Optimising Efficiency in the Steel Industry

One of our clients is of the world’s largest steel producers, with an annual crude steel capacity of 23.5 million tonnes. Employing over 35,000 people across Europe, it is one of the largest foreign investors in the UK economy.

Unique Requirements
Because of the nature of its work in the metals industry, our client must have machinery that is in the very best condition to deal with the unique demands of the job, particularly the exposure to extreme heat conditions. Damage to equipment results in operational downtime and ultimately, can mean significant cost.

In the event of a mechanical failure, our client needs to restore the machinery as quickly as possible in order to reduce disruption, and limit the operational and financial burdens of the damage. Health and Safety is also very important to them and as part of this, it is important that equipment adheres to the very best safety standards.We have a comprehensive understanding of the unique pressures that metal manufacture puts on machinery. With expert engineers, we provide a bespoke service that can help Tata Steel to reduce costs and improve productivity.All of our engineers are also highly trained in technical skills and Health and Safety, so all work is completed safely, swiftly and to the highest standards

Redesign and Repair
Amongst the facilities provided for our client, we carried out a redesign and repair service. In one such instance, at one of our client’s hot mills in Wales, several large pumps failed before the end of their natural life expectancy.In the first instance, our client brought in a pump supplier/repairer to rectify the problem but the units were not prepared adequately or quickly enough. Ultimately this cost them large sums of money as it was necessary to hire less efficient temporary pumps.

When we were invited to assess the problem, our investigators undertook tests, inspected the pumps and developed a bespoke solution that would meet the needs of the client in a reliable, safe and timely way. Due to the experience and expertise of our skilled operatives, we were able to redesign the seals and carry out the repairs far quicker than the pump supplier originally used. This service, carried out at our Cardiff facility, reduced downtime as well as saving costs for our client and reducing electricity usage.

Bespoke Sourcing
As well as repair work, we also assisted in finding brand new machinery for its clients. They recently required a new replacement crane transformer in one of their facilities. The project represented a challenge because the transformer was required to fit the same footprint as the previous one. It was important that this criterion was adhered to as the transformer was to be fitted to a 500 tonne crane, 100m up in the plant. As a result of extensive experience providing bespoke services that deliver solutions to unique challenges, we were able to source and fit a direct replacement, fulfilling their request fully.

As well as this, we were able to ensure that the new transformer complied with the highest health and safety regulations.By providing tailored solutions for our client, we have aided one of the UK’s largest steel producers to continue to run at optimum performance and by providing the reassurance that when something does go wrong, we are best placed to rectify the problem as quickly and efficiently as is possible.

Leave A Reply