Fully automatic refractory maintenance system

摘要

Continuous changes in the economic environment and the increasing competitive pressure require steel producers to introduce innovative measures to reduce costs. The Stahlwerk Bous / Saar GmbH, part of the steel section in GMH-Holding, has over recent years successfully pursued this strategy. Working with Minteq International GmbH a totally new concept of arc furnace maintenance was introduced. The fully automatic refractory maintenance system was installed in 2003. The development of an automatic and continuous refractory maintenance system for the arc furnace, tailored of the requirements of modern steel production at Stahlwerk Bous have eliminated the disadvantages inherent in intermittent refractory maintenance. The system consists of a laser scanner, or La Cam~(TM*), to measure the residual refractory thickness of the furnace, and of an enhanced version of the robotic MINSCAN~(TM**) maintenance system. These components are linked together by means of an interface module called SCANTROL~(TM*), which evaluates the measurement data and controls the robotic maintenance unit, such that the required amount of the correct repair material is automatically applied to the required position. Significant savings have been achieved in terms of reduced maintenance time, reduced repair material usage, reduced brick repairs and reduced energy costs, leading to improved availability of the electric arc furnace and an increase the productivity.