ALUMINUM HEAT PROCESSING NEWS
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Aluminum Furnace Maintenance Tips |
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Repair
insulation surface liner when damaged to protect the softer back up material |
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| Cross-section of typical furnace panel
with a stainless steel liner |
There
are 3 types of surface liner for insulation systems that are most common in aluminum process
furnaces:
- Metal liner
- Mesh & Mortar
- Castable insulation in car tops and floors
Generally speaking, insulation does not deteriorate from
heat exposure because it is easy to use materials that have a much
higher temperature rating than the temperatures used in aluminum
processing. By repairing the surface lining as soon as damage
occurs, you prevent deterioration of the back up material
and potentially more expensive repairs to the insulation.The main causes of insulation damage are:
- Mechanical damage - wrecks
- Air flow erosion - usually starting
from mechanical damage
- Exposed back up material to high velocity air
flow
- Severe vibration from an unbalanced
fan
Metal LinersInsulation repair in metal lined furnaces
can be difficult
because you can not replace a piece of liner until you have a piece
to replace it with. This
means that the maintenance staff needs to order a sheet of stainless
steel, cut it to the correct size and punch holes in it, etc.
This kind of project usually can be done in a few days, but it can
take longer depending on the availability of material.
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| Typical Furnace panel with mesh and mortar
surface treatment |
SECO/WARWICK Mesh &
Mortar Surface TreatmentIn a furnace lined with mesh and mortar, the repairs can be
made in just a few hours with some back up material, a roll of wire mesh and a can of mortar
that are inexpensive enough to stock in-house, or can be ordered
directly from our SECO/WARWICK inventory. Back up material
is used to fill any voids, then a patch is cut from the wire mesh,
applied to the damaged area, and mortar is painted over the patch.FloorsFloors are sometimes metal lined, but more often, we use
about 5"
of insulating castable covered with 3"
of hard castable that doesn't dust.
This type of floor rarely needs repair.
When it does, almost any hard castable can be used for the
hot face. The latest design, materials
and equipment specifications should be obtained from the company
before any reliance is placed on the enclosed since changes may
occur due to product improvement. |
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P. O. Box 908 180 Mercer
Street Meadville, PA 16335-6908 USA
Phone (814)332-8400 - Fax (814)724-1407
info@secowarwick.com
©1995-2008 SECO/WARWICK Corporation All Rights Reserved.
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