Brazilian flats steelmaker Usiminas will halt its No. 3 blast furnace at its Ipatinga mill, located in the city of same name in the state of Minas Gerais, for an 11-day maintenance program, the company said on Monday in an emailed response to SteelOrbis.
Usiminas said the Ipatinga No. 3 blast furnace maintenance started on Monday, December 3, and will end on December 14, 2018. The halt aims to replace 38 stalves, which are iron or cobalt-casted parts with tubes for water circulation that protect the blast furnace from wear. Usiminas said the replacements will improve the blast furnace’s refrigeration system.
Usiminas said the job will involve 700 Usiminas Mecanica workers. Usiminas Mecanica is a subsidiary of Usiminas focusing on customized equipment and assemblies for different industries in Brazil. Usiminas Mecanica has already repaired blast furnaces at Usiminas’ Cubatao mill, in the city of same name in São Paulo state, as well as at Gerdau’s Ouro Branco mill, and CSN’s Volta Redonda mill.
The company said the scheduled blast furnace maintenance will not affect production levels.