David joined Steele in 2023 as a ferro alloys and battery specialist. He’s charged with building on our momentum in green steel and developing relationships in the growing battery industry.
A certified Six Sigma Black Belt with a degree in mechanical engineering from The University of Cincinnati, David is an expert in integrating new processes in manufacturing operations. He came to us after spending four years with a leading industrial crushing equipment manufacturer.
His experience also includes work in project management for a tool steel distributor and working with BMW Manufacturing in continuous improvement and process planning. As more mills explore decarbonization, David’s experience with capital projects and engineered solutions helps them move toward green steel.
“The metals industry is slow to change,” David says. “I want to show mills how we support their migration to sustainability without compromising production or quality.”
Experience with making the numbers work
Over the last ten years, Steele has engineered byproduct management solutions for ferro alloy producers around the world. We’ve refined our process for integrating decarbonization, while narrowing in on dust — a major problem area for producers.
“Every phase of the steelmaking process generates dust,” David notes. “And Steele’s stiff extrusion technology is particularly well-suited for processing dust.
“We can handle high-moisture materials and fines that aren’t suitable for sinter. Plus, our extruded pellets and briquettes generate less fines than roll press briquetting.”
David draws on Steele’s institutional experience when talking with ferro alloy producers. “This is a step-by-step process,” he says. “My responsibility is to present solutions to the mill operators and show them the way forward, moving from material evaluation and feedstock development to engineering a solution that scales.”
A collaborative process for feedstock development
Steele solutions start in the lab, where David works closely with furnace operators and our lab professionals. “We know how to develop feedstock that performs in the furnace,” David says. “Our lab offers a variety of materials, including sustainable biochar, in combination with the right binder for your process.
“Once we have the pellet or briquette approved, we move from benchtop extrusion to our test plant, and then scale for production requirements. Steele can provide a turnkey installation, drawing on the global resources of The Steele Group to build a plant or add a line.
“We show producers how we take the capital risk out of feedstock development and then commercialize their bulk materials more effectively,” David says. “Decarbonizing steel is only going to become more important — and Steele is playing a part in that transition.”
Building an installed base in batteries
As the old saying goes, “If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it.” In addition to working in green steel, David handles our batteries portfolio.
“Steele has machines active in large factories, but we’re just starting,” he says. “This is a fast-moving young industry, so we’re talking with engineers in R&D, as well as process leads and their engineering teams.
“Our extrusion recommendations depend on the rest of the plant’s processes. Once we see the bulk materials, we can engineer a way to unlock the captive value.”
David has a busy travel schedule planned for 2024. If you’re planning to attend ALTA 2024, you may run into him there.
To discuss your green initiatives, contact David here.