As the heavy industries change, the requirements for refractories and their process control have also become increasingly more demanding. We at RHI Magnesita have satisfied these needs in the past and led our industry’s innovation for years now. And we are ready to take the next step: digitalization, robotics & automation, sustainable solutions and data-driven process control.
Digitalization
APO
Predict your wear lifetime with the power of AI
Highest safety standards, complete utilization of your lining’s durability, leading to no break-outs: These are just some of the requirements that you as a steelwork manager face on a daily basis. Ensuring that logistical requirements are met and ensuring a balance between inadequacies of operating personnel and technology are other necessary aspects in achieving maximum refractory performance.
E-TECH
A platform to calculate and optimize your slag foaming, splashing, mass balance, etc.
Process safety
RHI Magnesita and Primetals Collab.
Robot, Flow Control systems and refractory elements hand in hand: RHI Magnesita and Primetals Technologies have joined forces to enable our Flow Control customers an extended offering beyond systems and refractories – industry proven robotic based automation solutions on the continuous casting area. The result is a seamless interplay of all aspects, which is adapted to your needs and thus guarantees your peace of mind.
Learn more – Smart plant concept
VISIR Ladle Hot Spot Detection
Safety comes first, especially in the steel, metal and non-ferrous industries. The risk of ladle breakouts will always be present when handling liquid metal and you have to deal with equipment damage, personnel injuries and loss of production as a consequence. Therefore, ladle refractories undergo a timely exchange, even though they could last a few more heats. We provide a solution which lets you control your ladles status and further increase the safety of your operations: VISIR – LadleSafe.
Flow Control
INTERSTOP® SX Ladle Gate
Brand new high-performance ladle gate system focused on optimising TCO and increasing safe operations.
New Argon Purging Technology
In order to achieve highest yield of prime quality products a very tight control of caster boundary conditions is required. One key aspect is to balance the application of inert gas into the casting channel. The aim should be to use smallest argon quantities possible in order to avoid sliver defects in the mould but high enough to combat alumina clogging in the casting channel being able to cast the targeted sequence length.
Learn more – New Argon Purging Technology
Sustainable & eco-friendly products
Emission-free bricks
The severity and urgency of the climate crisis have become increasingly clear. The global industry needs to rapidly adapt itself to not only improve health and safety conditions at the workplace, but also to minimize air pollution in the surroundings of Steel Plants. RHI Magnesita can support reducing fume emissions with future-oriented technology.
Learn more – Zero emissions for a better environment
Circular Economy Solution
The circular economy approach gives endless possibilities to create a thriving economy. After all, recycling solutions mean saving CO2 emissions and avoiding the unnecessary disposal of residues while restoring already extracted materials back in the economy.
Learn more – RHI Magnesita The Circular Economy Model
Automation
Terminator XL
Limited heat numbers from EAF campaigns, high costs from EAF downtime, and a challenging work environment for your employees: all these challenges are present in your steel mill on a regular basis. To counteract these aspects, we have developed a gunning manipulator for highly efficient gunning repair of any part of the EAF: the Terminator XL!
Learn more – RHI Magnesita Machinery
The Shooter – Novel gunning solution for the BOF
As world’s leading refractory supplier RHI Magnesita expands its technology leadership with focused R&D projects aiming the optimization of your value chain. Besides commodities RHI Magnesita also offers system solutions for the optimum fulfilment of customer demands. Working on the BOF takes up a lot of time and can also endanger the safety of your employees. To counteract these aspects, we have developed a gunning solution for the BOF: the Shooter!
We are happy and proud to announce that HTR Refractories has successfully completed TRACEcertification, an internationally recognized due diligence review. TRACEcertification is a comprehensive due diligence review and analysis administered by TRACE, the world’s leading anti-bribery standard setting organization. Certification by TRACE signifies that HTR Reractories has completed internationally accepted due diligence procedures and has been forthcoming during the review process. TRACEcertification underscores HTR’s commitment to commercial transparency and anti-bribery compliance.
With TRACEcertification, once again we prove our strong assuredness in professional and dedicated development in business relations based on trust and quality services.
About TRACE
TRACE is a globally recognized business association dedicated to anti-bribery, compliance and good governance and leading provider of shared-cost third party risk management solutions. Members and clients include over 500 multinational companies located worldwide. TRACE is headquartered in the United States and registered in Canada, with a presence on five continents. For more information, visit www.TRACEinternational.org.
First use of the ANKRAL low carbon technology in pilot projects with LafargeHolcim in Austria and Switzerland:
Sustainability plays a key role in the cement industry. In the past years, RHI Magnesita’s cement business unit has worked on ambitious sustainability initiatives and put great efforts into enabling the reduction of emissions. Now, as a result of years of development work, RHI Magnesita can actively support its customers in the cement industry in reducing emissions during production processes.The ANKRAL LC, an innovative product from RHI Magnesita, impresses by its sustainable production method, which enables production with particularly low CO2 emissions. This special feature is the first ever use of new recycling solutions, which allow reuse of recycled materials without compromising technical requirements and specifications. This state-of-the-art product has now first been used in a pilot project with RHI Magnesita’s customer LafargeHolcim in Mannersdorf (Austria).
LC stands for low carbon and refers to the significantly lower CO2 footprint compared to conventional products. This is mainly achieved by using secondary recycled materials from rotary cement kilns. These were previously considered unsuitable for further use in the production process of magnesite bricks, because in most cases they contain a high amount of infiltrated salts which have a negative effect on the properties of the bricks. Yet the RHI Magnesita research team took up the challenge, revolutionized the technical methods for reusing these precious recycled materials and created significant intellectual property including the filing of patents. RHI Magnesita adopted its process and organizational setup accordingly, and now also invests in the installation of new environmental equipment in its plants to make them fit for the future. The new exhaust gas cleaning system at the RHI Magnesita plant in Veitsch, for example, sets new standards in environmental protection.
“After successful trials and production of our sustainable technology, RHI Magnesita is now ready for the market launch of the ANKRAL LC series,” says Heinz Telser, Head of Technical Marketing & Innovation at RHI Magnesita.
Pilot project between LafargeHolcim and RHI Magnesita in Mannersdorf
In February, the LafargeHolcim plant in Mannersdorf, Austria, was the first to install the ANKRAL Q2 LC bricks from RHI Magnesita in its rotary kiln, followed by further installations at other LafargeHolcim plants in Austria and Switzerland to minimize waste and maximize use of recycled material.
“We are very proud and grateful for this successful cooperation between LafargeHolcim and RHI Magnesita in these pilot projects,” elaborates Dr. Christopher Ehrenberg, plant manager of Lafarge Zementwerk Mannersdorf. “Together we want to continue on our path towards sustainability in order to reduce CO2emissions throughout the supply chain”.
Sustainable through recycling
The increased use of recycled materials contributes to securing stocks in the long term by reducing cost-intensive recycled material procurement and sustainably improving the ecological footprint and environmental balance of RHI Magnesita by reducing CO2 emissions. When dismantling facilities, the company ensures that the recovered recycled materials are recycled, following the zero-waste concept.
Source: RHI Magnesita
Photo: RHI Magnesita
Federal Minister Schramböck presents plans for the world’s most modern plant in the refractory industry together with RHI Magnesita’s executive management:
RHI Magnesita, the world market leader for refractory products and solutions, is investing in the future of Austria as an economic hot spot. With the “Digital Flagship Plant Radenthein”, the most modern plant of the refractories industry worldwide is being built. A total of around 50 million euros will be invested in state-of-the-art infrastructure as well as digitalization. The entire modernization will be carried out during upright operations. The new construction sections will be put into operation as of fall 2021.
In order to optimally use the new technologies and systems, completely new job profiles are needed. The plant in Radenthein will therefore simultaneously become the central training hub for the skilled workers of the future. Starting in the fall of 2020, apprentices from all German-speaking countries will be trained in the new apprenticeship “process technology”. RHI Magnesita is also participating in the Carinthian pilot project “Apprenticeship and Studies”.
Margarete Schramböck, Federal Minister for Digital and Economic Affairs, Dr. Herbert Cordt, Chairman RHI Magnesita, and Michael Maier, Mayor of Radenthein, presented the project together with Stefan Borgas, CEO RHI Magnesita.
Expansion of technology leadership through investment of millions in digitization
22 million euros of the investment volume will be used for automation and process optimization. All the heavy work that previously had to be done manually will in the future be performed by intelligent machines and robots. The physical strain on production employees will thus be reduced significantly, and the focus of their activities will shift to controlling and optimizing those processes.
The employees will be supported by a Manufacturing Execution System (MES). Up to now, individual separate systems were in use which controlled different processes in the plant independently of each other. The MES is an intelligent and self-learning control system that is connected to all areas of the plant, communicates with them and is controlled via a central control room. For example, MES is able to independently identify necessary maintenance and repair work and initiates the necessary processes. The MES is the first of its kind in the industry, and the pilot project will be rolled out to other plants worldwide in the coming years.
“This digitalization push will double the production capacity. In the final stage, we will produce significantly more than 100,000 tonnes of refractories in Radenthein,” explains Stefan Borgas, CEO RHI Magnesita. “In addition, we will massively increase the safety of our employees at their workplace and the quality of our products. We are creating and securing high-quality jobs in the Austrian industry that will continue to exist in the future,” Borgas continues.
An additional 24.7 million euros are being invested in the establishment of new infrastructure. Besides a wireless LAN system according to modern industrial requirements, which connects all machines, new robot units and stone presses will be installed. At the heart of the new infrastructure are a high-performance tunnel kiln and a highly specialized shuttle kiln for customized products. RHI Magnesita’s high-tech refractory products are fired in the kilns at more than 1,800 degrees Celsius.
Dr. Herbert Cordt, Chairman RHI Magnesita, particularly emphasizes the exemplary effect of the Digital Flagship Plant Radenthein: “This investment demonstrates our position as technology leader and the know-how of our employees. They have applied their knowledge of state-of-the-art technology from other industries, such as the chemical industry or the automotive sector, when planning this project. The result is remarkable, and the entire refractory industry will take Radenthein as a role model for future modernizations”.
Training hub for digital professions
At the same time, RHI Magnesita is investing more than one million euros in the expansion of the training facility in Radenthein. The location will become the central digital training hub for the entire German-speaking region. In addition to the existing apprenticeships, the apprenticeship “process technology” will also be offered at the plant starting in autumn 2020.
RHI Magnesita is also participating in the Carinthian pilot project “Apprenticeship and Studies”. After a period of study of four years, students receive three degrees: a Bachelor of Science degree in “System Engineering”, an apprenticeship degree in “Electrical Engineering: Plant and Industrial Engineering” and one for the newly introduced apprenticeship “Process Engineering”.
“Digitalization has completely revolutionized our working environments. We see ourselves as a driver of innovation, with the ambition of constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible through know-how and technological innovation. To do this, we need motivated, very well-educated young people who want to take this new path together with us,” explains Borgas.
Federal Minister Schramböck is also particularly fond of the new training program for digital occupations: “In 2018, I presented the new digital apprenticeships such as process technology. RHI Magnesita immediately spotted the potential of these modern apprenticeships. The digital training hub in Radenthein is a prime example of how young people can be optimally prepared for a digital working world in a practical way.
RHI Magnesita will continue to be the economic driving force of the region
The digitization of the Radenthein plant is a clear strategic decision for Austria as a business location. From here, the steel, energy, chemical and glass industries in Europe will continue to be reliably supplied with RHI Magnesita’s products. “Through this investment, we are ensuring smooth processes in industries that have proven to be essential not only during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Borgas.
Margarete Schramböck, Federal Minister for Digital and Economic Affairs, emphasized the importance of such an investment in economically challenging times: “The federal government has taken clear measures to support the economy in Austria and to help it survive this crisis. I am pleased that we have been able to maintain the appeal of Austria as a business location and that a globally operating company such as RHI Magnesita is making one of the largest investments in its history here, even in times of crisis. This is a sustainable lighthouse project in the field of digitalization, which has an important function as a role model for the entire Austrian industry.”
Dr. Herbert Cordt, Chairman RHI Magnesita, states: “The investment in a comprehensive digitization of a main plant in Europe is not a matter of course nowadays, but a deliberate decision. Our goal is to produce high-quality products where we need them and not to relocate production to low-wage countries. As a company, we believe it is important to assume responsibility – as an employer, as a training facility and as an important member of the communities in which we are anchored; in some communities we have been operating for many decades.”
Michael Maier, mayor of Radenthein, underlines the importance of RHI Magnesita for the region: “I am pleased that RHI Magnesita has decided to make such a large investment in Radenthein. This is an important economic driver for us and the surrounding communities, from which the employees at the plant, but also numerous other companies located in the region, will benefit.” Mayor Michael Maier also refers to the already close cooperation in the training of apprentices: “The training hub for digital professions is also an important gesture. Especially since RHI Magnesita not only trains apprentices for itself, but also for other companies beyond its own needs. We are proud that we will soon be able to welcome young people from all over the German-speaking world to our beautiful region, which is worth living in”.
Source: RHI Magnesita
Photo: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmNBguAW
World Refractories Association – COVID-19 Position Statement:
Safe and responsible operations need to continue. In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic, the temporary closing of non-essential businesses and other efforts to keep COVID-19 from overwhelming hospital and healthcare facilities are creating challenges for many countries and across many industries. Governing bodies must keep essential businesses open that support health systems operations and guarantee public safety and national security. Refractories should be recognized as a critical industry that must continue to operate.
Refractories: Vital to industry
Refractories play a critical role in the daily operations of almost every sector of manufacturing. These ceramic materials are essential for all heat-intensive production processes. Without refractories, important industries and the products they produce would not exist. Whether it is the ambulances we drive, the hospitals we use, the roads we rely on, the medical equipment that we need, the communications tools we use, the waste we need to incinerate, or the medicines we take, the world we know would not exist without refractories.
In the context of COVID-19, our customers in the steel, aluminum, copper, glass, chemicals, energy, waste management and pulp & paper industries are directly responsible for supplying the primary materials used to produce desperately needed items such as hospital beds, ambulances, respirators, face masks, and other medical devices. Their production processes cannot occur without refractories, even in the short term.
Health & Safety are industry priorities
We must continuously produce refractories because they are critical components in almost all products’ supply chains. At the same time, our top priority is, and always has been, the safety and well-being of our industry employees and the communities in which they operate.
Because the refractory industry is globally connected through WRA, from the earliest stages of the COVID-19 threat, refractory manufacturers have been proactive in taking extra precautions to ensure the health and safety of all those who work in our industry. This includes complying with all recommendations and directives of the World Health Organization (WHO) and all national, regional, and local organizations in response to COVID-19. Refractory industry employees who can work remotely are doing so. In facilities that must continue to produce refractories, the highest COVID-19 safety and hygiene protocols are fundamental to manufacturing operations. These include, but are not limited to, social distancing measures, continual sanitizing and disinfecting of workplaces, use of proper personal protective equipment (PPE), and minimization of staff interactions.
Refractories will always be an essential industry that is vital to the manufacturing of countless goods that ensure the safety and security of our global community. As governing bodies across the globe continue to assess industries, the refractories industry must be placed within this essential business category.
About the World Refractories Association
World Refractories Association is a forum to debate regulatory issues affecting global trade, circulate aggregated industry statistics, and promote the interests of the worldwide refractory industry. It also serves as a counterpart to other world industry organizations. The WRA currently consists of six major refractory industry associations and 16 multinational companies.
Source: worldrefractories.com
Global market leader ushers into future of refractories industry – hosts opening gala at Viennese start-up hub
RHI Magnesita, the leading global supplier of refractory products and solutions, has kick-started the fourth revolution of the refractories industry. Thanks to intensive basic research and global, interdisciplinary development work, the company successfully developed the first systems for data-based process optimization at temperatures of 1,200°C and higher. The Digital Hub that was established specifically for this purpose will now bring these concepts to market readiness.
“I’d like to thank everyone who has helped usher in the future of the refractories industry with their outstanding work in recent months. With these efforts, our colleagues have proved not only that they can precisely react to the needs of our customers, but also that they recognize how new technologies and methods could be put to use for our customers. With our Digital Hub, we’re giving brilliant, creative minds the necessary freedom to develop these approaches to completion in their own idea workshop and bring them to market,” explained Stefan Borgas, CEO RHI Magnesita, during the opening gala for the new Digital Hub at the weXelerate corporate innovation hub in Vienna on Tuesday evening. In the state-of-the-art facilities located in the heart of Austria’s start-up scene, three project teams will work to bring the 4.0 initiatives of the refractory giant to market readiness.
Automated Process Optimization (APO): using data to predict the future
“The temperature in the LD converter, the duration and chemical composition of the steel melt and the slag: An enormous amount of data is collected about every single one of our customers’ production steps. This data contains valuable information about how certain high-temperature processes take place in their plants,” explained Christoph Jandl, Head of the 4.0 Business Unit at RHI Magnesita. This is where Automated Process Optimization (APO) comes in: The system receives all available data about the given production process, such as temperature changes, chemical processes, optical measurements, order cycles and planned maintenance work. Based on this information, empirical values and previous measurement results, APO uses artificial intelligence to make predictions about how refractory materials should be maintained and when they will have to be replaced.
Conversely, the customer can also tell the system when planned maintenance and monitoring work should be performed in order to be able to optimally utilize the time between production peaks, for example. In this case, the parameters, such as the planned maintenance, are defined and APO calculates how the processes have to be adjusted to meet these requirements. APO can also help to select suitable products from RHI Magnesita’s portfolio based on the data, thus ensuring maximum safety and resource efficiency.
Quick (QCK) and Broadband Spectral Thermometer (BST): better data optimizes production steps
“The area of application for APO basically knows no limits. But of course, just like with any data-based simulation, the better the data APO receives as input, the more precise the predictions will be,” added Jandl. Therefore, two of the 4.0 initiatives at the new Digital Hub deal with systems that can supply even higher quality input data for APO.
One of these is “QCK”: The system is based on cutting edge image processing technology and can take precise 3D scans of systems at operating temperature within a few seconds – even at temperatures above 1,200°C. The measurement itself does not take any longer than snapping a photo. Up until now, laser technology has been used for this purpose, which takes significantly longer and provides a much lower resolution.
Additional information will be supplied by “BST”: This measurement process is capable of measuring the temperature continuously and has the potential to eliminate the discrete temperature measurements that are commonly used today. “This will make it possible to adjust the temperature of a melt so that it has exactly the right temperature. This prevents unnecessary heating,” explained Jandl.
CEO Stefan Borgas sees the benefit for customers in the tremendous increase in efficiency that will be possible: “Our goal is to optimize our customers’ high-temperature processes in the future so that they can cut costs and adapt their production more flexibly. At the same time, more precise measurements will enable us to discover problems that they were completely unaware of up to now – and then solve them together.”
RHI Magnesita expects an increase in customer efficiency of several million Euros annually. This is also expected to lead to major changes within the company. “In the future, we aim to mine raw materials, process them into refractory products and deliver them to customers at exactly the time they need them. This means that we too continue to optimize our logistics and production in order to make them more efficient and thus more climate friendly,” continued Borgas.
Idea workshop in the city
The 4.0 team at RHI Magnesita’s Digital Hub will be tasked with achieving these goals. On Tuesday evening, the company hosted a big party to inaugurate the new office of the Digital Hub at the weXelerate corporate innovation hub in Vienna together with customers, employees, partners and friends. “There are big expectations for this project. The team will blaze trails and develop solutions that might revolutionize our industry. To achieve this, it not only has to be able to think independently and freely, but also has to be capable of making quick decisions autonomously. At this new site, the team members will certainly feel comfortable in a creative atmosphere surrounded by other innovative start-ups and will have a lot of fun tinkering with new developments,” explained Stefan Borgas at the opening celebration.
Source: RHI Magnesita
Photo: RHI Magnesita
Agellis develops, manufactures and markets electromagnetic level measuring/detection solutions, as well as infrared monitoring/detection solutions for the worldwide molten metals industry. We have a strong commitment to enhance our customer’s productivity, safety and long-term profitability. Agellis is a fully owned subsidiary of RHI Magnesita.
EMLI-FurnaceSlag / Electromagnetic slag detection for furnaces
AGELLIS EMLI-FurnaceSlag constantly monitors the steel flow during tapping of the furnace and provides alarm outputs at the onset of slag in the stream. These outputs can be used to immediately end tapping by changing furnace tilt angle, while at the same time giving visual and audible alarms.
EMLI-LadleSlag / Electromagnetic slag detection for casting ladles
AGELLIS EMLI-LadleSlag constantly monitors the steel flow during draining the ladle at the caster and provides alarm outputs at the onset of slag in the stream. These outputs can be used to immediately end pouring steel to the tundish by initiating gate closure, while at the same time giving visual and audible alarms.
EMLI-TundishLevel / Continuous tundish steel level measurement
EMLI-TundishLevel provides the operator with extremely sensitive measurement of the true steel level in a continuous casting tundish, irrespective of the amount of slag or powder present. With a measurement range over the full depth of the tundish, the operator will always have precise information about the steel level, be able to maintain the correct ferrostatic pressure height and also to drain the tundish while preventing slag carryover to the mould, thus increasing yield.
EMLI-MouldLevel (Suspended and Edge) / Electromagnetic mould level measurement
The Agellis EMLI-MouldLevel measurement solution continuously monitors metal level in the CCM mould during casting and provides outputs to control the flow to maintain desired operating levels. EMLI-MouldLevel system is the most advanced electromagnetic mould level measurement system available on the market. It is exceptionally accurate and reliable. The flexible electronics platform ensures an easy installation and a wide array of options is available. The automatic calibration rig performs a full 21 point calibration in a matter of a few minutes, making sure that maintenance procedures demand a minimum of resources and can be performed in a very short period of time.
VISIR-LadleSafe / Ladle hot spot detection
The risk of a ladle breakout will always be present in steelmaking with equipment damage and loss of production as the costly consequences. Your production and operation routines could minimise this risk, but the fact remains; as long as liquid steel is transported using ladles – ladle breakouts will occur from time to time. VISIR-LadleSafe is based on infrared camera technology using data analysis to evaluate the steel structure thermal status of your ladles. Automatic thermal imaging can detect much earlier potential dangerous thermal ladle shell status than the human eye.
Key features: Breakout Early Warning, Temperature Trending, Optimal Refractory Lifetime, Data Mining
VISIR-FurnaceSafe / Furnace breakout prevention
Agellis VISIR-FurnaceSafe infrared monitoring of your furnace shell minimises the risk of liquid steel breakout and maximises your operational furnace availability while at the same time increasing safety. VISIR-FurnaceSafe continuously monitors the furnace shell thermal status and trends temperatures covering over 100 000 measuring points. The monitoring system automatically alerts you when detecting early signs of dangerous hot spots, helping you to handle the situation before it becomes a hazard.
VISIR-LadleDeslag / Ladle Skimming Monitoring
The VISIR-LadleDeslag system monitors ladle skimming operations to help achieve clean ladle steel for further process operations, while at the same time ensuring that excessive metal loss is avoided. VISIR-LadleDeslag cameras and software evaluate the ladle surface slag content and feeds information to the operator when a sufficient skimming has been achieved.
Key features: Deslagging Monitoring, Deslagging Control, Data Mining
COVID-19 has become a pandemic. The whole world is affected, although not everywhere to the same extent and at the same speed. As a global company, RHI Magnesita takes the responsibility to do everything possible to help contain COVID-19 and at the same time to be a reliable partner during these difficult times.
Our number one priority is to protect the health and safety of our employees and all those who work with us. At the same time, we are committed to keeping production processes as efficiently as possible worldwide.
The conditions we face in trying to meet these expectations are challenging and will continue to remain difficult during the next weeks and months. Therefore, it is particularly important for us to thank all those who help making this possible: our employees who carry out their tasks from home, the many colleagues who maintain our production and our partners who support us in remaining a reliable supplier.
RHI Magnesita is a global company with 14,000 employees worldwide. The spread of COVID-19 varies in different regions; hence, the regulations to contain the virus are different in each country. Based on regional monitoring, we take immediate action and implement measures which are continuously updated.
The following steps have already been taken:
- Regional task forces have been established, consisting of colleagues from Health & Safety, Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, HR and the Works Council. They are constantly monitoring the spread of COVID-19, political decisions made in different countries, the development of the market situation and react swiftly and flexibly to changing circumstances.
- In all regions, safety and protective measures have been implemented for our own employees and those of partner companies. These measures are also continuously being evaluated and, if necessary, tightened.
- Coworkers who do not necessarily have to be present at sites of the company to perform their tasks work from home.
- The state of health of our employees at the production sites is constantly being monitored and a number of measures have been taken to reduce the contact between colleagues to an absolute minimum.
Our production and thus the supply of our customers is currently running smoothly. Should you have any detailed questions, please refer to your usual contact person at RHI Magnesita. We are confident that we will overcome these challenging times together with our customers and partners.
Check out latest corporate video of our principal ESTANDA
Design and manufacturing of high-performing steel castings for crushing, milling, and heating,cooling processes in the MINING and CEMENT sectors. Steel parts and components for the RAILWAY, AUTOMOTIVE, OFFSHORE, ENERGY and other industrial equipment.
Wide range of carbon steels, low, medium, and high-alloyed steels, high-chromium white iron and heat-resistant steels.
Stefan Rathausky, Head of RHI Magnesita Global Cement & Lime Business Unit, talks to World Cement about the challenges that refractories are facing today.
World Cement (WC): What are the main challenges that refractories face today? How have these changed in recent years?
Stefan Rathausky (SR): Refractories are a critical component in clinker production. Despite the relatively limited impact on the production cost of for customers, purchasing decisions are very competitive. The price per ton of refractories is very often a purchasing decision criterion given cost pressure aspects. Factors such as product quality, service, supply security but also the quality of the installation are of critical importance too. These factors are key when it comes to total cost of ownership; however, this is a concept that is not yet widespread but is getting more and more attention.
Another aspect is the availability of raw materials, specifically regarding the influence of China. The availability and consistent quality of the raw materials play a decisive role, and given the measures applied by the Chinese government on environmental matters, the volatility in the market is very high. In this area, RHI Magnesita has a significant level of backward integration and offers security for our customers, supporting these industry needs with availability of consistent, high-quality, premium raw material. Specifically, the company owns one of the purest mines for high-grade magnesia, which is located in Brumado, Brazil.
Sustainability plays a key role in cement but also in refractories. The cement industry has worked on emission reduction, and RHI Magnesita solutions have been employed to assist in this target. Increasing alternative fuel ratios – especially in Europe and now also advancing in countries such as India and China – require high performance refractory materials. Buying the lowest cost/ton material will not yield results here, but the most suitable refractory will optimise the total cost of ownership, reducing the risk of unplanned kiln stoppages. This requires experience and capabilities not all suppliers provide to the same extent. And then there are many more ways RHI Magnesita can contribute to sustainability goals.
WC: How is refractory technology evolving to meet these challenges?
SR: We’re pushing innovations to ultimately increase the availability of the kiln. Resistance to chemical, thermal, and mechanical wear, tailored to the needs of each customer. We have a couple of very exciting technologies in the making. One new development is the spinosphere technology, which makes it possible to combine enhanced hot properties, like resistance against clinker melt infiltration, with high mechanical stress resistance – properties that have been mutually exclusive up to now.
Fast heat-up sol-bonded mixes are another example of how we are contributing to CO2 reduction: Fast heat-up means less energy consumption, high durability, and ultimately lower CO2 emissions. We’ve developed new recycling products, created significant intellectual property including the filing of patents, made major investments in the process and our plants, and will soon start to roll-out our product series based on RHI Magnesita’s sustain-ability technology. We’re aiming to play all of the keys on the innovation piano. It’s not just about the product innovation itself, but the combination of various factors in order to optimise the customer’s manufacturing process – entirely in line with the total cost of ownership approach. This includes the refractory material, but also the proper installation, the availability, and the monitoring in order to further optimise processes. And the future has already started: Sensors and data analysis will make it possible to optimise the entire manufacturing process and coordinate the refractory solutions more precisely in the future. These are not just empty words either. We acquired Agellis, a sensor manufacturer, in 2017 and continue to invest significantly in these technologies. In summary: our aim is to push the limits of what can be done with the product – but above all to develop complete solutions that take the entire production process for clinker into consideration.
WC: How significant is the role of R&D in the refractory sector?
SR: It is a very mixed picture for the industry as a whole. RHI Magnesita positions itself as a technology leader – seven research locations and hundreds of technical experts around the globe are testament to this. The Cement & Lime business unit has a worldwide presence, so experts can be close to their customers.
For us, R&D does not stop at product development, it’s also about process development, automation, and digitalisation. These are all future-oriented fields in which we are advancing innovation. Additionally, the company has established a technology advisory council with external experts so that we can optimally implement sustainability, sensor technology, and digitalisation solutions for customers.
WC: What role does the refractory sector play in promoting sustainability in the cement industry?
SR: Sustainability is close to our hearts at RHI Magnesita, not only because we are a public and London Stock Exchange-listed company. We aim to go beyond what is legally required. We have several new products and technologies in the pipeline to support our customers. Naturally, we’re aware that the cement industry has come under tremendous pressure, specifically in Europe, and we provide support with tangible measures. We have several very promising pilot projects related to reducing CO2 emissions. We’re currently making major investments in the development of recycling solutions – which is a very complex issue – and we hold a patent. Thanks to these research efforts and the experience of recent years, we are the first company that has something to offer in this area, all in the spirit of a circular economy. However, we are not just a component supplier, but also a global industrial company. RHI Magnesita entered into a partnership with the ECRA (European Cement Research Academy) in order to exchange experience and research in the field of carbon capture and storage technology.
One issue that is becoming increasingly important for the cement industry is reducing CO2 in its entire supply chain. In this regard, RHI Magnesita benefits from its global production network with more than 35 sites in over 16 countries. This enables transportation distances to be shortened and thus minimises CO2 emissions.
WC: Looking ahead, what challenges, or opportunities, do you see on the horizon for the refractory sector?
SR: The Cement & Lime business unit has had a very successful year in 2019. It has expanded its market leadership despite intense competition. At the same time, we’ve developed a new business model moving away from selling material towards providing solutions to customers, and the initial feedback has been positive; the total cost of ownership approach has been particularly well received. The challenge is to get all decision makers at the customer around the table, not many customers can easily answer the question today on total spend for material, installations, removal, and environmental costs. The sustainability manager, plant manager, production manager, the maintenance manager, and the procurement manager – we all need to work together more closely. The challenge is to get the customer to realise that it is not only about comparing the price per ton, it is about asking, “How much risk am I willing to assume to produce my clinker?” To put it another way: how can we best put our experience in clinker chemistry, sensor technology, and the circular economy to work for the benefit of customers?
The cement industry is in the midst of a major transition due to cost pressure, sustainability, and digitalisation. RHI Magnesita works closely with customers to help solve these challenges.
About the author
Stefan Rathausky has been Head of the Cement & Lime global business unit at RHI Magnesita, the worldwide market leader for refractory products and solutions, since 1 February 2019. Before assuming this position, the 42-year-old was responsible for the merger of RHI and Magnesita and led and built up functions such as communications, sustainability, public affairs, and raw material strategy.
Rathausky studied technical physics, business administration and engineering, and management in Vienna, Paris, and Lausanne. He gained experience with previous employers in the fields of sales, strategy, M&A, and restructuring.
Source: WorldCement
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