Withdraw Straightener Unit Rebuild for a Bar Mill | MCE

When a Texas bar mill faced a major line stoppage from a failed withdraw straightener unit, MCE stepped in with a turnkey rebuild that restored precision, extended equipment life, and kept production moving.

The Problem

When a steel mill line goes down, customer promises break right along with the equipment. Revenue stops. Crews move fast to get operations running again, but the clock keeps ticking. That’s what happened at a large bar mill in Texas when the hydraulic cylinder in its withdraw straightener unit failed. These critical assemblies guide billets from a vertical to a horizontal position, working in extreme heat and with constant water exposure so wear and tear is inevitable.

The team first thought they could repair the hydraulic cylinders on site, but years of stress had damaged the entire assembly. Field repairs would be slow, messy, and at risk of contamination, something the maintenance team didn’t have time for. They needed a faster, cleaner, and more controlled way to get performance back.

Our Solution

 
MCE rebuilt the withdraw straightener unit. Our experts took the rebuild out of the field and into our controlled facility. There, we handled every step: cleaning, machining, sandblasting, coating, and painting. Working in a purpose-built environment gave us the precision and control needed to restore the unit to exact tolerances.

The rebuilt withdraw straightener unit was delivered turnkey. The mill’s crew only had to unbolt the old unit and connect the new one, minimizing downtime and guesswork. Our technicians verified clearances and fit before the unit left our shop. That meant no surprises onsite and a rebuild that performed like new from day one.

MCE also improved the unit to minimize maintenance:

• Applied Xylan coatings to protect against wear
• Refined tolerances for easier assembly and disassembly
• Used corrosion-resistant paints designed for humid operating conditions

These improvements extended service life and reduced the maintenance burden. Crews no longer had to troubleshoot complicated assemblies in high-heat environments.

The Results

The benefits of the rebuild included:

• Less downtime – Cleaning and rebuilding dropped from hundreds of labor hours to a turnkey swap
• Safer conditions – Crews avoided high-heat, high-risk repair windows in the field
• Better uptime – Product lines kept running, keeping customer commitments intact

Since then, MCE has completed seven rebuilds for this mill on a three-month cycle, helping the team stay ahead of breakdowns and plan maintenance with confidence. For them, the measurable results are clear: longer equipment life, less emergency repair, and more value from their team.