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TEHRAN- The production of semi-finished steel in Iran rose 4.7 percent in the first seven months of the current Iranian calendar year (September 23-October 22), as compared to the same period of time in the past year, the Iranian Steel Producers Association (ISPA) announced.<\/p>\n
According to the ISPA\u2019s report, the country produced 18.152 million tons of semi-finished steel in the seven-month period of this year, while the figure was 17.34 million tons in the same period of time in the previous year.<\/p>\n
Semi-finished steel\u00a0(also called\u00a0intermediate steel products) is steel that has been cast into a simple, basic shape after its initial production but\u00a0has not yet been rolled or forged into its final form.<\/p>\n
Think of it as the\u00a0raw material\u00a0for finished steel products. It’s the crucial middle step between molten steel and the steel beams, car parts, sheets, or rods we use.<\/p>\n
There are three primary forms of semi-finished steel, created by a process called\u00a0continuous casting: Billets:\u00a0Small, square or round cross-sections (typically under 6 inches\/150mm). These are the starting point for long products like\u00a0rebars, wire rods, merchant bars, and seamless tubes. Blooms:\u00a0Larger square or rectangular cross-sections (bigger than billets). They are often further processed into structural shapes like\u00a0I-beams, rails, and heavy columns. Slabs:\u00a0The largest form, with a wide, rectangular cross-section but relatively thin. Slabs are rolled flat to make\u00a0finished flat products\u00a0like\u00a0hot-rolled coils, steel plates, sheets for automobiles, and appliances.<\/p>\n
Semi-finished steel is an important economic indicator because: It measures early-stage industrial activity.\u00a0This is often a leading indicator of future activity in construction, automotive, and manufacturing sectors, as that semi-finished steel will be turned into final products months later. It represents flexibility and supply.\u00a0Semi-finished steel can be stored and then later processed into various final products based on market demand. A country with high semi-finished output can export these intermediates to other nations that lack the initial steelmaking capacity but have finishing mills. It’s the core product of many mini-mills.\u00a0Modern electric arc furnace (EAF) mills often specialize in producing semi-finished steel (especially billets) from scrap metal, which is a faster and more flexible process.<\/p>\n
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