The kiln is considered the heart of a cement plant and its performance happens to be the deciding factor for the total profitability of the plant.
Healthy operation of the kiln with uninterrupted availability for production is directly linked with the quality and quantity of the kiln output.A trouble free up keep of the kiln is vital to ensure high productivity of the plant. A study of kiln down time in various cement plants indicates that the down time of the kiln due to mechanical failures rates from 8 to 35% where as the down time due to refractory work alone ranges form 20 to 35%. For healthy refractory, close attention and proper maintenance of the kiln system is needed. Failure of refractory bricks can cause many negative factors including thermal stresses, infiltration and corrosion, mechanical stress, and improper installation.
Our contribution to improving kiln up time reduces down time with faster methods of refractory maintenance and longer up time due to tools that help speed up installation and improve the quality of installation. We call this contribution – The Circle of Refractory Maintenance. This contribution is important to not only the managers responsible for the maintenance of the kiln, but to the plant and corporate managers responsible for the overall profits of the company.
The following presentation describes the components of the “Circle” and how they work together to reduce downtime and increase runtime. Through out the presentation actual case studies will illustrate the results and benefits of employing all or parts of the tools in the “The Circle of Refractory Maintenance”.
In the year 2000 Brokk AB purchased Bricking Solutions formerly known as Pneumat O Ring International.
Out of this marriage the Brokk / Bricking Solutions Kiln Maintenance System was born.
Our “Solutions” for kiln maintenance needs involves the following tools:
- Kiln ramps for quicker, safer and faster kiln access
- Remote controlled Tear Out robots for fast precise removal of coating and brick
- Radialign laser marking of kiln shell to insure proper alignment of installed brick to the kiln axis.
- Material handling products to insure delivery of undamaged brick to the kiln shell.
- Bricking machines that increase the speed of installation to reduce down time while at the same time insuring the highest quality of installation to increase brick life and uptime.
The 3 main objectives of this system are Safety, Quality and Speed.
- Safety is a moral responsibility with the side benefit of being cost effective. It increases employee morale and thus productivity resulting in shorter outages. It also reduces cost related to time lost due to injury and personnel turn over.
- Quality installation is an intangible the can be measured by fewer bricks lost to damage and increase life of refractory measurable by increase in kiln run time and grams of refractory used per ton of clinker produced.
- Speed is measured by shorter outages and increased run time.