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#IRE #Institute #Refractories #Engineers #Journal #Conference #Training

In parallel with these appointments, the company has announced the construction of a new Innovation Centre at its UK manufacturing site. The facility is being developed with funding support from Dudley Council and the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and is scheduled to go live at the end of March 2026.

The Innovation Centre will provide a dedicated and well equipped environment for new product formulation, material characterisation, testing and validation, supporting more informed engineering decision making and closer alignment between laboratory evaluation and plant performance.

Combined with enhanced technical expertise, ongoing accreditations, advanced process capability and an in-house fabrication workshop able to manufacture steel frameworks, formers and associated assemblies at any scale, Robert Lickley Refractories is significantly strengthening the depth and quality of support available to its customers – from initial specification through to installation and ongoing performance.

CEO Rob Lickley commented:

“This is a pivotal moment in our 55-year history. The level of development, prototyping and quality testing we will bring in-house will rival that of major multinationals. With advanced particle size analysis, XRF, dilatometry and ultrasonic testing, we’ll be able to provide far deeper insights into our products—supporting smarter material selection and strengthening the QA procedures we are already renowned for.”

The Innovation Lab will also push testing into more extreme environments, enabling assessment under varied atmospheres and higher-than-ever temperatures. As part of this first phase, our prototyping capability will also take another major step forward with the installation of a large-format 3D printer. Rob Lickley added:

“Thanks to exceptional Government support, we can proudly say that world-class manufacturing continues to thrive at the heart of the Black Country. This is just the beginning. We are already working with additional stakeholders to expand our research capabilities further as we move toward full Industry 4.0 integration.”

Together with other investments to be announced in Q1 2026, this represent a major commitment to building a more efficient, greener and more sustainable future for refractories production in Britain.

#IRE #Institute #Refractories #Engineers #Journal #Conference #Training

Since our last publication I was honoured to attend and make a presentation at our institute’s UK Annual Conference in Sheffield during November 2025. I was warmly welcomed by our UK members and the IRE council, and it was a great opportunity to meet and get acquainted with the hardworking team who keep our institute running successfully. The conference, which was followed by a training day, was a fantastic event, which I greatly enjoyed. It was an opportunity to see how our colleagues in the UK run their conference and gain some new ideas which we will consider introducing into our next Australian Conference.    

The Australasia Branch has held our Training Day in Bunbury WA. While we had expected fifty attendees, it is extremely pleasing to have welcomed 68 attendees for the training day with approximately half of those attending the practical training session the next day, where a gunning demonstration was facilitated by Veolia. The main training theme was heat transfer, with three excellent presentations provided, one from Karl Barnett (Vesuvius) taking the group through various testing methods, data variations and effects. Two presentations from Wayne Wright (Ref Met) included a detailed tutorial of calculations, data variation and practical applications with variability of inputs.

Other presentations, also of excellent quality, included ‘Creep rupture failure in stainless steel anchors and how to calculate’ (Wayne Wright), ‘Overhead protection systems’ (Nico Van Der Merwe – South 32), ‘Refractories in reducing environments’ (Neil Ayre – Shinagawa), ‘3D laser scanning advancements’ (Garth Johnson – 4D Delta), ‘Forging resilience and unleashing FEA in refractory’ (Bhagirathi Singh – Calderys). The day also included an open discussion on safety hazards of overhead refractory, the importance of proper risk assessment and some experiences were shared on suitable risk controls.
We thank our sponsors, Vesuvius, Veolia, Shinagawa, Calderys, Refractory Management Services, 4D Delta, CIVMEC and Antec. Also, special thanks to the organising team led by Wayne Wright with support from Garth Johnson, Lee Button and Gavin Thompson. These members volunteered their time to make this event a success.

Also reflecting on 2025, we extend a warm welcome to our new members, and it is pleasing to report that the Australasian Branch welcomed 21 new members who joined after attending the December 2024 Conference or the November 2025 Training Day.

Looking forward to 2026, we are preparing for another Training Day, likely to be held in Brisbane during March or April. Our 2026 Conference planning has also kicked off, and we are planning for either Sydney or Wollongong and currently proposing this will likely be mid to late October. Further announcements will be made on this shortly.
Wishing you all the best for 2026.

David Hollott MI Ref Eng
President, IRE Australasia

#IRE #Institute #Refractories #Engineers #Journal #Conference #Training

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#IRE #Institute #Refractories #Engineers #Journal #Conference #Training

The request followed a day full of high class presentations, discussions and debate on 19 November when the industry came together for the 2025 conference, entitled ‘Black is the New Green – The Refractory Industry in a Changing World’. The subject matter placed sustainability at the centre of the debate, enabling presenters and delegates to engage in detailed deliberation about the challenges and opportunities the sector is facing as it adapts to more ‘green’ methods of manufacture. Held at the central location of the Quays Hotel, Victoria Quays, in Sheffield (UK), the conference attracted high calibre expert speakers, keen to impart their wisdom to the 100+ delegates in attendance.

Green Steel Strategy
Richie Hart of Tata Steel gave a fascinating insight into the company’s ‘Green steel strategy and transition,’ explaining how the use of the highly publicised installation of the electric arc furnace will provide a “path to zero”. He told delegates: “We think it is a flexible piece of equipment.” During an extensive Q&A session, Hart’s colleague Matthew Davies said: “We’re working with refractory companies regarding process design to get more consumption out of the ladles. There are challenges and the way we recycle our plant will have an impact.” He revealed the aspects that refractories companies need to consider: “Cost and consumption of refractories is the wrong metric, what we all need to consider is ladle management and the way casters manage plant – thermal management and asset availability are the most important considerations.”

Sustainable Performance
Florian Ahouanto of Imerys spoke about: ‘Andalusite based refractories: enabling sustainable performance and future applications.’ He argued that andalusite’s “outstanding properties” are derived from it being a reactive mineral, noting thermal shock resistance thanks to thermal expansion, self-healing abilities and crack deviation. He said: “It is a sustainable product and you can play with different densities. The CO2 footprint is quite low compared to usual.”

He pinpointed iron and steel as the main markets, followed by glass, cement, incineration and foundries. However, he warned: “not all andalusites are equivalent.” He gave examples of the work being undertaken by Imerys on the production of bricks with andalusite and plastic clay and concluded: “Andalusite will have an increasing role to play in the future of refractories.”

Dominic Wadkin-Snaith of Lucideon gave a presentation on: ‘Thermal efficiency of precast dryers in refractory shapes manufacturing – a data driven approach.’ He spoke of the AMRICC Centre approach being computer vision. This is undertaken with image capture using multiple cameras. By using an edge detection model – which tracks the edges during firing but loses the edge as it shrinks – images are taken where failed, rotated then augmentation is applied. He explained: “Edge detection models do struggle, but augmentation is the key and we can essentially build a database from these images. You can reduce noise, increase contrast and track diameter of the part during sintering and take it further with a range of infrared cameras. Then we apply computer vision to SEM and microscope images.”

Optimised Design
IRE-AUS President and independent consultant Dave Hollott had made the epic journey from Australia to present at the conference and meet with European members. His presentation was entitled: ‘Fully optimised design of refractory linings.’ Having spent thirty years of his career in maintenance of refractories, Hollott was able to pass on his advice about design and project management. He showed several photographic examples of anchor failures and preventable accidents, plus examples of safety methods which could be applied to keep workers safe.

He said part of the role when working with customers on refractory design is to drill down into exact requirements. “Sometimes the customer is not sure of what they need,” he explained. “It is important to talk to the customer and break up what you need to do. Discuss things that aren’t always considered.” He spoke of the intricacies of working in a contract supply team. “Different people have different objectives,” he said. “Design and supply, installation and commissioning, operation and maintenance. What does the client want? Some only want to get to install and commission. 

You have to keep your costs low throughout the cycle, but you have to understand your role. You might only have a small part of the cycle, but you have to consider everything during the design phase, including doing a failure analysis. The latter should be undertaken at the design stage and shared with the client.” He warned: “You must also set acceptance criteria before you start and have all this upfront before the refractory installer moves in.” He went on to highlight examples of projects he had worked on.

High Performance Demands
‘High performance steel ladle refractories for high quality steel production: an overview,’ was the title of one of two presentations given by Suresh Srinivasan of the Materials Processing Institute in the UK (MPI). Giving an overview of the refractory steel ladle, he explained how the refractories’ performance is “very challenging.” He went through the key performance factors for high quality steel production and ladles.

He said that companies needed to “invest in high performance refractories and proactive maintenance” and that “innovation in ladle refractory technology remains essential.” Kicking off the afternoon sessions, independent consultant, David Bell took to the podium to present: ‘Black is the new green – alumina-carbon filters for molten steel.’ He highlighted and compared the different filters on the market – steel, alumina-carbon, 3D printed, ceramic. He said: “Alumina-carbon filters are more resilient during the metal pour. You can’t pour very low carbon steel through them, that is better with zirconia filters. 300m is the largest filter at the moment – can go larger but they have to be handmade, so they won’t fit on the production line.” In concluding, he thanked Vesuvius, his previous employer, for permission to present the paper.

Tyler Warren of Monocon gave a presentation entitled: ‘Innovative alumina in-situ spinel forming green brick for steel ladle applications.’ The premise of the presentation, he explained, was “how to get a green brick for steel ladles.” He said: “This is difficult to do on site as we are dealing with high temperatures, so we use modelling. Brick manufacture is energy intensive and time consuming and there are a lot of carbon emissions from firing the bricks. By not firing, there would be a saving of 500g/t of brick carbon reduction. This is the main benefit, but it entails lots of challenges such as strength, stability issues, on-site cutting and handling. However, all this can be answered with our robust binder.”

He continued: “When firing on site, porosity does go up but not as much as spinel bricks. You lose a little strength when heating, but our bricks don’t drop below 100MPa. Because they expand and work with spinel, they actually close up, so there are no gaps.” He went on to highlight the field trials being undertaken with the bricks to monitor how they perform.

Sebastian Klaus of Almatis spoke on: ‘ECO-TAB @ heat – new insights from steel plant applications.’ He explained how the “target balance is between volume and lining.” Using a Tata Steel case study, Klaus highlighted the benefits of this lower density alumina refractory aggregate, which has been developed for wear linings. He said: “ECO-TAB has a higher porosity so there is increased water demand, but the flow controls and the cold crushing strength are comparable and there is lower thermal conductivity. Despite the higher porosity, the slag resistance is comparable to other aggregates.” He went on to show some industrial trials and highlighted the potential to reduce energy losses, resulting in significant cost savings for users.

‘Infra-red monitoring of glass futures furnace heat-up from ambient air to operating oxy-fuel,’ was presented by Neil Simpson of Simpson Combustion & Energy. He was joined by James Cross of LAND who had brought along an infrared thermo imaging boroscope, explaining that: “we have stayed true to this technology.” Cross said: “In an ideal world we would have one camera that covers all wavelengths. With this technology we can look at a furnace as it heats up. It’s about energy from waste. We can see the mid wavelength in the furnace to give the tube wall temperature and can view the surface of the grate and the tiles above it. We can pinpoint exactly where there is a leak and the hotspots.”

Simpson echoed the enthusiasm. “In the glass industry we always get cyclops when something goes wrong, this camera is 200,000+ cyclops and has 324,000 temperature measurements. With this we can model the entire heat up of the furnace. The bigger the furnace capacity and order book, the greater the payback.”
In his second presentation of the day, Suresh Srinivasan of MPI UK spoke about: ‘Sustainable refractories for green cement production.’ He said: “The cement industry is responsible for eight per cent of global CO2, with the calcination step being a particular culprit making up over half of this. This is the largest of the concrete industry’s problems. There is also, of course, a natural resources issue – if there’s no flagstone, there is no cement.”

He gave an overview of the CO2 emissions statistics and highlighted how the “push towards ‘green’ cement production is transforming the refractories industry.” He gave an insight into the processing conditions in cement kiln, highlighting the challenges and pinpointed refractory failure issues. Utilising case studies with refractories supply companies he showed several solutions for green raw material, claiming: “Technology transition is possible.”

Evening Event
There were plenty of breaks during the day to enable delegates to network and enjoy the IRE hospitality or visit the tabletop displays from sponsoring companies. The event concluded with a dinner in the evening with live musical entertainment from The Bowkers.

The dinner afforded the opportunity for outgoing President Mike Lamkin to hand over the baton, and the presidential chain of office, to newly elected President Dominic Oates. Mike thanked the delegates, the conference sponsors, the wider membership and the corporate partners for their support to enable the IRE to continue to develop. He also thanked the IRE officers and council for their considerable efforts to drive the organisation forward. He showed his appreciation to the journal production team and IRE secretary Georgina Nicol for her hard work and determination in managing the administration of the organisation and in the significant effort taken to organise the conference.

In accepting the chain of office, Dominic Oates said: “I am honoured to be the next President of the Institute of Refractories Engineers and am particularly grateful to Katy Moss and Mike Lamkin for their hard work over recent years to shape the institute into what it is today. We have great potential for future growth and I look forward to working with you all to achieve this.”

Sponsoring Companies
The IRE Annual Conference would not be possible without the contributions from the sponsoring companies – Alkegen, Capital Refractories Ltd, Peter Skinner Minerals Ltd and Velco GmbH – and IRE would like to thank them for their support.

IRE Training Day

• Refractories – Keeping it Together
• Bond Systems for Refractories

The day after the IRE Annual Conference, the institute held an IRE Training Day at the same venue. Topics covered included: sintering; cement bond; resin bond; chemical bonds; additive manufacturing (3D printing) forming methods.
#IRE #Institute #Refractories #Engineers #Journal #Conference #Training

As I write, I am entering my tenth year of IRE membership and seventh year as a member of council. I’ve seen a lot of change within the IRE over the last ten years; the re-branding and new website, re-organisation of the council and administration, outsourcing of the journal, closer ties with the Australasia branch, launch of corporate partner packages and a renewed interest in the IRE in terms of increased numbers of members and of those willing to participate on the council.

Within the institute we have just wrapped up another great year, complete with some fantastic content in the journal, a Technical Evening, Golf Day, Conference, Dinner and Training, also, whilst writing, it appears that we have finished the year in the black with a small profit and positive cash flow.

All this change and growth has taken place over a time of much deindustrialisation within the developed world, that we continue to grow as an organisation through this period highlights the relevance and importance of the institute to those who work in and around the industry.

I am not from a technical refractory background myself but have seen the interest in our technical evenings, continued great attendance at the training days and an increased interest in technical papers published in our journal. We are fortunate enough to have members both on council and within the membership who have decades of experience and a willingness to share and train. During my term I do therefore hope to match this ‘supply and demand’ of technical know-how at as many opportunities as I can create, starting with the extended Technical Event, which will be held in April.

Importantly, I would like to hear from the members about what they would like to get out of the IRE, we do send feedback polls out after all IRE events and get a lot of constructive feedback. In the coming months we will be polling you from time to time on issues which we think important to the institute and for which we need membership input before making decisions. So please use these polls to have your say on how you want to shape the institute.

Finally, I look forward to working with council, membership and external partners to grow the institute further over the coming two years.

Dominic Oates, President
Institute of Refractories Engineers

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_______________________________________

Rather than focus on reflection, the conference presentations concentrated on a wide number of initiatives to drive the industry forward, in terms of improving performance and enhancing sustainable methods of production for suppliers, refractory professionals and customers.

In addition to the technical presentations and networking opportunities, the conference also offered the ideal showcase to thank the outgoing President Mike Lamkin and welcome incoming President Dominic Oates. Of particular note from those attending, was the enthusiasm for an organisation that is working hard to support members and all stakeholders through their own developments, offering guidance and camaraderie – much needed in the current business climate!

Turn to page 22 for more details about the 2025 conference and please note the request to offer advice about this year’s event. What do you think? Would you support a two-day conference? Send your thoughts to Georgina Nicol and the officers at: secretary@ireng.org This issue also features the latest news and developments from companies at the sharp end.

It’s important to keep up to date on the news and views of those shaping the future of the refractories sector, at all levels. Remember, this is your journal, and your institute so please let us know your thoughts and what you want from us. In the meantime, I draw your attention to the institute’s plans for 2026 with business and social occasions to look forward to, in addition to the UK conference, there will be an IRE Training Day and Technical Evening and IRE Golf Day in the UK, and the IRE-AUS Conference in Australia later in the year. Remember, to check out the website for regular updates www.ireng.org

#IRE #Institute #Refractories #Engineers #Journal #Conference #Training

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>>>>>>Spring Technical Meeting 2026 £95 Attending In Person – BOOK HERE<<<<<<
>>>>>>Spring Technical Meeting 2026 £50 Attending Online – BOOK HERE<<<<<<

The meeting will cover a wide range of technical topics relevant to engineers and professionals in the refractory and high-temperature industries, including:

• Thermal properties of refractories
• Thermal design and heat transfer
• Gas, oil, and electrical heating systems
• Thermal conductivity measurement
• Effective insulation for molten metal applications
• Water-cooling in arc furnaces and waste-to-energy incinerators
• Surface conditions: radiation and convection
• Mathematical modelling under steady-state and transient conditions
• Scheduling for monolithic dry-out

Tickets for the one-day event are priced at £95.00 for physical attendance or £50.00 for online attendance, offering participants an opportunity to gain practical insights, network with industry peers, and stay updated on the latest engineering practices in thermal management and refractory technology. Professionals interested in attending are encouraged to register early to secure their place at this specialist technical meeting. 

Book your tickets at:

£95 https://www.ireng.org/product/spring-technical-meeting-2026/ – In Person Attendance
£50 https://www.ireng.org/product/spring-technical-meeting-2026-online/ – Online Attendance

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For over 60 years, IRE has been a forum for professionals in refractories and related industries. If you design, manufacture, sell, install or study refractories, the IRE offers you guidance, and a supporting professional partner to help you excel in your business endeavours. The IRE is a global community with members in over 40 countries. Almost 40 per cent of our members are located outside the UK, in places as far afield as Australia.

As the official mouthpiece of the IRE and a global reference source, The Refractories Engineer helps to keep members and the wider industry up to date on the latest developments in refractories’ engineering and technology. Published as a quarterly printed journal (and supported with digital resources), The Refractories Engineer provides its readership with in-depth insights into the industry and offers a “go to” read for anyone working in the refractory sector.

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