Pit Maintenance Units

Our Pit Maintenance Units (PMU) are unique and provide unparalleled features unmatched by competitor products. These units have been installed in most of the worlds recent new build smelters, including those in the Middle East, Qatar and Dubai.

Our specialist Pit Maintenance Units (PMU) have been designed and built for the maintenance of carbon bake furnaces all around the world. We are committed to ensuring our products encourage safer work environments and increased bake house efficiency.

Our units are customised to each individual smelter, are built to last, designed to work 24/7, and offer a wide range of bespoke options.

"I have been involved in purchasing two ABF Pit Maintenance Platforms for Boyne Smelter in Australia and BC Works Smelter in Canada.

Farra Engineering provided excellent customer service and produced a quality product meeting our operation’s requirements. I recommend Farra Engineering for excellent service and quality equipment.
"

Graeme Kaberry
Rio Tinto

Bespoke options for Farra's PMUs include:

  • Single Gantry.
  • Dual Gantry.
  • Fresh air for the cage.
  • CCTV in the cage for enhanced health and safety of staff.
  • Electric or pneumatic supply to the cage.
  • A low profile 1650mm height.
  • Lightweight less than eight tonnes.

On top of the base PMU options listed above, additional accessories can be added to enhance safety and efficiency further.

Trackless PMU Relocation

Traditionally PMUs would be lifted between smelter's carbon bake pits using the FTA crane, but with Farra's addition of wheels and an easy to use remote control, our trackless relocation systems allows the operator to drive the unit between the carbon bake pits.

Trackless relocation increases the safety of moving the PMU and drastically increases bakehouse efficiency as it allows for the FTA crane to be freed up for production.

Pit Wall Brushing

The game changer for preventative maintenance in the smelter bake house environment is the Pit Wall Brushing Unit.

Proprietary brushing units developed in house at Farra can be added to the PMU cages and remove the need for operators to be in the cages whilst cleaning of the pit is being undertaken.

Utilising the pit wall brushing cages:

  • Helps to avoid the build-up of carbon pieces, blocks and leftovers.
  • Ensures regular cleaning of the walls.
  • Does not use the FTA, so the FTA can be used for production.
  • Keep the workforce healthy avoiding shoulder injuries caused by scrapping the carbon off the pit walls manually.
  • Has the potential for autonomous cleaning.

Enhancing Carbon Bake House Furnace Safety

Providing bespoke Pit Maintenance Units (PMU) for the Mozal Aluminium Smelter in Mozambique.

Learn more about what we did for the Mozal Aluminium Carbon Bake House in Mozambique.