Optimizing Furnace and Shear Operation

Preventive maintenance is an area that’s often skimped on when time and budgets are tight. In the end, though, this approach usually backfires. Investing in preventive maintenance upfront ultimately saves both time and money.

A preventive maintenance program helps you avoid surprises. It brings potential problems to light early on, so you can order replacement parts and schedule service—instead of dealing with unexpected breakdowns that interfere with a full production schedule.

Preventive maintenance doesn’t just help keep your equipment up and running—it also helps you get the most out of your system. Regular maintenance enhances thermal efficiency, reducing energy expenditures, and helps maintain the tight temperature control essential for high-quality profiles.

Below, we’ll look at a few of the steps that are key in optimizing the operation of your furnace and shear.

Keeping Temperature on Track

Regular sharpening of thermocouple probes is an essential part of furnace maintenance. Probes that aren’t adequately sharp may produce false temperature readings, affecting your operation down the line. Incorrect temperature readings translate into billets coming out of the furnace over-heated or under-heated, potentially impacting profile quality.

On a daily basis—or every couple days, depending on the number of shifts you’re running—check the condition of the probe rods and sharpen if necessary. The probe rods should be sharpened approximately every third eight-hour shift. More frequent sharpening may be required when running hard alloys or with insufficient probe cooling.

Maintaining Thermal Efficiency

The Granco Clark Hot Jet furnace is built for efficiency—delivering an average thermal efficiency of 55%. Regular pre-ventive maintenance will help keep your furnace performing at that high level of efficiency.

On a monthly basis, check the condition of the furnace exit door. Make sure there’s a tight seal to prevent cold air from entering the furnace, and adjust as necessary.

Another component of the furnace that should be inspected each month is the burner blocks, which can also negatively impact thermal efficiency if damaged. Check the burner blocks to make sure they’re fully intact, and replace or repair as necessary.

Running Smoothly

Proper lubrication is one of the most important—and simplest—steps you can take to keep your system running smoothly. At a minimum, lack of sufficient lubrication will shorten the lifespan of your bearings—and can ultimately cause significant damage to major components such as fan assemblies or the shear frame.

On the furnace, oil all drive chains and grease the hot jet fan bearings weekly. Grease all bearings on a monthly basis.

On the shear, grease the moving shear block and fixed shear rings daily, also checking the rings for aluminum build-up. Each week, grease all fittings on the shear.

Sustaining Proper Pressure

The shear’s hydraulic system should also be inspected regularly. On a weekly basis, check the hydraulic system for any leaks and refill the reservoir if necessary. Replace the return filter if hydraulic oil is changed; otherwise replace the filter as needed. Once a month, check the system hydraulic pressures, adjusting as necessary.

For additional information on furnace and shear maintenance, consult your Granco Clark service manual. Always disconnect and lockout the external power source, following established lockout procedures, prior to performing maintenance or service on any equipment.