Dismantling and reassembly of an industrial dryer drum and structural steel installation for a Cyclops system in Scotland

The project scope for the Cyclops system included the installation of approximately 240 tonnes of structural steel, the assembly of multiple chain and belt conveyor systems, a new extraction system and several high-pressure pipelines.

The dryer drum consisted of three main sections. These were precisely aligned on specially designed roller stations and welded together using two circumferential weld seams. Two running rings and a gear ring were subsequently installed.

During the main shutdown phase, the dismantling of the existing drum system took place. This included removal of the discharge housing with associated piping, the recirculation gas line, the mixing chamber and the hot gas duct including elbow sections. The old drum, bearing units, and the complete pre-dryer duct system were then dismantled.

This was followed by modifications to the supporting framework for the new roller stations, installation and alignment of the new bearing units and installation of the drive system. Using an 800-ton heavy-duty crane, the new dryer drum was positioned, followed by installation of the new hot gas elbow and ducting, recirculation gas piping and the mixing chamber. Additional structural modifications were carried out on the existing steel framework for the pre-dryer, discharge housing, and mixing chamber.

For this project, ISI acted as the principal contractor. In addition to project execution and overall coordination, we were responsible for managing and coordinating all involved subcontractors and trades.

All work phases were planned, approved and executed under our supervision. To ensure efficient coordination, daily on-site project meetings were held, supplemented by regular online coordination meetings several times per week with all project stakeholders. Procurement and logistics of materials and rental equipment were centrally coordinated from our headquarters in Soltau, Germany. During the main shutdown period, a total of 108 ISI employees were deployed on-site.