Case Study Article: Redesigned Extraction Ducting Extends Service Life and Cuts Maintenance Costs in UK Steel Production Plant
Overview
A major UK steel producer needed a more durable, maintainable solution for its sinter plant extraction ducting. These units form part of the waste gas and materials handling system, where abrasive fines and high temperatures create some of the harshest operating conditions in the steel industry. Frequent wear on the extraction ducting’s back wall required complete replacement at significant cost.
Kingfisher Industrial was approached to supply new extraction ducting to match the existing design. Instead, our engineering team identified an opportunity to improve performance, reduce lifetime costs, and simplify future maintenance access.
The Challenge –
Extraction ducting in a steel plant experiences high wear, particularly on the back panel, where abrasive material flows in the waste-gas stream, targeting the outer wall of the ducting. Historically, this resulted in:
- Premature failure of the back wall, and in time, the side walls, where the concentration of abrasive materials passes through the ducting,
- Full replacement of the entire assembly, involving long installation times,
- Limited access for maintenance and repair
- Costly, repetitive replacement cycles across a plant containing many identical units.
The customer wanted a reliable design that would withstand an aggressive environment and reduce long-term ownership costs.
The original extraction ducting in service, showing extensive patch repairs to the back and side walls.
This image highlights the real-world wear challenge that triggered the redesign. Over time, the back wall of the extraction ducting experienced accelerated abrasion from fine particulate in the waste gas flow. Rather than replacing the entire unit, repeated patch welding was carried out to keep the system operational.
While this extended the short-term service life, it increased maintenance effort, restricted access, and created a cycle of reactive repairs. It was this visible patchwork and recurring interventions that led Kingfisher to reassess how the extraction ducting should be designed for long-term operation and how future maintenance should be carried out.
Engineering Review –
During our design review, we focused on two key objectives:
- Address the area of highest wear by improving the material specification.
- Create a design that reduces future maintenance effort and cost, without disrupting the established plant layout.
The Kingfisher Solution –
Rather than replicating the previous design, Kingfisher engineered a new concept centred around a removable back panel. This allowed the customer to address the known wear hotspot directly while preserving the rest of the assembly for multiple service cycles.
Manufactured solution: Completed extraction ducting ready for dispatch, showing bolted panel interfaces and consistent fabrication detail.
The redesigned extraction ducting manufactured by Kingfisher incorporates a removable back panel specifically redesigned for the highest-wearing part of the extraction ducting (and to provide targeted wear protection). The new design retains the original unit’s overall geometry but adds a removable back panel at the highest-wear location. This allows the most wear-prone area to be replaced without removing or replacing the entire assembly.
The back wall is lined with a mechanically fixed K-ALOX lining ceramic system selected to withstand the abrasive and high-temperature conditions in this environment. The remaining three sides are lined with our K-CAST ceramic lining system. By removing the back panel, future repairs to the sides or the inside wall can be made without removing the entire assembly. This significantly reduces downtime and simplifies the maintenance process.
The image shows the finished units as supplied, with all bolting in place and the removable panel fully integrated. The design supports faster installation, simplified future maintenance and a clear reduction in whole-life cost.
Key Improvements –
- Modular back panel – the highest-wear section can now be replaced as a standalone part, cutting future replacement cost and installation time.
- Enhanced wear protection – the back wall was lined with a harder, more abrasion-resistant ceramic system, positioned exactly where the sinter stream impacts most.
- Improved accessibility – once the panel is removed, engineers have clear access inside the unit to repair or reline the remaining three sides without taking the entire extraction ducting out of service.
- Future-proofed maintenance – by simplifying the replacement process, the plant avoids the disruptive full change-outs previously required.
Manufacture and Protection –
The extraction ducting were produced at Kingfisher’s UK facility with precision-engineered steel fabrications, high-duty ceramic lining systems, consistent bolt patterns and full quality checks prior to dispatch.
Results & Benefits –
The redesigned extraction ducting is now being installed as part of an ongoing replacement programme across the site. By addressing wear at its source and simplifying future maintenance, the customer has moved away from repeated patch repairs and towards a planned, cost-effective approach to asset management.
The new extraction ducting delivers clear, measurable value:
- Lower lifetime cost
- Reduced downtime
- Longer service life
- Safer, easier maintenance
- Ongoing roll-out across the site.
Next Steps –
Book a site survey or request a technical consultation with Kingfisher Industrial’s engineering team on 01562 543108 or email enquiries@kingfisher-industrial.com. to review your existing systems and explore opportunities to reduce future replacement costs.