New Water Filters Reduce Downtime at Steel Proccesing Plant0 pages

By Elaine Floyd, freelance writer
When Steel Dynamics’ Butler, Indiana, cold
steel processing plant has to shut down its production
line for any reason, the cost in lost production is about
$25,000 per hour. So when the facility was forced
to shut down for three hours at a time every six months
or so in order to replace water pump parts, maintenance
supervisor Brian Butcher decided there had to be a
better way. Between lost production time and the high
cost of water pump replacement parts, Steel Dynamics
was spending a fortune on water treatment.
“And this was a redundant system,” says
Butcher. “The main water filtration happens at a
different facility about 300 yards away. But periodically
the water that comes to us is contaminated with grease
and oil. When that happens we have a backup system
that kicks in. And since we never know when the dirty
water will hit, our backup system must be ready to
go. It’s like an insurance policy.” Clean water is
essential for Steel Dynamics’ cold steel processing
applications.
To solve the plant’s water filtration problems and minimize downtime and parts replacement costs, the Butler
plant switched from sand filters to carbon steel filters. While the new filters were a vast improvement, Butcher found
that carbon steel filters don’t last forever.
“We spent an incredible amount of money on carbon steel filters and they wore out after three to four years,”
says Butcher. “That’s when we started pricing stainless steel filters and found the Tekleen® filter. It costs the same as
other companies’ carbon steel filters but lasts forever.” He adds that there has been virtually no maintenance associated
with the three Tekleen filters that have been in operation now for about eight months. “During routine plant shutdowns
we go in and check them just to make sure they’re working properly. They always are. We basically don’t have to think
about water anymore.”
“SST Filters that last forever at carbon steel prices,” Brian Butler Steel Dynamic, IN.
“Their old filters had three two-inch flush valves,” says Dan Flanick, sales manager for Automatic Filters, maker of the
Tekleen water filter. “They were using a lot of water and not doing the job. We replaced them with one two-inch flush
valve that uses much less rinse water and is virtually maintenance free.”
When the pressure reaches a preset differential, the backwash cycle begins. Within seconds and without interrupting
the main flow, vacuum nozzles aggressively suction the dirt from the inside of the screen. High performance screens,
which are offered as an option on Tekleen filters, consist of sintered mesh on a perforated basket providing 50 percent
more open screen area in the same filter body as compared to the standard PVC supported screen.
When asked what advice he would give other processing plants that are dependent on clean water for both quality output
and efficient operations, Butcher said, “Don’t buy carbon steel filters. They eventually start to rust and wear out. Stainless
steel is the way to go, especially if you can get them for the same price”
New Water Filters Reduce Downtime at Steel Proccesing Plant
A supplement to Processing • March 2004 Putman Media
Automatic Filters, Inc. - TEKLEEN
2672 S. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
Phone: 310-839-2828, 800-336-1942
Fax: 310-839-6878
info@tekleen.com
www.tekleen.com
Cooling Water Filtration at Steel Dynamics, Butler, IN 3,000 gpm,
3 X Tekleen Filters model ABW8-LP with 200 micron screen.