In a statement, SMS group said the system, which serves two 100-ton argon oxygen decarburization converters at the stainless mill, is intended to reduce the force on the gearbox during refining operations. The converter had been experiencing uncontrolled vibrations during operations, causing damage to the bull gear, bearings and foundation of the converter drive.

In addition to the equipment, SMS oversaw the engineering and installation. The work was completed during a two-day outage.

“The torque retainer from SMS group is an innovative target-oriented solution consisting of tried and tested components, which means the whole system is very easy to maintain. Given the reduced maintenance costs, we project a very good return on investment,” said Gus Schepers, engineering projects manager at Columbus Stainless.