Steel furnace monitoring developer Kubal-Wraith has made its public debut, winning a $33,000 prize from Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers.

Swansea University has unveiled a new UK-based spinout called Kubal-Wraith that is developing laser technology to help steelmakers assess the status of molten metal furnaces.

Founded in January 2018, Kubal-Wraith is working on a laser system that can be used in a live steel furnace to monitor temperatures and collect samples.

The laser will replace disposable thermoscope probes currently used to test conditions early on, which hamper a foundry’s efficiency by temporarily halting production.

The laser beam passes through a nozzle in the furnace wall known as a tuyère, more generally exploited to pump air to increase the heat of the fire. Kubal-Wraith will prevent damage to the tuyère by deploying a gas injection system.

Kubal-Wraith is based on research led by Szymon Kubal, a research fellow of Swansea University who works as a research engineer for Tata Steel, the steel production arm of diversified conglomerate Tata Group.

Kubal was aided by two affiliates of Swansea’s College of Engineering – assistant professor Cameron Pleydell-Pearce and entrepreneur-in-residence Adrian Walters.

In addition to steel making, Kubal-Wraith’s technology could be used for the production of metals such as aluminium, copper and nickel.

World Steel Association figures cited by Swansea University estimate there are more than 1000 molten metal furnaces worldwide which could benefit from Kubal-Wraith’s innovation.

Kubal-Wraith will pilot the laser system with Tata Steel, in an arrangement that will enable testing of the technology in production conditions.

The company has won a £25,000 ($33,000) prize in materials science research guild Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers’ venturing competition.

Adrian Walters said: “Swansea University also won the [materials science prize] in 2016 with a pioneering method of tackling corrosion, improving steel-based products, whereas this year’s winner improves the first stage of the steel manufacturing process.

“It shows that Swansea University is delivering innovation right across the steel industry.”