Reheat furnaces are a critical component of every steel mill operation. They control the reheating of slabs, billets or ingots for further processing. As such they are an integral part of the plant's overall productivity, quality and cost and it is a necessity that they are in continuous operation. When refractory repairs are required, more and more emphasis is being placed on quick turn around time, improved thermal efficiencies, and longer campaigns. This paper discusses the use of improved installation techniques and refractory materials that can meet these demands. High volume emplacement methods and rapid heat up refractories can significantly reduce costly down time and loss of production. Substantial energy savings can be accomplished by utilizing more thermal efficient refractory materials and engineered lining schemes for areas such as walls, roofs, and skid pipe covering. Improvements in refractory materials and designs for areas such as the hearth and skid rails are allowing for longer service life and/or higher tonnage through put.
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