Rebuilding a Kiln for a Major Refractory Manufacturer
Construction contractors don’t always have the best long-term reputations. It’s common for them to come and go, even in our specialty industry of refractory contracting. But there can be tremendous value in building a long-term relationship with the right refractory contractor. An example of this is highlighted by our recent job for a major U.S. refractory manufacturer that produces high…Read More ›
Mud is Mud …
Many people view refractory as dirt in a bag. It sure looks like dirt, right? If you can lay brick, you can lay firebrick, right? If you can cast concrete, you can install refractory, right? And many believe any laborer can install castable. In redbrick, a bricklayer not laying proper joints will be “run off” the job. However, we’ve seen…Read More ›
Workarounds to Keep the Production Line Running
Our culture is built around doing the job right so our customers get lasting value from our work. And we don’t just do it for our customers; we take pride in doing the job right. In most instances, “doing the job right” in a vacuum means shutting the line down for repairs or a rebuild. But the reality of today…Read More ›
Case Study: A Quick Response for Our Customer’s Heat Recovery Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO)
Regenerative Thermal Oxidizers (RTOs) are combustion devices that control VOC, CO, and volatile HAP emissions by combusting them to carbon dioxide (CO2) and water. In regenerative heat recovery, hot exhaust gases and cool inlet gases are alternatively passed through a fixed bed, typically employing ceramic media. Important design and operational factors for RTOs include temperature (a temperature high enough to…Read More ›
There’s a Crack in My Refractory
If your refractory is cracked, is it failing? Cracks certainly don’t look good. And they don’t instill confidence. But the reality is that most cracks are not necessarily bad, detrimental or indicative of failure. A casual look at a street, sidewalk or your garage floor makes the point. Monolithic refractories will crack for a variety of reasons: Heating stresses Volume…Read More ›