What Is a Mud Gun?

After tapping the iron, the iron must be sealed tightly with mud so that the molten iron in the furnace can accumulate again. This kind of work can be blocked by hand, but because the wind pressure is too high, it is very difficult to block the working well, and it is not easy to block. Therefore, when the iron outlet is blocked, the wind must be stopped or slowed down. If iron is tapped six times a day, it will take more than an hour for the plugging time, which will delay production. It is fast and convenient to plug the machine with machinery, and it reduces the labor of the workers. This machine is called mud gun.

The ordinary mud gun device, such as a steam cylinder, is suspended by the furnace and can be rotated left and right. When using it, first mix the soil with some coke and fill the gun. Then, rotate the mud gun, and its muzzle will automatically face the iron port to open the steam The pipe and piston are pushed by the steam and the mud is squeezed out of the muzzle. Therefore, the iron outlet is blocked. Although the mud gun does not need to stop the wind during work, a short stop can actually make the blocking easier. Recently, the mud gun controlled by electricity is shown in Figure 7-1. Its pressure is extremely high, and the plugs are under normal wind pressure. When the furnace is sealed, it can be blown as usual, and the work is very convenient. ^[1]

The artificial sealing of the furnace often causes the phenomenon of burning through the door of the furnace. The iron outlets blocked by the new electric mud can greatly reduce the phenomenon of burning through, but they cannot be completely avoided. The main reason for burning through the furnace door is that the crepe is not plugged tightly and the temperature in the furnace is high. The occurrence of this phenomenon, except at night, is not noticed and may cause disasters. Under normal circumstances, only one pig iron is lost, and no serious consequences will occur. Just clean the door of the furnace and re-seal the furnace. ^[1]