Furnaces generally have a lifespan of about 12 years and the lifetime of the No. 3 furnace is coming to an end. Mr. Armstrong said the rebuild should extend the lifetime of No. 3 another eight to 10 years. It's part of normal maintenance. It's like changing the tires on your car. Industry conditions are still very poor.
Volumes are better, but prices are still low.
Thomson furnace is down. The furnace also got new refractory and cooling equipment. Hot blast temperature capability was boosted at the time from 1850 degrees to 1950 degrees and now can reach temperatures over 2000 degrees, which makes for a more efficient steelmaking process, Mr. Armstrong said. The historic Edgar Thomson Works, while more than 125 years old, is still one of U.S. Steel's more modern integrated steel facilities, Mr. Armstrong said. An intelligent computer system there monitors and adjusts the mix of ingredients, or so-called burden, that eventually becomes steel slabs.