voestalpine Böhler Edelstahl is one of the world’s leading suppliers of tool steels, high-speed steels and special materials. The centrepiece of the new plant is the electric arc furnace, which melts scrap and alloys into sophisticated steel grades. In doing so, voestalpine is setting new standards in terms of digitalised and automated processes. The system records around 8,000 pieces of process data, which are continuously and simultaneously recorded, converted and analysed.

The SCHEUCH solution: Efficient dust extraction system for foundries
For this project, Scheuch is supplying a complete dedusting system for 1.4 million Am³/h, which is used for the extraction system of various dusts during the casting process as well as for mould management and cleaning the mould plates. Almost 40 extraction points are located on the roof of the foundry.
A total of around 800 metres of ducts with a diameter of 2800 mm were fitted. A defined negative pressure level ensures a high-quality extraction system for the hall air. The special boom of the dedusting system enables optimum utilisation of the available space. The use of 11 metres of hoses in the filter offers the benefit of a particularly compact plant. The filter system including dust transport with residue silo was fitted on a 10 metre high concrete gantry provided by the customer.

The complex interconnection of 10 butterfly valves in the crude-gas ducts makes it possible to optimally adapt to the on-site requirements. These can be opened, closed and moved into position, e.g. to the casting trolley, independently of each other. In addition, the bypass connections to the piping in the other halls allow the volume of air extracted to be doubled. This means that 1 million m³ of air can be extracted within a very short space of time instead of the planned 500,000 m³.

Logistical feat
Due to the simultaneous construction of the hall steel construction by the customer and the installation of the individual piping strings by Scheuch, a well-coordinated installation concept was required. The cramped space conditions meant that the piping components had to be delivered just-in-time. The pre-assembly of the filter components took place approximately one kilometre away from the actual construction site. To make assembly easier, the filter hoppers were completely prefabricated and transported to Kapfenberg using special transport. All the equipment for the installation was brought to the construction site on rails.

The customer’s quality requirements and the installation times were quite demanding. In addition, the main thoroughfare, which runs under the concrete portal, had to be kept clear for the steelworks’ factory and train traffic during the installation. Scheuch responded accordingly with a special installation concept and decided to completely prefabricate all filter hoppers. Special measures were taken in the programming to ensure the efficient controller of the plants. As a result, the required 1979 switching options for the flaps could be reduced to 15 main operating cases and 320 secondary operating cases. Thanks to these measures, both the quality and the tight schedule could be adhered to.

Environmental and employee protection take centre stage
The new plant also sets standards in terms of environmental protection, as 100 per cent of the power used comes from renewable energy sources. In addition, an efficient recovery system ensures that the heat generated is reused within the plant or supplied to the public district heating network. Integrated silencers in the filter and in the clean-gas duct significantly reduce noise emissions.