As with most commodities, steel manufacturers compete with other producers throughout the world for supply of raw materials and likewise, its customer base. As the open market invariably dictates the purchase price of traditional finished product, quality, efficiency and an innovative product range are the fundamentals to a successful operation. Despite the large number of people employed within an integrated steel works, it is the efficiency of the process that makes the real difference in the cost of tonne produced. From sourcing superior grades of ores and minerals to the blending process of both iron and steel making and finally the casting and rolling of finished product, the right choices made here will determine the quality and market demand of the finished product.
Albeit new innovative technologies are now being introduced into the iron and steel making process, traditional methods are still the dominant force in producing the capacity needed to supply both the developed and emerging markets. As ever, the vast amount of both capital and maintenance expenditure is an ongoing circumstance of the industry due to the nature of processing millions of tonnes of abrasive bulk solid materials. From the reception point of unloading panamax and capsize bulk carriers, the wear experienced through impact, friction and sliding induced abrasion is eating away the infrastructure of the equipment. Plant protection is not a choice in the steel industry, it is a must.
Many operations buy into traditional methods of protection such as QT steel plate and thick rubber protective panels, however, forward thinking engineers push the boundaries on what methods of protection can be incorporated into the design of their plant that will cater for the effects of the different materials handled. Due to the nature of some extremely abrasive ores and minerals, no protective lining system will be unaffected by their characteristics, however Kingfisher, having worked within the industry for over twenty years have had achieved many successes in exceeded expectations.
Despite many lining producers claims that the variation in performance of materials such as high alumina ceramic or chromium carbide deposit plate are similar due to the purity of aluminium oxide percentage being the same or the Vickers hardness of comparable clad plates being equal, it is working with chosen manufacturers of materials that Kingfisher have achieved unparallel performance criteria. Leading the market in identifying what works and what doesn’t based on proven experience of cost v performance ratio’s is what sets us apart from the followers.
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