Zink Körner Starts Up High-Efficiency Galvanizing Plant In Russia
08/22/2013 - In February 2013, Zink Körner received the Final Acceptance Certificate for a hot-dip galvanizing furnace it installed in 2012 at Tochinvest Zinc, a manufacturer of steel parts in Russia.
The successful operation of the first galvanizing shop was reason for JSC Tochinvest to establish the Tochinvest Zinc division in 2011. This event also marked the kick-off of a new project, namely the construction of a further galvanizing plant in Ryazan, some 100 km to the southeast of Moscow.
For this project, Zink Körner supplied the galvanizing furnace, complete with the housing, and the drying furnace. The tank is 13.0 m long, 1.8 m wide and 3.2 m deep. The new facilities were started up at the beginning of 2013. With trial operations running smoothly, already in February Tochinvest issued the FAC for the new plant.
Tochinvest Zinc specializes in the manufacture of crash barriers and bridge railings. The company also offers job galvanizing services for steel parts as diverse as lamp posts, traffic signs, barriers and customized steel structures for use in road construction.
The new furnace can galvanize up to 15 tonnes per hour. Assuming three-shift operation during 250 days of the year, Tochinvest Zinc will be able to produce 80,000 tonnes annually. This makes Tochinvest Zinc the most productive galvanizing plant in Russia.
Pictured below: The new furnace is designed for an annual production of 80,000 tonnes.
The recently built furnace features flat flame burners of the FL 20/50 type, which Körner developed specifically for batch galvanizing. These burners use natural gas as fuel, which is available at relatively moderate cost. Their design allows them to provide the same smooth and mild heating as previously only achievable by electrically heated furnaces.
The burners achieve an efficiency of 75%. This makes Zink Körner a market leader also in terms of energy efficiency. Unlike burners commonly used in the past, they operate in a modulating mode that makes them infinitely adjustable within a range of 1:10.
Diffusor plates mounted on the burners direct the gas flow along the inner furnace wall. This produces a combination of radiant and convective heat, which has the positive effect that a high input of heat into the liquid zinc is achieved at relatively low furnace temperatures.
Throughout furnace operation, the output of the burners is infinitely adjusted to the throughput of the furnace. Thus the temperature drop in the zinc bath caused by the dipping of a new batch is minimized. Another positive feature is that the furnace always consumes just the amount of energy needed in a certain situation. This regulating mode also avoids abrupt temperature changes, which otherwise would cause strain in the galvanizing tank structure. Thanks to these features, furnaces from Körner achieve long service lives.
Pictured below: The tank is 13.0 m long, 1.8 m wide and 3.2 m deep.
