Vacuum-cast steelIn 1957, the first vacuum-cast steel made in the U.S. was a 93,900-pound ingot, 78 inches in diameter. During the production process, the gases were entrapped by vacuum-stream degassing equipment (designed by the F.J. Stokes Corporation, Philadelphia, Penn.) The ingot was poured by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Bethlehem, Penn. Vacuum-cast steel can be made using either an electric or an open-hearth furnace to melt the metal. |