After a swift and successful rebuild by CISDI, Gerdau Acominas’s blast furnace 2 has tapped its first hot metal.

It took just 18 hours to blow-in the first tapping and restart production.

The furnace, which went into service in 2007, represented China’s first export of large blast furnace tech and equipment. CISDI’s package supplies enabled it to run stably for 15 years.

CISDI has now rebuilt the furnace’s automation system and upgraded its related equipment, giving it a further life expectancy of seven years - up to 2029.

A six-strong team from CISDI travelled to Gerdau Acominas’s plant in Ouro Branco, which lies in Brazil’s Minas Geras region, at the end of June.

The team provided technical assistance for onsite installation, integrated testing, training, commissioning and operation.

Thanks to its professionalism, the furnace’s software, logic and application functions passed all tests. Multiple commissioning tasks were also fulfilled - including simulated integration testing at the onsite laboratory, wiring calibration at electric cabinets, individual, cold and hot commissionings.

All PLC systems were operating stably and effectively and were reliably supporting the entire furnace’s medium repairs and blow-in.

GA and CISDI formed a strong and lasting partnership over 10 years ago.

CISDI’s UK team, led by its MD John Lester, and engineers from CISDI HQ were also onsite in Ouro Branco to witness the successful first tapping.

“Your company should be rightly proud of this furnace. It’s a very strong example of your achievements overseas,” a GA spokesperson commented at the event.

“Creating savings for our customers has always been our purpose. Customer recognition drives our passion to advance and innovate. This ethic is followed by CISDI teams around the globe and is the bedrock of the company brand,” commented John Lester.

Blast furnace 2 at Gerdau Acominas has been operating for 15 years. CISDI supplied all designs and equipment in 2007

CISDI UK’s Damion Catterall (right) and John Lester (left) are pictured working onsite in Ouro Branco with a GA engineer

MD of CISDI’s overseas operations and its UK subsidiary John Lester, second left, meets with Alexandre Olympio Dower Polezzi, fourth left, GA’s Engineering General Manager

CISDI’s team is pictured giving technical support during furnace 2’s commissioning