Blog – Wabi Corp
Through the eyes and ears of one “old man”, primarily in steel industry
Hopefully the bits and pieces that follow will have the reader find a common thread that is intended to exist and, in a way, tie them together. Hopefully also, it is more than just something as experienced by one person. During the college years, a summer job required...
Tools for the maintenance of a Steel Plant
There are many companies which design, test, develop, or improve steel plant processes. Similarly, there are many companies which provide specialized services to the needs of steel plants. One may wonder how the on-site, “permanent” workers’ activities, their methods,...
Can plant designers learn from watching car races?
If a non car enthusiastic plant designer was to click on his remote he could end up on a channel that, just then, happens to be showing the sequencing of a series of lights. These particular lights will signal the time for “popping the clutch of dragster”. His main...
Health and Safety and the “forgotten supervisor”
Most supervisors take their jobs seriously and to the best of their ability. They need to learn information about the process they are involved with, and that is usually provided or learned as part of the job training. However, that information may only be about how...
Is maintenance an expense or an investment, or perhaps both?
One may say “what kind of question is that, everyone knows maintenance is an expense”. Is it? Does that mean it is always so? Let’s consider a situation. Someone has come up with the design of new process to produce seamless tube in a steel making plant . They will...
Considerations for maintaining equipment or a (steel) plant
Perhaps for the purposes of an initial illustration, it is appropriate to start with something that many, if not most people associated with equipment and plants, all have in common, i.e. vehicles. In many modern vehicles a computer indicates and informs of the need...
Controlling Temperature and Chemistry within a Blast Furnace
Hot metal quality is a of key importance to the manufacturing of steel . Hot metal quality is described using four criteria, the temperature, and the compositional chemistry of the hot metal, focusing on the levels of sulphur, silicon, and manganese. The operational...
Just to keep a Steel Plant operational or should there be more (continuous improvement)
Most steel plants are unique in that hardly ever are two or more operating areas and/or plants exactly alike. They have a lot of similarities and, at times, do actually have uniquely designed components that are interchangeable from one plant to another. That, at...
Some options when replacing components in an aging Steel Plant
Most people know that tires are made by tire manufacturers. Thus, when buying a new vehicle, they certainly don’t expect the tires to be manufactured by the car company; the vehicle could be equipped with those of any one of the major tire manufacturers. They trust...
The Process of Making Seamless Tubes: an illustration of the factors to consider when selecting a reliable supplier
The process for making seamless tubes in a steel making facility, in one design, starts from heating a solid billet/round of predetermined diameter and length. It is then rolled through a “piercing mill” which basically consists of two rolls (one on top of the other)...