Since systems for examining coke quality are labour-intensive and time-consuming, automatic coke sizing and shaping equipment has been assessed. Variations in coke shape as well as size affect blast furnace permeability, so potential for replacing abrasion-resistance testing has been investigated by examination of size and shape changes between the oven wharf and the furnace. Results demonstrate the ability of on-line monitoring to facilitate coke quality assessment, permitting identification/correction of problems.