SMS group said that it replaced the carbon blocks and reprofiled the entire hearth with heat-resistant concrete. This prevented the need for a full rebuild and reduced downtime. The Paul Wurth technology restored hearth integrity and serviceability with minimal interruptions. 

“The chosen method allowed us to confine interventions to the critical sector and complete full reprofiling efficiently, while unexpected tasks such as cutting a frozen salamander were executed rapidly without delaying the handover,” said Jan Zmrzlík, project manager at SMS. 

The company said the furnace has a production volume of 3,100 metric tons of hot metal annually. There were signs in both the hearth area and the hearth lining in the tapping hole that they were nearing their end of life.