ArcelorMittal has placed an order with Woodings Industrial Corporation for a new hydraulic drill to be installed at the steelmaker’s Indiana Harbor East No. 7 Blast Furnace.

The new drill, which features advanced automated hydraulic drilling technology with water mist, will replace an existing pneumatic drill on the Blast Furnace’s No1 taphole.

The drill, designed and built by Woodings, is set to be commissioned during Q2 2010. Woodings supplied a new front end assembly and feedshell, complete with hydraulic drifter and hydraulic feed motor. To reduce project costs, Woodings designed the system to utilise the existing boom arm assembly.