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VERSION:2.0
METHOD:PUBLISH
BEGIN:VEVENT
ORGANIZER;CN=ESTAD 2023:mailto:info@metec-estad.com
LOCATION:Room 17a
SUMMARY:Campaign life extension of hot metal charging crane
DESCRIPTION:Gerdau’s integrated iron and steel plant at Ouro Branco, Minas Gerais State, includes a melt shop containing two basic oxygen furnaces (BOFs). The primary hot metal charging crane of 340t capacity has suffered structural damage including cracking and local deformations to girders and trolley structures after more than 30 years of operation. This damage presented a threat to the continued campaign life of the crane. Critical risks associated with this damage necessitated a thorough technical assessment to quantify the current structural condition, determine likely failure modes, and investigate possible options for continued safe operation. A campaign life assessment was performed, and life extension strategies were developed to minimize risk, maximize production, and improved reliability conditions.

Root cause analysis and subsequent fitness-for-service assessment were carried out, including a strength and stability assessment, identification of cracking mechanisms. This led to the development of a range of options for mitigation and the associated constraints / monitoring requirements / etc. These strategies included short-term local repairs and monitoring strategies that could be completed without interruptions to overall production, as well as with long-term repairs, reinforcements, and local platework replacements to extend the campaign life until a replacement crane is procured and installed. These actions were successfully implemented, thus allowing for reliable continued operation of the crane, with major financial benefits to the melt shop facility.

Keywords: Basic Oxygen Furnace; Melt Shop; Overhead Crane; Charging Crane; Fitness-for-Service; Campaign Life Extension.
CLASS:PUBLIC
DTSTART:20230615T111000
DTEND:20230615T113000
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