Few could rival the ingenuity and resourcefulness of our team at Cascade Steel Rolling Mills in McMinnville, Oregon. In the late 1990’s, Cascade Steel employees identified a need to reduce fugitive air emissions from the melt shop, the manufacturing center where recycled metal is turned into molten steel.
Over the last several years, we have made significant investments in our Cascade Steel subsidiary. This new equipment is making the mill more efficient, productive and competitive. These and other investments have provided environmental benefits, such as better use of raw materials, less energy usage – approximately 40 kilowatt hours per ton processed, saving $850,000 per year – and reduced emissions.
Working together, the company and its dedicated employees are inventing sustainability solutions that are better for business – and the environment.
Led by Cascade Steel’s environmental manager Daniel Lee, a team of employees tackled the problem. After an initial investigation into probable causes, the group formed several hypotheses for solutions.
Using a little creativity, proprietary knowledge and skilled craftsmanship, the group built their own hydrodynamic model of the melt shop operation out of acrylic glass – reduced in scale to 1/100 of its actual size or approximately four feet in length. They used a complex series of controls and pumps to simulate airflow with dye injected into the model.
They tested each hypothesis one-by-one. The final results showed that a second canopy, strategically located to draw additional smoke, would work better than increasing the size of the existing canopy. The employee-designed solutions included the second canopy, modifications to the existing bag house and motors, and the addition of a second bag house.
The result: a homegrown answer that reduced fugitive air emissions, increased production flexibility, and improved safety and work conditions. In fact, the project was so successful that industry professionals from as far away as Brazil have come to view the modifications. By sharing its knowledge with others in the industry, Cascade Steel’s solutions may help make a difference in other parts of the world.
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