Steel Industry Cylinder Redesign

The problem of degrading seals, due to high temperatures, is not uncommon within the steel production industry and therefore an issue we are constantly coming into contact with.

As a result, Apex has spent considerable time and effort to research and identify ways of combating this ongoing challenge.

Cylinders work in extreme temperatures, sometimes in excess of 200 deg. When they are constantly failing (in some cases, only two weeks after installation) we knew we really had a major challenge on our hands.

Add to this the increasingly high labour costs (involved with) the need to continually replace failing cylinders, the Apex team knew a solution had to be found quickly but must not be a ‘quick fix’.  A long term solution had to be found.

Following a full appraisal and examination, the Apex team identified there was a problem with the gland seal which was positioned close to the heat source. To tackle this it was suggested if a single acting cylinder, with a non rotating rod, could be designed, this would eliminate the need for the gland seal.

Apex got to work and designed a prototype unit which following rigorous trials, proved successful.

The cylinders were installed into the customer’s plant.

The outcome

The Apex team’s modifications extended the life of the cylinders over 10 times that of the existing models.

Our customer is now saving upwards of £100,000 per annum.

And not forgetting safety, this cylinder being more reliable has increased the customers confidence when required to work in an emergency situation.