A High Tech Application of a Low Tech Refractory
“Fire brick is a thing of the past.” Have you ever heard that from your refractory contractor? Or maybe said it yourself? We hear it often. Many new high-quality refractory materials have come into the marketplace over the past 10 years, and it’s natural to want the cutting-edge technology in your plant. Who doesn’t want the latest and greatest? But…Read More ›
Keeping the Job on Track When Disaster Strikes
Fourth of July weekend is a common time for aluminum manufacturers to perform routine maintenance. Many have very tight maintenance schedules during these two or three days of downtime. It’s one of our busiest times of the year. But not even the best-laid plans can protect you from catastrophe. And that’s exactly what happened to us this past July 4th…Read More ›
Repair or Replace? Our Recommendations for a 12-Year-Old Cyclone
When it comes to evaluating aging or depreciated heat processing equipment, the “repair or replace” conversation is common. “Can we squeeze more life out of it? Or should we bite the bullet and incur the capital cost?” Sometimes it’s a cut-and-dried decision, and sometimes it’s not so clear. The following case study is a good example of the evaluation process…Read More ›
Proper Anchor Selection
Proper anchor selection and installation is one of the foundations to help assure a successful refractory installation project. Over 60% of structural monolithic refractory failures are caused by the contractor’s (or design engineer’s) lack of understanding of proper anchor design and installation. A Brief History of Refractory Anchors The early twentieth century monolithic refractories were commonly plastic. At that time…Read More ›
Case Study: Mobilizing a 100-Man Job in 24 Hours
Recently, we completed one of the most challenging projects – if not the most challenging project – that we’ve encountered over the past decade in our Knoxville office. The job started out pretty straightforward. Our customer was taking down two rotary kilns for some routine maintenance – small repairs and gunning work in the kiln and fines chute. Based on…Read More ›