Bellows and machine protection specialist Beakbane has supplied special folding covers, capable of withstanding splashes of molten steel, to the newly revitalised Redcar steel plant on Teesside NW England.
The plant had been mothballed for two years by former owner Tata Steel, and the key assets were acquired by the Thai company Sahaviraya Steel Industries (SSI), which set about bringing the blast furnace, steelmaking plant and continuous casting line back into production in April this year.
Now back in full production, mainly producing steel slab to be exported to Thailand where it will be rolled into coil for the automotive and white goods industries, the revival of the plant has had a major positive impact on Redcar and the surrounding area.
The covers supplied by Beakbane are used on the continuous casting line where they perform a critical role in protecting the lifting mechanism on the tundish car that helps control the flow of molten steel from the ladle to the tundish.
The covers have to be able to withstand splashes of molten steel at 1600°C as well as the tough environment of a heavy process plant. Beakbane had worked with the previous owners of the plant to design a special folding cover using a heatproof aluminised glass cloth and incorporating a steel scissor control mechanism to ensure that it could move freely with the tundish car.