A Siemens VAI steel ladle carrier has been repaired in Kametsteel's BOF Shop.

One of the two steel ladle carriers used to transport hot steel after the treatment in the ladle furnace to continuous casting machines has been repaired at the steelworks. The both gearboxes of the European-made dual-drive facility with a carrying capacity of 320 tons have been replaced for the first time since it was put into operation.

Hands-on repair activities were preceded by extensive work to develop a complete set of necessary drawings and assembly diagrams, which was successfully completed by the designers of the iron and steel works together with the leading specialists of the BOF Shop.

The necessary parts and assemblies were manufactured by the machine tool operators of Kametsteel's Mechanical Repair Shop. Metinvest Promservice's specialists carried out dismantling and assembly work on the 62-ton steel ladle carrier around the clock for a week. Aside from the replacement of the two gearboxes, the bearings on the travelling wheels were also replaced, and the axle mounts were improved.

"We are refurbishing important equipment, creating a reliable pillar for stable operation of the steel-making operations at the steelworks. Thanks to the well-coordinated teamwork of repairmen, designers, and personnel of the BOF shop, the repair were successfully carried out, enabling us to increase reliability and avoid malfunctions in the operation of the steel ladle carrier and the equipment of the site as a whole," said Andrii Karzin, deputy head of the BOF Shop for engineering.