MQA Q & A

Dr. Kent Peaslee speaks out about the MQA

ASPEX is proud of its newly established partnership with Dr. Kent Peaslee of The Missouri University of Science and Technology. Kent is a manufacturing and process metallurgist, with over 13 years of experience in the melting, casting, forming and environmental aspects of the steel industry. Dr. Peaslee has incorporated the ASPEX MQA into current research projects at MS&T, as well as into the University curriculum to give his students a head-start on this state of the art technology.

What are some typical steel making/refining processes that the ASPEX MQA is capable of monitoring?

The ASPEX MQA is a tool used by steelmakers whether integrated, scrap-based or foundries producing castings to evaluate the inclusion content at any point of the operation. This allows steelmakers to quickly see the effects of a process change on the inclusion content of the product, whether it is liquid steel in the furnace, ladle, or mold. For example, some steelmakers have used this tool to evaluate and minimize problems with nozzle clogging in continuous casting by studying the effect of process changes on the number of inclusions that are solid at casting temperatures. This tool is also effective in evaluating the effectiveness of any process change on inclusion number, size, shape and composition.

How are you applying the ASPEX MQA in your curriculum for the next generation of metallurgists?

We are exploring different types of deoxidation and reoxidation practices in a variety of different and novel procedures. Utilizing the ASPEX MQA at Missouri S&T, our metallurgical engineering students are better able to understand the effects that these types of practices have on steel quality by observing the differences in the number, size and composition of the inclusions throughout the process. Of course the students also have an appreciation for the accuracy and time advantages of automation as opposed to identifying, sizing and counting inclusions individually/manually.

How would a typical foundry benefit from employing the ASPEX MQA?

Currently, this technology has been applied to several foundry applications. However, with the MQA’s speed and information that it provides, we are expanding our efforts in many foundry areas to evaluate the source of inclusions in the final product. In addition, the data supports the use of the MQA for evaluating the effects of pouring practices, mold quality and gating design. Having quantitative analysis of the number, size, and composition of inclusions helps foundry operators pinpoint areas in the process that affect the final casting quality.

Please describe the evolution of quality analysis in the steel industry and what do you feel the next step may be?

In contrast to manual inclusion inspections, the ASPEX MQA system provided a method of quickly analyzing the cleanliness of a sample and standardizing the testing. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the inclusion in any sample in a standardized (but customizable) format to quality professionals in less than an hour, and in some cases, less than 30 minutes- analysis that would have taken technicians days to produce with standard microscopy. This not only speeds up the analysis, but eliminates difference in operator interpretation and provides a rapid feedback mechanism.