PLATE PRODUCTION USING CONTROLLED PRESSURE POURING AT OREGON STEEL MILLS.

Among the obstacles which the company faced were scrap availability, scrap quality and the high capital investment required for conventional plate processing equipment. Direct reduction of iron ore was in the development stages in the 1960's, and Oregon evaluated several processes. The Midrex proccess was chosen as best suited for the operating conditions. To overcome the high capital investment required for conventional plate processing, Oregon investigated both continuous slab casting and Amsted's controlled pressure pouring. While it had not yet been proved on carbon steel production, pressure pouring possessed several characteristics which gave it an edge over continuous casting at Oregon. Being a batch process, pressure pouring could be sized to meet initial production requirements, yet be designed to allow incremental expansion as production requirements grew. This led to a more favorable investment cost/annual ton than continuous slab casters. Pressure pouring units also possess greater size flexibility than continuous casting, a major consideration in Oregon's original plans to produce 4 multiplied by 100-in. slabs for plate rolling.