Robotic Repair of Blast Furnace Lining No. 3 for EVRAZ ZSMK, JSC

June 30, 2026 saw the completion of Blast Furnace No. 3 of EVRAZ ZSMK, JSC, repair with a robotic unit. The work was carried out in two stages: firstly, the inner surface of the furnace shaft was washed, then the refractory lining was applied in the area of the cooled zone from+20.763 to+36.674 m, with a smooth change in the thickness of the applied layer from 150 to 500 mm.

The aim of the project was to restore the worn-out lining of the blast furnace shaft. This goal was achieved using modern equipment and technology for applying materials by shotcrete by a robot. The unique feature of this technology is that the work is carried out without personnel access to the inside of the blast furnace, which allows repairs to be carried out without releasing scab iron, significantly reducing the downtime of the blast furnace during work. Also, robotic repair allows for the restoration of the refractory lining integrity without seams and, as a result, reduces gas permeability.

To restore the working lining of the blast furnace shaft, two shotcrete masses produced by Seven Refractories were used, with a total consumption of 440 tons.