Maintenance uncovers a loss of capacity
Faulty repairs uncovered – capacity restored
Initial situation
An aluminium furnace operator approached SBS Refractory Service after noticing a marked decline in charging capacity over an extended period – despite regular maintenance by another service provider. The cause was initially unclear, yet the gradual loss of capacity was placing a considerable burden on the profitability of the operation.
Scope of services
- Comprehensive inspection and damage analysis of the furnace interior
- Identification of the faulty previous repairs as the cause
- Proper removal of all deposits and layer build-up
- Correct repair of the wear areas with a single-layer gunning coat
- Restoration of the original furnace volume
- Documentation and maintenance recommendations for the customer
Project data
The task
The loss of capacity had occurred gradually and could not initially be attributed to a clear cause
During repairs, the previous maintenance company had repeatedly applied gunning mix over residues of slag and old gunning mix instead of removing them properly
The faulty layer build-up had massively reduced the usable furnace volume – the direct cause of the loss of capacity
In addition to the loss of capacity, the altered furnace geometry led to increased energy consumption
The SBS approach
Our specialists first carried out a thorough inspection of the furnace interior. The cause of the loss of capacity was quickly identified: over several maintenance cycles, thick layers of slag residues and incorrectly applied gunning mix had accumulated, considerably reducing the usable furnace volume.
All of the accumulated material was carefully and properly removed. The areas that were genuinely worn were then professionally repaired with a correctly applied gunning layer of the right thickness. This fully restored the original furnace volume.
The customer also received detailed documentation of the defects found and recommendations for future maintenance intervals in order to rule out any recurrence of the problem.
Maintenance uncovers a loss of capacity in pictures
Our team after the professional correction – furnace volume fully restored
After the correction: restored furnace volume and full capacity
Optimised burner configuration for higher melting performance
Measurable results
The key figures of the “Maintenance uncovers a loss of capacity” project
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