Quality and service | Feralpi Group

Steel manufacture using electric arc furnace technology uses various metals and materials, including lime, iron alloys and refractory materials. Scrap is the most important of all, with more than 90% constituting the heart of what we produce and sell, depending on the year.

The quality of scrap is therefore a major priority for the Group, and this is why we have a certified quality management system.

We only buy from qualified suppliers, and carefully check incoming scrap for any non-compliance issues, which are promptly reported to the supplier.

All products are assessed to ensure compliance with labelling standards and transparency of information. Products are named in line with national and European directives and standards. Each product has a label showing an ID code, the quality level stipulated by standards, the reference standards, dimensional references, a barcode, and the identifying symbol issued by the standards organisations. The accuracy of labels is checked by inspection and certification bodies. We provide a UNI EN 10204:2005 test certificate for various product types through a qualification certificate.

Products are tracked through package labelling and delivery documents. Furthermore, Italian products are heat branded to guarantee their origin.

To support the quality management system, we invest in Research & Development that focuses on both the ind¬ividual phases of the process and the entire production chain, as in the case of the Quality Integration project.

SUPPORTCAST

To improve the quality of semi-finished products

We are developing new components to improve internal billet quality in partnership with Milan Polytechnic, while simultaneously developing and applying Industry 4.0 criteria as process simulations. This includes the implementation of systems to detect surface defects, through monitoring systems and self-learning, post-processing software. This four-year project is co-funded by the EU through the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS).
QUALITY INTEGRATION

To develop quality in special steels

Product quality is achieved if all phases of the process are monitored. In line with this aim we strive to quickly identify the origin of defects to reduce their occurrence, direct products to their destination with regard to their product quality class beforehand, notify the other upstream/downstream processes of the presence of anomalies, learn from data analysis and any correlations, and implement corrective actions to improve management of the process.
CONSOLCAST

To prevent defects and interruptions in the casting phase

To prevent billet defects and solidification anomalies that could break casts, we have implemented a real time solidification simulator designed to keep casting conditions stable and, using software technologies, new sensors are also being developed, to monitor casting conditions in ingot moulds and exiting machines, to find new applications useful for process control.