TOREX announces the commissioning of its in-house Linder test furnace as the company proceeds with the upgrading of domestic lab equipment. The furnace is meant to perform a low-temperature breakdown test of iron ore. The essence of the method lies in the reduction of a sample by various gaseous reducing agents in the tumble drum under a specified temperature mode and the subsequent distribution of the reduced material sample by grain-size fractions. Eventually, those fractions provide an insight into the strength and metallurgical properties of the test material. Linder test furnace allows for conducting comparative tests on iron ore feed in compliance with Russian and International standards such as ISO 13930-2015, GOST 19575-84 (COMECON standard 4081-83) and ISO 11257-2022.
Sticking to sustainable development over the last few years, our company is now developing the Waelz process in its in-house laboratory facilities, taking firm steps towards non-ferrous metallurgy. As an outcome of the studies made, we developed the process line, which simulates a full-fledged Waelz kiln process of dust recycling from electric steelmaking shop.
Owing to substantial contribution of TOREX company, Zincum aims to be the circular economy project in the coming years introducing the first zero waste plant in Russia and a high quality Waelz zinc oxide as the end product with minimized environmental impact.
As the fourth quarter of 2023 unfolds, our experts proceeded an active involvement into activities to determine the technical and economic indices of IM №4 in the context of its retrofitting. Besides, a selection of optimal thermal and gas-dynamic operating modes has been put in schedule. In essense, a conducted technical retrofitting resulted in improvement of IM №4 production rate from 276 t/h to 308.5 t/h of fluxed pellets and from 301 t/h to 318.3 t/h of non-fluxed pellets. Subsequently, following its Go Green commitment, our company is striving to comply with FGT values to be met in this full-scale project. As of now, an ultimate target is to reduce a specific consumption of power at the facility.
In line with a commitment to zero emission concept at operating facilities in 2022, TOREX successfully introduces its second DeSOx pilot plant aimed at desulfurization of fume-laden gas from indurating machine. Development of design documentation, procurement of the equipment for DeSOx pilot plant is taking place at the pellet plant of Lebedinsky GOK (Gubkin town, Belgorodskaya oblast). From July through September 2022, TOREX supervision team had been involved into construction and assembling activities with pilot plant in-situ, including erection of reinforced concrete structures, fence and roof structures, installation of a basic and ancillary process equipment, instrumentation, control and automation equipment, utilities. This has resulted in construction of three-store building for desulfurization unit with total square over 140 m2 and 14 m high. An estimated efficient production rate accounts for 5000 nm3/h with a sulphur dioxide concentration up to до 1 500 mg/nm3.
A footage dedicated to DeSOx pilot plant commissioning by TOREX
Engineering company TOREX - Technology. Optimization. Retrofitting. Expertise
is an engineering company which solves different challenges in the pelletizing sphere with the use of various raw materials to meet the final product requirements. Our own way to upgrade an efficiency of the pelletizing process lies in an application of the new process solutions based on the scientific approach and in-detail elaboration. Nevertheless, we never underestimate a sophisticated human resources of TOREX who are the core source of high-qualified and profficient works. Nowadays, TOREX staff includes 45 employees, 9 Ph.D. in Engineering Science and numerous experienced scientific employees.
The company unites professional highly qualified specialists with deep competencies in pelletizing and sintering processes and their thermal engineering. TOREX has concentrated major scientific achievements and practical experience. This experience is summarized in the special publications and detalized in the unique research and computational techniques that our specialists employ in their practice.
All specialists have ample opportunity to practice their research skills at mining and metallurgical enterprises in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Among these are Lebedinsky Ore Dressing Combine (LGOK), Mikhailovsky Ore Dressing Combine (MGOK), Oskol Electrometallurgical Plant (OEMK), Uralskaya Stal (Ural Steel), Karelsky Okatysh (Karel Pellet Plant), Evraz group enterprises, Novolipetsk Steel Plant (NLMK); Central Ore Combine (CGOK), Inguletsky Ore Dressing Combine (InGOK) in Ukraine; Sokolov-Sorbay Ore Processing Enterprise (SSGPO) in Kazakhstan.
First of all, TOREX is a unique team of experts in the main technology areas of the company. The emergence of such specialists has been made possible only in one way:
− Quality education and the development of basic knowledge;
− Study of reference materials and experience gained by our predecessors,
− Finally, the development of practical skills through active participation in existing projects of the company.
TOREX corporate policy towards post-graduates and young professionals
When conducting a retrospective review of company personnel from its foundation, it is worth mentioning that more than half of TOREX employees and numerous department managers have been recruited even before graduation - as trainees and post-graduates. At the same time, lots of employees have been upgrading a qualification by means of postgraduate studies.
There are basic principles of internship in TOREX, as follows:
- Internship of student starts from 3rd grade in University which implies industrial work placement and pre-degree apprenticeship in TOREX company. A fixed-term employment contract is considered for the period of internship. If both parties are satisfied in the end, further internship should be formalized by TOREX HR as a part-time employment.
- Thereafter, a mentor among most qualified staff is assigned for the trainee and his/her internship is devoted to one particular project. As a rule, in the course of internship, a student (trainee) takes part at all phases of research and development activities (problem statement, research, development of technical solutions, implementation of solutions). Thus, theoretical training at the university is complemented by practical challenges at production facilities.
- In the course of studying special disciplines, an assignment is being submitted by faculty mentors jointly with “NPVP TOREX” LLC scientific personnel. This creates an opportunity to find a practical application of findings made by student/trainee.
To date, 29 TOREX engineering employees out of 42 in total are validated as the key production staff, including 10 PhDs. Among engineering personnel up to 50 years old - the ones who joined our company from its foundation - more than half entered in TOREX internship program while studying in University. Moreover, 4 specialists have obtained PhD in technical sciences and 4 engineers continue their postgraduate study. 5 employees mentioned above are occupied as department managers in relevant technical spheres. An internship while studying in University fulfills a personnel shortage, recruiting those with high qualifications and ensuring the overall development of our company.
In addition to consistent education in a University, part of the team is represented by specialists who have gained experience in other relevant institutions. This is advantageous approach, since it expands an expertise for further comprehensive implementation of the projects.