|
Tapping into Operational Efficiency in the Cast House Al
Colucci
Death. Taxes. And, for those of us in the metals industries, the constant need to improve productivity and reduce costs. Three count-on-‘em certainties. The first two will find you. The third one requires a little more effort but the payoff is far more satisfying. With the newest “new” steel industry now beginning to poke it’s nose cautiously out into the light of day, there is a familiar thread running through the stories of those producers who have survived and are looking to succeed. That thread is as follows: cut costs and deliver higher-value products to our customers. It’s
a familiar mantra: our customers are under intense competitive pressure
to deliver more value to their own customers and they transfer that
pressure on to us. Reduce costs. Deliver a higher value product to the customer. There are probably a thousand ways to apply that rule of the jungle. One good starting point: the cast house. Today’s cast house equipment epitomizes the response to customers’ needs for high performance, high reliability and high value. Let’s start with taphole equipment. The equipment available today can provide dramatically reduced drilling time, faster cycles and more uptime. Not bad benefits for the seemingly mundane task of the taphole drill. But upon closer inspection our simple drill becomes something of an engineering marvel. Consider, for example the taphole drill designs that Woodings Industrial has brought to market in the last few years. Features include a single-motion drill action and positioning. One motion means fewer mechanisms, less maintenance and greater reliability. The drill is also self-holding which, again, decreases the amount of mechanical components and the need for maintenance.
Operation
of this taphole drill can also be automated. If desired, position
detectors and resolvers can be added allowing the drill to be run
automatically. With the resolvers, feedmotor rotations are counted
and translated to drill depth. Data can be electronically captured
and tracked so adjustments can be made to maximize efficiency. Measurements
can be made to understand that breakthrough has occurred.
The components that are available for today’s taphole drills are as innovative as the drills themselves. The following components are utilized by Woodings and feature many cost- and maintenance-saving features. Among them: Tilted
base---a heavy fabrication with-anti-friction bearings for smooth,
long-lasting operation. Drill Operating Comparisons "Old"
style drill rig per single "drill-out" "New"
style drill rig per single "drill-out"
"Old"
style drill rig
Wooding Industrial Corporation has introduced the WHR-600 Hy-Torq drifter, the latest innovation for servicing blast furnace and electric furnace tapholes. The only drill of its kind on the market, the WHR-600 drifter is a unique combination of hydraulic drilling and pneumatic impact technology that reduces drilling time and works exceptionally well with today’s harder taphole clay. Think of it as the high speed drill with the gentle touch--- the hydraulic drilling action open tapholes much quicker, thereby cutting operating cost. Users will see a clean, uniform taphole without subjecting the furnace to potentially damaging high-energy hydraulic impact.
Operating
Pressure 90 psi Air (6.2 bar)
Table II. WHR-600-17 Hy Torq Reverse Hammer Specs GENERAL
SPECIFICATIONS
Flushing Tube Dia. 0.55” (14 mm) Hydraulic
Rotation (same as WHR-600)
For applications where water-mist technology is desired, Woodings offers a unique system of high-pressure nitrogen and water instead of air purge. The benefits of this system are numerous: Efficient purging. The ability to increase and hold purging pressures results in more efficient purging, with cuttings that can be removed more efficiently. This allows more impact energy to reach the drill bit. Effective cooling, increased performance. Through the use of atomized water in the purge-air, the drill bit is kept much cooler than with compressed air or nitrogen. The drill bit retains its cutting edges longer, resulting in faster penetration and more production time. Greater uniformity. A sharper drill bit produces a more uniform hole which prolongs taphole life. Cleaner process. Water vapors mix with the “purge dust” providing better dust control, less wear and tear on components due to dust. Fixed connection on drill. No rotary joints required. Safety concerns have been addressed and answered with this water-mist system. The system schematic ensures safe, smooth operation at every turn. For example, the system is built to ensure that nitrogen is always on before water comes on and that the nitrogen is always turned off last at the end of drilling. Panel controls ensure that water can never be turned on by itself. The operator shuts down the wet purge and goes to dry purge approximately one foot prior to breakthrough. This is accomplished through operator function. Table III. UTILITY REQUIREMENTS Water
requirements: Quality filtered water Note: With only 2 years of use in this application and due to constantly changing clays operating data can be hard to track. Operating results were approximately 15%-20% reduction in drill rod usage with the addition of water mist. NOT YOUR FATHER’S MUDGUN
Woodings has answered this need with designs that allow users to achieve maximum longevity with a minimum of maintenance. The end result is extremely rugged equipment that functions with simplicity and dependability.
Hydraulic Clay Gun Among
the features: a 5,000 psi hydraulic system with clay pressures to
4,000 psi. Also regarding efficiency, these guns require only one motion to swing into ram position so positioning is faster and easier. Once in position, the gun is self-holding and ramming can be automatic. Monitoring of ram volume is also part of the new mudgun technology. Equipped with flow meters, the amount of clay used can be calculated and monitored for greater consistency, more efficient use of clays, and automating the gun operation. The
components of the mudguns are similar to the components used in
the taphole drill and include: Mudgun
Operation Comparisons
TROUGH COVERS With tightened environmental restrictions on cast house operations, trough covers are now required. There is no reason why moving these covers for access to the taphole should not be as efficient and effective as possible. Woodings, in a license agreement with VAI Davy, offers a cover manipulator that answers the need for efficient operation of trough covers. Mounted either on a pedestal or under the tuyere platform, this manipulator is compact and can be efficiently operated through remote control with a manual over-ride back up. The cover is picked up or set down with hydraulic tilt cylinder with repeatable positioning.
Mudguns. Taphole Drills. Cover Manipulators. Three seemingly small players in the overall picture of customer satisfaction. But for those who are truly in touch with customers, for those who understand that creating customer value means providing value and service at every point in the process, the cast house floor provides a good starting point. By paying attention to these so-called small details you can help reduce production headaches, keep maintenance costs in check and set the table for lowering your costs, improving your productivity and running your entire operation with efficiency. Al
Colucci is General Manager of Engineering of Woodings Industrial
Corp., Mars, Pa., a worldwide leader in the manufacture of metals
industry equipment such as tap hole drills, clay guns, tuyere stocks
and engineered specialty products for continuous casters. Woodings
is the North American steel industry’s oldest continuous family-operated
business. Woodings has plants at its headquarters in Mars and Harmony,
Pa., along with offices in Detroit, Mich., and Gary, Ind.
|
 |
|
Table
I WHR-600 SPECS
