Alcoa commissioned a study to evaluate the quality and condition of the refractories in Alcoa’s North-East Alliance casthouse furnaces. The goal was to grade each of a total of 50 furnaces based on a visual inspection of individual components and then rank them to determine which ones require repairs and/or relines. The results combined with historic repair, maintenance costs and schedules allowed for a better management of capital and organization for future reline projects.

Scope of Services
Hatch was hired to aid in the grading and classification of Alcoa’s North-East casthouse furnaces based on the condition of the furnace’s refractory. A visual evaluation was conducted on every furnace, and using a unique grading and weighting scheme, each furnace was given an overall value, providing an approximate life expectancy. Moreover, historic data concerning furnace maintenance, repairs and rebuilds was collected and combined in order to cross-reference materials and contractors from previous relines. From this pool of information, a projected ‘furnace rebuild schedule’ was created allowing for a more global management of Alcoa’s casthouse furnace needs.

In order to maintain accurate casthouse data, it has been recommended that surveys are conducted on an annual basis.

Project Highlights
A team comprised of both Hatch employees and Alcoa personnel was responsible for the visual evaluation, blending casthouse, refractory and furnace experience together. The project was executed on time and on budget, with the details circulated to all Alcoa casthouse leads. The results allowed individual casthouses to share their experience and knowledge in previous refractory maintenance projects.

Project Safety
The goal of the project was to evaluate and optimize the life expectancy of the refractory and to avoid potential dangerous outcomes from badly maintained furnaces (crumbling walls, damaged ceiling tiles).