Before the modern age, Pig Iron was generally poured straight out of the blast furnace, into a something called a 'ladle car'. This was so it could be transported to the steel mill in mostly liquid form. Pig Iron at this stage was known as hot metal. The hot metal would then be poured into a steelmaking 'bucket' to produce steel. Typically this would be an electric arc furnace, induction furnace or basic oxygen furnace. This is where any excess, unwanted carbon is burned off and the composition of the alloy controlled. Even earlier than this, processes used included things such as a finery forge, the puddling furnace, the Bessemer process, and the open hearth
