The annual summer revision took place again this year to carry out essential maintenance and modifications. Despite a more traditional inspection process compared to the previous year, the tight schedule and reduced resources presented the team with particular challenges.
Our operations cover several areas, from production in the hot rolling mill to the threading shop and supporting departments such as mechanical and electrical maintenance. In all these areas, the employees were required not only to maintain the production facilities, but also to bring them up to date with specific modernisations and optimisations.
The conditions for this year's shutdown were particularly challenging due to limited personnel resources and tight schedules. The co-operation of all departments was essential in order to meet the set deadlines. Especially in the last few weeks, it was important to maintain motivation and team spirit. Once again this year, snack packages were provided and all construction sites were supplied with free mineral water.
In the hot rolling mill, the focus was on extensive modernisation measures. The refurbishment of the reheating furnace, which turned out to be much more complex than initially expected, deserves special mention. Project manager Roland Pöll and his team had to complete this challenging task within four weeks with the involvement of numerous departments and maintenance companies. Other projects in the hot rolling mill were the replacement of gear racks and bearing blocks or the conversion of the crane runway.
At the seamless pipe plant once again we faced many challenges this year, including the maintenance of the reheating furnace. Together as a team, we successfully mastered this challenge.
Extensive maintenance and modernisation work was also carried out in the threading shop. Particular attention was paid to calibrating lines 1 and 2 and refurbishing the tensioning system.
In addition, linear guides were replaced on the threading machines and the optical thread measurement system was expanded in order to further improve the quality of the end products. Another highlight was the installation of a new UV preservation system.
Mechanical maintenance: gears in constant use
The mechanical maintenance were also under intense pressure. Traditionally, the entire roller track is dismantled, serviced and reassembled during the shutdown. Numerous maintenance tasks were added to this project.
The complexity of a shutdown requires maximum precision and close coordination between the departments in order to adhere to the tight schedules.
Electrical maintenance: high voltage to success
The colleagues in the electrical maintenance were faced with a heavy workload. In addition to planned maintenance on various machines, they had to deal with many spontaneous challenges that could not be planned in advance.
The flexibility and commitment of the electricians played a key role in ensuring that all the necessary work was completed on time.
In addition to the annual maintenance work on the finishing lines, major repairs were also carried out.
Hardening furnace:
During the refurbishment of the hardening furnace, the second third of the furnace floor, as well as the associated lifting mechanism, were renewed and relined with refractory material. In addition, both furnace sidewalls and several burner bricks were replaced.
Heat treatment line 2:
In the hardening furnace, the side walls were completely replaced. A smaller but still challenging task for the maintenance team was to replace the rollers on the hot straightening machine for the first time.
Spray smoke rejection:
Applying a protective layer of paint to the signed pipe created uncomfortable working conditions for the colleagues on site. Thanks to the installation of a paint mist extraction system, clean air and the well-being of the employees are now ensured.
Special thanks go to all the staff involved for their tireless efforts and to the external contractors who once again impressed us with their expertise and reliability.
The commitment to the reheating furnace was particularly emphasised, as the recommissioning date was at risk due to unexpected complications.
However, even these challenges were overcome thanks to flexibility and teamwork.
We are very proud of what we have achieved together. Everyone has contributed to this success and I am proud to be part of this team.
Once the maintenance and refurbishment work had been completed, production was able to resume on time. The optimisations carried out during the shutdown will make the company more efficient and sustainable in the long term. In particular, the modernisation of the reheating furnace and the extensive measures in the threading shop will help to further improve production processes.
The company is proud of the achievements and is well prepared for the challenges ahead. The shutdown in 2024 impressively demonstrated how important teamwork and commitment are in order to be successful even in difficult situations.
Discover more impressions from the 2024 maintenance period.
