Maximizing Waste Recovery in Steel Mill Scale Briquetting
JK Fenner supported a steel manufacturing facility in improving mill scale waste recovery by implementing high-speed couplings in a briquetting plant. The solution compacted waste into reusable briquettes, achieving up to a 20:1 volume reduction, reducing disposal costs and raw steel consumption, and improving workspace safety and overall steelmaking efficiency.
Quick Takeaway
Implementing a dedicated briquetting plant equipped with high-speed couplings allowed the steel mill to convert high-volume waste into compact, reusable briquettes, reducing disposal costs and cutting raw steel consumption.
The Challenge: Waste Handling and Slag Inefficiencies
The continuous casting process generated massive quantities of mill scale waste, creating severe storage and disposal challenges while losing recoverable metal value. This led to higher steel consumption during smelting and costly inefficiencies in slag processing.
The Solution: Compacting and Synchronizing
A briquetting plant was introduced to convert the loose mill scale into compact briquettes. To support the heavy mechanical process, high-speed couplings were utilized to synchronize the bearing loads. This system allowed the compacted waste to be routed back into the furnace, increasing iron oxide availability to enhance the slag reaction.
Business Impact and Results
Reduced scrap volume significantly, achieving up to a 20:1 reduction ratio.
Decreased raw steel consumption and improved steelmaking efficiency through faster slag smelting.
Eliminated disposal costs while optimizing workspace, cleanliness, and safety.