Improved Blast Furnace

The Improved Blast Furnace is a multiblock machine added by Immersive Engineering. Using Coal Coke for fuel, it converts Iron Ingots and blocks into Steel. It is the upgraded tier of the Crude Blast Furnace.

Unlike the Crude Blast Furnace, the Improved Blast Furnace will automatically export Steel and Slag into Chests and may be automated (using Conveyor Belts, Itemducts, etc.) Coal Coke and Iron may be dropped into the top of the furnace.



Construction
As an upgrade of the Crude Blast Furnace, the original Blast Bricks may be upgraded to Reinforced Blast Bricks by adding a Steel Plate.

The Improved Blast Furnace is created by placing 27 Reinforced Blast Bricks in a 3x3 cube and placing a Hopper on the top-center block as illustrated. Right-clicking the center block of any face with an Engineer's Hammer forms the multiblock.



As created, the Improved Blast Furnace functions identically and at the same speed as the Crude Blast Furnace. Placing one or two Blast Furnace Preheaters on the adjacent sides will double or triple speed respectively. The Preheaters require Redstone Flux (RF) power to operate.



The following image illustrates a complete and semi-automated Improved Blast Furnace. Covered Conveyor Belts carry Iron Ingots and Coal Coke and a Dropping Covered Conveyor Belt feeds them to the machine. Power is supplied to the tops of the Blast Furnace Preheaters and chests are placed in front of and behind to accept the Steel and Slag created.