UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 23, 2017. Russian Copper Company’s Novgorod Metallurgical Plant in Velikiy Novgorod completed repairs of its Maerz furnace, the company press service reports.

‘The furnace had to be shut down for scheduled repairs at the end of July. Everything was completed by our own staff ahead of schedule; no outsource contractors were used. We took care of power and mechanical equipment maintenance and checked all the measuring devices and automated appliances. The furnace was fitted with new water jackets and slag valves; additionally, the slag chamber, the exhaust heat boiler’s convection section, the gas incinerator system, and the primary exhaust duct were all given a thorough clean. The inside of the furnace got a new lining as well,’ the press service says.

‘Thanks to our team’s well-coordinated efforts, everything got done eighteen hours ahead of schedule, which means the furnace got re-heated and ready for its first produce output earlier than planned,’ says the plant’s Senior Engineer Mikhail Shamanov.