levels and built-in diagnostics ensure secure use and long-term system reliability, while the AI-ready framework provides a foundation for future process optimization and predictive analytics.
Built to fit your plant, not the other way around
At the same time, its open architecture allows it to work with a wide range of infrared devices, making it easy to integrate into existing plant setups or expand across multiple furnace lines with different technical configurations. Although we recommend the state-of-the-art IRSX,TV30 and PyroView cameras, any device can be combined with the SL-Inspector with minimal downtime. The result is greater flexibility today and better investment security for the future.
For continuous operation in harsh industrial environments, we also provide various housing options for the devices that work with the SL-Inspector. Due to the nature of steel-making, we look to ensure your devices perform reliably under complex scenarios, like extreme temperatures, dust exposure and vibration. Our housing options include stainless steel builds, cooling and air purge.
Slag may be part of steelmaking, but losing control over it doesn’t have to be. With our SL-Inspector, a hidden cost becomes a visible, manageable process for your plant, helping protect equipment, stabilize production, and improve overall efficiency.
Contact our expert and turn your plant challenges into results today!