“OUR EMPLOYEES ARE OUR FOUNDATION, AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO FOSTERING A SAFE, SUPPORTIVE WORKPLACE FOR THEIR GROWTH. ESG IS NOT JUST PART OF OUR STRATEGY; IT IS OUR STRATEGY”
– TIM SAXON, CMO, RESONAC GRAPHITE BUSINESS UNIT
just one instrument in the orchestra that makes up the symphony of an EAF operation. The electrode’s performance is impacted by how the furnace operates, which is ultimately determined by the customer’s needs.
A SYMBIOTIC SYMPHONY
By acquiring AMI Automation (AMI), RGBU can help customers meet their business needs in real time through EAF optimization.
“This acts as a ‘digital conductor’ of the orchestra (the EAF) to achieve the optimum symphony (the EAF performance), with the electrode as the instrument,” Saxon analogizes.
When RGBU acquired AMI, many people viewed it as a paradox that a large, traditional electrode supplier would purchase an innovative technology company known for helping customers reduce their electrode consumption.
“We view our role as a way to serve our steelmaking partners better. As an electrode supplier for 80+ years, we have continually invested in R&D to manufacture the best products on the market. By utilizing AMI’s products and services, our customers can achieve peak performance from their EAF, including the electrode,” Saxon expresses.
“For decades, RGBU has manufactured premium GEs, but
their performance can be hindered by factors unrelated to the electrode in the furnace. Imagine a skilled, firstchair violinist playing a Stradivarius being drowned out by a novice in the back, honking on a cheap trumpet. The true quality of an electrode shines in a fully optimized EAF; thus, we see the RGBU and AMI partnership as a fusion of tradition and innovation.”
Within this partnership, RGBU can now work with customers in
NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK: WHAT SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS IS RGBU CURRENTLY UNDERTAKING?
Tim Saxon, CMO: “For years, AMI has benefited from its AMITech Center (ATC) in Monterrey, Mexico, where engineers monitor customer furnace performance in real time. This 24/7 service has become integral to customers’ operations, often alerting them to issues before their internal teams do.
“AMI has officially opened an ATC in A Coruña, Spain to provide our global customer base with enhanced support from top EAF optimization engineers.
“Additionally, we’ve introduced AMITech Talks, which are customerfocused events aimed at optimizing the EAF steelmaking process through interactive workshops on cutting-edge technologies, with the inaugural talk scheduled for May 20th-21st in A Coruña. These efforts reflect our commitment to innovation and collaboration within the global electric steelmaking community.”
other areas such as employee safety, supply chain management, and decarbonization.
Through collaborating with RGBU, AMI has additionally developed digital tools designed to detect potential issues with the furnace and electrodes.
These early warning indicators not only allow the furnace crew to react and mitigate issues but also provide an opportunity to clear the furnace floor, ensuring the safety of operators.
TRANSITIONING TO A NEW MARKET
After laying out a prudent and measured approach, RGBU has entered the electric vehicle (EV) battery business through its pilot plant in Spain.
While the GE and EV battery industries rely on synthetic graphite, they have different views on global supply and demand. The latter in particular recognizes the strategic importance of graphite and is taking steps to reduce dependence on one
region.
The EU and US classify graphite as a critical mineral essential for modern technologies and national security. In contrast to the locally rooted global steel and GE industries, which have consolidated over decades with over half of production in China, the EV battery market has rapidly expanded due to surging demand for EVs and synthetic graphite.
“The early, long-term projections for EVs resembled a modern-day gold rush, and China had the resources, capacity, and economic environment that allowed it to become the dominant supplier, producing 97 percent of the world’s battery anode materials by 2018,” Saxon comments.
As the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated geopolitical stability and supply chain resiliency, EV battery producers began diversifying their supplier base, particularly in the US and Europe, with the optimistic growth forecast suddenly leading to the same artificial gold rush in these regions.
of monetizing sustainable products.
“It’s evident that the future is green, yet the term is overused. Therefore, manufacturers must scrutinize investments carefully,” Saxon warns.
Indeed, while many support clean products, real investments require consumer willingness to contribute to the extra expense, or they just end up benefiting less responsible players.
“WE VIEW OUR ROLE AS A WAY TO SERVE OUR STEELMAKING PARTNERS BETTER. AS AN ELECTRODE SUPPLIER FOR 80+ YEARS, WE HAVE CONTINUALLY INVESTED IN R&D TO MANUFACTURE THE BEST PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET”
– TIM SAXON, CMO, RESONAC GRAPHITE BUSINESS UNIT
