Abstract: A process for optimizing steel fabrication. The process includes optimization of treatment in the ladle based on accurate determination of steel weight, slag carryover and furnace heel. The unification of the dip test process together with ladle profiling using information from the slag, side and bottom regions of the ladle results in the quantitative determination of key factors to optimize steel composition with minimum slag carryover in the absence of scales to determine required masses of metal charge and ladle weight as examples. Caprices of the process include significant improvements in ladle refractory and specification steel quality.