As steel producers seek lower operating costs, cleaner production, and higher automation levels, electric reheating furnaces are becoming an increasingly attractive alternative to traditional oil- and gas-fired furnaces.
Key Advantages of Electric Reheating Furnaces
Lower Operating Cost
By utilizing electricity as the heat source, electric reheating furnaces can significantly reduce energy consumption and production costs under favorable power pricing conditions.
Key benefits include:
- Reduced energy consumption cost
- Lower production cost per ton
- Improved plant profitability
- Enhanced long-term operational stability
These advantages help steel mills strengthen their competitiveness in an increasingly demanding market.
Cleaner Working Environment
Compared with conventional combustion furnaces, electric reheating furnaces provide a cleaner and more comfortable production environment.
Benefits include:
- Lower workshop temperature
- Reduced smoke and emissions
- Cleaner operating conditions
- Improved workplace environment for employees
Easy Automation and Digital Integration
Electric reheating furnaces are well suited for integration with modern automation and digital control systems, supporting the development of smart steel plants.
Advantages include:
- Stable and accurate temperature control
- Easier automatic operation
- Compatibility with digital monitoring systems
- Improved production management efficiency
Two Types of Electric Reheating Furnaces
SME offers two electric reheating furnace designs: Tunnel-Type and Lateral-Pusher-Type (Lateral Pusher). The selection depends on project-specific conditions such as plant layout, power supply, production capacity, and billet charging method.
| Item | Tunnel-Type | Lateral Pusher Type |
| Heating Capacity (Cold Billet) | Up to 40 t/h | 10–60 t/h |
| Billet Temperature Uniformity | ≤40°C | ≤30°C |
| Power Consumption (Cold Billet) | ~450 kWh/t | ~350 kWh/t |
| Footprint | Larger | More compact |
| Operators per Shift | 6 | 5 |
| Hot Charging from CCM | Better suitability | Limited suitability |
| Handling Rolling Line Interruptions | Billets must be discharged and reheated, resulting in heat loss | Heating power can be reduced and billets remain in furnace, allowing quicker production restart |
Each furnace type has its own advantages. SME evaluates the customer’s production requirements, site conditions, and energy strategy to recommend the most suitable solution.
