THE PROBLEM
A leading aluminium foundry alloy producer operated a rotary melting furnace running 24/7 at 900–1,000°C. The nose ring at the furnace entrance was manufactured from conventional refractory castable.
The castable was unpredictable and needed replacing every three months. As it wore, the furnace seal degraded, opening a gap between the rotating barrel and the fixed door. Heat loss increased, which increased energy costs, and unplanned maintenance affected production outputs.
THE SOLUTION
Fiberstone was engineered as a veneer — replacing only the 30% of the nose block section exposed to the most severe thermal shock and abrasion. The sections were bolted into the furnace mouth, providing a turnkey replacement that were individually serviceable and removable.
The composite properties of Fiberstone made the difference: high thermal shock resistance to survive the ambient-to-1,000°C temperature gradient, abrasion resistance to withstand furnace loading, and dimensional stability to hold the critical seal.
MEASURABLE SUCCESS
| Conventional castable | Fiberstone | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 months | 75% worn | No detectable wear |
| 6 months | Replaced twice | 90% depth intact after a loading accident; seal 100% effective |
| 9 months | Replaced three times | Undamaged through a full furnace reline |
| Total life | ~3 months | 21+ months |
A seven-fold increase in service life – fewer replacements significantly lowered the lifetime cost, resulted in less downtime and increased output efficiencies. The restored seal eliminated the energy losses of the previous solution to reduce energy costs.
“The performance has exceeded all expectations. Fiberstone has withstood everything we have thrown at it and has proved very cost effective in use.”
Managing Director, aluminium foundry alloy producer