THERMBOND: Experience The Best.

Customers from all over the world, including Brasil, Canada, Mexico, Indonesia, Taiwan, UAE, and of course the United States, traveled to Whitmore Lake, Michigan to attend our sold out Thermbond Autumn Workshop in October.  A valuable technical education on refractories, installation, and applications were delivered by a very well prepared Thermbond team.

We received positive feedback from all who attended:

"I found this seminar/workshop very informative and an eye opener for a great technology that makes you so eager to try and use in so many applications."

"You have done a great job guys, looking forward to the next one!"

"This was the best Workshop I attended. Never lost interest, learned so much and feel I will retain what I learned and feel more confident about sharing what Thermbond can offer."

"Hospitality of Stellar was excellent; organization and flow of Workshop and Activities were great. Wonderful Accommodations."

The workshop was an excellent opportunity for all attendees to share knowledge and experiences. Plus, we all had great fun getting to know each other better during our evening activities in Ann Arbor. 

Many guests were repeat attendees from a previous Thermbond Workshop, and most of those surveyed indicated they plan to attend a future Workshop. Stay tuned for advance registration information for our next Workshop!

Testimonial from an Engineering Specialist in the Petrochemical Industry: 

"We have successfully used Thermbond Formula 6-B for ethylene cracking furnace burner tile for over 15 years. A great improvement in tile life was a very positive result... We have seen very good results with Formula 12-L in our FCCU cracking risers, flue gas line downstream of our quench water sprays, tertiary separator inlet plenum, and tertiary separator cyclones since 2003.... We appreciate all the guidance and technical help you have given us over the years to help us improve performance in our facility.  We plan to include Thermbond products on our approved refractory materials list for a long time to come." 

This month's spotlight shines on Stellar's Installation and Services Specialist, Peter Billi. Peter began his career with Stellar Materials in 2002. Prior to his employment at Stellar, Pete worked for Frontier Foundries for sixteen years, Weaver Materials for seven years, and ran his own company for four years.

As the Installation and Services Specialist, Peter is directly responsible for installation support, training installation personnel, and the maintenance of the gunning equipment Stellar provides to customers.

Peter reports to Vice President of Engineering, Jens Decker. "The performance of a furnace lining is determined by the composition of the material but also to a great extent by the installation of the refractory materials and the engineering of the furnace lining. In this regard Peter Billi has a very important role within our company. He supports our customers on-site to obtain the best installation results and long lasting furnace lining. He trains installation personnel with the right techniques and makes sure that Thermbond is installed according to our installation guidelines.  Peter works out of our plant in Whitmore Lake.  He has continuously developed and improved the gunning equipment used for installing Thermbond. As a result of his hard work, gunning Thermbond is a very reliable and efficient process.  Peter is also a crucial part of our R&D team in Whitmore Lake and helps with installation tests to make sure that our materials are user-friendly. Peter is a dedicated and loyal employee who goes above and beyond.  I am happy to have him on my team," says Jens.

Peter has been recognized publicly by customers for his “stellar” service during installations. After a recent installation at Petrobras (see testimonial below), the company contacted our VP of Sales to tell him how impressed they were with Peter.

Another Contractor who did not have experience gunning Thermbond requested Peter's technical support. This contractor was reluctant to gun-repair a furnace until Peter trained the contractor on the gunning equipment, and directed them how to properly clean the furnace before the start of the job. Now he is confident using Thermbond as a gunning material. After Peter left, the plant maintenance manager said that the job could not have been started, much less completed without Peter’s assistance.  He stated that he intended to gun veneer both of the other two furnaces at the plant as required.  The plant manager was very pleased to bring the unit back on line faster than the two-plus weeks they anticipated. 

When Peter is not traveling to job sites providing his expert support, he enjoys fishing, golfing and hunting with his sons.

Testimonial from a Customer in the Petrochemical Industry:

"We have used Thermbond refractory quite extensively for a number of years mostly in our Sulfur Recovery Units within the furnaces. The Thermbond refractory provided the quick application, high temperature capabilities, chemical resistant properties, and quick curing capabilities that allowed us to have a quick turnaround time on our damaged furnaces."