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Reimann handles furnace refurbishment in record time

The Reimann GmbH in Mönchengladbach, Germany, has completed the refurbishment of an aluminium preheating furnace in record time.

The Reimann GmbH in Mönchengladbach, Germany, has completed the refurbishment of an aluminium preheating furnace in record time.

Despite Corona, Reimann has refurbished a complete aluminium preheating furnace (the deep furnaces 1 and 2) for the Neuss-based company Aluminium Norf in a record time of only six months.

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“We are particularly proud that, despite the Corona-related difficulties in material availability, we managed to completely refurbish the deep furnace within six months from receipt of the order, including partial construction, work preparation, fabrication, disassembly and assembly. Normally, we would calculate ten to twelve months for a project of this size,” explains Jürgen Kreutzer, managing director of Reimann.

As part of the refurbishment, the project manager responsible for industrial furnace systems at Reimann, Christoph Apel, first drew up a refurbishment concept that included both the development of a new intermediate wall and other necessary refurbishment steps. “We first checked which parts specifically needed to be refurbished and then drew up a corresponding refurbishment concept,” he describes the task. Thus, the complete insulation of the furnace was replaced by a new insulation layer. The intermediate wall between the two furnaces was also replaced. In addition, the Reimann team also renewed the fan wheels, radiant tubes and the inner housing including the spiral housing in the furnace.

Record-breaking furnace refurbishment to full customer satisfaction

Michael Wälchli, technical managing director of Aluminium Norf GmbH, is satisfied with the progress of the project: “We have already been working very successfully with Reimann GmbH in the field of furnace refurbishment for several years. However, we have not yet had to plan any of the refurbishment projects under these special conditions. In this respect, it was also a really special project for us from start to finish. Because downtime for our industrial furnaces naturally also means that we have less capacity available for production. It is therefore all the more important that the downtimes are planned precisely and also adhered to.”

Some 160 t of material processed, and 10,000 parts assembled

“All parts were manufactured on site in Mönchengladbach by Reimann and then assembled in the furnace,” explains Apel. “Over the project period, approximately 160 t of partially heat-resistant material were processed for the new production.“

To illustrate the dimensions of such a project, one need only look at the dimensions of the aluminium preheating furnace produced: 16 m wide, 8 m deep and 8 m high bear witness to the intricate detail work required to assemble the approximately 10,000 individual parts.

Under the leadership of owner and managing director Jürgen Kreutzer, Reimann has developed in just under ten years from a pure steel constructor into an specialist for the refurbishment of industrial furnaces. With a team of about 100 employees, Reimann undertakes complex industrial projects in the business areas of industrial furnaces, technical insulation, stainless steel fabrication, boiler fabrication, pipeline construction, and sheet metal processing for national and international customers.

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