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WCI Steel Completes Blast Furnace Reline
WARREN, Ohio -- Iron production at WCI Steel Inc.'s blast furnace has resumed after the successful completion of a $15.3 million reline, officials announced today. The furnace was blown in Saturday and molten iron was expected to be transported to the basic oxygen furnace later today for conversion to molten steel."The reline was completed on time and on budget, thanks to the work of our blast furnace, engineering and plant services teams and our partnership with our main contractor, Graycor," says Patrick G. Tatom, WCI president and chief executive officer. "We are now focused on returning to full production and servicing our customer base."Employees will be recalled as downstream units restart sequentially when steel is received to process.The scope of the 42-day reline included replacement of the brick and refractory lining, installation of a new tuyere jacket, replacement of copper mantle plates and copper stack cooling plates, improvements to the water distribution system and repairs to the gas cleaning system, the company says.WCI completed numerous other maintenance projects throughout the plant during the reline, including the reline of the No. 2 vessel at the basic oxygen furnace, furnace maintenance at the hot strip mill and generator and motor repairs at the tandem mill, Tatom reports.WCI is an integrated steelmaker producing more than 185 grades of custom and commodity flat-rolled steel at its facility here. WCI products are used by steel service centers, convertors and the automotive and construction markets. The company has approximately 1,650 employees.Visit WCI Steel: www.wcisteel.com"