Cooling Beds at ArcelorMittal’s East Chicago Works

This cooling bed sits inside the rolling mill at ArcelorMittal's Indiana Harbor Works in East Chicago, Indiana. Hot-rolled steel bars travel across the ribbed, inclined surface after leaving the rolling stands, losing heat as they move toward the far end for straightening and cutting. The long rows of angled teeth are designed to carry bar stock evenly while allowing it to air-cool without warping. Indiana Harbor Works is one of the largest integrated steel mills in North America, a product of the 2006 merger that formed ArcelorMittal from predecessor companies including Inland Steel, which built much of this facility in the early 20th century.

Photo taken in July 2016.