Posco turns to smart technology for steel revival

Home > Business > Guest Reports

Posco turns to smart technology for steel revival

Published: 28 May. 2025, 17:53

Posco employees celebrate the successful one-touch converter operation at Gwangyang Works’ steelmaking plant in October 2024. [POSCO]

Posco is advancing its digital transformation strategy to overcome challenges in the steel industry, including cheap imports, global trade tensions and environmental regulations.

Chairman Chang In-hwa has identified “steel competitiveness reconstruction” as one of Posco’s seven future innovations, aiming to lead the digital transformation of the steel industry.

Posco’s Intelligent Factory technology goes beyond traditional smart factory automation by automatically collecting and analyzing big data from all processes and enabling automated decision-making. This transformation is designed to achieve greater cost ef-ficiency, quality and safety across manufacturing operations.

The Gwangyang steel plant showcases key innovations demonstrating collaboration between humans, AI and robotics.

The company has successfully automated its converter refining process, reducing manual operations from 25 steps to a single touch. This technology addresses challenges in steelmaking, where operators previously had to carefully control danger-ous processes involving 300-ton batches of molten steel at temperatures exceeding 1,600 degrees Celsius (2,912 degrees Fahrenheit).

After seven years of development since 2018, Posco’s steelmaking department and R&D Institute created a system that combines IoT-based video monitoring with AI learning algorithms. The technology uses Posco’s AI heat balance model to analyze operational data including molten iron temperature, composition and converter conditions to determine the optimal refining methods.

This innovation has improved temperature and composition accuracy while reducing steelmaking defect rates. It also enhances worker safety through remote operation capabilities.

In addition, the company has implemented Smart Fool Proof systems that combine Lidar sensors and AI-powered CCTV to enhance workplace safety. Lidar sensors automatically activate barriers when workers are detected in crane zones, while AI-trained cameras distinguish between personnel and equipment to prevent accidents. The AI system has been trained on thousands of images to accurately recognize workers, cranes and vehicles.

Posco has also developed an advanced predictive maintenance system for its Sub Lance equipment. The model measures critical parameters in molten steel including tempera-ture, carbon and oxygen content. A cooling water abnormality prediction model uses real-time monitoring and data analysis algorithms to detect potential equipment failures up to 14 hours in advance.

BY LEE YEBIN [[email protected]]

What is “Promoted Content”?

“Promoted Content” articles are written by our staff reporters. They are promoted to some extent by an external company.

Promoted Content is not the same as “Guest Reports,” which are paid advertorials.
Our reporters and editors retain complete editorial independence in the conception and production of Promoted Content.