Power source: Steel cars are commonly powered by electric and internal combustion engines. Electric steel cars are often powered by batteries or sliding contact wires. Steel cars powered by batteries have higher flexibility and are not restricted by cables, allowing them to travel freely within a certain range; Sliding contact line power supply is suitable for scenarios with fixed routes and long-distance operation, and can provide continuous and stable power supply. Internal combustion steel cars generally use diesel engines as power sources, which have strong power and are suitable for working environments without power supply or with high power requirements, but they will produce exhaust emissions and noise.

Driving method: It mainly achieves driving by driving the wheels to rotate through an electric motor or engine. The motor of the electric steel ladle car transmits power to the wheels through transmission devices such as reducers, achieving smooth starting, acceleration, deceleration, and stopping. In some heavy-duty steel cars, multiple motors are used to drive multiple wheels to ensure sufficient driving force and stability. Internal combustion steel cars use the engine to transmit power to the wheels through transmission systems such as clutches, transmissions, and driveshafts, allowing the vehicle to run.

Operation control: The steel ladle is equipped with an operation control system, and the operator can control the vehicle's start, stop, forward, backward, acceleration, deceleration, etc. through buttons, handles, and other devices on the control panel. On some highly automated steel cars, remote control functions are also available, allowing operators to operate the vehicle from a safe distance to avoid harm to personnel from hazardous environments such as high temperatures and radiation.

Guidance methods: divided into two types: trackless and trackless. A steel railcar travels on a predetermined track, which provides guidance and support for the vehicle, ensuring the accuracy and stability of the travel path. It is commonly used for transportation on fixed routes such as within workshops. The trackless steel car relies on advanced navigation technology, such as laser navigation, magnetic navigation, visual navigation, etc., to achieve autonomous positioning and path planning, and can flexibly travel in complex site environments. The driving route can be adjusted at any time according to production needs.

Loading and unloading methods: Steel cars have different loading and unloading methods for different materials. When transporting molten steel, the ladle car is usually equipped with a specialized ladle carrying device. The ladle filled with molten steel is lifted and placed on the ladle car by a crane. After reaching the designated location, the ladle car is then lifted away by the crane for subsequent processing. For materials such as steel billets, some ladle cars are equipped with hydraulic lifting platforms or chain conveyors for automatic loading and unloading, which can improve work efficiency

Transportation process: During transportation, the steel ladle needs to maintain stable operation to prevent material shaking, overflow, and other situations from occurring. For the transportation of high-temperature molten steel, it is necessary to strictly control the driving speed, avoid sudden braking and turning, and prevent the molten steel from splashing out due to inertia, which may cause safety accidents. At the same time, it is necessary to monitor the operation status of the steel ladle in real time, such as speed, power (electric steel ladle), engine working status (internal combustion steel ladle), etc., to ensure the safe and stable transportation of materials to the designated location.