Kametstal is finalising preparations for the major overhaul of blast furnace No. 1M

The Kametstal Steel Plant, part of the Metinvest Group, is finalising preparations for the major overhaul of blast furnace No. 1M, scheduled for this year. This is stated in a company announcement.

As part of these preparations, the plant is carrying out an inspection and preparation of tools, as well as modernising the unit’s equipment.

In particular, the steelworks is finalising preparations for five suspended platforms designed to ensure the safety of personnel whilst carrying out operations directly inside the blast furnace. Four of these were successfully used during last year’s overhaul of blast furnace No. 9, and a further one has been purchased.

In addition, the plant is preparing for the installation and replacement of the blast furnace charging device. To minimise the time required for the actual installation during the unit’s shutdown, repair crews are employing the practice of pre-assembling individual components on specially equipped test benches. Work is currently in full swing to prepare for the installation of a new gas gate in the inter-cone space. Specialists are carrying out internal protection of the gate, developing access hatches, preparing openings for exhaust pipes, and cleaning the flanges.

The next step involves a series of works to prepare the charging machine itself, the refurbished rotary charge distributor and the small cone. The new charging device was manufactured by the Zaporizhzhia branch of Metinvest Machinery. Specialists from the Metallurgical Equipment Repair Shop (MER) will carry out its complete assembly.

Work has also begun on modernising the bell mouths of ten tuyere assemblies, which are responsible for feeding hot blast directly into the blast furnace. The project involves a radical redesign of the bell mouths, incorporating flanged connections, which will significantly simplify and speed up their maintenance during cleaning in the future. Specialists at Kametstal’s Central Repair and Maintenance Unit are manufacturing the necessary steel structures, with the subsequent refractory lining to be carried out by the company Zaporizhogneupor.

It should be noted that in April this year, Kametstal completed the overhaul of the No. 1 ladle furnace. The upgrade of the unit is expected to reduce the risk of downtime and improve the stability of steel production.