A fascinating insight into heavy industry awaited Prof. Wendt and some WLRI colleagues during their visit to the modern steelworks.

The visit began with a comprehensive introduction to the Badische Stahlwerke GmbH (BSW) and its subsidiaries, followed by an impressive tour of two key areas of the facility. Particularly, the electric arc furnace left a lasting impression.

The logistics of the steelworks were also impressive: The raw material used consists of 100 percent recycled scrap. After the smelting process in the blast furnace, the material is cast into billets, which serve as the precursor for the rolls. The rolling process produces the final product - the approximately 1.8-ton coils. These coils are then delivered to various facilities for further processing.

One of these facilities is Badische Stahlwerke Draht GmbH (BSD) in Kehl. Here, the coils are processed into various products, including fully automated welded steel mesh.

The visit provided an exciting and educational insight into the innovative and sustainable production at the "Steelworks of the Future".