It would be true to say that the philosophy of monolithic ladle linings was pioneered in Japan; but why? There are a number of very good reasons; some of which are universally relevant, but others are more specific to certain markets. The formation of a joint-free lining has obvious benefits from a security point of view, when compared to a multi-jointed standard brick lining. Clearly this is a universally relevant advantage. Ironically, this is not usually a major factor for steelplants when considering the change to monolithic ladles. However, there are a number of other benefits; two of which were the main driving forces for the development of monolithic linings by the Japanese. These are: centre dot The desire to produce "ultra-clean steels. This can also be generally associated with longer ladle life. A lower wear rate of the lining produces far fewer refractory based inclusions in the steel. centre dot The shortage of skilled bricklayers. Skilled personnel capable of installing traditional brick linings are not readily available in Japan. It would also be true to say that the Japanese steel industry is determined to generally reduce all man-power levels. In Europe, it has been found that the priorities are somewhat different. It is true that some European and Scandinavian countries are already experiencing problems with shortages of skilled labour; but this is not universally the case. It will probably be another 5-10 years before this problem reaches the critical stage currently experienced in Japan. However, labour costs are relatively high in Western Europe and Scandinavia so the attraction of being able to reduce the labour force is relevant.
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