INDUSTRY NEWS
SATEFY STANDARDS
SMART FURNACES
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
www.furnaces-international.com - MARCH 2022
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2 BIFCA: Importance of safety standards
Welcome to the March issue of Furnaces International and our first issue of 2022.
GLOBAL FURNACES 12 Global News 16 Almexa and GHI smart furnaces 22 Meeting the furnace industry: Gillespie and Powers 34 Heat Treat Today: Heat treating with digital solutions LIFE OF A FURNACE
CONTENTS AND COMMENT
FUTURE OF FURNACES
Hopefully you will have already noticed that this issue marks the start of a brand new look for the magazine! With more and more content now being read online, we wanted to make each of our digital issues more reader and user-friendly when reading from a screen. We’ve got some other projects on the backburner (furnace pun intended!) which we hope will also make for even easier and more accessible reading across this and our other portfolios, so stay tuned! Coming back to this issue and it is absolutely packed with interesting features.
52 Life News 58 Non-contact temperature monitoring 66 Nabertherm new controller series 70 Ria smart in-furnace cameras 80 Smart Thinking by OEMK GREENER FURNACES 90 News
The Greener Furnaces section has a strong focus on renewable melting and conditioning technology, while over in the Life of a Furnace, you can read all about the role of non-contact temperature monitoring in liquid steel and metal applications. We’ve also got a contribution from the British Industrial Furnace Constructors Association, which details how safety standards are vital for furnace designers and can enhance your company’s reputation and competitive position. I hope you enjoy the issue.
96 Atomasphere control & heat treating 104 Improving industrial sustainability
Nadine Bloxsome, Editor, Furnaces International, nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com
114 Renewable melting & conditioning technology
© Quartz Business Media Ltd, 2022
Editor: Nadine Bloxsome
Sales Manager/Advertisement
Published by: Quartz Business Media Ltd,
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production: Esme Horn
Quartz House, 20 Clarendon Road,
Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855115
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Editorial Assistant: Zahra Awan Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855038
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Jack Homewood
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subscriptions@quartzltd.com Furnaces International is published quarterly
Production Editor: Annie Baker Managing Director: Tony Crinnion
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and distributed worldwide digitally
Furnaces International March 2022
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IF B C A
By Adrian Goodbrand, CEng (IMO3), Director of Sales & Marketing, Vacuum Furnace Engineering Ltd 2 Furnaces International March 2022
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F
The importance of safety standards in vacuum furnaces Safety in general is arguably out most important job whether as furnace designer, end users or employers, to protect people from danger risk and injury. As a furnace designer, safety standards in design can enhance your company’s reputation and competitive position. As an end user or employer, implementing safety standards has been proven to lower the costs of injury, reduce absenteeism and staff turnover and reduce workplace stress and improve morale. Safety is therefore considered to be good for business.
Legal Obligations Furnace builders and distributors in the EU or the UK have legal obligation to fulfil to ensure that the products they sell have been assessed and meet the high safety, health, and environmental protection requirements. The letters ‘CE’ for Europe or UKCA for the UK appear on products sold within these regions to signify conformity with those legal requirements. Self-declaration of conformity is permitted in most cases and all furnaces manufactured in the UK as of January 2021 must carry a UKCA mark. A furnace builder must keep documentation to demonstrate that the product conforms with the regulatory requirements for up to 10years. Areas of regulation relevant to furnaces covered by UKCA or CE marking may include: �
Electromagnetic compatibility
�
ATEX 3
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“A furnace must be equipped to control a number of principle hazards including electrocution, fire, explosion, failure of services, electrical, water, air etc.
”
�
Pressure Equipment
�
Machinery
�
Low Voltage Electrical Equipment
A pressure quench vacuum furnace is an example were pressure vessel and equipment standards would apply and be legally enforceable. All elements of the furnace exposed to cooling gas must be rated for the design pressure of the system (e.g. the door locking system, diffusion pump valve). Design involves the consideration of safe operating pressure, temperature and safety factor. A pressure relief device is re-
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a test pressure below the design pressure of the system In the case of a pressurised gas quench system, the furnace
�
FUTURE OF FURNACES
quired to relief an overpressure event. The set point should be at
Cost of future mainte-
nance �
Flexibility in design
chamber must be manufactured in accordance with the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED PD5500, ASME for the US or anoth-
Many vacuum furnaces
er recognised code (above 1.5bar abs for PED and 2bar abs for
systems have water cooled elements in their design, therefore proper water treatment methods to minimise corrosion and prevent further problems which can lead to a compromise in equipment safety or correct functionality.
Which Safety Features? But how does a furnace designer or end user determine which safety features are required for the equipment and process? ASME) to legally be compliant.
Materials of Construction Construction methods and materials another important design consideration when it comes to furnace safety. The following should be considered when selecting materials for a furnace build: �
Corrosion resistance
�
Ease of fabrication
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Mechanical/ strength requirements
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VFE use a collaborative method called HAZOP (Hazard and Operability Study), which is a systematic approach to decide which furnace safety measures are required for a given process. A HAZOP study is usually conducted in the following way: �
Form a HAZOP team in 5 Furnaces International March 2022
FUTURE OF FURNACES Material of construction
collaboration with the end user �
Identify the elements of the system
�
Consider variation in operating parameters
�
Identify any hazards and control measures
Using this method allows both the furnace builder and the end user to evaluate process safety by considering deviations in parameters such as flow, temperature, pressure, etc
Importance of Alarms Another important part of vacuum furnace design safety for its intended use is alarm signals to alert to user to a problem or condition that requires attention. Understanding which alarms are precautionary, which are event driven and which are safety critical is an essential for the safe
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For example event driven alarms can be an indication of mode
Layout and Ergonomics Equipment layout is an im-
such as Heat Cycle Indication (Ramp or Dwell), Partial Pressure
portant design aspect to get
Indication or Cooling Quench. Safety driven alarms could be an
right with a vacuum furnace
emergency shutdown or no flow on a critical water circuit.
to ensure it is easy and safe to
VFE’s FMCS software was specifically designed with safety in mind giving full traceability of alarms and user driven events for vacuum furnaces to allow end users to operate their equipment
use, optimised for production and maintainable. Getting the layout and er-
with the highest levels of safety for both their employees and
gonomics right can be a key
their product.
contributor to your company’s
To highlight the importance of alarm functionality using an
competitiveness as a furnace
example is the water cooling circuits of a bottom loading vacuum
builder and providing a better
furnace.
work space environment for
In this specific design, the furnace base requires the water hoses to be removed during maintenance, and there is reliance on
your people as an end user. Furnace design, product
the maintenance personnel to ensure the water hoses are refit-
workflow and the designated
ted after maintenance.
workspace constraints play an
It the furnace base were to be operated without cooling water (i.e. in the event that the water hoses were not to be refitted) the base/door of a furnace
important role in deciding the best layout for a furnace. For the EU/UK, a full risk assess-
would overheat in operation causing catastrophic failure, damage
ment must be conducted in
and a significant risk to the safety of anyone in the vicinity at the
accordance with the require-
time.
ments outlined in the Machin-
It is for this reason, that digital detection of healthy water flow
ery directive to determine if
to all parts of a furnace with an alarm function for the detection
there are any layout or ergo-
of non-healthy flow together with an interlock which prevents
nomic factors in the furnace
the cycle from starting on detection of ‘no-flow’ is critical to its
design which might affect
safety and integrity of the equipment and personnel in bottom
health and safety in operation.
loading vacuum furnace operation.
FUTURE OF FURNACES
and correct operation of the equipment.
Using again the example of a 7
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Furnaces International March 2022
FUTURE OF FURNACES TAV furnace with water and gas safety features
bottom loading furnace, the importance of the role of layout and ergonomics in safety can be demonstrated. All vacuum furnaces are considered as a confined space operation in that there is limited opening for entry and exit, unfavourable natural ventilation and they are not designed for continuous worker occupancy. Gases such as Nitrogen and Argon are used in many vacuum furnace processes, both of which are colourless, odourless gases. In a bottom loading furnace Nitrogen being lighter than air can be held inside a bottom loading furnace with the base lowered and Argon being heavier than air can fall into a pit. Both cases
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FUTURE OF FURNACES represent a clean danger of Asphyxiation.
FMCS Software Screens
An end user has to develop and apply a safe system of work, implement restricted access to the area, warn people of the dangers using signs, and use oxygen depletion meters to manage this risk properly. VFE furnaces are equipped with an automatic pump down and air admittance feature at the end of the furnace cycle to remove any gases that could cause asphyxiation.
Safety in Design A furnace must be equipped to control a number of principle hazards including electrocution, fire, explosion, failure of services, electrical, water, air etc. Consideration has to be given at the design stage to ensure adequate emergency stops, safe guards and design features are in place to control the risk associated with these hazards. For example in the event of loss of power to a vacuum furnace, the water cooling circuit of the furnace must continue to circu9 www.furnaces-international.com
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late water, to protect the vacuum seals and prevent localised boiling if the power stops whilst the furnace is at temperature. Or in the event of loss of containment i.e. an air leak occurs whilst pumping a flammable gas like hydrogen, ensuing that the gas remains below its lower explosion limit is an important consideration. Vacuum Furnace Engineering Limited are Europe’s leading specialist in the supply, design, overhaul, repair and service of any type of vacuum furnace. With over 30years experience in furnace design, installation, and maintainability it is our experience that safety in design is achieved by risk assessment at the design phase and it is the first step as a furnace designer in conformity with your legal requirements.
�
VFE FURNACE SERVICES
�
Design & Manufacturing
�
Installation & Commissioning
�
24/7 Emergency response repair service
�
Spare parts
�
Calibration
�
Inspection
�
Reline of Hot Zones
�
Preventative maintenance & servicing
�
Monitoring
10 Furnaces International March 2022
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FIC GREEN ad 2022_Layout 1 16/12/2021 09:26 Page 1
GLASS SERVICE
Tying Technology Together
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NEWS GLOBAL FURNACE
Arkansas to get another state-of-the-art steel US Steel has broken ground in Osceola, Arkansas on the company’s next-generation highly sustainable and technologically advanced steel mill. The $3 billion steelmaking facility will be the most advanced in North America and the largest private project in the history of Arkansas. “Several years ago, we embarked on a transformative vision for US Steel,” said the company’s president and CEO David B. Burritt. “Now we celebrate, as we take another significant step forward in becoming the steel company of the future. This facility is engineered to bring together the most advanced technology, to create the steel mill of the future that delivers profitable sustainable solutions for our customers.” The new plant will be adjacent to US Steel’s Big River Steel. Together, the two facilities will be known as Big River Steel Works. The new plant is expected to bring
900 plant jobs to the area, along with thousands of construction jobs. State, county, and local officials, along with key business partners Entergy and BNSF, joined Burritt to celebrate investment. The new optimised steel production facility is expected to feature two electric arc furnaces (EAFs) with 3Mt/yr of advanced steelmaking capability, a stateof-the-art endless casting and rolling line, and advanced finishing capabilities. This first use of endless casting and rolling technology in the United States brings significant energy, efficiency, and capability enhancements to the company’s operations. “This facility is engineered to bring together the most advanced technology, to create the steel mill of the future that delivers profitable sustainable solutions for our customers.”
David B Burritt, president and CEO, US Steel “Last month, we announced that US Steel would build a new state-of-the-art mill in Osceola,” Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said. “We are excited to break ground on the project. Once it is finished, it will be the largest single project investment in the state’s history. This is a great opportunity for Arkansas, and I am thrilled to watch the impact this project will have on the northeast Arkansas economy as well as the families of the workers to be employed by the mill.” “It is with great pride that we break ground on US Steel’s latest endeavour in Arkansas.” Asa Hutchinson, Governor of Arkansas
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“It is with great pride that we break ground on US Steel’s latest endeavour in Arkansas,” Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston said. “Once this mill reaches full production, Mississippi County will be the largest steel-producing county in the nation. The company’s decision to select Osceola as the site of this mill speaks volumes about the business climate and workforce in the area. By being the home of the first mill in the country to use endless casting and rolling technology, the steel industry will continue to recognize Arkansas for its excellence in steel production.” Project completion and full operation is anticipated by 2024. Upon completion, this project will apply to become LEED® certified, just like the original Big River Steel.
NEWS GLOBAL FURNACE
mill
Stoelzle Oberglas completes €22 million glass manufacturing investment Stoelzle Oberglas has completed a €22 million investment of its flint furnace. The Austrian container glass manufacturer said the furnace will reduce energy consumption by 13% and has expanded production capacity to 270 tonnes per day. It said the focus of the investment was on production efficiency and to be more sustainable in terms of energy efficiency and CO2 emissions. Modern melting technology will reduce the amount of energy used in the melting process by an estimated 13% per ton of glass. Improved E-boosting will allow the use of more green electricity in a flexible way to reduce the consumption of natural gas. New batch formulas, which are based on the use of PCR glass and secondary raw materials, have been tested successfully throughout the past months. Examinations in the Stoelzle in-house glass lab proved that the so called Flint Prestige Recycling glass, which has already been recognised by the Austrian Trigos sustainability award, will reduce CO2 emissions by 16% and energy consumption by 4% without compromising on quality and flint colour. The new flint furnace and the new batch compositions are two of the main milestones on the group’s roadmap towards decreasing the CO2 emissions by 50% by 2030. The investments include three new IS machines and several new cold end quality control machines as well as packaging robots. Stoelzle said it will now focus on reducing further energy consumption and CO2 emissions by developing and re-thinking processes and techniques, not only in production but also decoration of packaging glass. It added the furnace investment was a perfect way to mark the International Year of Glass.
SCAN THE QR CODE TO CATCH UP ON ALL THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS
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NEWS GLOBAL FURNACE
(Image courtesy of Asia Nikkei and POSCO)
POSCO shuts down its oldest blast furn 48 years of operations South Korean steelmaker POSCO’s No. 1 blast furnace, has shut down after 48 years of service. The No. 1 blast furnace at the Pohang works, which dates to 1973, could produce up to 1.3 million tons of crude steel a year, just over 3% of Posco’s total capacity. The facility has been renovated twice over the years but its performance has decreased with age. Posco had announced plans in 2017 to shut the furnace, but it remained in operation. In 2020, a plunge in demand driven by the coronavirus pandemic forced the company to shut the furnace down. The decision to permanently shut down the furnace was decided late December 2021. The facility in Pohang is South Korea’s first integrated steel mill, built as the military government at the time sought to make the nation an industrial superpower. The No. 1 furnace was constructed with technology from Japanese steelmakers and is seen as a symbol of economic coop-
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NEWS GLOBAL FURNACE
U.S. Steel most advanced steelmaking to feature two electric arc furnaces
nace after eration between the two countries. To commemorate the furnace’s important role in South Korea’s economic development and steel history, POSCO held a closing ceremony in the steelmaker’s integrated steel mill in Pohang, 370 kilometers south of Seoul. Considering the historical value and significance of the furnace, POSCO will renovate the furnace into the Pohang No. 1 Blast Furnace Museum and open it to the public.
United States Steel Corporation announced that its next-generation highly sustainable and technologically advanced steel mill will be located in Osceola, Arkansas. The facility is engineered to bring together the most advanced technology to create the steel mill of the future that delivers profitable solutions for our customers. The new mill is designed to extend U. S. Steel’s customer advantages as the company maps a bold path toward a more sustainable future. The new optimised steel production facility is expected to feature two electric arc furnaces (EAFs) with 3 million tons per year of advanced steelmaking capability, a stateof-the-art endless casting and rolling line, and advanced finishing capabilities. This first use of endless casting and rolling technology in the United States brings significant energy, efficiency, and capability enhancements to the company’s operations. Upon completion, this project will apply to become LEED® certified. The site selection is subject to a number of factors, including final agreements with key partners. Permitting for the project is underway and the company expects to break ground in the first quarter of 2022, with project completion and full operation anticipated in 2024. “With this location selected and shovels ready, we are reshaping the future of steelmaking,” said U. S. Steel President and Chief Executive Officer David B. Burritt. “We had numerous competitive site options, but Osceola offers our customers incomparable advantages.” “Arkansas has created an ideal business environment for the growth of the steel industry in our state,” Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said. “The investment and high paying jobs that will result from this announcement will make a real difference in the lives of many families in Northeast Arkansas. I am grateful for the support of the legislature, which was critical in winning this expansion. Now, U. S. Steel is an important part of our future and we look forward to continued success in the coming years.”
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H GI Almexa claims that its new casthouse will be the newest and most efficient in all America, it will be inaugurated in the second semester of 2021. The key process equipment will be supplied by GHI Smart Furnaces. The plant will have the most advanced equipment for aluminium processing aimed to achieve a circular economy.
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GLOBAL FURNACES
Almexa and GHI Smart Furnaces GHI is an industrial engineering company with a high technological and innovation component, focused in developing customised solutions. With more than 80 years of experience, GHI designs and manufactures turnkey plants and industrial furnaces for melting, heat treating and heating any type of metal. GHI has equipped hundreds of companies from different sectors such as automotive, aeronautics, railway, steelworks, and renewable energy, among others that sum up to 8.000 references around the world. With a production capacity of more than 90.000 t/year, the plant will have the America’s largest tilting rotary furnace of 65 tons capacity, one of the for existing in the world and all supplied for GHI. It is specifically designed for aluminium recovery. Additionally, a salt slag cooling system will be installed to achieve higher levels of metal recovery with low environmental impact. Furthermore, a high efficiency melting and holding furnace of 50 tons capacity with regenerative burners will be 17 www.furnaces-international.com
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“ALMEXA’s project is the first model of
Tilting Rotary Furnace in A
Iñigo Guinea Olabarri, CEO, GHI Sma
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GLOBAL FURNACES
smart and autonomous America”
art Furnaces
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installed. The new casthouse will be a world reference for the production of canstock, it is carefully designed to obtain high quality aluminium with an environmentally friendly process with full automation and smartization. The key equipment is completely sensorised, and the gathered data is analysed with Big data and Artificial intelligence technological solutions leveraged in the Beyond Alea platform to improve the process productivity and control of the Smart Plant. The tilting rotary furnace will work as the main melting equipment of the plant, the resulting aluminum will be transferred to a new melting and holding furnace where, additional melting capacity is installed and the alloy will be adjusted and then, it will be transferred to the vertical casting machine. �
Commissioning of the furnaces at ALMEXA’s plant in Veracruz.
https://www.ghihornos.com/en/
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tc273_TECO_A4_Advert_2020_Style_v11.qxp_Layout 1 14/05/2020 15:31 Page 6
RE-BUILDING YOUR FURNACE
A TECO fact... Did you know that a high proportion of the equipment we specify for our re-builds can be re-used for subsequent campaigns?
DESIGNING, BUILDING AND MODERNISING YOUR FURNACES, FOREHEARTHS AND FURNACE EQUIPMENT ®
www.teco.com TOLEDO ENGINEERING / TECOGLAS / ZEDTEC / KTG ENGINEERING / KTG SYSTEMS / EAE TECH
GLOBAL FURNACES
G & P The Furnace industry has undergone huge developmental changes over the years, with the introduction of new technology and pressures of preforming at a more sustainable and greener level. With this in mind, companies such as Gillespie & Powers have undergone countless changes. Zahra Awan* spoke to Gillespie & Powers representative, Ian Marsh** on the history, developments and goals of the company.
* Editorial Assistant. Aluminium International Today ** Director, Sales & Marketing, Gillespie & Powers, for 10 Years
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GLOBAL FURNACES
Meeting the people and companies of the furnace industry: Gillespie & Powers AN INTERVIEW WITH IAN MARSH
COULD YOU TELL US ABOUT THE HISTORY OF GILLESPIE & POWERS?
Incorporated in 1938 with a history that dates to the late 1800’s. Gillespie & Powers is now owned and operated by 5th Generation family members. John Peterman and Jack Gillespie are cousins and great, great, grandsons of the founders. They as well as a significant portion of the operating management at Gillespie & Powers Inc. started out working in the plant and on job sites building equipment and learning the customers needs and processes. This gives us a unique perspective on the equipment we design, supply and maintain to this day. The company continues to grow both organically and by acquisition. In 2018 they acquired Remelt Technologies and expanded their offerings. In 2021 they acquired Thorpe Technologies Inc. and added additional engineering expertise and seasoned furnace designers and personnel. Average tenure of current workforce exceeds 10 years.
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HOW HAS THE FAMILY’S PRESENCE INFLUENCED THE COMPANY?
The history and the legacy are ever present at Gillespie & Powers. The current owners were taught from a young age that it takes hard work to achieve success and that hard work comes from both your hands and your head. The family name is on every piece of equipment we manufacture and the reputation of quality equipment and our willingness to stand behind everything we do makes us somewhat unique as a business because to us it is a family, and it isn’t just business. We value our customers and our long-standing reputation with generations of working with those customers. Our employees also come to be part of the family and the legacy whether related by blood or bond.
SIGN UP TODAY TO RECEIVE YOUR FREE COPY Furnaces International brings readers a selection of technical features focusing on all aspects of the international furnaces market, as well as industry news, investments, and the latest products and projects Published quarterly in a digital format, Furnaces International and the new monthly newsletter, are sent to the inbox of over 25,000 industry professionals. As publishers of Aluminium International Today, Steel Times International and Glass International, we are able to compile this knowledge and bring you the latest developments on: • Energy Efficiency • Hot Repairs
• Maintenance • Heat Treatment
• Thermal Processes • Testing and Measurement
Look out for the December issue which contains The Furnaces International Buyers’ Guide. It is the essential guide to furnace manufacturers and suppliers of furnace equipment and services to the industrial heating/process industry.
CONTACT US NOW: Esme Horn
Sales Manager +44 (0) 1737 855136 esmehorn@quartzltd.com
Nadine Bloxsome
Editor, Furnaces International +44 (0) 1737 855115 nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com
Zahra Awan
Editorial Assistant +44 (0) 1737 855038 zahraawan@quartzltd.com
WWW.FURNACES-INTERNATIONAL.COM
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WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN ALUMINIUM AS THE FOCUS OF YOUR COMPANY’S COMBUSTION PROCESS?
It was a natural progression, we started as a construction company that dealt in brick laying. When the world shifted from coal to steam heat we started making boilers and working in refractories. From there we progressed into high temperature applications and started engineering furnaces for nonferrous, incineration, crematories etcetera. About 40 years ago we developed recycling systems to reclaim UBC and other scraps and reduce melt loss in combination with our melting and holding furnaces.
HOW DO YOU PLAN ON PURSUING A GREENER PRODUCTION WHEN IT COMES TO FURNACES?
Well as previously mentioned we have been “green” since before green was a thing. We have our closed system delacquering equipment which utilises the VOC’s as fuel and incinerates them as part of the process and removes the coatings resulting in less melt loss and reduced dross (also a land fill item). We have the rights and patents to three different methods of dealing with coatings prior to remelting. Currently we are also working with others to develop alternative sources of heat for melting and holding furnaces that will utilise renewable energies and reduced energy input to achieve the results. Also remember that supporting secondary processing is more energy efficient than primary smelting.
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WHAT INDUSTRY 4.0 CHANGES HAVE YOU MADE/DO YOU PLAN ON MAKING?
“I have been in our industry for over 26 years and in that time, I have seen huge advancements in computers, Programmable Logic Controller (PLCs), and automation controls. And Gillespie & Powers Inc. is perfectly placed to take advantage of this.” Said John Peterman President of Gillespie & Powers Inc. Our automation team has been the largest growth area for our company, and it is expanding every day through new hires, strategic partnerships, and acquisitions. The demand for this type of technology is growing as companies are becoming more aware of the need to take care of their equipment and how real-time data not only improved the operations of the equipment but gives the company decision-makers metrics that they can make important business decisions that are driven by actual real-time data.
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GLOBAL FURNACES
The sharing of analytic machine data to enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems is now a common requirement for many of our customers. In the case of our equipment, data transfer between the equipment systems and the customer’s ERP systems may be used to track production line status, process status, or any other information related to the business processes of an organisation. The aluminium and metals industry is a very challenging environment for most companies. The complexity of the work environment and the need to provide reliable products in a cost-effective manner means that maintenance must be carried out with extreme precision. The equipment we supply is complicated and we have to go beyond just a paper maintenance schedule. Wherever possible on the equipment installations we use smart sensors to supply us with real-time monitoring data information on what’s going on with the equipment, and it makes troubleshooting much easier. When using all the smart sensors and the historical data of the equipment, we can accurately provide analytics for predictive maintenance before it becomes an issue. We also have the ability to remotely monitor the equipment for our customers if required. We provide the ability to schedule maintenance according to the number of hours that the machine has run. We can also determine if the machine is experiencing a significant drop in inefficiency. This is an obvious indicator that something is wrong and that it is time to schedule a preventative maintenance visit. We are investing in Augmented Reality (AR). The world of AR is changing the way we look at the world. Augmented reality was a wishful idea but now is a complete reality and is a game-changer when it comes to equipment monitoring and maintenance. Put simply, an augmented reality device shows the user what is going on inside the machine, with a 3D representation of each element in the machine, which is much easier to understand than using the classic 2D visualisation.
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ARE YOU SEEING MORE INTEREST FROM CUSTOMERS WITH REGARDS TO SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION?
Unquestionably, our customers want to know how to reduce their energy consumption and we’re seeing a lot of interest in sustainability, but they don’t always know how to talk about it or what it means. The question is whether this will have a positive impact on their business; consumers have become more conscious about their purchases as it relates to environmental concerns. Most companies think that sustainability means a variety of activities, such as improving recycling, reducing energy consumption, using eco-friendly products, and protecting the environment. It does mean all over the above, but it also extends into knowledge, processes, and people. Without these three the rest do not matter. Gillespie & Powers Inc. doesn’t take a narrow view when it comes to large complex issues. We like to think we are outside-the-box thinkers. The aluminium sector is referred to as ‘hard to abate’ because the solutions for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions are tricky so the first thing is to educate the customer and address what we can do immediately for the client that has the largest impact. In most cases, the best thing and most immediate savings are in changing processes, automation, and training of the operations on how to properly use the equipment. The next largest impact would be in upgrading older systems to current standards; mainly from the direct-fired combustion system to a regenerative combustion system where you can see a saving of over 30% plus. Gillespie & Powers has always been a forward-thinking company when it comes to sustainability and being green. We live in the secondary aluminium market, which at its core is about sustainability by recycling aluminium. Gillespie & Powers Inc. has been a leader in this area by designing and building green processes for over 40 years. We have been one of the leading advocates for installing and upgrading combustion systems to regenerative burners; allowing the customer to see an immediate fuel saving of 30% or higher. We have been building and installing our patented MassFlow scrap aluminium delacquering systems for the past 40 years; where we utilise the recycled aluminium’s coatings as fuel for the process. This reduces the overall need for natural gas and reduces emissions. When our delacquering system is matched with a Gillespie & Powers’s sidewell furnace that has a regenerative combustion system, the carbon footprint is reduced by up to another 40%.
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Not only do we look at reducing the carbon footprint of the process but we also look at the refractory life and its sustainability. Refractory is a NON-renewable resource and we must take measures to increase the campaign life of each refractory lining by looking at the process, alloys, fluxes, and refractory selection. And when a customer is unsure we take the time to educate them on the proper refractory selection that will have longevity in their process. We have a lot of people coming in who are looking to use oxygen or hydrogen as their fuel source. They want to know how to offset the emissions they produce. And we are investing in Research & Development in these areas. We have a goal to lower the carbon footprint of our equipment, so we are constantly looking for opportunities and shipping plays a big part in those efforts. We use vetted fabrication facilities that are located as close to the final install location of the equipment. This reduces the overall shipping distance and time a truck needs to travel, this, in turn, saves fuel. As a side benefit, we are also supporting the local economy in the area where the client’s facility is located. Our competitors do not have this type of network and have to fabricate overseas and then ship and then truck in the fabricated equipment. And most of these countries do not have measures in place to control pollution and do not have forward-thinking goals of lowering their carbon footprint.
We are evaluating different approaches such as: 2. Offering more local or direct sales and service to our customers in order to reduce the need for trucking. 3. Using more local vendors instead of shipping raw materials from out of the customer’s area. 4. Reducing the amount of raw materials used in our products (e.g., plastics, steel, etc.) by using recycled content. This is something we are investigating and is not easy as it involves finding a source that has high enough recycled content and can be certified to be used. 5. Implementing new technologies and practices that would reduce the energy used in the production process. Some of these are already being implemented by us and others are being evaluated and tested. Our goal is to keep ourselves competitive while we keep the carbon footprint low. AIT has been following the news regarding the partnership between Gillespie and Powers and Ellwood Aluminium. 29 www.furnaces-international.com
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WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO ELABORATE ON WHAT THIS PARTNERSHIP ENTAILS, AND WHAT THE COLLABORATION AIMS TO ACHIEVE?
Both Ellwood Aluminum and Gillespie & Powers Inc. are family-owned companies with decades of experience and a history of excellence to their clients. The integrity of the family-owned businesses plays a vital role in the relationships with both its customers and supply partners. Ellwood Aluminum has become a top tier supplier of specialty aluminium products, which fits very well with Gillespie & Powers Inc. desire to deliver the best, customer focused equipment that provides quality, reliable operation, and predictable service. Since our first encounter with the Ellwood Aluminum team, we have developed a trust and bond that has encouraged their management to continue the relationship and build on our mutual successes. As such we are continuing to work together and develop the capabilities of both our companies to their benefit.
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✓SINGLE CHAMBER / MULTI CHAMBER FURNACES ✓SCRAP DECOATING SYSTEMS ✓TILTING ROTARY MELTING FURNACES ✓SCRAP CHARGING MACHINES ✓LAUNDER SYSTEMS ✓CASTING / HOLDING FURNACES ✓HOMOGENIZING OVENS ✓COOLERS ✓SOW PRE-HEATERS ✓REPAIR & ALTERATIONS
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, USA
800-325 800800 325-7075 3257075 | www.gillespiepowers.com | 314-423 314 423314423-9460 9460
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WHAT CHANGES DO YOU SEE BEING THE BIGGEST TO IMPACT THE FURNACE INDUSTRY IN THE FUTURE?
Alternative Energy and its sources. The increase in recycling materials efforts worldwide. The better the collection the more we can recycle and locally. Overall, we think the furnace Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) industry will continue to be a highly competitive market with continued consolidation, especially in the market for large, high capacity, and high-production rate furnaces. Gillespie & Powers Inc. is in a perfect position in this current market, after our acquisition of Thorpe Technologies in 2021 we are now the last and only large OEM furnace manufacturer 100% US-owned. As a growing company, we have secured strategic partnerships that will enhance our product offering and complete or fill any gaps of the services we can offer.
ARE YOU PLANNING ANY OTHER EXCITING PROJECTS WE CAN KNOW MORE ABOUT?
As many people are aware the Aluminium industry is booming! This is seen everywhere where in the World where General Partnership’s (GP) are in contact with many aluminium suppliers that are interested in expanding their operation’s, in particular recycling and secondary production. Without being able to disclose who exactly the “Aluminium Suppliers/ Customer’s” are, we are planning to commission 10 new casting lines, which include multiple furnaces each. We also find ours discussing additional new projects/expansions everyday, with an expanding array of potential clients. These discussions are mainly focused in the USA, however, we are in discussions with many International organisations and continue to broaden our reach and relationships. To that end we have also just opened GPRE FURNACES INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED.
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AUTONOMOUS CHARGING & SKIMMING MACHINES
GLOBAL FURNACES
H T
T
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Heat treating with digital solutions for the 21st Century As US manufacturing: the pandemic, supply chain challenges, the advance of Industry 4.0 and Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT). As US manufacturing recovers from the ill effects of a seemingly unremitting pandemic and corollary supply chain challenges, the advance of Industry 4.0 and Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) necessitates manufacturing industries reevaluate their business practices. For maximum profitability, business “as usual” simply will no longer suffice. Jason Ryska, global chief engineer at Ford Motor Company, suggests even production behemoths overlook the obvious: “In many production processes, data analytics provides the agility to keep up with market trends and technology advancements. An exception to this trend is automotive production, a multi-billion-dollar industry that is underutiliSing data collection and underestimating the potential improvement that may come from understanding the data being collected.” This quote is from a technical article written by Ryska in which he discusses current state and offers a glimpse of future state that is gained by a manufacturer investigating potential new solutions for old process problems by applying Industry 4.0 technologies.1 Metal industry leaders may ask, to the quote above, could we replace “automotive production” with “heat treating?” I believe SCAN THE QR CODE TO DISCOVER MORE ABOUT HEAT TREAT TODAY
there is a strong argument against such an exchange of words; however, in-depth examination at the plant level indicates defi35
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ciencies exist for the heat treating industry related to acceptance of IIOT technology and application of data analytics. Where do we observe the shortcomings? Perhaps, as suggested by Ryska, in our day-to-day comfort zone: “over reliance on employee experience and interpretation vs. physical measurements.” This keen insight into the current state of automotive manufacturing can be equally applied to different manufacturing landscapes throughout U.S. industry. Reviewing a familiar heat treating problem will help to illustrate the need for and applicability of digital monitoring and data collection for decision making and future development of advanced analytics like machine learning and AI. These solutions have the capability to mitigate incessant (and costly) problems in our thermal and metal processing indusAbout the Author: Joseph Mitchell is Joseph Mitchell is director of Operations at Avedis Zildjian Company.. With a BS in Industrial Management and MBA from Lawrence Technological University, his interests include metallurgy and practical application of Industry 4.0 concepts/digital technologies for developing business strategy that provide optimal use of assets, energy, and process controls within the metals and automotive industry.
try.
Heat Treat Industry In manufacturing, the same problems often occur again and again. In the metals industry, casting and thermal processing, in conjunction with continuing operations, present daily challenges to product quality. Troublesome and costly conundrums – like residual stress, distortion, cracking/poor forming in downstream operations, and poor surface quality/coating adhesion – occur regularly, causing waste, rework, late delivery, and lost profit. Metallurgists, engineers, and technologists all understand the frustration of untold hours devoted to researching solutions to material processing problems. Some already have well known solutions while others may randomly appear and seem, after causing much angst, to disappear (sometimes not as quickly as would be preferred). Regardless of the type of problem, the time, effort, and resources put into finding the solution cannot be
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GLOBAL FURNACES E redeemed. The advance of Industry 4.0 and, more specifically, IIOT into modern manufacturing can provide our metal production sector the ultimate tools for unraveling costly and recurring quality issues. We understand this progression will be gradual and very slow. Nonetheless, implementation of digital technologies is critical for our heat treating/materials processing industry. The fact CQI-9 4th ed. requires all instrumentation and process controls be digital by June 2023 supports the emphasis placed on eliminating analog based instruments and reengineering manufacturing processes for implementation of digital data collection and, thereby, steering heat treaters (automotive suppliers and, hopefully, non-automotive industrial heat treaters) toward eventual adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies. In this article, we review a specific quandary typically encoun37 www.furnaces-international.com
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GLOBAL FURNACES Yellow brass finished width coils; alloy C26800. Photo Credit: Joseph Mitchell.
tered during batch annealing and examine why application of digital monitoring and data collection, and eventual integration of Industry 4.0 technologies, would facilitate understanding and assist in resolving the problem.
The Problem (Define) A report, written in 1940 by T.J. Daniels, titled “The Prevention of Sticking in Bright Annealing Sheet Steel” is interesting for many reasons, and, for purpose of this article, provides an example of an early 20th century heat treating headache which, unfortunately, is still with us in the present century.2
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The report consists of two parts: PART I - INVESTIGATION OF FACTORS INFLUENCING STICKING 1.
Pressure
2.
Annealing temperature
3.
Length of time at temperature
PART II - PREVENTION OF STICKING 1.
Multiple varieties of trial suspensions tested
2.
Temperature, pressure, and time held constant for each test
3.
Trials performed 2x each
4.
Trials performed 3x for promising suspensions
Despite the efforts and subsequent process improvements in heat treating and manufacturing processes as discussed in Daniels’ report, we find the following, equally interesting 21st century report, addressing the same subject in Hot and Cold Rolling Processes, Sticking and Scratching Problems After Batch Anneal-
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ing, Including Coil Compression Stress Effects, by J.J. Bertrandie, L. Bordignon, P.D. Putz, and G. Volger.3 This 2006 report discusses the same sticking phenomenon (coil wraps adhering together after batch annealing) and expands its research into an accompanying quality problem that may occur in conjunction with or subsequent to batch annealing: material scratching. The report documents field trials and laboratory investigations. The amount of investigative work described in this second report is noteworthy and the results provide data-backed conclusions. However, the problem addressed, potential causes stud39 www.furnaces-international.com
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“Is digital
transformation essential in our heat treating industry?”
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ied, and solutions prescribed did not eliminate the phenomenon of sticking following batch anneal of ferrous and nonferrous coils. Fast-forward fifteen years to 2021 and the sticking phenomenon remains a topic of discussion (and source of grief) for heat treaters across continents. My experience with a heat treater located in the Midwest, who also occasionally encountered coil wraps sticking together during batch anneal of sheet steel, resulted in experiments with anti-sticking agents applied using a spray system, as well as studies for improved control of cooling the furnace charge. The cooling temperature gradient influences contraction of outer wraps which, if pressure is excessive, may result in wrap adhesion (cementation): growth of crystals across material wraps. Although sporadic, costs were significant when sticking occurred. Unfortunately, the success of our experiments was limited due to time constraints and production requirements (nothing new here). As we know, a hit-or-miss success rate is not good for business; consequently, continuous improvement (CI) must be built into the system. Fortunately, technology is allowing this CI business approach by way of Industry 4.0.
Descriptive Analytics (Measure) I first will acknowledge many industrial processing plants operate using, shall we say, not exactly new or sufficiently updated equipment. Also acknowledged is the necessity of skilled and experienced personnel for monitoring and performing critical tasks. Nonetheless, with all else being equal, the fact this quality defect persists suggests industrial heat treaters need new solution for this old and burdensome problem. In short, transformation to digital technologies must occur in the metals processing industry 41 www.furnaces-international.com
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GLOBAL FURNACES Typical gas fired bell annealing furnace; inner cover on base (courtesy of Dr. Michael Köhler).
Gas fired annealing furnace; heating bell being lowered into place (courtesy of Dr. Michael Köhler).
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for improved understanding and resolution of regularly occurring problems coming from complex manufacturing/processing systems. At minimum, for study and resolution of our sticking problem, I recommend a supervisory control and data acquisition system (SCADA). Management should have “eyes” on the process at all times. SCADA allows digital process monitoring (real-time), process alarms (out-of-spec parameters), and automatic control (process adjustment) that will help improve process control at site location or via remote access. Likewise, data acquisition for historical review is critical for answering the question, “what happened and when?” Digital collection and transfer of data (cloud-based or in-house server) and use of statistical analysis (data analytics) will help a company improve production through the development of predictive maintenance models, building understanding of equipment capability for effective and efficient processing, and defining key process parameters for best quality. SCADA may be incrementally introduced into a manufactur-
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ing system (e.g., a single bell/box annealing furnace) and scaled accordingly. Another strategy is investment in IIOT technology software/apps/system. My experience includes investigation of IIOT as a service with MindSphere. This technology is scalable and can be integrated with legacy equipment for eventual connection with both old and new machines/processes. This is a more practical option considering few small-to-midsize heat treaters have cash for an all-at-once approach. During initial installation stages, be sure to capture key process variables and the need for strategic placement of data gathering sensors based upon best opportunities for process impact like: 43 www.furnaces-international.com
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“Is IIOT and the
all-encompassing Industry 4.0 a necessity for industrial heat treaters and others involved in material processing?”
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furnace atmosphere / time / temperature
2.
material cleanliness / required microstructure /
GLOBAL FURNACES
1.
coil tension 3.
strip thickness / strip width / process routing / pre & post processing
Data input from locations other than annealing furnace are of equal concern: 1.
pickle tank temperature / acid concentration
2.
rinse tank temperature / cleanliness / cycle time
3.
surface roughness / temper rolls / anti-sticking oil
As noted earlier, I understand use of equipment that is in disrepair or outdated is a reality for some heat treaters; fortunately, use of SCADA system would provide necessary data to justify purchasing new equipment and/or upgrading old equipment. A data driven proposal presented in unbiased digital format is an advantage for showing upper-management current state-of-affairs and possible return on investment (ROI) if funding is provided and investments are made.
Diagnostic Analytics (Analyze) At this point, we have a SCADA (or similar) system in place, either for a given furnace/machine, work-cell, or eventually for an entire manufacturing/processing system. In our case, the process parameters associated with sticking, and therefore the ones which need to be monitored, include temperature, time, pressure, surface condition, and reactivity.4 The stage for descriptive analytics is set; data is collected/summarized, but no direct decisions/predictions develop from this digital data stream. We learn 45 www.furnaces-international.com
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GLOBAL FURNACES Per CQI-9 rev. 4, analog process monitoring is coming to an end.
“what happened” and proceed with the question, “why” did “X” happen? Thereby, we enter the world of diagnostic analytics in the quest for root causes, seeking to understand unusual events: why did no sticking occur when we processed alloy “A” last week, but this week alloy “A” exhibits sticking? Following our statistical study used in descriptive and diagnostic analysis that was performed using data analysis software, we continue applying statistical methods for our investigation.
Digital monitoring of process variables: easy access of data for historical review and troubleshooting. Photo Credit: Joseph Mitchell.
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The objective is discovery and confirmation of relationships and/ or trends, which may relate to, or show causes for, sticking (coil wraps adhering together).
Predictive Analytics (Improve) Rarely in a heat treating/material processing dilemma is the root cause readily disclosed; my experience in heat treating is that “bad” phenomenon often occur and disappear with impunity, leaving root cause analysis a moot point. We breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy the quiet before the next storm. In the past, this unfortunate scenario likely resulted from one of two things: first, the inability to measure multiple variables simultaneously; and second, if a system is in place identifying and monitoring key variables, then management’s inability of correlating effects of multiple process variables (note: correlation may not ≠ causation). This inability leads to dependency and/or relationships preventing meaningful and/or accurate interpretation of data. At best, this does no more harm than allow the continued ill-effects of current problem, but at worst, it leads to incorrect conclusions, possible worsening of the problem at hand, and new problems. Here is where management of forward-thinking companies — focused on developing optimal manufacturing efficiencies, equipment effectiveness, increased profit, and competitive advantage — differentiate themselves by advocating application of digital technologies. In this case, it means moving toward artificial intelligence (AI); smart machines/machine learning. Many options related to machine learning software and machine connectiveness are available (e.g., Siemens, GE Digital, 47 www.furnaces-international.com
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GLOBAL FURNACES Chart recording; still valid, but not user friendly for data retrieval and statistical analysis. Photo Credit: Joseph Mitchell.
Samsara, etc.). Your SCADA system provider is a great place for beginning investigation into predictive/prescriptive software solutions using machine learning tools. Another example of a systems approach for digital transformation is Smart Prod ACTIVE. Profiled in Foundry Trade Journal last winter, this information and communication technology (ICT) platform, designed for optimizing foundry production, illustrates the growing possibilities for increased competitive advantage and profit growth based upon implementation of digital technologies (EnginSoft - smart ProdACTIVE).5
Prescriptive Analytics (Control) Heat treating consists of many interrelated processes and/or systems. Prescriptive analytics, by way of simulation software/ modeling tools, leads to applicable solutions; as Luigi Vanfretti, an associate professor of electrical, computer, and systems engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, states, “You need to 48 Furnaces International March 2022
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“It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory” W. Edwards Deming have a way to understand the interaction of the systems, and, in an integrated way, you need to optimize them together.”6
or manufacturing process. The heat treating system,
Digital data collection and advanced analytics open the door
as well as the manufacturing
for data-driven decisions and improved understanding of a pro-
system which is comprised of
cess. When we are able to investigate cause-effect relationship(s)
numerous material processes
and our modeling tools suggest appropriate/optimal adjustment
both upstream and down-
for non-normal process variation, we can achieve standardization
stream, requires continuous
of a given heat treating process, possibly even aimed at specific
monitoring. As supported by
equipment in a manufacturing system.
CQI-9 (4th ed.), digital instru-
In other words, the optimization factors of bell furnace “A” may
mentation is deemed neces-
not be optimal for bell furnace “B.” The parameters for various
sary (for automotive suppliers)
aspects of the manufacturing system may need adjustment
for surveillance and documen-
based on equipment performance/condition or other factors
tation of thermal processing
(e.g., coil mass, time at soak temperature, surface roughness
parameters. Acquisition of
(rolls), incoming strip cleanliness, etc.).
digital data (e.g., SCADA) facil-
In this manner, continuous improvement throughout the manufacturing system becomes a part of our day-to-day business.
itates advanced analytics for predicting process outcomes and thereby prescribing op-
Digital Integration/Transformation
timal solutions which lead to
We examined a 21st century approach for resolving a 20th
process improvements.
century problem: coil wraps sticking together post-anneal. This
Thus, application of digital
material processing phenomenon typically encountered when
monitoring/data collection,
batch annealing ferrous or nonferrous materials may result from
advanced analytics, and inte-
many interrelated process variables; that is, one or more sources
gration of Industry 4.0 tech-
of non-normal variation within a thermal processing system and/
nologies will enhance under49
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LIFE OF A FURNACE
standing, provide heretofore unknown process correlations/ relationships, and thereby lead to problem mitigation. As we close this article, some may ask, is digital transformation essential in our heat treating industry? Is IIOT and the all-encompassing Industry 4.0 a necessity for industrial heat treaters and others involved in material processing? Perhaps a well-worn quote from W. Edwards Deming provides our answer: “It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.” �
References 1 J. Ryska, Industry 4.0 Meets the Stamping Line - Ford Motor Company’s stamping division looks to leap into Industry 4.0 the same way Henry Ford led the transformation from Industry 1.0 to 2.0, Advanced Materials and Processes, Feb/Mar 2020, Vol 178, NO 2, p 25-28. 2 T. Daniels, “The Prevention of Sticking in Bright Annealing Sheet Steel,” Thesis; submitted for degree requirements, MS Chemical Engineering, Georgia SCAN THE QR CODE TO DISCOVER MORE ABOUT HEAT TREAT TODAY
School of Technology. 3 J.J. Bertrandie, L. Bordignon, P.D. Putz, G. Volger, Hot and Cold Rolling Processes, Sticking and Scratching Problems after Batch Annealing, including Coil Compression Stress Effects. Directorate-General Research, European Commission, Technical Steel Research, EUR 22059 EN, 2006, Sticking and scratching problems after batch annealing, including coil compression stress effects - Publications Office of the EU (europa.eu). 4 J.J. Bertrandie, L. Bordignon, P.D. Putz, G. Volger., p 21. 5 Foundry Trade Journal, Die Casting World, Vol. 194, No. 3771, Jan/Feb 2020, p 22. 6 Luigi Vanfretti, Modeling Electric Aircraft, Rensselaer Research, RPI, 2019 Research Report; Modeling Electric Aircraft | Office for Research (rpi.edu)
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NEWS LIFE OF A FURNACE
Major decarbonisation plan for ArcelorMittal Dofasco New DRI and EAF installations at ArcelorMittal Dofasco in Hamilton, Ontario will reduce carbon emissions by approximately 60%, claims ArcelorMittal. The steel company has confirmed its plan for a CAD$1.8 billion investment in decarbonisation technologies with the Government of Ontario and claims that the investment will reduce annual CO2 emissions at the plant by approximately 3Mt, which represents approximately 60% of emissions. The Hamilton plant will transition away from traditional blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace steelmaking and switch to the Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) – Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) production route, which carries a significantly lower carbon footprint. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2028, although ArcelorMittal is looking to accelerate this timeline. According to ArcelorMittal, the new manufacturing processes contribute to a considerable reduction of CO2 emissions and deliver other positive environmental impacts including the elimination of emissions and flaring from coke and iron making operations. The investment was contingent on support from the governments of Canada and Ontario. In July 2021 the Government of Canada announced that it will invest CAD$400 million in the project and now the Government of Ontario has committed to investing CAD$500 million, which secures project funding and firms up the investment, claims the steelmaker. “From day one, our government’s plan has been to unleash Ontario’s economic potential by reducing the cost of doing business in Ontario by nearly $7 billion a year.” Vic Fedeli, Minster of Economic Development Job Creation and Trade.
“From day one, our government’s plan has been to unleash Ontario’s economic potential by reducing the cost of doing business in Ontario by nearly $7 billion a year,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “This once-in-a-generation investment to transform the province into a world-leading producer of green steel is a major step forward as we strive for a full economic recovery and transform our auto supply chains to build the car of the future – right here in Ontario,” he added.
Ciner Glass closes €80m third furnace Ciner Glass has signed an €80 million contract to build a third furnace at its Park Cam site in Bozüyük, Turkey. The investment claims it will increase capacity at the facility by an additional one billion glass bottles a year. The furnace will be capable of producing 500 tonnes per day and will have four 8+8 triple gob tandem production machines operational at the site. The total cost of the third furnace investment is expected to be €130m. The Turkish manufacturer has selected Germany’s Heye International for the hot end equipment (acting as the project leader), Lahti Glass Technology for the batch plant and cullet return system, and TecoGlass for the furnace, MSK Verpackungs will help deliver the cold end and packaging equipment, while Tiama has been hired to provide inspection machines. The furnace, which will be operational from next year, will also create an additional 100 jobs at the facility.
Park Cam was established in 2011 to provide glass container products in Turkey. The company opened its first production line in 2013 and completed its second furnace in 2015 to provide glass bottles across Europe. Further investment at Ankara The latest investment is further evidence of the company’s plans to increase its capacity at the site, as the company also plans to build a glass site in Ankara, Turkey, as part of Ciner Glass’ vision that will increase capacity up to 2,500 tonnes per day.
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ArcelorMittal claims that the project will contribute to the sustainability of well-paying skilled positions in advanced manufacturing and is also expected to support as many as 2,500 jobs during the engineering and construction phases. It will also support ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s customers’ decarbonisation ambitions while further enhancing the plant’s capability to support the most demanding product segments including automotive exposed, advanced high strength steels, and consumer packing.
The steelmaker announced the news on 15 February at an event in the company’s Dofasco’s plant in Hamilton, which was attended by ArcelorMittal North America CEO John Brett, ArcelorMittal Dofasco president and CEO Ron Bedard, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Minister of Economic Development Job Creation and Trade Vic Fedeli, Minister of Energy Todd Smith and MPP Donna Skelly. At the heart of the plan is a 2.5Mt capacity DRI facility and an EAF capable of producing 2.4Mt of high-quality steel through its existing secondary metallurgy and secondary casting activities. Modification of the existing EAF facility and continuous casters will align productivity, quality and energy capabilities between all assets in the new footprint. “Reducing our CO2 emissions intensity worldwide by 25% by 2030 is an ambitious target for a steel and mining company; but we believe it is achievable.” John Brett, ArcelorMittal North America CEO.
The company believes that its new production route for ArcelorMittal Dofasco will provide a technically advanced manufacturing environment for operations, maintenance, and technology staff to work in, with improved health and safety. New positions, training, and development will be provided for employees moving from existing business units to new assets, with approximately 160,000 training hours required to transition the workforce to the new footprint.
deal at Park Cam site, Turkey SCAN THE QR CODE TO CATCH UP ON
Ciner Glass Executive Director, Mrs Didem Ciner, said: “This investment is a major step forward in helping increase our capacity at the Park Cam site – providing over three billion bottles a year - and offers a promising sign of things to come for the company. “The announcement is part of our plans to drastically increase our presence, production, and delivery of high-quality glass bottles across Europe - as we look to build new factories in Wales and Belgium - and illustrates our ambition and determination to be one of the world’s leading glass producers.”
ALL THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS
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Sibanye-Stillwater selects Tenova Pyrom Tenova Pyromet has been selected by Sibanye-Stillwater* as their technology partner for the upgrade of their largest PGM (Platinum Group Metals) smelting furnace. Sibanye-Stillwater awarded a feasibility study in November 2020 to Tenova Pyromet to develop the upfront engineering and budget estimate for the upgrade of the crucible of their Furnace no. 1 at Marikana, North West Province, South Africa. Subsequently, in July 2021, Tenova Pyromet has been awarded the contract for the detail Fdesign, supply and construction of the furnace crucible upgrade. The detail engineering and procurement phase is well underway, and the construction phase is due to start during the second quarter of 2022. Sibanye-Stillwater’s main objectives with the furnace upgrade are to further improve reliability, campaign life and availability in the long run. According to Bennie du Toit, Sibanye-Stillwater Vice President Smelting, “We selected Tenova Pyromet for the Furnace no. 1 upgrade based on their innovative technical offering as well as our positive experience with Furnace no. 2, which has been reliable and stable for almost a decade.” Furnace no. 2 was designed, supplied and constructed by Tenova Pyromet and started up in 2012.
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NEWS LIFE OF A FURNACE
met to upgrade PGM Furnace Tenova Pyromet’s innovative composite graphite-copper sidewall coolers will be employed in the upgraded furnace sidewall. The design represents the next iteration of the reliable copper plate cooler design used on Furnace no. 2 combined with Tenova Pyromet’s composite graphite-copper MAXICOOL® high intensity coolers, successfully in operation on another PGM smelter. Tenova developed a patent that covers the use of graphite in combination with copper cooling to prevent the sulphide corrosion of the copper cooling elements in a furnace sidewall. The use of graphite helps to protect the copper cooler from the corrosion caused by free sulphur present in the furnace sidewall adjacent to the concentrate feed layer. “Tenova Pyromet is honoured to be selected by Sibanye-Stillwater and it is a privilege to continue our relationship with their highly competent smelter team. They continually challenge us to improve our technology and products”, stated Hugo Joubert, Tenova Pyromet Manager for Base Metals and Copper Products. To date, Tenova Pyromet has designed and supplied 8 circular PGM smelting furnaces in South Africa.
Saving Energy and Fuel Lubisol Ltd. is offering significant savings of energy and fuel by efficient thermal insulation of glass furnace crowns. The Lubisol crown insulation design is based on the principle that the usual light silica brick insulation is partly replaced by the Lubisol insulation, applied over the light silica bricks. It is followed by a layer of Lubisol Cover Coat on the top. The thickness and the total cost of the insulation remain almost the same, but the heat losses from the crown are reduced by about 1000 W/m². The amount of the saved fuel is significant - around 1600 m³/m²/year natural gas. The insulating material Lubisol 2-SL contains foamed aluminum phosphate (AlPO4) in the form of granules with a very low specific density of 0.33 kg/dm³, a high working temperature of 1400 °C and a very low thermal conductivity of 0.13 W/m.K at 500 °C. The cost for 1 m³ of this insulating material is lower in comparison with the cost of the light silica bricks, and in the same time it is about 3 times more efficient. The Lubisol crown insulation package is suitable for application on all types of glass furnaces producing any type of glasses, including float glass, container glass, tableware or technical glass. It is very suitable for insulation of silica crowns as well for AZS and alumina fused cast crowns. It has been applied in the last several years on more than 80 glass furnaces all over the world, including many leading glass producers. This is a good reference for the total success of the Lubisol crown insulation. The world glass industry leader Asahi Glass Company (Japan) is one of the regular users of Lubisol crown insulation, and this is the best reference for our company. The efficient Lubisol crown insulation package brings significant energy and fuel savings without any additional material and labor costs. It is a very good technical solution and a better option for the glass industry worldwide. It is also a contribution for prevention of the climate changes, by reduction of the carbon emissions in the atmosphere.
website: www.lubisol.com
e-mail: office@lubisol.com 55
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NEWS LIFE OF A FURNACE
BlueScope forges ahead with Port Kembla blast furnace project after ‘top of the cycle’ results BlueScope has reported a record half-yearly profit of $1.64 billion and has committed to the next phase of its biggest infrastructure project in Australia. BlueScope is preparing to decommission the number 5 blast furnace in four years. Work will now begin on a feasibility study to reline the mothballed number 6 blast furnace at its Port Kembla plant. BlueScope’s managing director and chief executive Mark Vassella says it will give them 20 years of iron making It’s the company’s highest first-half profit since it was demerged from BHP in 2002 to be a standalone steel maker. Mark Vassella, BlueScope’s managing director and chief executive, said the business was in the right position to take advantage of the current economic climate. “So, we’ve been the beneficiaries of that demand profile and pricing, so we have had some tailwinds,” Mr Vassella said. “We are a cyclical business. Right now, the results reflect the tops of the very top of the cycle.” Mr Vasella revealed the result while visiting the company’s head office in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, as Bluescope prepares to open the expansion of its North Star operations in the United States. The company’s board has approved an interim unfranked dividend of 25 cents per share. It will expand its buyback program up to a further $700 million over the next 12 months. Port Kembla number 6 furnace moves to feasibility stage For the company’s Australian operations, the result means it will now begin work on a feasibility study to reline the mothballed number 6 blast furnace at its Port Kembla plant. Mr Vasella said Bluescope was preparing to decommission the number 5 blast furnace in four years. “We have a large team working on what the next investment in number 6 will look like, which will give us another 20 years of iron making,” he said. Last year, the NSW government declared the $1 billion upgrade a project of Critical State Significant Infrastructure. “We are focusing very heavily on ensuring we allow ourselves to adopt the latest technologies, particularly in relation to carbon abate-
ment,” Mr Vasella said. “It will really be a bridge that we need to see us through to new technologies that are low emissions steelmaking technologies.” Detailed design and execution will be progressed across the next 12 months at a cost of approximately $50 million. Bluescope’s financial report suggests it will commit $120 million during FY2022 on long lead time items, which are critical for the availability of the number 6 furnace. Last year the company signed memorandums of understandings with Rio Tinto and Shell to trial hydrogen and investigate direct iron reduction technologies. The projects will focus on piloting an industrial scale 10-megawatt hydrogen electrolyser, hydrogen direct iron reduction furnace and iron melter, all powered by renewable electricity. The work will also be part of developing the Illawarra as a hydrogen hub. Along with the result, the company said it was the first steelmaker in the southern hemisphere to be awarded a Responsible Steel site certification.
56 Furnaces International March 2022
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LIFE OF A FURNACE
NON-CONTACT TEMPERATURE MO The role of non-contact temperature monitoring in liquid steel and metal applications 58 Furnaces International March 2022
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LIFE OF A FURNACE
The Cyclops L was tested by measuring temperature in the plants to evaluate its ergonomics, accurate data transfer and use.
face of the metal – can prove challenging. The traditional method for these measurements is to use thermocouples, typically dipping thermocouples that make contact with the liquid metal. Measuring the metal stream itself is not possible, so the reading is taken in the ladle or converter, at the point where the metal runs out into the mould or another vessel or ladle. The thermocouple dips into the metal, avoiding any surface deposits that could affect the result, and within a few
ONITORING
seconds provides an average temperature for the liquid metal at the depth and position it is dipped in. This is usually a
The temperature of a metal at the point of casting can signifi-
manual process, so the oper-
cantly affect the quality, strength, and other properties of the
ator is required to be in a hot,
resulting part or product. Temperature monitoring of the liquid
dirty, and smoky atmosphere
metal, therefore, plays an essential role in the production pro-
during the measurement,
cess.
which can be a safety risk.
However, achieving an accurate and reliable measurement of
Accuracy is an issue for this
the metal – one that is unaffected by the hot, dirty, and smoky
method: different thermo-
environment, or by layers of oxide and slag forming on the sur-
couples plus several repeated 59
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LIFE OF A FURNACE
measurements are likely to produce inconsistent results. Additionally, the dipping tips for each thermocouple need to be replaced after only a few measurements, so there is an ongoing cost.
Non-contact measurements A more modern approach is to use a non-contact measurement device, such as a hand-held portable pyrometer, stationary pyrometer, or thermal imager. This allows measurements to be taken on the surface of the metal (partly free of slag), or on the metal pouring/tapping stream.
Atik Metal is using AMETEK Land’s Cyclops L pyrometer in the foundry area.
Because oxygen is ever-present in the atmosphere, an
measurement more difficult to achieve.
oxide layer typically forms on
As the slag layer becomes thicker, the surface temperature
the liquid metal surface. This
becomes lower in comparison to the true liquid metal tempera-
creates slag or dross, which
ture, so non-contact temperature instruments must be used in
starts to affect the emissivity
applications where the liquid metal surface can be viewed with
of the metal and, with growing
little or no metal oxide layer, for example, after slag separators, or
thickness, it builds a differ-
with moved liquid melts, such as induction heated furnaces.
ent surface and temperature
A preferred measurement during the tapping process is, there-
compared to the liquid metal
fore, at the point where liquid metal is poured into moulds
surface and makes an accurate
through automated or manual means. The liquid tapping stream
60 Furnaces International March 2022
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LIFE OF A FURNACE
A pyrometer-based solution A standard infrared pyrometer is not sufficient, by itself, to obtain a precise reading of the liquid metal stream temperature. It also requires expert signal processing to ensure a stable, accurate and reliable measurement. A pyrometer-based stationary temperature measurement system, such as AMETEK Land’s Auto Pour, is specifically designed for these applications. By using a direct, non-contact continuous and processed measurement, it ensures that the casting process is not interrupted, and provides the most accurate tapusually has only a thin and slightly changing oxide layer – a
ping temperature of the pour-
“pouring skin” – on its surface. This ensures that the thermal
ing stream as it runs into the
imager or pyrometer can measure the actual temperature of the
moulds. It features a numeric
liquid metal as it runs into the mould to create the final product,
and graphic display, together
using selected spectral responses and additional online/on-board
with several I/O-options to
process data processing.
connect to the monitoring and
This measurement point is the last, most accurate location to obtain the temperature of the liquid metal before it solidifies, so
control system. The system is built to with-
it gives the optimum continuous assessment of the metal’s prop-
stand harsh foundry environ-
erties of the metal product.
ments in order to provide the 61
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Furnaces International March 2022
LIFE OF A FURNACE Measurements are taken at the furnace, the casting line and at the pouring line.
accurate, continuous monitor-
Analog, digital and alarm outputs provide process control and
ing of molten metal that can be
automated notification of out-of-range metal temperatures,
used to reduce operating costs
while graphical and numerical displays allow temperatures to be
while improving processes.
monitored.
Auto Pour uses a specially designed pyrometer and a
Using a thermal imager
data processing unit which
An alternative, highly effective solution for measuring liquid
gives continuous and accu-
metal is to use a thermal imager. This instrument is particularly
rate temperature readings
effective when measuring a moving pouring stream, which may
and reduced errors created by
not remain consistently in the same point to be measured by a
variable emissivity and pouring
stationary system.
stream movement, and offers
While pyrometers mainly rely on peak-picking and dedicated
simple alignment with adjusta-
data processing of the measurements to determine the tapping
ble focus and through-the-lens
temperature online, a thermal imager measures the pouring
sighting.
stream across a large number of pixels, adding data processing
62 Furnaces International March 2022
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LIFE OF A FURNACE
CASE STUDY – USING A HANDHELD PYROMETER Turkish metal producer Atik
ity, reducing casting defects
ture. Temperature values are
Metal wanted to use AM-
and costs, and minimising
updated twice every second.
ETEK Land’s Cyclops L – a
the use of short-lived dip
portable, hand-held pyrom-
thermocouples.
It can be operated one-handed, allowing the
eter – in its foundry area,
The Cyclops L is a hand-
and to compare the meas-
held optical pyrometer that
while taking readings. Trig-
urements with traditional dip
makes instant “point and
ger-controlled data-logging
thermocouple instruments.
measure” temperature meas-
stores up to 9,999 readings
urements using a trigger
internally, for later analysis.
the oldest foundries in the
control. It can be aimed at
An additional heat protection
İzmir region with six furnac-
the desired area on liquid
cover is part of the standard
es, each with an 8 ton/h ca-
metal by looking through
offering.
pacity, producing high-quali-
the eyepiece on the device.
ty grey and ductile iron parts.
A small circular grid, visible
offers Bluetooth and USB
As part of Atik’s quali-
when viewed through the
connectivity, allowing data to
ty management system,
lens, precisely defines the
be downloaded to a com-
measurements are taken at
measured area.
puter or live-streamed to a
Atik Metal operates one of
user to hold onto a safety rail
The Cyclops C055L also
furnaces, at the casting line
Its C055L model is de-
and at the pouring line, with
signed specifically for liquid
Android app, for analysis and
the temperature data being
temperature measurements
trending. Configured with
retained for each part of
between 1000 to 2000 oC
Cyclops Logger software for
casting.
(1832 to 3632 oF). It is light-
Windows PC or Android mo-
weight, rugged, and easy to
bile devices, it offers route
to test the suitability of the
use, with a Meltmaster mode
management for applica-
Cyclops L for these furnace
which processes the data
tion-related data storage and
measurements, with the goal
within milliseconds to deliver
analysis.
of supporting product qual-
the real-time metal tempera-
The company’s intent was
mobile device, using a free
Typical measurement dis63
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LIFE OF A FURNACE
tance is up to five meters,
the mould, with the results
disposable tips or other con-
and only a 9V battery cell is
compared with thermocouple
sumables, and so successive
required to power the instru-
data from the same points.
measurements couple be
ment. Results can be moni-
To calibrate the Cyclops L,
tored on the internal instru-
a temperature measurement
ment display and transferred
was made with both a dip
to computers and mobile
thermocouple and a Cyclops
ple tip can take a few min-
devices, via Bluetooth and
on the sixth furnace. It was
utes, whereas the Cyclops
USB connection, allowing
then calibrated within a few
makes several reliable and
temperature readings to be
seconds with Cyclops L emis-
highly repeatable measure-
viewed and analysed. Pre-de-
sion adjustment.
ments in just a few seconds.
fined storage structures can
The measurement time for
taken without having to stop to replace the tip. Replacing the thermocou-
These multiple measure-
be used to easily transfer and
a dip thermocouple is 13-14
ments allow far better con-
assign recorded temperature
seconds, much longer than
trol of the furnace temper-
readings.
the Cyclops L’s 1-2 seconds.
ature and casting quality,
All the Cyclops L meas-
avoiding defects caused by
The result
urements were completed
inconsistent temperatures.
The Cyclops L was tested by
without the need to open
Atik’s chiefs of melting fur-
the lid of furnaces and were
Atik estimated that the
naces and moulding plants,
directly measured from pour-
return on investment on the
and by the workers measur-
ing metal.
Cyclops L was between 6-8
ing temperature in the plants.
Following the assessment,
For these reasons, and the
months. The Cyclops L was
The evaluation focused on
measurement range of up to
approved by the company’s
the device’s ergonomics,
five metres, operators using
technical department and
accurate data transfer, and
the Cyclops L reported that it
added to its invest-
general use.
provided a much safer meas-
ment plan.
Measurements were made at the furnaces, transfer ladles, and during pouring to
urement environment. Also, unlike thermocouples, the Cyclops L does not use
64 Furnaces International March 2022
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2,896,896 pixels for the NIR-
regions of interest.
2K for the whole frame).
AMETEK Land’s thermal imaging solutions include the NIR-
Thermal imaging provides
656 and NIR-2K high-resolution, full-radiometric infrared im-
effective continuous moni-
aging cameras. These are designed to produce continuous live,
toring of liquid metal at the
high-definition thermal images at 1 µm wavelength, measuring
tapping point, or liquid metal
temperatures in the range of 600 to 1800 °C (1112 to 3272
surfaces, and these models are
°F). Different optic options are available to fit the camera field of
supported by Gigabit Ethernet
view to the application perfectly.
connection and automated
The temperature readings unaffected by the hot, smoky atmosphere, and operators can measure from any pixel in the thermal camera’s image (324,064 pixels for the NIR-656 or up to
LIFE OF A FURNACE
time functions and algorithms within its whole image or so-called
alarm outputs. They also use advanced IMAGEPro software for comprehensive process monitoring, continuous measurement, analysis and data capture, enabling bi-directional analogue and digital connection to the process control system and plant network and a continuous and clear view of the process – temperature readings and online imaging further support process
The Cyclops L is a handheld optical pyrometer that makes instant temperature measurements using a trigger control.
control. �
Learn more about the complete range of liquid metal measurement solutions at ametek-land.com 65 www.furnaces-international.com
Furnaces International March 2022
LIFE OF A FURNACE
N abertherm
Nabertherm has announced an innovation in the field of furnace engineering with its new 500 series controllers.
66 Furnaces International March 2022
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LIFE OF A FURNACE
Nabertherm new Controller Series 500 The controller models an eye-catching design, with a touch display, colored representations and simple symbols. The innovative design includes the well-known high-quality Nabertherm technology “Made in Germany” and yet can do so much more than its predecessor. For example, the controller 24 languages and is a globetrotter by nature. Replacing the old buttons and turning switches, the controller impresses above all with one thing: intuitive operation. The graphical display of temperature curves of the selected program, the precise temperature control, the program status display with the expected end time and date, various user levels and the integrated help menu make the controller a device that makes the control and process monitoring so easy. The new controllers of the 500 series will be used to control nearly all types of the Nabertherm range of furnaces. They can be upgraded to multi-zone controls; they are able to control linear cooling of the process curve or control parameters can be set for different temperature ranges. These are only a few features which the new controllers offer. Temperatures can be indicated in degree Celsius or Fahrenheit. Different user levels ensure that only authorized users can operate the controller. The WLAN capability as well as USB interfaces for reading out service information and documentation of firing curves ensure the possibility of full integration into digitized production processes – independent whether in the studio, laboratory, dental sector or industry. In addition, control parameters and the con67 www.furnaces-international.com
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LIFE OF A FURNACE
figuration can be set in such a way that it may be used in any production environment and with most furnace families. In order to round off the overall package and to explore the firing information from everywhere, Nabertherm have developed the associated “MyNabertherm-App” for download free of charge with every new controller. With the app, the current process data of one or more Nabertherm controllers can be read out live. As a result, users can keep an eye on your processes from anywhere, analyse them or just watch the progress of the firing with excitement from home. And just in case, the app informs you directly via push notification about a fault that has occurred. The app can then be used to contact Nabertherm service directly. As you know: Good service is one of our quality features. Take a look at the new controller via the Nabertherm website where the 500 Series has its own chapter. On this page you will find all the highlights, information and tutorials on the various new functions of the controller, as well as the download option for the MyNabertherm app. �
Visit https://nabertherm.com/en/series500 for more information on the Nabertherm 500 Series Controllers. 68 Furnaces International March 2022
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BECOME AN EXHIBITOR. ALUMINIUM 2022. 27 – 29 September 2022 Exhibition Center Düsseldorf, Germany
Book your stand now: aluminium-exhibition.com
LIFE OF A FURNACE
RiA Smart In-Furnace Cameras: Optimise productivity and increase safety 70 Furnaces International March 2022
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LIFE OF A FURNACE
RIA Cast House Engineering GmbH was founded in 1997 as Rackwitz Industrieanlagen GmbH, by the former Technical Director of an Aluminium plant that today belongs to Norsk Hydro. Experienced in both Cast House and downstream activities, RiA initially provided solutions to both areas. In 2018, RiA decided to focus solely on the Cast House and in particular, key strengths of Furnace Charging and Skimming Machines and the company name was rebranded to reflect this change. In 2021, RiA signed a worldwide exclusive agreement with Fioscope GmbH allowing RiA to develop Furnace Monitoring applications and offer those solutions to Aluminium Cast Houses. 72 Furnaces International March 2022
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LIFE OF A FURNACE
To date, RiA has supplied over seventy Furnace Charging and Skimming Machines. All rail-mounted precision machines, capable of charging up to 30 Metric Tonnes in less than 90 seconds or skimming a Furnace faster than a traditional Forklift Truck or wheeled Furnace Tending Vehicle, but with more repeatable results and without damaging the refractory lining. Key customers include Hydro, Constellium, Kaiser, Matalco and others. Many clients have multiple machines in the same Cast House or across multiple sites and territories. One client alone has implemented more than twenty machines from RiA in ten different countries. Customer satisfaction and reliable machines are key to the nature of the repeat business seen over recent years. For the last few years, RiA have integrated Smart Cameras within its machines to enable Autonomous operation. Significant advances in process control are now also possible using aircooled In-Furnace Cameras. These high-temperature resistant Cameras allow for real time observations of melt progress. They provide a safe and real-time process development benefit that was in the past impossible to even observe let alone monitor, without opening the Furnace door. The first implementation of Camera technology by RiA was in 2014. RiA were rebuilding a Cast House and the client requested that cameras be installed in their Furnace. Following some research, RiA found suitable cameras that had been implemented in glass Furnaces by the German supplier Fioscope. Those same Cameras from that first installation are still in operation today. The images from the Cameras, mounted within the refractory lining of the furnace walls, were relayed to monitors inside a control room, located a safe distance away from the Furnaces. The 73 www.furnaces-international.com
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LIFE OF A FURNACE
operators observed the monitors and made decisions about the progress of the cycle. The project was a great success for both parties. The operators were able to observe the monitors at will, without the need to approach the Furnace and open the door. It was recognized that not only this offered the operators a new level of safety, but it also saved energy and shortened cycles by retaining heat in the Furnace. Rather than relying on calculations of melt rates and weights of material in the furnace or monitoring roof temperatures and gas consumption to guestimate when the melt might be ready for the next step, the operators could simply glance at the video monitor. Even the old method of prediction would have eventually resulted in having to open the door to verify. If they were too early, the door would need to be closed and the burners fired up to recover the temperature and complete the cycle, with time lost and more gas consumed. If the observation showed the melt was indeed ready, the question remained, how long ago was it ready? Every minute lost in the cycle is lost forever and can never be recovered. Additionally, if too late, there is a potential risk of charging the next load into liquid Aluminium, rather than onto a semi-solid or mushy layer of scrap. With the images on the monitors, the operators were able to make the decisions of when to react, without opening the doors unnecessarily. Moving beyond a “visual only” system to “Image Processing and Machine Vision”, RiA in conjunction with Fioscope began to develop capabilities to enhance RiA Furnace Charging and Skimming Machines. The first capability was to determine that the scrap pile had melted down to a height that would not interfere with the container of the Charging Machine, as it entered the
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LIFE OF A FURNACE Furnace. This enabled requesting the next Charge as soon as possible in the cycle and ensures that the next Charge is distributed on a semi-solid layer of scrap from the previous charge, thus ensuring safety, shortening cycle times, and saving energy. The Cameras provide the signal to start charging and the Charging Machine commences the cycle if the operators have completed the loading of the machine and released or cleared it for use. The machine Autonomously moves in front of the Furnace and when in position, interacts with the Furnace to open the door. Once the door is open, the container extends to around 70 % of the depth of the Furnace and a pusher plate starts to push the scrap off the container. Once the pusher plate reaches a pre-set position, it stops and the 75 www.furnaces-international.com
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LIFE OF A FURNACE
container is retracted against the stationary plate, until the container is empty. It retracts from the Furnace and closes the door, before returning to the loading position. The charging process takes typically 75 to 90 seconds to evenly distribute up to 30 Metric Tonnes of material across the hearth. This minimizes door opening times, shortens cycles and saves energy and the even distribution of the scrap in the Furnace maximizes melt rates. Unfortunately, scrap piles melt at uneven rates, due to different size and distribution of scrap in the charge. This is detected by the In-Furnace Cameras and in cases like this, it is beneficial to enter the furnace with a tool and level the scrap pile, to spread the load and open the pile, exposing unmelted solids, increasing the surface area and increasing melt rates. The next step was to add Smart Cameras to RiA Skimming Machines. These machines had been capable of automatic 76 Furnaces International March 2022
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LIFE OF A FURNACE
skimming for some years. Through precise position sensing and position control, it is possible to follow a pre-determined skimming pattern, lane-by-lane, to remove the dross from the Furnace, without contacting or damaging the refractory nor the need for an operator to be onboard the machine. However, the machine will skim the entire surface of the bath regardless of the location of the dross, or if the dross moves into an already clean and previously skimmed lane, the machine was effectively blind and would not react. The solution was to install Smart Cameras on the Skimming Machine that have a view of the bath surface. The cameras identify the difference between dross and a clean surface and drive the skim blade to the location of the dross and remove it from the Furnace. Once again all of this is possible, without human interaction, other than to initiate the cycle. Even then, if the Furnace contains RiA Smart Cameras, they can determine when flat bath conditions are achieved, ready for skimming. Having established these capabilities, all RiA Charging and Skimming Machines, sold in recent years, were either sold with fully Autonomous capability or were built in such a way that this could easily and modularly be added at a future date. After introduction of these capabilities with RiA Machines, several requests were received for In-Furnace Cameras for applications that were not already served by RiA. Additionally, new features and capabilities that were unrelated to charging and skimming were arising. For example, the ability to monitor the burner flame, shape, colour, and length, to help with burner tuning or to alert to maintenance issues. Even the ability to monitor refractory damage, propagation of cracks or consistent bright spots, getting brighter or larger. All of these and more are possible by running data through the Fioscope Neural Network 77 www.furnaces-international.com
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that self learns normal conditions and alerts when something is anomalous. RiA have packaged the Furnace Monitoring System into a stand-alone offering, consisting of typically two In-Furnace Cameras and an optional Cast House Camera mounted externally, with a view of the front of the furnace. A data collection, storage, and display centre is located in a control room. The data collection centre is linked to the Furnace controller. As well as storing the time-synchronised video images, on a FIFO memory, it receives and stores data such as roof temperature and gas consumption. Full video playback is available for a minimum of one hour from all cameras to cover unexpected events; and select frames are stored for time-lapse playback of longer-term trends such as refractory wear and damage spanning six months. In conclusion - Smart Cameras can reduce unnecessary door openings, shortening cycles and saving energy. These systems can increase safety and potentially avert accidents. Smart Cameras also allow the melt cycle to be optimised, ensuring charging can take place safely, at the first opportunity. Furnace Monitoring Systems allow playback, trouble shooting and diagnostics. It is believed that in the future all new Furnaces will incorporate In-Furnace Cameras. �
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SMART THINKING BY OEMK
LIFE OF A FURNACE
AMI’s SmartFurnace system features optimisƒation tools like the DigitARC PX3 electrode regulation system, and the latest modules for electrical and chemical energy control, which have helped improve the operation in three furnaces at the plant. A fourth furnace will benefit from AMI’s technology this coming June (2022).
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According to AMI, using SmartFurnace technology means that
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LIFE OF A FURNACE AMI SmartFurnace technology has been installed by Russian steelmaker OEMK at its plant in Stary Oskol. There are four highly productive furnaces in total at the plant and they all handle a variety of raw materials and, therefore, experience a range of furnace conditions.
the interaction between electric power and burners, coal and oxygen injection and the feeding of DRI is managed by the electrical, chemical and DRI optimisation modules which provide a flexible and open platform with artificial intelligence tools for the implementation of dynamic modelling of all energy sources in the EAF process. There are different ways of approaching the optimisation of the 81 www.furnaces-international.com
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EAF 1 MVA Transformer
EAF 2
EAF 3
EAF 4
105
105
105
105
175-180
175-180
175-180
175-180
Total Scrap Tons
45-50
45-50
45-50
45-50
HBI in Scarp Tons
10-20
10-20
10-20
10-20
125-130
125-130
125-130
125-130
Feed Capacity Ton/h
3
3
3.1-3.2
3.1-3.2
# Burners with Carbon Injectors
2
2
3
3
Total Charged Tons
DRI Usage Tons
Table 1
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steelmaking process and a lot depends upon the specific conditions of the steel plant over a certain period of time. If the main objective is cost reduction, the optimisation can be focused on decreasing consumption of electric power, oxygen, carbon, natural gas and so on while minimising the effect on production. If the objective is to increase production, the strategy must be different, considering other factors such as the electric power equipment including the transformer, reactor and the constraints of the power line. For the OEMK plant in Russia, an additional challenge presented itself in the shape of DRI usage. The variation in raw material characteristics have a direct impact on the performance of the furnace, so DRI analysis and close observation of the reaction of the furnace are critical if optimal operation is to be achieved. No matter what the main drive is, the main goal of the optimisation task is to find the balance point of the needed trade-offs to maximise the benefits in every heat, and to have a system with the flexibility to adapt the operation when the conditions change.
Plant and project description The JSC ‘Alexey Ugarov’ OEMK plant is a steelmaking facility, part of the Metalloinvest group, located at Stary Oskol in the Russian Federation. The plant started operations in 1984 and in 2020 more than doubled its designed capacity by producing 3.5Mt/yr of crude steel, long products and square and pipe billets. The plant is the only integrated facility in Russia that carries out direct iron reduction and smelting using electric arc furnaces (EAFs). The facility produces 3.5Mt of metallised pellets. The main characteristics of the plant’s four EAFs are listed on 83 www.furnaces-international.com
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LIFE OF A FURNACE Figure 1. SmartFurnace system architecture at OEMK
EAF 2
EAF 3
EAF 4
Electrode Consumption
3%
3%
3%
Injected Carbon
4%
4%
4%
Table 2
the previous page, see Table 1. By 2007, all four furnaces had the then latest AMI DigitARC+ Electrode Regulator, and the latest versions of the SmartFurnace optimisation modules at the time. In 2018 conversations started regarding the upgrading of all the existing AMI technology to the latest versions. In May 2019 a contract was signed for EAF #3, for execution in October of the same year and after a successful conclusion there, a contract was signed in March 2020 for upgrading the rest of the furnaces. As of April 2021, projects in EAF #2 and #4 have been concluded successfully, and the last EAF will be revamped in June 2022.
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AMI system description The SmartFurnace EAF Optimisation system consists of a series of interacting entities. The DigitARC PX3 electrode regulator, together with the electrical and chemical energy supervisory control application, provide an integral optimisation solution of the furnace operation parameters, interconnected to the PLCs through the process network using proprietary drivers, and to the electrode and fluxes actuators. This interaction as installed in OEMK is described in Figure 1.
DIGITARC PX3 electrode regulation system The AMI electrode regulator available for AC and DC furnaces is capable of a fast close loop control and fast execution of complex algorithms supported by a dedicated CPU that allows a fast data acquisition to be used for several optimisation tools and process monitoring features, including: �
Monitoring of arc stability for AC and DC EAFs
�
Control output filtering to eliminate resonance frequencies
�
Advanced proportional valve tests
�
Pre-emptive cave-in and a dynamic non-conductive charge
detection �
High-speed acquisition of electrode speed and electrode
hydraulic pressure �
Regulator and furnace performance reports
All these features are significant improvements compared to the capabilities of the DigitARC+ Electrode regulator, installed in 2006 and 2007, due to the availability of new technology, and the experience of AMI since that time to the present day. 85 www.furnaces-international.com
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Smart furnace modules The optimisation task consists of finding the balance among all the parameters considering specific production goals that might change over time. SmartFurnace is designed to provide a robust and flexible solution to adapt the furnace operation to the actual situation of scrap quality, mix, steel grade, practices and furnace conditions. The modular nature of the system makes it possible to provide a tailored optimisation solution for the specific needs of the steelmaker, allowing them to add modules as they are needed. The subsystems that are part of the installation at OEMK are SmartARC, Oxygen, DRI, and slag modules. The base of SmartFurnace is the VisualKB platform, an expert system graphic programming software developed by AMI.
SmartARC Using dynamic power profiles, the SmartARC system adapts to current heat conditions by changing the electrical parameters that provide the flexibility to the operation in order to achieve optimal performance. These parameters include the transformer and reactor taps, regulation mode, and current/voltage set points. SmartARC enables the use of EAF optimisation tools like: �
Cross arc detection
�
Furnace roof and water-cooled panels protection
�
Balance control
�
Refractory protection
Oxygen module C and O2 flow control is handled with this module. Bath current oxidation is estimated using the injected oxygen value and the estimated oxygen demand of the furnace reactions. With these 86 Furnaces International March 2022
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statistical calculations, the system can determine the precise moment to start and stop the oxygen lancing. Precise control of oxidation and carburisation minimises delays at the end of the heat to correct the steel carbon content and decrease the FeO levels in the slag.
Slag module The slag sub-module determines the recommended fluxes that should be added to the furnace to achieve an optimal level of MgO saturation in the slag, based on chemical analysis. This condition promotes the formation of foamy slag, arc stability, and protection of the refractory. The estimations of the system allow minimum FeO content in the slag and lower energy loss in the slag formation process.
DRI/HBI feeding module This module controls the feeding rate of DRI taking into consideration the conditions of the heat and the chemistry of the DRI. A controlled feeding helps improve energy efficiency, allowing an interaction with the electrical profiles adapting to the reaction of the furnace to the charge material, and optimising the speed of feeding to achieve the complete material charge without affecting heat time and power input. When the composition or metallisation of the DRI changes, or the quantity of DRI used on a particular heat, the contribution of carbon into the bath may change considerably and is very dependent on the DRI rate used and the heat stage. These variations require a co-ordinated control of carbon injection.
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Smart Furnace implementation results
to a wide extent the perfor-
In all three furnaces that have the system installed, two KPIs
mance of a complex system
were evaluated: Electrode consumption and carbon injection.
such as SmartFurnace. Ben-
The evaluation consisted of running each furnace for one month
efits such as refractory life,
and then calculating average electrode and carbon consumptions
better working conditions of
using every single heat. The idea was to test the performance of
the transformer and all power
the system under real working conditions rather than restrict the
equipment may not be re-
test to a few heats with controlled conditions. The result of the
flected in the short term, but
implementations so far have been outlined in Table 2.
nevertheless will reap rewards
Other benefits such as reducing electricity consumption have
in the longer term, resulting
been observed. These results are obtained without the deterio-
in a more efficient use of the
ration of the remaining furnace performance.
energy input. �
With SmartFurnace, a PID controller is implemented to improve the control of carbon injection from the burners. Before imple-
References
mentation, the control was carried out by regulating the pressure
G. FERNANDEZ, I. VALDEZ, S. GON-
and for different carbon fractions the task did not always coin-
ZALEZ, J. VILLEGAS; Using Smart-
cide with the real flow rate.
Furnace and ZoloScan laser off-gas
One advantage of the project schedule at OEMK is the experi-
information to optimize DRI melting at
ence gained on sequential installations in the furnaces that open
Nucor Hickman. AISTech (2016)
up the possibility of testing different control approaches in the
F. MARTINEZ, G. FERNANDEZ, Tech-
implementation of the system. It is also possible to compare the
nologies for EAF Energy Optimization,
performance between them. The result is that control algorithms
Proceedings, EEC Conference, Venice
running on the first furnaces can be updated with improved fea-
(2016).
tures tested in the newer installations. Ultimately, the objective is that OEMK has the latest version of the SmartFurnace control algorithms.
Conclusion With the variables involved and the many elements that interact in the OEMK furnaces it might be difficult to adjust and evaluate 88 Furnaces International March 2022
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Carbon-free, fully electric soaking furnace running at fagersta stainless Danieli’s quick startup of a fully electrical soaking furnace for long products led to full operations in four weeks at fagersta stainless, sweden. The Danieli Centro combustion design maintains and equalises billet temperature between induction heater reheating furnace and rolling mill. To achieve the process requirement, and at the same time pursue the ambitious target of decarbonisation, the furnace is fully powered by electrical resistance. The resistance coils developed and tested in Danieli research center are installed along the entire length of the furnace roof and walls maintain the furnace chamber at temperatures up to 1250 °c, which was never reached before with this heating system. Despite the high temperatures dry rolls are installed, and this further reduces energy consumption by the soaking furnace. Temperature control is performed through a silicon-controlled rectifier that allows very accurate zone-temperature tuning. In addition, the insulation system mainly composed by fiber, guarantees low inertia and high reactivity of the furnace, capable to heat up and cool down quickly with 200°c/hour gradients, and maintain constantly the desired temperature with great accuracy (±2,5°c), resulting in high flexibility. The furnace was engineered, manufactured and assembled on site in 7 months following order signature, to meet customer requirement to make it operational at summer stoppage.
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Verallia unveils electric furnace glassmaking plan This installation represents a new benchmark for soaking furnaces for quality and carbon-free operation. This kind of furnace find its best application in mills with differentiated rolling temperature demands due to material characteristics. In combination with induction heating it maximises yield by minimising temperature setting stops in the reheating furnace –still providing a fully equalised temperature profile of billet. It may also be applied in layouts that foresee long distances between reheating furnace and stands, or in plants operating with hot charge, for zero emissions.
Verallia France has unveiled plans to build two 100% electric furnaces at its Cognac, France glass manufacturing facility. The two furnaces will replace the fossil fuel fired furnace No. 2 nearing the end of its campaign life. The total production capacity will replace that of the old furnace. The Verallia site in Châteaubernard would become the first site in Europe and within the group to produce glass packaging for the food and beverage market with 100% electric furnaces. This would implement environmental commitments with a nearly 50% reduced carbon footprint of the containers produced. Olivier Rousseau, the CEO of Verallia France said: "I am very pleased to have announced this excellent news as a priority to the trade unions and employees of our Cognac site, which was particularly impacted by our transformation project last year. "This electric furnace technology has never been implemented in France or even in Europe for food packaging glass."
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Verescence in electric furnace glass decarbonisation plan Perfumery and cosmetics glass manufacturer Verescence plans to electrify its furnaces. Its Furnace 1 at the Mers-les-Bains production plant in France will be the group's first furnace to use this technology in 2025. In 2020 Verescence committed to the carbon neutral glass Vercane project which aimed to identify the different energy sources capable of powering glass production in a sustainable way, including electricity. The progressive electrification of its seven melting furnaces in France, Spain, the United States and South Korea is a key step towards achieving Verescence's objective of reducing its CO2 emissions by 40% by 2034 (scopes 1 and 2). The project will start during the reconstruction of furnace 1 of the Mers-les-Bains plant in three years. Helene Marchand, General Manager France, said: “I’m pleased to announce this major development which will allow us to decrease by half our CO2 emissions in less than 10 years in France and bring us even closer to our zero-carbon ambition by 2050. “Our new electric furnace 1 on which we have been working for more than a year will be the group's pilot furnace.”
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SMS group will improve the efficiency of Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) processes with the use of ‘syngas’, a combination of hydrogen and carbon monoxide which replaces a portion of the solid carbon fuels – setting the stage for greater decarbonisation potential in the future. “We are excited to be able to work further with MMK to develop and deploy these innovative solutions”, said André Schneider, CEO of SMS group Region CIS. “With our support, our customer will be able to quickly achieve substantial CO2 emission reductions with a relatively limited investment”. Blast Furnace 11 was ordered in June 2021 and is to be a completely new project. It will use enhanced techniques, developed by SMS group company Paul Wurth. It will achieve very high standards of environmental performance. These new technologies can also be used in existing Blast Furnaces, thus enabling CO2 emissions to be reduced at existing sites around the world. “Part of our contribution to these projects is the production technology and workflow for the use of syngas – which can be injected into the blast furnace shaft”, said Dr. Thomas Hansmann, Head of Metallurgy for SMS group and CTO for Paul Wurth. “The degree of emissions reduction possible from this technique is potentially substantial. The system is flexible, allowing for a general increase in productivity”. SMS group has 150 years of experience in steel technology and equipment, supporting clients, such as MKK, around the world. Our regional hubs and our expanded portfolio of products and services means we can provide tailored help to our local customers. SMS group provides a range of assistance, including the construction,
NEWS GREENER FURNACES
SMS Group to deploy blast furnace decarbonisation technology for MMK maintenance and servicing of whole Blast Furnaces through its group company Paul Wurth, and Direct Reduction Furnaces under license from Midrex®. SMS group technology solutions support the global steel sector’s transformation towards its low-carbon, green steel future. SMS group is renowned worldwide for its future-oriented technologies and outstanding service for the metals industry. The company applies its 150 years of experience and its digital know-how to provide the industry continuously with innovative products and processes – even beyond its core business – and generates worldwide sales of more than 2.7 billion euros. SMS is the right partner for challenging projects, and supports its customers throughout the lifecycle of their plants, enabling profitable and resource-efficient value creation chains. Paving the way for a carbon-neutral and sustainable metals industry is the company’s stated goal. As a global player with German roots, SMS takes responsibility for its about 14,000 employees.
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Chris Bayliss
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Global Director Sustainable Solutions Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials
Director of Standards Aluminium Stewardship Initiative
Pinakin Chaubal
Dilip Chandrasekaran
Vice President & Group CTO ArcelorMittal
Dr Jörg Rothermel
Managing Director Energy, Climate Protection, Raw Materials German Chemical Industry Association (VCI)t
Jean-Marc Moulin
Lead Analyst - Circular Economy BloombergNEF
Head of R&D and Technology Kanthal
Philippe Bastien Regional President, Architectural Glass Division AGC Glass Europe
CEO ResponsibleSteel
Stefan Grüll
CEO and Co-Founder S1Seven GmbH
Zakia Khattabi
Minister of the Climate, The Environment, Sustainable Development and Green Deal, Belgium
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LIGHTENING THE IMPACT OF HEAVY INDUSTRY
SPEAKERS CONFIRMED INCLUDE:
Lord Adair Turner Chair Energy Transitions Commission
Let’s turn talk into action. Hosting top government officials, heads of industry, leading scientists, exciting innovators and the largest international investors, Sustainable Industrial Manufacturing (SIM) in Belgium will provide an opportunity for leadership teams in hard-toabate sectors to find the experts and technology needed for a transition towards net zero.
Andrew Purvis
Pernelle Nunez
Derek Baraldi
Gökçe Mete PhD
Head of Sustainable Finance Investing, Banking & Capital Markets Industry, World Economic Forum
Head of Secretariat, Leadership Group for Industry Transitions (LeadIT) and Research Fellow Stockholm Environment Institute
Cédric de Meeûs
Dolf Gielen
Vice-President, Group Public Affairs & Government Relations Holcim
EARLY BIRD TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE FOR JUST £485 Includes access to the high level conference, exhibition, roundtable debates, delegate lunch and a plethora of networking opportunities and side events.
SCAN ME FOR THE WEBSITE
Executive Director Mission Possible Partnership
Director Safety Deputy Secretary General Environment and / Director – Sustainability Technology International Aluminium World Steel Association Institute
JOIN THE LEADERS, BE PART OF THE SOLUTION
Organised by:
Anthony Hobley
Director IRENA Innovation and Technology Centre
Christina Sobfeldt Jahn
Head of PPA Origination & Execution Ørsted
Henning Bloech
Ilhan Savut
Director of Sustainability Extruded Solutions Norsk Hydro
Chris Bayliss
Anne-Claire Howard
Global Director Sustainable Solutions Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials
Director of Standards Aluminium Stewardship Initiative
Pinakin Chaubal
Dilip Chandrasekaran
Vice President & Group CTO ArcelorMittal
Dr Jörg Rothermel
Managing Director Energy, Climate Protection, Raw Materials German Chemical Industry Association (VCI)t
Jean-Marc Moulin
Lead Analyst - Circular Economy BloombergNEF
Head of R&D and Technology Kanthal
Philippe Bastien Regional President, Architectural Glass Division AGC Glass Europe
CEO ResponsibleSteel
Stefan Grüll
CEO and Co-Founder S1Seven GmbH
Zakia Khattabi
Minister of the Climate, The Environment, Sustainable Development and Green Deal, Belgium
Sponsored by:
Part of:
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GREENER FURNACE
L&L 96
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Atmosphere Control and Heat Treating When heat is applied to both ferrous and nonferrous materials, the carbon that is present in both materials migrates to the surface and forms scale. This is a naturally occurring event and includes surface decarb; depending on the time and temperature, you will see various degrees of this happening. While scale or surface decarb does not affect the process or material hardness, it must be cleaned off or eliminated post-heat treat in most applications. This typically is done with a surface grind or bead
Tom Schultz, Sales Manager L&L Special Furnace Co., Inc.
blast to remove the decarb. The only sure way to eliminate surface decarb is to reduce the amount of oxygen and moisture present during the thermal cycle. Most surface decarb occurs at roughly 550°F / 287°C, so if oxygen or excessive moisture is present as we cycle above this temperature, we will start to see surface decarb form. The com-
L&L XLC Atmosphere Controlled Box Furnace which can be used with 100% Hydrogen.
97
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position of the materials being treated also plays a critical role in the amount of scale that forms during any given cycle. Carbon steel comes in forms graded by their specific carbon content. Low-carbon steel contains less than 0.25% carbon; medium-carbon steel contains 0.25-0.55% carbon; and high-carbon steel is every other kind of carbon steel. All of these steels will oxidise and have various amounts of surface decarb. To eliminate the oxygen and moisture that is present during the heat cycle, we must protect the part from contacting it. This can be done in one of three ways. The first is by vacuum heat treat-
Left top: GSR1714 with Sand Seal Retort.
Left below: L&L Gas Tight Box Furnace with Water Cooled O-Ring Seal.
ing, where the ambient atmosphere (air) is removed from the furnace chamber and then backfilled with nitrogen or argon. This provides the best finish surface for most materials, but it does come with a very large capital investment. The second method is to wrap the material in a stainless-steel foil to protect the part, sometimes with a piece of newspaper to provide a bit of carbon to help provide a carbon neutral environment. The third – and most common – form of atmosphere control is to deploy a displacement procedure, where we seal off the furnace chamber and introduce an inert gas such as argon or nitrogen to displace any oxygen present within the system. L&L Special Furnace Company Inc. offers a complete line of atmosphere-controlled furnaces. From our small bench-model furnaces to our largest box furnaces, L&L takes the extra steps to ensure that we can significantly reduce surface decarb. Our case seals the furnace interior with continuous welds, gasketed covers and sealed penetrations, where applicable, into the furnace. There is also an extra door gasket that helps maintain the door seal integrity, which is commonly the weakest part of a furnace seal. In conjunction with an independent inert atmosphere flow 99 www.furnaces-international.com
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panel, these allow our customers to connect their nitrogen or argon directly from the source. A flowmeter designed to deliver up to 10 volume changes per hour is also included, along with options such as dual flowmeters to control purge and process gasses. Within L&L’s line of atmosphere-controlled box furnaces, we have three designations that we classify as ‘good,’ ‘better’ and ‘best.’ There are also various options available to help maintain a good inert atmosphere inside the chamber, including flame curtains to sustain heat and burn off oxygen as it enters the furnace during part removal. Additionally, mass flow control is offered L&L XLE Series with Atmosphere Control
as an option to handle gas flows, as well as a variety of oxygen sensors and monitors to determine actual oxygen levels present
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during the cycle. At a minimum, L&L’s atmosphere-controlled box furnaces require a purge of 10 volume changes per hour to maintain a slight positive pressure, ensuring the evacuation of most oxygen. Since this is not a vacuum furnace, we must be conscious of Bernoulli’s principle, where whenever gas is flowing from the vessel/furnace, the static pressure will introduce air, regardless of the pressure or flow internal to the vessel/furnace. If we are not seeing a good finish in our part – which is indicative of oxygen or moisture being present – we might worsen this condition just by turning up the inert gas flow. This is where L&L’s extra care in the construction and sealing of the furnace pays dividends as we are less likely to have inherent leaks within the system if these preconstruction procedures are followed. In our good atmosphere box furnaces, the chamber is typically purged prior to heating the parts. The furnace can be purged at a high volume for 15-30 minutes prior to purging: 20-50 volume changes should be sufficient. In conditions where the furnace is in a production mode and loaded hot with parts, it is important to load the parts as safely and quickly as possible. When the door is open, the parts are subject to scaling and surface decarb. The furnace should be purged at high volume for 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after loading. It should then be run at 7-10 volume changes per hour for the duration of the cycle. No combustible atmosphere above 3% concentrations is allowed. In better atmosphere-controlled furnaces, we deploy a box, retort or muffle that is placed into the unit during the heat cycle. These typically use a sand seal to create an atmosphere-tight seal around the retort. Care must be employed to ensure that the retort does not become over-pressurised and compromise 101 www.furnaces-international.com
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the sand seal. If this happens, the parts are subject to Bernoulli’s principle and the parts will oxidise. The system must be vented properly, typically with an inverted funnel that is not directly connected to the outlet evacuating the gas as it is leaving the retort. In L&L’s smaller models, the retort can be removed to meet aggressive cooldown rates. Alternately, we offer a complete line of venturi cooling systems to aid in the furnace cooling. Typically, this includes a 10-volume change purge and a flow rate of about four volume changes per hour. The actual flow rate will vary depending on the material, but is very repeatable. The best atmosphere-controlled furnace is L&L’s XLC series front-loading retort furnace. This style of furnace best mimics a vacuum furnace. It can pull cold wall vacuum prior to starting the furnace cycle. This allows the retort cavity to be filled completely with inert gas. The furnace has a water-cooled, sealed bulkhead front, usually with a load cart to remove and handle the bulkhead. This series of furnace has a venturi cooling system and certain models can be used with a removable retort that allows for the unit to cool rapidly under atmosphere conditions. With the atmosphere-tight retort and proper monitoring system, we can consistently get oxygen levels below 1% concentration, which allows for introduction of hydrogen up to 100%. These systems are included with CPU-based control and complete flame safety packages. L&L offers a complete line of atmosphere-controlled furnaces and accompanying tempering furnaces, neutral hardening furnaces, quench tanks and cooling tables. If you have any questions regarding this article, please feel free to email me directly at tom@llfurnace.com. �
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GREENER FURNACE Atmosphere Controlled L&L Bench Model Furnace
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E
merson
By Bryant Benter*, and Asaël Hervet-Binois**
*Bryant Benter is the product marketing manager of Combustion, Americas, at Emerson. In his role, he serves customers in a variety of applications, including burners, boilers, furnaces and ovens. Bryant has been with Emerson for five years. https://www.emerson.com/en-us/automation/fluid-control-pneumatics/combustion-products ** Asaël Hervet-Binois is product marketing manager of Combustion, EMEA, at Emerson. He serves different customers and applications in the field of heat treatment, including petrochemical furnaces; process boilers; thermal oxidizers; industrial and commercial burners; and metal, ceramic and glass
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furnaces. https://www.emerson.com/en-gb/automation/solenoids-pneumatics/asco/combustion-solutions
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Improving industrial sustainability … With Advanced Furnace Fuel Train Technology Combustion furnaces are widely used across major industrial and commercial applications to perform functions ranging from heating spaces such as commercial buildings and warehouses to powering boilers, ovens, thermal oxidizers and power generation equipment used in industrial applications. These furnaces, which use a range of fuels, including natural gas, coke oven gas, fuel oil, biogas and biodiesel, are ubiquitous
Bryant Benter
in the modern world. Through their combustion processes, they generate greenhouse gas emissions including carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (NOx). Therefore, a key goal for clean air and climate change programs, including regulatory efforts, is to find new and more reliable ways to control, minimise and ultimately reduce these emissions. One way to reach this goal is to make combustion as efficient
Asaël Hervet-Binois
as possible while supporting the development and use of environmentally friendly fuel sources such as biodiesel, biogas and hydrogen. There is a range of furnace fuel train technologies that can be implemented to provide more flexible, fuel-efficient combustion processes, such as pulse firing. In addition, integrating the latest digital sensors and edge computing systems can provide a platform to customise combustion control and move toward a fully metered air/fuel ratio control strategy that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while optimising heating performance.
Figure 4. Left: To improve sustainability in combustion processes, PACs like Emerson’s PACSystems RX3i CPL410 Controller, configured as powerful and flexible edge controllers, can support more sophisticated pulse firing processes, as well as collect, analyze and transmit data to higher-level management and analytical systems. (Image courtesy of Emerson)
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GREENER FURNACE Figure 1. Example of pulse firing process illustrates how burner cycle times are managed depending on heat demand. (Image courtesy of Emerson)
Combustion efficiency and matching load to demand The amount of greenhouse gases produced in combustion processes is directly related to the efficiency of that combustion. The goal in combustion efficiency is to control, as tightly as possible, the air/fuel ratio, which can help minimise greenhouse gas emissions: Too much fuel and too little air results in excess carbon, while the reverse can result in excess nitrous oxide. Another method for achieving more sustainable combustion is to better match the heat load in furnaces to the actual demand of the system. Frequent start-ups and shutdowns of burner systems lead to unnecessary fuel waste and excessive emissions. By installing valve systems with higher turndown ratios and flow factors, it is possible to significantly reduce on/off cycles and increase fuel efficiency. Implementing these combustion efficiency
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approaches not only makes good environmental sense and helps control costs, but it can also help facilities comply with increasing regulatory requirements. There are local laws and regulations in multiple countries that define maximum nitrous oxide levels in parts per million, depending on equipment type and size. Taking steps to optimise the air/fuel ratio can provide one strategy to help facilities comply.
Figure 2. Designed for high cycling applications such as pulse firing, Emerson’s ASCOTM Series 290D pneumatic angle seat valves feature best-in-class lifetime and fast response time that minimizes energy use and emissions. (Image courtesy of Emerson)
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GREENER FURNACE Figure 3. Emerson’s ASCOTM Series 158/159 are engineered to support higher flow rates and performance longevity. These safety shut-off valves can replace pneumatic operation with electrical actuation, which can improve energy efficiency. (Image courtesy of Emerson)
Pulse firing offers significant potential for combustion efficiency Pulse firing can provide a smarter and more sophisticated way to improve heat distribution in heating equipment. This approach is particularly suited to industrial multi-burner furnaces and oven applications. To be effective, multiple burners are placed strategically on the equipment based on the anticipated heat demands. Rather than have all burners operate at the same time and same flow rate to reach the desired heat levels, burners “pulse” intermittently in a highly controlled fashion, either by firing on and off or ranging between low and high fire sequences. Temperature modulation can be done by modifying the pulse firing sequence and fine-tuning pulsing parameters such as coor-
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dinating multiple burners and each burner’s duty cycle (how long ON versus how long OFF). There are multiple approaches that can be taken, mainly governed by the heat demand of a given furnace or oven system. Figure 1 shows a fixed cycle time with a duty cycle for each burner that increases the ON time and decreases the OFF time as the system moves from 25% demand to 75% demand. This is a much more fuel-efficient method of meeting heat demand, aligning both fuel consumption and emissions levels with actual need. However, to accomplish pulse firing, or burning, it’s important to properly select key components, such as safety shut-off valves, sensors and controllers, to achieve the precise control that will yield more sustainable combustion. For high-intensity applications such as pulse firing, the latest pneumatic piston safety shut-off valves feature very fast response times – less than one second opening and closing – that can help reduce energy consumption and decrease emissions. These valves have been tested to several million cycles and have a proven longer lifetime. Given that some valves in pulse-firing applications may cycle 500,000 per year, this level of reliability makes a big difference. (Figure 2) As in a pulse firing configuration, there is much more frequent modulation of these sequences, as well as a need to support higher flow rates. The latest pneumatic piston valves provide high flow and can handle a range of fuels and other media at pressures up to 25 bar (360 pounds per square inch), including coke oven gas, oxygen, hydrogen, ammonia, oil, nitrogen, steam and hot water. Compared to conventional pneumatic ball valves, these valves consume less air, have a lower actuator volume and a smaller footprint. 109 www.furnaces-international.com
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In addition to these pneumatic piston valves, there are motorised safety shut-off valves available that can either stop the flow of fuel or provide high/low/off control to provide a range of flow rates. This new generation of safety shut-off valves has been engineered to provide optimised curvature, volumes and capacities that support higher flow rates. Higher flow rates allow for a higher turndown ratio, so burners in a pulse firing configuration can operate with greater flexibility, generate greater heat output — reducing the number of burner shutdowns and restarts — and, ultimately, help reach targeted goals of fuel consumption and emissions reduction. Figure 5. Real-time, actionable data is key to more sustainable combustion processes. Emerson’s advanced sensors enhance measurement of key parameters for combustion efficiency and emissions. (Image courtesy of Emerson)
Valves that support a more variable high/low/off functionality can be useful if the furnace fuel train has no modulation. It allows an operator to set an intermediate position between 15% and 100% of the normal valve stroke; with this feature, the
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ability to implement more fuel-efficient pulse firing sequences is possible. (Figure 3) One other energy-savings aspect of this latest generation of valves is their use of electronic actuation in place of pneumatic actuation. Pneumatic circuits, while generally reliable, can contribute to significant energy losses due to air leakages in pneumatic lines. In addition, compressed air must be supplied to these systems, typically through a centralised compressor that may need to run constantly. With electric valve actuation, this additional energy is no longer required. To fully optimise the sustainability of a furnace, this may provide an incremental way to reduce power consumption across the system.
Digital sensors and controllers can improve air/fuel ratios As with many other industrial systems, many furnaces and ovens are seeking to integrate Internet of Things (IoT) technology to improve their ability to capture and track key fuel and air train data points and support more sophisticated burner processes, such as fully metered air/fuel ratio control. Improving sustainability by improving air/fuel ratio control can be more effectively accomplished through use of the latest generation of sensors and programmable automation controllers (PACs). Real-time, actionable data is key: The more a furnace operator knows about air and fuel flow variations, the more effective they can be in implementing the most fuel-efficient, emissions-reducing combustion process. (Figure 4) There is now a range of robust, highly accurate sensors that can be integrated into significant points in the 111 www.furnaces-international.com
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fuel train to capture key parameters for combustion efficiency and emissions, such as fuel pressure and flow rates and oxygen and oxides in the flue gas. This can include data about flow and pressure rates into the burner/combustion systems as well as the measurement of emissions. (Figure 5) With this data, fuel train PACs can be configured to customise combustion control and implement a fully metered air/fuel ratio control strategy. This kind of control enables a furnace designer to more easily configure and continuously improve a combustion process. These PACs can also be configured to support edge computing capabilities, supplying data to higher-level, cloudbased systems for more complex process analysis.
Solutions to enhance combustion sustainability There is no single quick fix for the challenges of climate change and energy efficiency. What is possible is following more intelligent approaches to the design and function of combustion systems that generate heat. Technology is now available that equips furnace builders and operators with safety shut-off valves, sensors, PACs and other systems that increase the control of air/fuel ratios much more precisely. This control can enable more efficient fuel use and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions without impacting the ability to satisfy the heating requirements of these ovens and furnaces.
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E
lectroglass
Richard Stormont* outlines how Electroglass furnaces can meet renewable energy targets by improving energy efficiency, reducing emissions and using a hybrid energy approach.
*Managing Director, Electroglass, UK
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Renewable Melting and Conditioning Technology Glass melting is an energy intensive process. To convert mixed raw materials into melted and refined container glass requires a net energy input of about 2.4 GJ per tonne of glass, with no allowance for the thermal efficiency of the process used. In other words, no allowance for the inevitable heat losses. Melting recycled glass or cullet requires less energy, around 1.7 GJ per tonne or about 30% less than melting pure batch. Again, this takes no account of process heat losses. It is also difficult to meet today’s glass quality expectations using only cullet, meaning that very few products are made with purely recycled glass. It is possible to reduce the net melting energy requirements of our glass products. We can to some extent adjust compositions and the raw materials used to slightly lower the melting and refining temperatures required. We can use more cullet, perhaps accepting less than perfect product colour or consistency of col-
Figure 1.The Fuel-Fired Furnace – high heat losses, low thermal efficiency.
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GREENER FURNACE Figure 2. Primary sources of energy.
our. Both these approaches, raw materials adjustments and cullet use, can help towards the key objectives of reducing energy consumption, and conserving scarce raw materials resources. However, in terms of reducing energy consumption, far more can be achieved by focusing on the heat losses in melting processes. In the large majority of fuel-fired furnaces, that produce most of the world’s glass, those losses are greater than the net
Figure 3.The Booster or Hybrid option.
melting energy required by the glass. In other words, the thermal
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efficiency of the process is less than 50% and in most cases far less. Even if a fuel-fired furnace is capable of operating at a peak thermal efficiency of around 50%, that figure reduces greatly as soon as furnace pull is reduced to below its optimum Figure 1. A lot of attention has been given to ways of improving the performance of essentially fuel-fired furnaces in terms of both energy efficiency and emissions reduction, and there have certainly been improvements. Oxy-fuel firing has been developed and used for a number of years and more recently firing with hydrogen has been a focus of technical papers and seminars. Both oxygen and hydrogen are abundant and all around us, but not in usable forms for combustion and energy release. They both require investment and processing to isolate, to store and transport. When focusing on renewable glass manufacturing, we must not just look at reducing energy consumption but at the source of that energy and its sustainability – if it is renewable or non-renewable - and how we produce glass using renewable energy sources.
Primary energy sources Primary energy sources may be grouped into non-renewable and renewable Figure 2. Of these, only the non-renewables natural gas and oil can be used directly in the melting process, and they still account for the large majority of the industry’s melting energy consumption. At the opposite end of the range of melting energy options to fossil fuels, in terms of both emissions and energy efficiency, stands electricity. Electricity is readily produced using any of these renewable priwww.furnaces-international.com
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mary sources of energy. It is also the only practical form of glass melting energy that can be released directly into the glass itself, by means of immersed electrodes and joule-effect or resistance heating, with no associated carbon or nitrogen oxides gaseous emissions. Nuclear energy, while technically non-renewable, does not release harmful gases and is also quite readily used to generate electricity. As such, many consider it in a similar way to renewables. Many sectors of the industry have been using electric melting furnaces and forehearths for decades, but others have not. Generally, the high volume sectors of the industry that have made less use of electricity and remain heavily dependent on non-reFigure 4.The insulating Batch Blanket of an Electroglass All-Electric Furnace.
newable oil and gas.
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Melting technology options There is not one obvious path forward for the entire industry. Different sectors will continue to follow different approaches but sectors that are still heavily reliant on non-renewable fossil fuels all face the same basic choice. The first is to continue taking small steps in the same direction, which will no doubt yield further improvements in energy efficiency, and associated emissions reductions. The second is to truly focus on renewable energy and how to use it. For glass melting, in practice, that means electricity derived from the renewable primary energy sources. The high thermal efficiency of electric melting technology is proven and if that electricity is derived from renewal primary energy sources, there are no associated combustion gas emissions. Electric boosting of fuel-fired furnaces is well established, and is typically used to increase furnace outputs by 20% to 50%. However, even 50% output uplift from electric boosting means that just 33% of that furnace’s output is being produced electrically. A recent focus has been on the hybrid furnace approach essentially using a high level of electric boosting in what may otherwise be a relatively conventional, horizontal, flow hot-top furnace Figure 3. This certainly increases the proportion of potentially renewable melting energy derived from electricity. However, care is needed when considering the contribution proportions of electricity and fuel. In a furnace, in which (for example) 80% of the glass is deemed produced from electricity and 20% from gas, the ratio of energy usage can be different; only 65% of the total energy input being electric and 35% still coming from fuel. This is due to the very different thermal efficiencies of the two forms of heating. 119 www.furnaces-international.com
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GREENER FURNACE Figure 5. All-Electric Furnace capacity and thermal efficiency.
To achieve a ratio of 80% electric to 20% fuel in terms of energy input rather than glass produced, the result is that approx. 90% of the glass melted is being produced electrically and just 10% by fuel. As this is still essentially a hot-top furnace with the inevitable high heat losses, from a hot and fuel-fired superstructure, it is much better to go fully electric and cold-top. Melting energy is released directly into the glass itself rather than by heat transfer from a fuel-fired superstructure, and an insulating batch blanket covers the entire surface of molten glass Figure 4. The excellent thermal insulation provided by the batch blanket means a very low superstructure temperature and therefore very low heat losses. The result is greatly increased thermal efficiency. The superstructure temperature in an Electroglass cold-top, all-electric melter, as shown in Figure 5, is approx. 100°C or less. Combustion gas emissions are also eliminated.
Furnace size Energy is the biggest element in the cost of glass production, and the container glass sector (for example) has progressively adopted increasingly larger fuel-fired furnaces with a key objective of 120 Furnaces International March 2022
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improving thermal efficiency and reducing that energy cost. However, a well-designed, cold-top, all-electric container glass furnace does not need to be of comparable size to be efficient. Figure 5 shows the actual operating thermal efficiency of a range of Electroglass all-electric melters, from less than 10 tonnes/day to over 250 tonnes/day capacity, all based on soda-lime glass and standardised to 30% cullet. Even with a capacity of just 25 tonnes/day, thermal efficiency is over 70%. At 50 tonnes/day it is approx. 78% and at 100 tonnes/day it has reached 80%, twice the thermal efficiency of most much larger fuel-fired furnaces. Proven energy efficiency of an Electroglass 250 tonnes/day furnace is 84%, or just 700 kWh per tonne of glass produced. There is limited experience of electric furnaces larger than this, but current designs for 300 to 350 tonnes/day can be only marginally more efficient than this. It is time to rethink the focus on furnace size as necessary for production efficiency, as well as the switch to clean, renewable energy. Two or three smaller, but highly efficient, electric furnaces could meet the goals of renewable energy use times three, minimising energy costs and eliminating environmentally harmful emissions.
Don’t forget the forehearths The melting process understandably receives most of the attention in efforts to maximise thermal efficiency, reducing energy consumption and cost, and in assessing and comparing its environmental impact and sustainability. However, there is another key area where there is an established, proven and highly successful technology readily available to eliminate fossil fuel use, and its associated emissions, while greatly reducing energy 121 www.furnaces-international.com
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GREENER FURNACE Figure 6. Container glass All-Electric Forehearths.
consumption and operating costs. All-Electric Distributors and Forehearths have been widely used in various industry sectors for decades, especially for the volatile glasses such as the borosilicates and fluoride opal compositions. They have also been successfully used in the container glass sector for a long time, but have received limited attention. This is rightly changing. In the large majority of cases, energy cost savings of between 60% and 90% are achieved with a well-designed, all-electric forehearth compared with its gas-fired equivalent, as demonstrated when the two forehearths in Figure 6; a 36-inch channel and a 48-inch channel were converted from gas to electric heating. In another series of projects for a major container-making group, involving eight forehearths that were converted from gas or newly installed, the operating energy cost savings com-
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GREENER FURNACE Figure 7. All-Electric Furnaces and Forehearths control panels in Electroglass’ workshops.
pared with gas range from 71% (three high-capacity forehearths) through 75% (two forehearths) to 86% (three very high capacity forehearths). Such savings translate to rapid payback times, and, of course, the complete elimination of combustion gas emissions. These combined with thermal homogeneity results equal to or better than equivalent gas forehearths, precision temperature control and ease of operation. This makes electric forehearth technology the logical way forward for the industry, irrespective of the technology adopted for the melting furnace. These are not isolated projects. The adoption of electric melting and conditioning in every sector of the industry is growing fast and with the ability to eliminate the use of fossil fuels, adopt renewable energy sources and reduce operating costs, this is not surprising.
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