HOT-CHARGING OF BEAM BLANKS IN A PUSHER-T YPE FURNACE AT A COMBINED SECTION ROLLING-MILL

Objective. In 1995, Stahlwerk Thuringen commissioned a new electric st eel plant incorporating a continuous beam. blank easter for the produc tion of beams with a depth of web ranging from 100 mm to 450 mm in a d ownstream sec- tion rolling mill. As part of the modernisation measure s, the energy consumption of the pusher-type furnace was to be reduced . Summary. The use of beam blanks, hot-charging, and the modernisation of the pusher-type furnace involving the in- stallation of modern mea suring and process control equipment as well as a furnace control syst em have led to a significant saving in energy. Within the space of thr ee years these measures have reduced the specific gas consumption from around 540 to some 420 kWh/t. It can be roughly calculated which shar e of this saving is attributable to the various individual measures, t he furnace control system being estimated to account for a share of ar ound 5 %. The furnace design, however, entails certain limitations.