ArcelorMittal uses Airfloat to change the way they assembled backup chocks.

THE SITUATION

ArcelorMittal, the world’s leading steel and mining company, covers all of the key steel markets, from emerging to mature, in more than 20 countries. At its Dofasco subsidiary in Ontario, Canada, the company had been using an overhead crane for the assembly and disassembly and transport of backup chocks used in the manufacture of rolled steel. The operation required multiple workers to attach bearing housings to backup roll shafts and frequently resulted in costly scoring damage to the backup roll.

THE SOLUTION

Designed & Built

Airfloat designed and built and innovative machine utilizes air caster technology to float 30,000 lb. bearing housings on a thin film of compressed air in any lateral direction.

Operation

The operator steers the bearing into approximate alignment with the backup roll shaft using track-type and front-wheel steering.

Insertion Process

During the process, the transporter uses balance deck technology to gently ease the bearing onto the backup roll shaft and automatically makes adjustments in alignment to eliminate scoring damage.

The transporter enables single-person operation at ground level which supports one of ArcelorMittal’s core philosophies of maintaining safety as a top priority.

The Result

Airfloat has empowered ArcelorMittal to end their dependence on inefficient, hazardous overhead cranes. The transporter enables single-person operation at ground level which supports one of ArcelorMittal’s core philosophies of maintaining safety as a top priority. In addition, the transporter virtually eliminates costly scoring damage to backup rolls—a key benefit and reason the client expects the machine to pay for itself in less than a year.

In addition to a satisfied client, Airfloat has been honored for their innovative work by the Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA) who awarded them the 2012 Innovation Award.

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