DRI UPDATE

December, 2018

EDITORIAL

Dear Readers,
I am sure you might have gone through our earlier E-Magazine of September, 2018
issue. I hope you might have found that interesting and informative.
We are bringing out this issue focusing on coal based DRI activities. It mainlycontains the details of Technical Workshop on Energy Efficiency Technologies
organized in association with Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Power,
Karnataka Renewable Development Ltd, a Government of Karnataka Undertaking
and KSIMA on 28.11.2018 at Ballari, Karnataka.
The magazine contains two papers highlighting the innovative ideas which may
have major impact on the financial performance of coal based DRI producers. The
third paper is on the safety procedures and practices required to be followed
during the steel making through the induction furnace route.
I take this opportunity to wish our Readers a very Happy, Prosperous & Growth
Oriented 2019!

************

Deependra Kashiva
Executive Director

Report on “Technical Workshop on Energy Efficiency Technologies”
Sponge Iron Manufacturers Association (SIMA) in association with BEE, Ministry of Power,
Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited (KREDL), a Karnataka Government Undertaking
organized a Technical Workshop on Energy Efficiency Technologies on 28.11.2018 at Ballari,
Karnataka.
The Inaugural Session was addressed by Mr. A B Basavaraju, MD, KREDL, Mr. A K Asthana, Sr.
Project Coordinator, GIZ Germany, Mr. Deependra Kashiva, Executive Director, SIMA and senior
office bearers from Karnataka Sponge Iron Manufacturers Association and South India Sponge Iron
Manufacturers Association.
In his key note address, Mr. Deependra Kashiva, ED, SIMA gave the background of conceiving thisworkshop in the Ballari region. He highlighted the important role being played by Indian sponge
iron industry in the steel production. He also informed the participants about the importancegiven to the sponge iron industry in the National Steel Policy 2017 which envisages the need to
produce 80 million tonnes of sponge iron from the current level of about 25 million tonnes toachieve the targeted crude steel production of 255 million tonnes by 2030-31.
Senior representative of BEE along with sector expert presented a paper on “PAT Achievements
and Way Forward”. It was followed by Mr. Asthana’s presentation on “Coal Blending forEnhancing Combustion Efficiency”. Other important papers presented by Representatives of EL
Measure, Elpro Energy Pvt Ltd, Thermax Ltd and Tata Sponge Iron Ltd.
Major “Takeaways” from this Workshop may be flagged as under:
1. During the discussions, it was found that few sponge iron (SI) producers have installed
WHRB power plant which is contrary to the sponge iron producers in Chhattisgarh andOdisha where large number SI producers have installed the same. This was perhaps due tothe fact that they do not have subsequent steel making facilities and uncertainty about the
PPA. On the several requests, the representative of Thermax visited 4 SI units and madesuggestions to set up smaller WHRB power plant to meet their present power requirement
on a much smaller capex.
2. ED, SIMA requested the participants to volunteer to spare their rotary kiln for carrying out
the R&D for exploring the use of Syn Gas in the rotary kiln. Mr. T Srinivasa Rao, MD,
Balajiswamy Premium Steels Pvt Ltd offered his 50TPD kiln for this purpose.
3. Presentation from Tata Sponge Iron Ltd was very much liked and lot of the people showed
the interest in the action points outlined by their speaker which inter alia speak the use of
catalyst (Thermact) in the coal which substantially reduces the cost of production ofsponge iron.
Some of the photographs of the event are as under:ED, SIMA delivering the keynote address

View of Participants*************

1

Energy Efficient Operations @Tata Sponge
Bijay Kumar Agrawal
Head-Electrical, CEA

28th November 20182

The phases so far… and ahead

1983-85First plant commissioning & trials• First plant of 90,000 tpa capacity
1986-91
Evolution and stabilizing operations• Overcoming teething troubles• Rehabilitation plans to stabilize
operations (capacity increased to120,000 tpa)
1992-97
Consolidation of operations andmarket• Improve plant availability• Recovery from all losses• First net profit and paid dividend• Own Railway siding #1

1998-2007
Growth and diversification into Power• 2nd kiln – capacity to 240,000 tpa• 2 Power Plants of 26 MW capacity• 3rd kiln -capacity to 390,000 tpa
2008-17
Towards Industry Leadership• Improve equipment efficiencies (TPM)• Benchmarking performances• 2nd Railway siding
2018-23
Growth Plan
• Steelmaking• Captive raw material sourcing
2

3

Manufacturing Process with Energy mapping

5

1
1
1

1

3

2

2
3

Thermal Energy Use/Loss
Electrical Energy

4

WHR/Power Gen/Export

43

4

Approach toward Energy Management
WITH WHAT (Philosophies & Tools)

WITH WHOM (Competence/Support)•Rotary Kiln equipment•Power plant equipment.
• 220KV System equipment•Right Mix of Coal Procurement•TPM Methodology/ Statistical Tools

•
•
•
•

Support from Promoter
3 level structure
Competent & skilled Workforce
Professional Consultants

INPUTS
BEE/PAT Targets in ToE
Energy Policy
Energy Audit recommendations
Best Practices & Benchmarks

EnergyManagement

HOW (Procedures & Methods)

WHAT RESULTS
Reduction in C/Fe Ratio

Efficiency• Energy Awareness Campaign• Energy Efficiency Improvement Activities• Implementation of energy audit
recommendations• IT Based Systems (KPI tracking, ERP)
• Automations to check energy wastage• Compliance to PAT target• Reduction in tCO2 emission per ton of
DRI

Reduction in Coal per
ton of DRI
Sp. Steam Consumption

Effective••••

OUTPUTS

Increase in Power Export
to Grid
Reduction in SEC( Elec)
Reduction in SEC (Thermal)
4

Approach to Energy Efficiency Improvement Activities
Mapping of Energy
Consumptions(Electrical & Thermal)

•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Identifying Thermal & Electrical
Energy Losses
Formulation & Prioritization of
Action plans for both Thermal &Electrical ENCON projects

External Energy Audits
PAT Targets/Obligation
ISO 50001 methodology
Best Practices/Benchmark
Climate Change Policy
New Technologies
Training

Form C F Team for Implementation of
the ENCON Projects

R&R

Data Collection
No

Targetachieved?

Analysis of Energy losses
Develop Kaizen Ideas for
ENCON
Prioritization of options& kaizen Implementation

5

Check &
Review

Yes

Training
Upload in
Knowledge Portal

Daily review through KPI Tracker, ERP/SAP,
Fortnightly review by COO(SB)
Monthly review by MD
5

6

List of some of the implemented Encon Projects:
1. Implementation of Dynamic Operation model through useof Artificial Neural Network(ANN) for accretion control ,improving quality of productand improving Kiln
availability.
• Identified Basic parameters and their inter relationshipto control quality and accretion.
• Temperature control is of paramount important for
accretion control• Parameters for prediction of temp at different zones
are FC in feed Coal, Kiln pressure and MLD
position(Regression analysis)• Parameters identified to control quality are FC in
injection coal, Kiln RPM, air blown through PAB and SAB

6

7

Benefit:• Reduced fluctuation of Kiln inlet and outlet pressure.
• Auto operation of MLD of ID fan• Gain in Operating Days of Kiln:14days.
• Surpassed the rated production capacity & produced
417000MT against the rated capacity of 390000MT of SI

78

2. Adding Value to Waste-Injection of char with primecoal• Mixing fresh char with injection coal (As imported
coal char contains around 40% FC)• Char added up-to 4% (of total injection coal) in
yard in a mechanized way to reduce moisture
content in injection coal from 10.8% to 8.3%.
• Prevented frequent jamming of injection system
during rainy season.

89

3. Briquetting of coal fines to reduce coal consumption
Parameter
Non-Magnetic%

Before 15
days
14.6

14.8

No Change

F.C. in Non-Magnetic

%

40.3

37.8

Decreased

Ratio

0.435

0.430

As per design ofexperiment
No Change

C/Fe
Back Flow

Unit

After 7 days

Remarks

Mt/day1.00

1.00

Fe(M) of lump Product

%

81.6

83.9

Improved

Fe(M) of Fine Product

%

82.0

81.8

No Change

Sulphur in Lump Product

%

0.027

0.027

No Impact

Sulphur in Fine Product

%

0.029

0.030

No Impact

F.C.in ESP dust

%

18.3

19.5

Increased

Eye estimation

No change

No Change

%

33.0

32.5

Decreased due to fines in
Briquette

Steam Generation

Mt/hr

35.0

36.0

No changes

ESP Silo discharge

Shell Temperature
Fines (-3mm)in Feed Coal

No of trips

4.52

4.68

increased

Kiln feed rate

Mt/hr

27.0

27.0

Same

Production

Mt/day

422

422

same

%

100

100

No Change

Use of SA Coal

•
•

•

•

•
•

Trial was conducted
for 7 days.
1.6 Mt/hr coalbriquette replaced
1.75Mt/hr Coal fromfeed end.
FeM percentage inproduct increased by
0.5%.
All these data shows
briquette hasfavorable impact toreduce coal.
Reduce 154 kg ofcoal/hr/Kiln.
Potential cost saving:Rs 400/mt of DRI and
Rs 273 lakh/year.
910

MIXINGPRESSDRYING

Briquette strength :Achieved (T.I > 75%)

BRIQUETTES
10

11

4.

Use of Catalyst with coal to reduce Specific Coal consumption•
The catalyst-Thermact has been developed in IIT, Mumbai•
Directly charged alone with coal charged inside the kiln•
Improves char reactivity of coal and optimise coal
combustion.

5.

Waste Heat recovery from Coal Based DRI Rotary Kilns• Inhouse generation of 26MW of Power• Inhouse consumption of 7MW is supplied through own
power.
• Surplus power is sold which contributes to 6 % of revenue ofthe company.
1112

6. Kiln Outer Shell Painting ….Improving Energy Efficiency

Painting of Heat resistance paint (Alumina based)- Tempshield on Kiln-3 shell
50 meters out of 80 meters.
Change of shell temperature :Uncoated shell -385°C and Coated shell - 370°C
12

13

7.

Supplementing the steam through auxiliary combustion ofwaste DE dust at PCC.
8. VFD control of various pumps & fans which were running inthrottled conditions: Cold well Pump(90KW), Hot well
Pump(90KW), SAB (120KW) , PAB,
9. Replaced the impeller of ESP ID fan of Kiln-2 with energy
Efficient impeller. Energy consumption reduced by 2000units/day.
10.Auto control of operation of cooling tower fan with sponge
temperature.
11.Replacement of conventional light fittings with LED lightfittings at both inside plant and township.
12. Improved maintenance practices.

1314

13. Installed 235KW Roof Top Solar Panel

14

15

Over
achieved the
SEC
reduction
target in PAT
cycle-1 &awardedESCerts
Reduction in SEC

Performance at the end of PAT-cycle-1

SEC

Baseline SEC

Target SEC

Y1

•
•
•
•

Y2

Baseline SEC
Target SEC
Baseline production :PAT cycle

Y3: 0.581 ToE /MT of SI: 0.551ToE /MT of SI
344557MT:2012-2015
15

16

Technological Challenges:
1) Technological options for creating

Oxygen Enrichment inside

the DRI rotary kiln to improve utilization of Thermal Energy.
2) Technological options for recovery of heat which is being losta)from exhaust gas (which is at 170-180°C )b)Indirect cooling of product from 1050°C to 100°C

16

17

Future plan
•
•
•
•
•
•

Auto regulation of Roots blower to control the quality of
Sponge Iron.
Auto control of SAB blowers to restrict accretion formation.
Integration of dynamic model with multi gas analyzer toimprove the quality of SI.
Use of MATLAB for better prediction of process parameters.
Working further with supplier to improve life of the paint to
reduce the radiation loss
Coal drying facilities to reduce specific coal consumptions
17************

Global Steel Innovation ForumSURAJ PRODUCTS LIMITEDA 5 star rated company by SPCB, Odisha
https://ospcb.info/#
1

3 nos.
Induction
Furnace

2019-2020

6 MW
Power
Plant
based on
WHRB &
AFBC

2017-2018

Cold
BriquettingUnit2017-20182 x 23 m3
Micro Blast
Furnace2010-2011

3 x 50 TPD
SpongeIron (DRI)
Kilns

2007-2010

2002-2004

ABOUT US- A MICRO INTEGRATED STEEL PLANT

Continuous
Caster-Hot
chargingRolling Mill2

INTEGRATION
POWER
PLANT
(WHRB)SPONGEIRON
INDUCTIONFURNACE

BLAST

COLD
BRIQUITTEHOTCHARGING- ROLLINGMILLFURNACE

3

MICRO INTEGRATED STEEL PLANT
Iron OreCrusher

MET
Coke

Coal
CrusherSponge Iron (DRI) Kiln

Mn Fines
Briquette

Dolomite, Quartz,
Lime stone, etc.

LD Sludge

Cold
Briquette

Blast Furnace

FLUE GASPIG IRON

POWER

DOLOCHARSPONGE
IRON

STEAM

AFBC
BoilerPower
Generation

Binders

Coke Fines

POWER
POWER

WHR
BoilerBF Flue
Dust

BF Flue
Dust

Fluxes i.e.

Induction
Furnace

HOT
Metal

Mill Scale

CCM

HOT
Charging

Iron Ore
Fines

Rolling
Mill

INGOT
ESP

Fly Ash for Brickmaking

Granulated
Slag toCement Plants

FINISHED
Products

4

WE BELIEVE

BURDENENVIRONMENTNURTUREENVIRONMENT

5INNOVATION

We found solutions without pollution

http://briquettingindia.blogspot.in/2015/11/create-pollution-free-environment-by.html

6SMART ADOPTIONNEW ANDINNOVATIVETECHNOLOGYEXISITNGTECHNOLOGY

http://www.hbng.com/7-key-steps-to-developing-a-business-growth-strategy/
https://www.businessdayonline.com/exclusives/analysis-sub/article/sustainability-isnt-expensive-profitable/

7

FORCED DRAFT COOLING

Unnecessary water consumption by industries = Burden to the planet
COUNTER-ATTACKING THE ISSUE

We conceived, developed and installed Forced Draft (FD) Air Cooler
replacing Gas Conditioning Tower (GCT) to cool flue gases in sponge iron industry

saving millions of litres of water annually.

8

SINGLE WHRB USING THREE 50 TPD DRI KILNSOLUTION
An in-house designed novel refractory damper and vessel
to use flue gases from multiple 50 TPD of Direct Reduced Iron kiln in
A Single Waste Heat Recovery Boiler (WHRB).
Moreover, we successfully test fired Blast Furnace gas in the same
WHR Boiler for enhancement of power generation.
9

WE BELIEVE

Waste is indeed not theultimate waste

10

PROBLEM

S
M
E
L
T
E
R
S

IRON AND STEELFERRO ALLOYS
CHROMITE

GENERATES

ETC.

W
A
S
T
E
11

Cold Briquetting
From

Industrial waste

THE CHALLENGE OF PROCESS FINES

Extract value and avoid disposal issues
13

THE CHALLENGE OF PROCESS FINES• Baghouse dusts• Wet or dry sludge• Chips andfines• Mill scale

14

SOLUTION

COLLECT
CREATECONVERT
COMMERCIALIZE

Waste created by existing
Iron and Steel / Ferro Alloys
Smelters

To be utilized by the“CREATERS”
15

SOLUTIONCOLD BRIQUETTEFROM
INDUSTRIAL WASTE

Cold
Briquettes

Sinter&Pellets

Cold Briquettes are substitute of Sinter & Pellets

16

STIFF EXTRUSION - IDEAL FOR AGGLOMERATION
Agglomerates dust, sludge and various particle sizes and densities
Vacuum improves briquette strength and binder effectChange size/shape of product in minutes

17

OUR TECHNOLOGYINNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY BY:

SURAJ PRODUCTS LIMITEDJ. C. STEELE & SONS
18

STIFF EXTRUSION BY J C STEELE & SONS

Developed for brick andstructural clay products
Process forms bulk raw
materials into durable units
Strong enough for roughhandling in “green” state

19

STEELE STIFF EXTRUSIONSTEELE - THE BEST OF STIFF EXTRUSION•High pressure/vacuum for exceptional green strength•Proven technology with simple, reliable equipment•Continuous operation

20

COLD BRIQUETTING FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTERELAXNO HEATINGNO RESIDUENO WASTE WATER
https://www.accupstate.com/
https://www.1001freedownloads.com/free-clipart/water-pollution-3
http://www.italiangoodnews.com/zero-waste-italian-town-pioneer-waste-recycling/https://zerowasteindavis.org/2015/04/27/zero-waste-will-soon-be-25-easier-in-davis/

21

COLD BRIQUETTING FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTE IN IRON
AND STEEL INDUSTRY• Blast Furnace Flue Dust
• L D Sludge• Coke Fines• Manganese Ore Fines• Binders

100% Replacement of Iron Ore with Briquettes made of Steel Plant waste inblast furnace OF SURAJ PRODUCTS LIMITED.
22

CHEMISTRY OF RAW MATERIALS FOR BRIQUETTINGIN IRON AND STEEL INDUSTRY
Chemical Analysis

Fe
Al2O3
CaO
MgO
SiO2
PbO

FLUE DUST

:
:
:
:
:
:
:

Un-burnt Carbon

Chemical Analysis
Fe
CaO
MgO
SiO2
Al2O3

:
:
:
:
:

40-50%
16-20%
2-4%
3-4%
1%

31-38%
12-13%
7%
1%
10-11%
2-5%
14-30%LD SLUDGE

23

COLD BRIQUETTING FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTE IN FERROALLOY INDUSTRY

•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Ferro alloy fines and concentrates (Ni, Mn, Cr)
Metallized fines
Sludge, dust and fines
Iron ores and concentrates
Mill scale
Coke breeze
Any combination of the above

24

COLD BRIQUETTE

Producing
GREEN Pig Iron
using cold briquettemade from industrial waste

25

PROCESS OF COLD BRIQUETTE MAKING
RAW MATERIALSSCREENING
BINDERSMIXING AND MAKING
COLD BRIQUETTE

26

PROCESS OF COLD BRIQUETTE MAKING
Rejects & Spillages Return To Ground Hopper for Reuse

VIBRATING
SCREENPRIMARY MIXER
BINDERSRAW
Material
FEEDERSECONDARYMIXERGroundHopper
MAKER

COLD BRIQUETTEFLOWCHART OF COLD BRIQUETTE MAKING

27

GREEN BRIQUETTE JUST AFTER EXTRUSION

28COLD BRIQUETTE
Our BRIQUETTES offer superior durability and reducibility
Shippable

300 km between production and smelter shipped by Suraj Products Limited

Rugged20+ transfers

Weather-resistantLong exposure to weather with no negative effectChargeable

Up to 50% charge rate / submerged EAF

29

AUGER EXTRUSION
Typical case study – development of an engineered pellet

Chemical analysis

Mechanical, metallurgical, and chemical evaluation of the pellet
Sample

TOTAL
Fe

Fe++

Satmagan
Fe

C

S

SiO2

Al2O3

MnO

Raw
Material Mix

39.88%

12.19%

8.90%

27.39
%

0.19%

6.03%

2.03%

0.20%

ExtrudedPellet38.49%

10.15%

8.54%

24.42
%

0.24%

7.46%

2.31%

0.19%

Sample

CaO

MgO

TiO2

P

Na2O

K2O

ZnO

LOI

Raw
Material Mix

2.38%

0.62%

0.18%

0.14%

0.11%

0.14%

0.12%

28.18%

ExtrudedPellet

5.85%

0.75%

0.18%

0.11%

0.20%

0.15%

0.14%

26.59%

ISO 3271 Tumble Test

TI= 86.0

AI= 12.030

TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY
Characterization of various agglomeration technologies
according to the criteria of the best available technologies (BAT)BAT criterion

Agglomerated iron-containing material
SinterPelletBREX*

The minimum level of impact on
the environment, kg / t:
- dust- nitrogen oxide- sulphur dioxide- carbon oxide
Total emissions, kg / t:Resources consumption:- solid fuel, kg/t
- gaseous fuel, m3/t
- Electricity, kWh / t≤1.200≤0.550≤4.000≤14.000≤20.000≤0.600≤0.535≤0.500~0≤2.0000.05
00
0≤0.05023.6-48.9
2.45-6.3
23.0-48.70
9.5-15.0
29.0-48.500
10.0-15.0

3

Investments, USD/t per day

~5000

~5500

~2000

4

Implementation period, years

3

2

1

1

2

* STRIFF EXTRUDED BRIQUETTES

Above Table is represented by Dr. A. Bizhanov

31

AUGER EXTRUSION
Typical case study – development of an engineered pellet

ISO 13930 Dynamic Low Temperature Disintegration+6.3 mm(1/4")

6.3 x 3.15 mm(6 M)

3.5 x 0.5 mm(32 M)-0.5 mm(-32 M)

Before Test
Weight, g

After Test
Weight, g

97.00%

0.10%

0.20%

2.70%

500.5

456.2

“The results of the ISO 13930 testing were impressive, achieving
97% in the +1/4” size fraction.
…above‐average porosity (relative to a ‘normal’ iron oxide pellet)
due to the high amount of carbon loss during reduction
The samples should be thought of as a hybrid feedstock – part ironore, part carbon and part flux…”--Jack Swanson
University of Minnesota Duluth

USHER
Suraj Products Limited, India
ushersGROWTHandINNOVATION
since 2011

Briquetting by JCSTEELE’s Stiff Extruder for metallurgical use pioneered by us is being followed by…
• Large Steel Plant, Japan (NDA) (Blast Furnace, since 2012)• Assmang Cato Ridge, South Africa (Ferro Alloys, 2016)• JSC Chelyabinsk Electrometallurgical Integrated Plant, Russia (Ferro Alloys, 2017)• TNC Kazchrome, Kazakhstan (Ferro Alloys, 2017)• Large Steel Plant, India (NDA) Blast Furnace, 2018
• many more…

http://blog.vynd.com/2017/12/26/soyez-un-leader-devenez-un-vov-voice-of-vynd/

33

FINALLY

We have begun our journey towards “SUSTAINABLE” iron and steel production

https://www.osler.com/en/expertise/services/emerging-and-high-growth-companies

34****************

Induction Melting Furnaces Safety proceduresand practices
S. P. Chhabra, Steel Consultant
Medium Frequency Induction Furnaces have the potential to produce metals inindustrial settings safer than ever. However, proper precautions must be taken to
avoid injuries, damage or loss of product.
Safety precautions regarding melting technology are various and extensive. Here is abasic guideline to suggest safety procedures and practices when using an induction
melting furnace.
A. General for all employees
1. Ensure All Employees are Properly Trained:
Training is a key step in preventing work place accidents. It
is the employer’s responsibility to make sure that only
qualified workers handle melting furnaces, and thattrainings are up-to-date and thorough. Induction furnace
manufacturers often produce their own safety guides anduser manuals for various melting furnace equipment. Make
sure that your workers have total access to all necessary
documents for reference.
2. Ensure All Workers Have Proper Gear
Even if your workers are properly trained and experienced with induction
melting, accidents still happen. Luckily, there are ways to minimize damage inthe case of an emergency or malfunction, such as a molten metal splash. Oneof the biggest ways to reduce the likelihood of an injury is to require
employees to wear proper safety gear at all times and to strictly enforce
protective equipment regulations. Personal protective gear that can save lives
includes, but is not limited to:Safety hoods
face shields
Flame resistant aluminized coats, leggings, and gloves
Lace less Safety Boots Secondary protective clothing, like natural-fiber coveralls and flame
retardant washable undergarments
3. Use Reminders to Prevent Common Safety Mistakes
Finally, though there are many potential safety
hazards involved with using induction melting
furnaces, some problems are more common andmore dangerous than others. As an extra
precaution, consider posting additional warning
signs and safety reminders in a clear, easy-to-see
location lest workers forget the basics. Be sure to
regularly remind workers of dangerously
common issues, such as bridging, cold charges,
and molten metal splash. Hanging reminders,like the one below, might just save a life Use
brief, easy-to-read guides like this one for quick danger reminders:Common Causes of Molten Metal Splash:

Wet or moist charge material
Dropping heavy metals into molten baths.
Moisture or wetness on tools and additives
Centrifugally cast or sealed scrap and scrap rolls

4. Emergency escape routes
There must always be two independent emergency escape routes from thefurnace platform to meet any emergency. These routes must be kept cleared
at all times and may not be blocked even for short time.
B. For Production employees
1. The refractory that is used to line the furnace must be suitable for thematerial being melted.
Refer to the refractory manufacture’s specifications. Be sure that furnace
lining has been thoroughly dried and sintered in accordance with the
Manufacture’s recommendations.
2. Regularly inspect furnace lining to minimize the possibility of a dangerous“run through “occurring.
3. Power must not be turned on in any one of the following conditions; There has been an earth leakage trip, indicating metal
penetration to the coil.
 The solid-state power supply start running at low
voltage and reduced power these conditions indicate
an eroded lining. (this condition also Indicated by low
power factor)
 There is excessive surface slag visible. This is evidenceof serious lining damage.
 The water temperature in the coil is higher thannormal (more than 60°C to 65°C)
Each of these conditions indicates that molten metal may be next tothe coil and require immediate evacuation of the area until all of themetal in the furnace has solidified.
4. For manganese addition small box bucket to be used as there is possibilityof accident due to splashes.
5. Ensure all charge materials i.e. scrap / sponge iron / ferroalloys are dry.
Wet materials are serious safety hazard. Moisture instantly turns into
steam when coming in contact with molten metal, expanding to 1600
times its original volume and producing a violent explosion.
6. Workers doing their work near the heated area to be provided rest in
between to take care of heat stress.
7. Avoid overloading the furnace and its components.
8. Furnace platform to be always kept as clean as physically possible
C. For Maintenance employees
1. Keep all cabinet doors locked and make keys available only to those who require
access to the enclosure.
2. Always use independent methods to support a tilted furnace whenever working
on or near.
3. Never work or enter the high risk zone like running crucible/ “ON” condition ofsolid state generator. Always work on electrical section of furnace with main
breaker off and keep fuses with yourself while working.

4. Preventive maintenance schedule's (say bimonthly/monthly) to be strictly
followed. During this period specific attention should be given to the following: Ensure all interlock’s, limit switches, indicating lights, earth leakage
alarm and trip are functioning.
 Water flow in each circuit is sufficient.
 All terminal connections are tight.
 Hydraulic oil leakage, if any, is satisfactorily attended.
 Bulging MF capacitor, if any, is given due attention. A crack in acapacitors weld may permit oil leakage, causing the unit to arc
internally and generate gas resulting in violent explosion.
 The furnace coil cradle assembly inspected, cleaned of dust, small
particles of scrap and other impurities using a vacuum cleaner.
 The furnace crucibles underground room area is thoroughly clean.
 Any problems faced subsequent to earlier preventive maintenanceare duly attended.
 Recurring nature of any problem to be thoroughly investigatedand attended to full satisfaction.
5. For attending MF capacitors or any other capacitors, wait for few minutes afterswitching off the supply (breaker / switch). This allows capacitors to discharge.
6. At a given regular interval (say half yearly/yearly) transformer and motors IR
value, transformer oil dielectric strength, silica gel colour, operation of relays andthere setting and proper double earthling of all electrical equipment to be checkedand earth resistance is within limit ensured. Any abnormal sound or
malfunctioning should be investigated and duly attended.
Maintain proper record of all activities.
D. General
1. The furnace layout should consider safety of
personnel and equipment as of prime importance.
Between the furnace crucibles and electricalequipments (Static frequency converter and MF
capacitors) solid wall is a prime need to avoid any
damage to costly equipment and for human safety
in case of metal leakage.
Prefer to have wall between two crucibles. If workers are working on standby
crucible and any accident happens in running furnace than middle wall will saveworkers.

2. The furnace should have features like automatic charging systems, computer
control and compressing of the charged scrap by hydraulic pusher. Thesesystems enable people working with the furnace to stay further away and dotheir job more efficiently as well as reduce the manpower requirement.
3. Provide a system to diligently examine all input
materials.
4. At a given regular interval (say once a month) to havesafety meeting wherein top management takes a
key part. Besides discussing, the team should goaround the furnace and critically observe
environment, hot spots, abnormalities’ and scope of
improvements in operation and maintenance.
5. Once in a year the organization should conduct safety
audit and have accreditation of OHSAAS: The relevant standard being; IS
18001:2007 Occupational hazard and safety requirement system.
Lastly, it is essential to ensure that statutory requirement such as pollution control,
ventilation system, installation of safety equipment i.e. for fire prevention and firefighting, first aid boxes at critical positions, glasses for eye protection andavailability of good quality drinking water etc. are taken care of.

Safety Must Be Key Corporate Value*******************