Brokk machine celebrates one year on the job

An 800P demolition machine from Brokk Inc., Monroe, Washington, has completed its inaugural year of operation at an Ohio facility of Canton, Ohio-based TimkenSteel. The Brokk 800P is made specifically for the metals production industry and is billed by Brokk as its “most powerful demolition machine on the market.”

The 800P is built with a heat-protected three-part arm with continuous 360-degree rotation and is used by customers in the metals industry to perform hot ladle and converter cleaning and whole refractory renovations. TimkenSteel purchased the 11-ton unit in December 2014 to dig ladles at its Faircrest Steel Plant in Canton.

“Adding the Brokk 800P to our tool belt gives us considerable flexibility,” says Thomas Sellari, TimkenSteel’s manager of steelmaking at Faircrest. “Its remote-controlled operation reduces risk of injury from hazards such as high temperatures and falling debris. Plus, it has a tracked wheel system, allowing us to easily move and position the machine to efficiently remove the refractory.”

Sellari was interested in Brokk after seeing its machines at AISTech 2014, the Iron & Steel Technology Conference and Exposition. His factory needed new equipment to effectively remove refractory brick in its ladles. After the conference, he scheduled a demonstration of the Brokk 400 and 800P at his facility in August 2014.

“We were interested in purchasing the Brokk 400 before the demonstration,” Sellari says. “However, during the demonstration we saw firsthand the benefits of the larger unit. Its size and extended reach is crucial in cleaning the ladles effectively.”

TimkenSteel purchased the Brokk 800P in December 2014. To work with its hot ladles and furnace, the company paired it with a heat-protected SB302 hydraulic breaker from Atlas Copco, which generates 450 foot-pounds of force at the tip of the solid-body hammer. TimkenSteel uses the machine to clean out its 175-ton ladles, which hold liquid steel. During full production, the ladles require relining approximately every 50 heats.

Beyond its work with ladle clean-outs, TimkenSteel uses the Brokk 800P to clean ladle covers and lids, as needed, and to remove refractory lining from its electric arc furnace.

“Forty years after revealing our first demolition machine, we continue to improve the efficiency and safety of steel mills with our remote-controlled machines,” says Peter Bigwood, Brokk Inc.’s vice president of sales and marketing. “The grueling application increases the risk for injury and heat exhaustion. Fortunately, Brokk’s remote-controlled capabilities and unmatched power-to-size ratio nearly eliminate that risk, taking the strain off of the crew and keeping them out of harm’s way.”

The Brokk 800P can be paired with a variety of attachments, including buckets and breakers with extended bits. It’s powered by a 98-horsepower diesel motor for use on remote locations where electricity is not readily accessible or it can be equipped with a 60-horsepower electric engine.