Start up of an ESR plant and simulation model

The ESR (electroslag remelting) process is achieving much more importance in the heavy forgings manufacturing especially employed in the power industry. The aim of this article is a quality analyses of a high alloyed steel which was remelted in a new generation plant. Beside this, the development of a simulation model which enable to obtain the circulating current, the stirring force and the temperature profile responsible of the dendritic growth. The ingot was remelted by a big size plant whose startup is still on going; the products can reach 150 t of weight, 2000 mm of diameter and 6000 mm of length. The analyses verifies the metallurgical standards achieved in order to justify the economical investment necessary to acquire the technology. The simulation model should be the start point of the development for a useful instrument that can decrease the cost of an experimental campaign.