A significant part of the cost of steelmaking will be determined in the primary end: the raw material cost, coke and other energy sources. Efficient use of these materials in the Blast Furnace will have a large impact on the total cost chain. Furthermore a high utilization factor and an increase in productivity will also indirectly improve the bottom line on these costs. Although the basic requirements are the same. in reality major differences exist between blast furnaces.
By carrying out an independent audit, these differences are highlighted, and where improvements can be made, solutions to resolve them are identified. It is not immediately obvious why an external resource would be used for such task, however the following benefits add credence to the audit, which may not be present internally:
- Independent, non–biased view
- Short, dedicated, focused effort
- Guaranteed deadlines
- Benchmarking against international blast furnace practice
- In depth experience with inspection and condition monitoring techniques
- Multi–disciplined team encompassing Process Technology, Operations, Maintenance, Repair and Reline engineering options
- Immediate reporting to entire blast furnace team on site on completion of audit
