Aluminum Furnace Maintenance Tips

Loading a Furnace Car

A critical procedure for the optimum heat treatment efficiency is the correct loading of the furnace car. The following is a list of considerations for optimum performance of your furnace system

Positioning the Load

The work has be placed carefully on the car so that nothing overhangs the sides or ends of the car top. Do not exceed the load height limit of the installation. It is highly recommended that a structure of some sort be erected in front of the furnace door opening to check the load size before it enters the furnace. The fact that a cold load may go into the furnace without interference does not necessarily mean that the hot load will clear the door opening and baffles without interference. When heated, a load may expand as much as .2” per foot of width or height. Considerable shifting of the load can also take place during heating.

Clearances

To avoid costlyrepairs and production downtime, it is imperative that proper clearances are maintained. Serious damage to the door opening liner and water jacket, the door seal, the door itself, and the inner baffles will be caused by oversized loads. If the work is being loaded or unloaded with a crane from overhead, the load must not be dropped onto the car. Breakage of car wheels and bearing damage may occur when a load is dropped.

Loading Method and Fixturing

If the work is being loaded with forklift trucks, care must be taken not to move the car sideways off the rails when loading. This may cause wheel and bearing damage. If the load consists of round pieces such as coils or billets, the load must be properly blocked to prevent rolling and shifting when the car is moved. If the installation has a transfer car, the load must also be blocked sideways to prevent shifting due to movement of the transfer car. This is particularly important for high loads of billets. Each layer of billets must be blocked. Do not load or unload a furnace car while on the transfer car.

The work on the furnace car must not only be located correctly to prevent shifting, but must also be tied down to prevent light pieces from being sucked into the fan. This could be loose ends of coil stock, loose bands on coils or billet stacks, trash on the car from previous loads, light gage coils not banded, vertical stacks of stampings, and similar material.

A furnace car is not designed to be lifted with a full or partial load on the deck. If a car must be lifted or turned around, this should only be done by means of the provided lifting holes or hooks.

For more information contact the Aluminum Team at 814/332-8400.

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.