The steel manufacturer Tata Steel has production sites in 26 countries. One of these sites is located in Holland, where machine solutions from IFE also make their contribution to energy-efficient and environmentally friendly steel production. Read the article to find out how we repeatedly demonstrate our solution expertise there.
Since the 1960s, IFE has supplied material handling technology to Tata Steel via the Dutch agency IFE bulk Benelux.
The technical requirements are continually on the rise and the operators are confronted with the replacement of outdated equipment. Maintenance and cleaning intensity increases while performance decreases. This costs time and money. But organizing a replacement can also tie up a lot of resources or lead to complications if planning is inadequate. In addition, there are structural restrictions that require special solutions.
Tailor-made integration
IFE bulk Benelux and IFE Material Handling in Austria provide a remedy for the numerous hurdles associated with the replacement of outdated, tightly installed conveyor, screening and magnetic technology.
Together, they can take on a project from the de-installation of the disused machines to the installation and maintenance of new high-performance equipment. Spare and wear parts service included, of course.
Coke screening machine changeover made easy
The advantageous full service also came into play with the last machine delivered, where an existing unit was replaced by a 2 x 6 m IFE linear vibrating screen in a tight timeframe of just a few weeks.
The screen is required to efficiently separate the fines contained in the large, abrasive coke tonnage - with as little dust generation as possible. In addition, the purchase was subject to the condition that the screen had to be precisely adapted to the infrastructure on site.
To be able to carry out the screening task of 175 t of coke per hour in continuous operation, the screen has been equipped with two IFE unbalanced exciters of type UG 40. This drive system allows easy maintenance by scheduled oil changes and is characterized by a long bearing life.
Since the oversize material (+35 mm) has to reach the blast furnace via a long conveyor belt, dust removal is also an important issue. In addition to efficient screening of the fines, a stationary cover with suction ensures the reduction of emissions.
However, coke is not only dusty, but also extremely abrasive. Comprehensive corrosion protection is required. The IFE screen is therefore provided with a special coating (350 µm). The side walls are completely lined with rubber, and replaceable rubber sections are installed on support plates in the inlet area. At exposed points there are further rubber as well as ceramic linings.
An isolating frame ensures that the dynamic forces generated are reduced.
“The previous downtimes could be significantly reduced by the new IFE linear vibrating screen, which increases the productivity of the entire plant.”
Tom Luttikhuizen - Maintenance manager Coke factory 1, Tata Steel
During acceptance (from left to right): Barry Maaskant and Arjan Balder - Tata Steel, Wijnand van de Vendel - IFE Benelux/TBK Group, Angelika Bayer - IFE Material Handling, Stan Egging - Director TBK Group
