Steelmaking and ironmaking scrap segregation and packaging system and method thereof
AssigneeAmerifab, Inc.
InventorRichard Manasek
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of charging a pre-packaged charge in a metallurgical or refining furnace includes providing a disposable metal container having at least one attachment member and forming a pre-packaged charge by loading scrap material into the metal container. The method also includes releasably coupling the at least one attachment member of the container to a lifting device, and then de-coupling the pre-packaged charge from the lifting device so that the combination of the scrap material and the disposable metal container are charged in the furnace.
Claims18
A method of charging a pre-packaged charge in a metallurgical or refining furnace, comprising:
- providing a consumable metal container having a plurality of openings defined in a side and in a bottom of the container, wherein the metal container is formed of interconnected wire free of additional support structure and including a plurality of attachment members coupled to the interconnected wire;
- forming a pre-packaged charge by loading scrap material that includes desirable and undesirable materials into the consumable metal container, wherein the undesirable materials include dirt, debris, and other contaminants;
- removing the undesirable materials including dirt, debris and other contaminants from the pre-packaged charge during the forming step by allowing the dirt, debris, and other contaminants to drop through the plurality of openings;
- releasably coupling the plurality of attachment members of the consumable metal container to a lifting device;
- de-coupling the pre-packaged charge from the lifting device;
- and
- charging the scrap material and the consumable metal container in the furnace to melt both the scrap material and the consumable metal container.
A pre-packaged charge for being discharged into a metallurgical or refining furnace, comprising:
- a consumable container comprising a body formed by a plurality of interconnecting wire free of additional support structure, the body defining a plurality of gaps between the plurality of wire;
- a plurality of attachment members formed with or coupled to the body;
- and
- segregated scrap disposed in the container, the segregated scrap including a desirable material being of a particular material type, and wherein the segregated scrap includes undesirable materials;
- wherein, the consumable container is made of a type of material that is substantially the same as the desirable material of the scrap;
- wherein, the pre-packaged charge is free of the undesirable materials that include dirt, debris and other contaminants which freely drop through the plurality of gaps defined in the consumable container.
A method of charging a pre-packaged assembly in a metallurgical or refining furnace, comprising:
- separating scrap that includes a desirable material and undesirable materials, the desirable material based on at least one characteristic;
- loading the scrap that includes the desirable material and the undesirable materials into a consumable metal container having a body formed by a plurality of interconnecting wire free of additional support structure and having a plurality of attachment members coupled to the body;
- forming the pre-packaged assembly as a combination of the scrap that includes the desirable material, the undesirable materials, and the consumable metal container;
- removing the undesirable materials including dirt, debris and other contaminants from the scrap during the forming steps;
- coupling the plurality of attachment members of the container to a lifting device;
- lifting the pre-packaged assembly into the furnace with the lifting device;
- releasing the plurality of attachment members from the lifting device;
- and
- charging the pre-packaged assembly in the furnace for a melting operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.