ironmaking (conversion of ore to liquid iron),
steelmaking (conversion of pig iron to steel),
bloom casting (production of large blocks of steel),
roughing rolling/billet rolling (reducing size of blocks)
product rolling (finished shapes).
The principal raw materials for an integrated plant are iron ore, limestone, and coal (or coke). These materials are charged in batches into a blast furnace where the iron compounds in the ore give up excess oxygen and become liquid iron. At intervals of a few hours, the accumulated liquid iron is tapped from the blast furnace and either cast into pig iron or directed to other vessels for further steelmaking operations. Historically the Bessemer process was a major advancement in the production of economical steel, but it has now been entirely replaced by other processes such as the basic oxygen furnace.

Molten steel is cast into large blocks called "blooms". During the casting process various methods are used, such as addition of aluminum, so that impurities in the steel float to the surface where they can be cut off the finished bloom.

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