Nutec Bickley secures multi-million dollar kiln order

2020-12-04

Dec. 2, 2020 - Nutec Bickley’s Ceramics division has successfully secured a prestigious multi-million dollar contract for the design, manufacture, installation and commissioning of five state-of-the-art, high temperature kilns. Construction on all five has begun and they will be delivered in May next year, with full commissioning set to take place during summer 2021.

The customer is a leading global manufacturer of technical ceramics, employing thousands of people across the world and the kiln contract forms part of a significant investment by the client company in a bold expansion plan. The entirety of the final contract negotiations, as well as discussions relating to design and delivery, were conducted remotely during the Covid-19 crisis period, in what can be considered a major achievement by both parties.

The five kilns will feature operating temperatures ranging from 1,550°C (2,820°F) right up to 1,760°C (3,200°F).

These are all batch (intermittent) kilns, four of which are to be constructed as shuttles and one as an elevator. As the name suggests, with elevators the kiln is located on a platform above the floor and kiln cars are loaded and then lifted up to seal with the kiln using hydraulic cylinders or screw jacks. This provides for a secure and repeatable seal. As with other units, temperature is increased to top temperature and down again following a set cycle, undertaken automatically.

In order to achieve optimal combustion conditions, the kilns all feature IMPS®, our unique firing and cooling pulsing control system. With this proprietary technology, individual burners are pulsed from high fire to low fire at a controlled rate to give the required heat input. The additional burner velocity at precise gas-to-air ratios provides a perfect solution in relation to temperature uniformity as well as fuel efficiency.

IMPS allows different firing modes at any stage to create the perfect firing cycle for the required process parameters, thus offering a high degree of flexibility. It can also be integrated with heat recovery systems. IMPS firing modes include:

• Steaming – prolonged, controlled low temperature hold, as low as 100°C (212°F)
• Excess Air – perfect for very tight temperature uniformity
• On Ratio – the most fuel efficient option available
• Reduction – specific requirement for certain products and processes
• Rapid Cooling – when speed of cooling is most important
• Normal Cooling – where some control is required
• Slow or extra controlled cooling – for times when cooling rate is critical
• Controlled cooling using burners – for sensitive products where temperature needs to be held during the cooling process

As might be expected for such high temperature applications – and to ensure efficient and safe insulation – most kilns will be brick lined using dense, tongue-and-groove bubble alumina brick, constructed using our floating anchor brick retaining system. Among other advantages, this design greatly extends the life of the refractory linings. The system allows the refractory to expand and contract parallel to the kiln walls, while positioning of refractory alloy anchor hooks and the brick configuration restrict movement of brick away from the kiln shell.

In another advance, two of the kilns will be lined with special ceramic fibre able to withstand temperatures up to 1,650°C (3,000°F). This provides the client with superior performance as far as such fibre systems are concerned – most higher grade kiln fibre linings have an operational limit around 1,550°C (2,820°F).