Background and Challenge
BlueScope Steel faced a challenge during their blast furnace reline project, when a large iron skull formed in the hearth of the furnace. Removing it required a careful approach ruling out explosive demolition to avoid damaging nearby staves. Several days of jackhammering failed to make progress, while attempts at thermal lancing were thwarted by the iron skull material constantly resolidifying due to its unusual composition. Water jetting proved an ideal solution to this complex issue to create clean cuts without damaging the integrity of the staves within the blast furnace.
Solution
In this situation, BlueScope turned to Silver Raven, known due to our recent success in cold-cutting the blast furnace wall. This task was a critical stage of the project classified as emergency works. Under time constraints, Silver Raven utilised a custom-designed cold-cutting track system, tailored to handle the skull’s irregular shape and orientation. The modular track held in place by dynabolts allowed for cuts in different positions, accommodating the skull’s varied attachment points. The team’s expertise in cold-cutting allowed for quick calibrations in altering cutting speeds, water pressures and nozzle distances, accounting for differences in material density and depth. These adjustments ensured the cold cutting process was both efficient and precise, even when navigating through challenging sections.
Result
After the relief cuts were made in the iron skull, the BlueScope team were able to successfully jackhammer and extract large sections of the base and perimeter. This collaboration highlighted Silver Raven’s ability to solve high-stakes industrial challenges through precision engineering, cementing their reputation as a leader in the industry and trusted partner for BlueScope Steel.
