Concept  

The concept of modern steelmaking is to make use of the steelmaking vessels like converter, ladle and tundish of a continuous caster. In all these vessels molten steel is handled for one or the other purpose. For examples ladles are used to transfer the molten steel either to ingot casting or continuous casting. Tundish of a continuous caster is used to transfer molten steel to the continuous casting mould. In all these vessels the residence time of molten steel is sufficiently long so as to carry out some refining operations like composition adjustment, removal of gases, control of S, removal of inclusions etc. in ladle and tundish. This has led into the development of ladles, tundishes  for some refining operations like deoxidation, inclusion modification, desulphurization etc. and other operations like composition adjustment, inclusion removal etc. The basic idea of employing ladles and tundishes for either refining or composition adjustment or for producing clean steels is to use the steelmaking units like converter and electric furnace for producing steels without much bothering for final chemistry. Modern steelmaking comprises of hot metal / scrap to finished products through the following

a) Primary steelmaking

b) Secondary steelmaking  

c)Continuous casting

d) Finishing operations