Robert D. Emery – 2022 Steel Intern Scholar
This summer, I worked for Cleveland-Cliffs Burns Harbor location as an associate mechanical engineering intern in iron producing. As a fully integrated mill, Burns Harbor has the capability to take in the raw materials of coal, iron ore and limestone, and produce finished steel products, so the constant production of iron is essential to keep the basic oxygen furnace — and the rest of the mill — operational. After I completed safety training, I met my managers, who briefed me on the projects I would be working on, as well as an electrical engineering intern with whom I would work with throughout the internship.
The first project I worked on was to install a filtration system to improve the quality of the oil in the hydraulic system that controls the mud gun on one of the cast floors. Each filter housing is fitted with a differential pressure sensor that is linked to the programmable logic controller, or PLC, where the data it collects can be monitored remotely. The design and components will then be replicated on the other three mud gun hydraulic systems in the iron department. This upgrade improves the reliability of an essential part of the casting operation and will reduce downtime.
For the second project, I installed wireless vibration sensors on the bearings of burner fans and under hearth fans on one of the blast furnaces. These sensors will also be connected to the PLC and record acceleration on three axes, temperature, and several other measurable variables. In the future, these sensors will also be installed on a second furnace in the same locations as the ones I installed. The addition of these sensors will allow vibrations and temperature to be tracked over time; the health of each bearing can then be monitored remotely so that fans and motors can be adjusted or replaced when necessary.The third project I contributed to was setting up a system to test the amount of silicon in the liquid iron during casting. A sensor on the end of the lance, a long metal pole that is dipped into the liquid iron, records the temperature and silicon level of the iron, and sends it to a machine that allows the operators to trend the data on a graph. This machine is linked to the PLC system, where the data can be visualized and trended over time from inside the office. In addition to the data, the lance tip collects a sample of the iron which is sent to the lab for further quality analysis. This system gives instant feedback to the furnace operators, who can measure the quality of each cast immediately instead of waiting for the full lab report, thus improving the efficiency of the operation, and giving a second source of data to compare with the lab results.
Overall, I found this internship experience to be very enjoyable, educational, and rewarding. I learned a lot about the steel industry and the work that engineers must do to keep the blast furnaces running. I also had the opportunity to tour other departments of the plant, so I expanded my knowledge of the entire steelmaking process and the variety of jobs each department offers. I was pleased to be able to contribute by completing necessary projects to help improve the efficiency and performance of the inner workings of the blast furnace. This internship gave me the field experience I desired and given the privilege, I would most certainly intern with the knowledgeable and experienced Cleveland-Cliffs Burns Harbor Iron Producing team again in the future.