Schad completed a large project on a pusher style reheat furnace at a Great Lakes Region steel mill. The project included a full hearth replacement, a leading edge replacement, work on the extractor piers, and sidewall replacement. It also included casting materials, shooting materials, and placing brick and insulation products, which required a crew with a versatile skill set.
Like all projects, this project had some unique challenges that the team was able to address and react to. The first challenge was that the project was scheduled to take place in October. Instead, the project was moved up eight months! The team of mill personnel, contractors, and material manufacturers worked together to make this possible. “I think that changing everything was probably the hardest on the mill’s procurement team. They did a great job of getting all of their purchase orders modified and issued in short order which is no small task,” said Schad’s Project Manager, Matt Kuderik. “It also helped that they have an experienced and loyal contractor group that had the knowledge and commitment required to do whatever it takes to satisfy the customer,” he continued.
As previously alluded, another challenge was staffing the project with skilled personnel that can shoot, place, form, and cast all of the various material types and also operate the associated equipment.
“The project had a tight schedule and a lot of requirements, but the guys stuck with it and got it done,” said Schad’s, Rich Hull. “We all take getting the furnaces back online on-time personally, and I think that it showed.”