Bricking Solutions, a full solutions provider in kiln refractory installation equipment, introduces Kiln Access Ramps to provide safe and easy access for maintenance personnel and equipment. Engineers review each customer’s burn floor, cooler, and kiln to customize a design for peak safety and efficiency.
“Access ramps are a necessary element for kiln maintenance and have a tremendous impact on both productivity and safety,” said Lars Lindgren, Bricking Solutions president. “Our smart design incorporates the latest technology providing an extremely strong, yet lightweight solution that enables smooth and quick transport of materials and equipment.”
Constructed with 6061-T6 aircraft-grade aluminum, the access ramps support up to 15,000 pounds (6,804 kilograms) of equipment and offer a 3:1 safety factor. Being fabricated from aluminum the industrial ramps are as strong as steel yet half the weight. The ramps are customized, taking into account obstructions that are unique to every burn floor. Every Bricking Solutions personnel and machinery access ramp is built to meet or exceed all international safety standards. The ramp easily supports a forklift fully loaded with bricks for fast and efficient material and equipment access, as well as Brokk demolition robots for refractory tear-out and skid steers for material removal.
Bricking Solutions designs the kiln access ramps in modular sections that can be assembled or disassembled in as little as 1.5 hours depending on the configuration and the length of the burn floor. That’s 40 percent less time than most alternative aftermarket or self-built ramps. Items such as lifting lugs are engineered into the plans and built into each ramp to make installation as fast and easy as possible. Most ramps can be installed with a standard size forklift. For longer ramps — depending on the customer’s operation — Bricking Solutions can configure a sling-in system or a load fixture to aid in the installation.
“Each hour the kiln is down for maintenance is production lost,” Lindgren said. “Plant managers don’t have extra time to spend assembling cumbersome ramps. Our kiln access ramps’ versatility and ease of use save as much as 4-6 hours on install alone.”
To accommodate a tear-out machine, such as a Brokk remote-controlled demolition robot, matting is also available to make kiln tear-out possible on the bridge section without damaging the ramp’s integrity.
Safety is crucial, and the access ramps come equipped with curbs and fall guards to ensure worker protection as equipment moves across them. For added safety, safety cages and tunnels are available to protect workers on the bridge section of the ramp from castable falling from the hood.
