METEC

Attendees, exhibitors & solutions

Who this event is for

New this edition

• 1

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  Recent METEC edition cycles have been staged at Messe Düsseldorf together with the co-located GIFA, THERMPROCESS and NEWCAST fairs under the Bright World of Metals banner, so one badge covers foundry, thermoprocess, castings and metallurgy halls.

• 2

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  Hydrogen-based reduction, electric steelmaking and CO2-reduction technology moved from the congress stage into exhibitor technology displays in recent editions, with plant builders presenting retrofit and greenfield concepts side by side.

• 3

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  Process automation, digital twins, sensor monitoring and AI-assisted plant control showed up more strongly alongside classic furnace, caster and rolling-mill engineering.

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Frequently asked

Glossary

1

Process metallurgy

The branch of metallurgy covering extraction and refining of metals from ores, including ironmaking, steelmaking and casting. It is the core scope of the METEC halls in Düsseldorf.

2

Blast furnace (BF-BOF route)

A shaft furnace in which iron ore, coke and fluxes are reduced at high temperature to produce hot metal, which is then refined in a basic oxygen furnace. The dominant primary steelmaking route worldwide and a recurring theme in METEC plant-engineering exhibits.

3

Direct reduced iron (DRI)

Iron produced by reducing iron ore in the solid state with natural gas or hydrogen, without melting. Often called sponge iron and used as feedstock for electric arc furnaces.

4

Hydrogen-based direct reduction (H2-DRI)

A DRI process that uses hydrogen instead of natural gas as the reducing agent, producing iron with much lower CO2 emissions. A leading decarbonisation pathway discussed across recent METEC editions.

5

Electric arc furnace (EAF)

A furnace that melts scrap or DRI using an electric arc between electrodes. Central to scrap-based and low-carbon steelmaking strategies.

6

Basic oxygen furnace (BOF)

A converter vessel in which oxygen is blown into molten hot metal to lower carbon content and produce crude steel. Typical of integrated steelworks.

7

Secondary metallurgy (ladle metallurgy)

Treatment of liquid steel after primary melting, such as degassing, alloying and temperature control, to reach the exact composition and cleanliness required by the final product.

8

Continuous casting

Casting of molten steel into semi-finished shapes (slabs, blooms, billets) through a water-cooled mould in an uninterrupted strand, replacing traditional ingot casting.

9

Sintering and pelletising

Agglomeration processes that convert fine iron ore into sinter or pellets with the right size, strength and chemistry for blast furnace or DRI charging.

10

Coke and coke ovens

Metallurgical coke is produced by carbonising coal in coke ovens and serves as fuel, reductant and support material in the blast furnace.

11

Rolling mill

Equipment that shapes semi-finished steel through hot or cold rolling into strip, plate, sections, bar or wire, controlling thickness, profile and mechanical properties.

12

Refractory materials

Heat-resistant linings used in furnaces, ladles and converters that protect steel shells from molten metal, slag and thermal shock. Refractory suppliers are a regular exhibitor group at metallurgy fairs.

13

Slag and by-product valorisation

Recovery and reuse of blast furnace, steel and ladle slag as cement clinker substitute, road aggregate or fertiliser, reducing landfill and CO2 in the wider value chain.

14

Green steel / low-CO2 steel

Steel produced through routes with substantially lower carbon intensity, such as hydrogen DRI with EAF melting or scrap-based EAF, often backed by power purchase agreements for renewable electricity.

15

Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS)

Technologies that capture CO2 from process gases or flue gas for storage or reuse. Presented as a bridging measure for existing integrated steelworks.

16

Digital twin and process automation

Virtual models of furnaces, casters or rolling lines fed by sensor data, used to predict quality, optimise energy use and schedule maintenance in metallurgical plants.