Aluminum Die Cast Re-Melting Furnace Refractory

Learn how Schad reconditioned a steel mill reheat furnace ahead of schedule.

In June 2017, Schad reconditioned a reheat furnace at an integrated steel mill in Ohio.

The project was challenging because of an ambitious schedule, and the need for several trades. It also required work in various areas of the furnace.

As a result, the project required a great deal of communication as well as a vast set of skills to complete.

We had 16 days to totally recondition a steel mill reheat furnace

The project team had 16 days to complete the project, which called for:

• Completely replacing the skid rail
• Replacing the pre-heat zone standpipe
• Replacing refractory materials on the skid rails, recuperator wall, pre-heat burner wall, edge of the hearth and charge wall

Schad bricklayers used a wide variety of their skills to complete this project. They installed ceramic and metallic anchors. They installed gunite, shotcrete, plastic and pre-cast shapes.

The project plan was revised several times as dates and work activities shifted. Schad had to work with the project team to make plans to keep the project on schedule and get the furnace lit on time.

We finished ahead of schedule

The refractory work is critical to completing the project on time. Yet, as often happens in the refractory trade, Schad was the last contractor to have access to the work area.

At one-point during the outage, Schad ran two combination shotcrete pumps continuously for two shifts. This allowed us to shoot over 160,000 pounds of material in about two and a half hours.

With a lot of hard work from the entire project team, the furnace dry-out began 12 hours ahead of schedule.

Contact Schad for your steel mill furnace refractory needs

Schad Refractory has a long history of working with customers in the steelmaking industry. We have worked with steel mills in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio and throughout the Midwest.

Are you looking for a steel mill refractory contractor? Contact us today for more information about our services.

Learn how Schad relined a brazing furnace ahead of schedule and under budget – with no drawings.

For four decades, Metro Machine Works has provided high precision machining and brazing. They serve customers in the aerospace, defense and energy industry.

The brazing furnace at this facility is a critical piece of equipment required in their manufacturing process. When it was clear that their furnace needed to be relined, Metro Machine Works gave us a call.

Starting from scratch

During the project, Schad provided a turnkey installation of all the refractory materials. But we encountered a significant issue in the planning stage. There were no refractory drawings available to work from.

We needed to ensure that the installation was done correctly. And we wanted to make it easier to reline the brazing furnace in the future. So we worked with a contracted engineer to provide a full set of refractory drawings to the customer.

After the drawings were made, we worked with a team of expert refractory masons to deliver a first-class installation. We also advised Metro Machine Works on suitable start-up and maintenance practices.

Here’s what our customer thought about Schad’s work

“Schad has some really good guys working with them, very professional. We really appreciate that they came in under the budget and early on the time line on this project.”

-Dave Jones, Purchasing Manager at Metro Machine Works

Contact Schad for your refractory repair needs

Do you need a brazing furnace relined? Contact us today for more information about our refractory repair services.

Schad completed substantial furnace repairs at a Northeastern Ohio seamless tube facility.

In November 2017, Schad’s Youngstown office completed work on a walking beam furnace at a steel tube facility.

Repairing the furnace involved:

• Inspection of the furnace and related equipment
• Replacing a large quantity of skid pipe coverings
• Repairs to the furnace doors and wall bumpers

We worked closely with the bricklayers and laborers unions to provide a skilled and efficient workforce.

During the project, the outage time allowed for repair was reduced. And the scope of the project increased substantially. Nonetheless, Schad’s crew managed to finish the project on time and on budget.

How Schad helped the customer beyond the repair

Many times, our projects go far beyond fixing a furnace. We want to make sure that our customers have the information they need to keep the furnace in working order.

For this project, our team worked with the customer to develop a long-term maintenance plan for the walking beam furnace and its components.

“The guys worked hard and took a lot of pride in this project. Also, we worked very well with the customer. They made sure we had the support and direction required in order to make the project a success”

–       Matt Sam, Schad Regional Manager

Contact Schad for your refractory repair needs

Do you need a brazing furnace relined? Contact us today for more information about our refractory repair services.

Learn how Schad overcame a unique challenge to reline a car bottom furnace at a Western Pennsylvania forging facility.

Relining the furnace involved:

• Fabrication, cast-in-place and pre-cast shapes
• Ceramic fiber modules
• Refractory plastic installation

Thanks to our skilled crew with wide-ranging capabilities, we were able to finish the project in a safe and timely manner.

Challenges of working on a unique furnace in an active plant

The more people are involved in a project, the more complicated it becomes. In this case, our team was working in the same area as both plant operators and other contractors.

“Working in an active plant has its own set of hazards. When the plant has multiple guests on-site working to complete a project, new hazards arise. It takes a true team effort in order to get the project done safely and efficiently.”

– Matt Sam, Schad Regional Manager

Along with that challenge, our team was faced with a somewhat unique car bottom furnace.  This furnace operates at a higher temperature than similar furnaces.

As a result, our team had to be very careful about which materials were used. And we had to pay far greater detail to how those materials were installed.

Schad has an excellent network of solutions for steel refractory services

“Throughout its history, Schad has worked on several car bottom furnaces. But with an increased presence in steel/forging areas of Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Eastern/Southern Ohio, we have really developed a large network of solutions as well as skilled trades. This has greatly improved our performance on these projects.”

– Ross Lee, President of Schad Refractory

Contact Schad for your refractory repair needs

Are you looking for a refractory contractor for your steel or forging business? Contact us today for more information about our refractory repair services, including car bottom relines.

Bottle car relining is a service that Schad offers on an ongoing basis as an embedded contractor.

For many clients, refractory maintenance is not done on a project by project basis. Rather, it’s a continuous operation. For these customers, Schad is an “embedded contractor.”

This means that we provide continuous support for their operation and maintenance staff. One service Schad provides on a regular basis is a bottle car reline at steel mills.

Bottle cars transport molten iron from one part of the mill to another for processing.

Pouring molten metal into the bottle car and transporting it can be very hard on refractory materials. The bottle cars often experience thermal shock and large impacts. As a result, they need quite a bit of maintenance. Occasionally, they need to be relined.

Schad’s bottle car refractory services.

We can help support a customer’s existing plant maintenance personnel. For some customers, we provide a turnkey reline service.

• Delivery of materials
• Organization of required forms
• Insight on a customer’s bottle car needs
• Resources for confined space entry
• Skilled trades personnel to install the materials

As with most activities at a steel mill, relining bottle cars is all about safety and efficiency. Our crews make sure that bottle car relining is completed on time and without incident.

Contact us for steel mill refractory services.

Bottle car relining is one of many services that we offer to customers in the steel industry. All of our services are customized to our customers’ needs.

Are you interested in learning how Schad can help with your refractory maintenance? Reach out to us today!

In March 2018, a Tennessee iron foundry presented us with a unique problem. They didn’t need help installing or repairing a furnace. They needed one taken out.

A general contractor was working to demolish the building. The demolition crew found a surprise within.

The foundry contained four 60-ton horizontal channel induction furnaces. Realizing that removing these required a specialist, the contractor contacted Schad.

Removing these furnaces presented a unique safety challenge.

The iron foundry’s furnaces sat on a mezzanine level of the building. We would need to lower the furnaces and other materials down to grade.

This presented an obvious safety risk. To remove the furnaces, our team dealt with an evolving safety environment.

We brought in resources from across the country

To complete the project safely and efficiently, Schad needed the right equipment.

The heavy equipment included a demolition machine, skid steer, aerial lifts and a fork truck. We also needed over 500 burning bars to remove the iron and cut apart the furnace.

Along with the tools, we needed specialists to complete this unique project. Those specialists came from our offices in Detroit, Kentucky and Tennessee.

With the right equipment and the right skills, we were set to remove four 60-ton furnaces.

Schad completed the furnace removal without accidents and ahead of schedule.

As always, safety is the highest priority. We were happy to complete the project without incident, especially when faced with an unusual safety environment. And even when presented with an unusual objective, we were able to get the project completed ahead of schedule. This allowed our client to complete their without major delay.