Overview: Aluminum Furnace Control System Replacement
Logan Aluminum, an aluminum rolling mill, is the largest single can sheet facility in North America. FTI was brought onsite to replace existing control systems for an aluminum swarf furnace during a 3-month outage to accommodate a new burner system. The existing system was demolished to the motor control center, and FTI installed new raceways and conductors. The team completed the entire project in the middle of an active industrial facility, requiring significant coordination between all trades and staff.
Challenges: Accelerated Timelines and Design Limitations
The drawings provided for the installation were intended for guidance only, as existing conditions could not be documented properly before the outage. FTI was brought in less than a week before the outage began, so planning had to be coordinated each morning to discuss trade stacking and deliverables. The project was accelerated as it neared completion, which resulted in the need for additional resources.
Solution: Collaboration Across Multiple Teams
FTI used Bluebeam software and held daily coordination meetings with the engineering teams to support real-time field operations. Significant milestone dates were met and exceeded throughout the duration of the project while maintaining high-quality installation during trade stacking.
