Basic oxygen furnace
Over 99% oxygen
In the LD converter, pure oxygen (over 99%) from an air separation plant is blown onto the liquid hot metal through a water-cooled lance.
Source: EU BREF, Iron and Steel Production (2013).
Metals fabrication uses compressed air to power assembly stations, tools, controls and actuators, and primary metals use it for vacuum melting and hoisting, according to the US Department of Energy. Ultra Controlo supplies ULTRASEC refrigerated dryers and air receivers for metalworking and metallurgy, and the ULTRAOX VSA oxygen plant, whose datasheet lists industrial furnaces.
The US Department of Energy lists these uses of compressed air in metals fabrication and primary metals, and the use of air and gas in combustion and process operations.
Powering assembly stations and air tools on the line.
Pneumatic controls and actuators that move and hold parts.
Spraying, and injection moulding where it is part of the process.
Melting under vacuum, listed by the DOE for primary metals.
Air-powered hoisting of loads in primary metals plants.
Air and gas for combustion and process operations such as oxidation; for some of them, other power sources may cost less.
Source: US Department of Energy and Compressed Air Challenge, Improving Compressed Air System Performance: A Sourcebook for Industry, third edition (2016), Table 1.1.
The EU reference documents on best available techniques for iron and steel (2013) and for foundries (2024) describe these uses of oxygen.
In the LD converter, pure oxygen (over 99%) from an air separation plant is blown onto the liquid hot metal through a water-cooled lance.
Source: EU BREF, Iron and Steel Production (2013).
Oxygen lances and oxy-fuel burners are used more and more to assist the early stages of melting; oxygen also decarburises the melt and removes elements such as phosphorus and silicon.
Source: EU BREF, Iron and Steel Production (2013).
In cold blast cupolas the oxidising air mixture usually contains 22% to 25% oxygen, an enrichment of 1% to 4%; the BREF says the economic case has to be established case by case.
Source: EU BREF, Smitheries and Foundries (2024).
ULTRAOX VSA delivers 75% to 95% oxygen at 50 kPa, below the over 99% that the BREF describes for the LD converter. Sources: EU JRC BREFs (2013, 2024); ULTRAOX VSA datasheet.
Equipment we make, and equipment from the partner brands we supply, matched to the jobs in metal plants. Where a maker names the industry, the card says so; otherwise the match is our recommendation.
A stable +3 °C pressure dew point; the Ultra Controlo brochure lists metalworking among its uses.
Dryers200 to 10,000 litres, 11 to 48 bar, sized to steady the network and reduce load and unload cycles; listed for metallurgy.
Industrial overview75% to 95% oxygen at 50 kPa, on a skid or in a container; the datasheet lists industrial furnaces among its applications.
ULTRAOX VSAFor tools, assembly stations and actuators, we supply fixed (ESM) or variable (VS) speed screw compressors from 30 to 132 kW, with less than 3 ppm oil carryover in its 30 to 45 kW and 90 to 132 kW brochures, says Gardner Denver.
Gardner DenverFor cooling welding and cutting equipment, we supply closed-circuit water and oil chillers from 1/2 to 200 tons, for 60 Hz supply, which Gardner Denver lists on its US site for spot welders, lasers and plasma cutting.
Gardner DenverFor descaling, which Speck Triplex lists for rolling mills and the steel industry, we supply the plunger pumps it names for the job (P50, P62 to P71, P76 and P80), up to 500 l/min on the P80, says the maker.
Speck TriplexSources: Ultra Controlo Industrial 2026 catalogue, pp. 17 and 21; Ultra Controlo industrial brochure; ULTRASEC and ULTRAOX VSA datasheets; Gardner Denver, ESM VS 30-132 Series lubricated screw air compressors (EMEIA), 30 to 45 kW and 90 to 132 kW brochures, and XGCH Series process chillers (US site); Speck Triplex, Model Series P and fields of application pages.
Ultra Controlo is a Portuguese manufacturer of compressed air, vacuum and technical gas systems, with 40 years of experience. We design, assemble and test our own compressors, dryers and carbon towers in Portugal, and supply and service five partner brands.
ULTRASCREW compressors, ULTRASEC and ULTRADRY dryers and ULTRAK activated carbon towers.
Gardner Denver, Elmo Rietschle, Thomas, Speck Pumpen (Circutec and SPECK Neunkirchen) and Speck Triplex.
Preventive and corrective maintenance, original spare parts and emergency support, by our own team.
Source: Ultra Controlo Industrial 2026 catalogue, pp. 3, 10, 16, 17 and 22.
The US Department of Energy sourcebook (2016) lists assembly station and tool powering, controls and actuators, injection moulding and spraying in metals fabrication, and vacuum melting, controls and actuators and hoisting in primary metals.
The DOE sourcebook (2016) lists open blowing for cooling and bearing cooling among potentially inappropriate uses of compressed air, with alternatives such as blowers and electric fans.
The 2013 EU iron and steel BREF describes pure oxygen, over 99%, from an air separation plant, blown onto the liquid hot metal through a water-cooled lance.
For cold blast cupolas, the 2024 EU foundries BREF says the oxygen level of the oxidising air mixture is usually 22% to 25%, an enrichment of 1% to 4%.
The ULTRAOX VSA datasheet lists industrial furnaces among its applications. The plant delivers 75% to 95% oxygen at 50 kPa, with an additional oxygen booster for higher pressures on demand. Ultra Controlo also makes ULTRASEC dryers and supplies air receivers, which its brochure lists for metalworking and for metallurgy. For the rest of the plant, it recommends Gardner Denver ESM and VS screw compressors and XGCH process chillers (the chillers from the Gardner Denver US site), and Speck Triplex plunger pumps, which the maker lists for descaling in rolling mills.
The process, the air demand, the pressure and the hours per day, or the furnace you want to enrich. We reply with the equipment that fits.
