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MARCH 2019
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Contents
Editor: Nadine Bloxsome
INDUSTRY NEWS
REFRACTORIES
MELTING TECHNOLOGY
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855115
Production Editor: Annie Baker
www.furnaces-international.com
MARCH 2019
Sales/Advertisement production: Esme Horn esmehorn@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855136
Sales Manager: Nathan Jupp nathanjupp@quartzltd.com +44 (0) 1737 8555027
Manuel Martin Quereda manuelm@quartzltd.com +44 (0) 1737 855023
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12
Comment/News
Projects and products
Subscriptions: Elizabeth Barford subscriptions@quartzltd.com
Refractories 12 Refractory solutions for glassmaking
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Managing Director: Steve Diprose Chief Executive Officer: Paul Michael
Aludium Q&A 25 Growing for the future
Published by Quartz Business Media Ltd, Quartz House, 20 Clarendon Road,
Energy efficiency 28 The L1 Project
Redhill, Surrey RH1 1QX, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1737 855000. Email: furnaces@quartzltd.com www.furnaces-international.com
Quench furnace 30 Manufacturer introduces quench furnace
Furnaces International is published quarterly and distributed worldwide digitally
© Quartz Business Media Ltd, 2019
Furnaces International March 2019
Future of foundries 32 Foundries prepare for an aluminium future
Supplier profile 36 Pioneering solutions for tomorrow
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Applying Industry 4.0 to the aluminium industry Aluminium manufacturers are constantly looking to improve the efficiency of their production processes and are relying upon increasingly sophisticated digital technologies to streamline their operations. In such a fast-moving world, characterised by complex Internet-based manufacturing systems, Future Aluminium Forum 2019 is a must-attend event for aluminium professionals who want to unravel the mysteries and get to grips with the complexities of Industry 4.0. This international technology conference will draw upon the unrivalled expertise of aluminium industry professionals, production technologists and academics, to create an event designed specifically for those seeking a greater understanding of ‘smart manufacturing’. The canvas will be broader, the net spread wider and other linked topics – such as 3D printing, artificial intelligence, automation, robotics, and ‘social product development’ – will be high on the agenda. The Future Aluminium Forum is a live discussion that will examine how Industry 4.0 and digitalisation will revolutionise aluminium manufacturing and analyse the benefits that can be gained from doing so. Expect lively conversation, animated discussion panels and plenty of networking opportunities in Warsaw, Poland on 22-23 May 2019. TO SPONSOR/EXHIBIT: Ken Clark International Sales Director +44 (0) 1737 855 117 kenclark@quartzltd.com
Nathan Jupp Sales Manager +44 (0) 1737 855 027 nathanjupp@quartzltd.com
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Comment and News
Furnace Solutions 2019 confirms speakers Speakers have been confirmed for the Furnace Solutions 2019 conference. Some of the speakers are Sebastian Woltz, of EME, who will discuss the challenges associated with Batch Plant upgrades. Ferro Corporation’s Pauline Darbouet will talk about today’s performance needs and new challenges facing tomorrow’s forehearth colour technology. Chris Sorby will present and demonstrate the virtual reality software developed by British
Glass and VRMT to train future glass engineers to maintain IS machines. Following the installation of Praxair’s OPTIMELT technology at Libbey’s Leerdam plant in the Netherlands, Frank Schurrmans will review the technology from a glassmaker’s perspective. Andy Reynolds of Fives Stein will present his thoughts on predicting refractory corrosion prevention in an electric melting furnace. The two-day training day and conference is organised by the Society
of Glass Technology’s Melting Technical Committee. The theme for this year’s Training Day will focus on the Batch Plant and its impact on furnace performance, with a paper from Dr Richard White, Lucideon who will give delegates insights into how raw material and batch samples are evaluated and how to interpret test results. Furnace Solutions will again be held at Lucideon, Stoke-onTrent, UK on June 5th and 6th 2019.
Comment
Welcome to the March 2019 issue of Furnaces International. We feel like our feet are firmly under the table in the furnace industry now and we hope that you’ve started to enjoy the fruits of our labour with the pages of news, interesting product and profile features and the dedicated technical articles from suppliers. Thankfully the industry is making it easy for us to do our job, with regular press releases and new investments in technologies being made regularly. However, we still want more. Rather like a furnace...we are now fired-up and raring to keep this magazine burning with what the industry wants to hear about. So, what is that? Let us know.
The Michael Garvey Award 2018 went to Giorgio Mine-
Our next issue (June) is already waiting in the wings and in order to reach an even wider audience, we will be printing the June issue and distributing it at the METEC/GIFA/ THERMPROCESS/NEWCAST event in Germany in June.
strini, STARA GLASS S.p.A. for his paper on Primary Techniques for NOx Containment for a More Sustainable Glass Industry.
If you would like to promote your company’s participation at any of these events through editorial or advertising, get in touch to find out the opportunities available here. I hope you enjoy this issue. Nadine Bloxsome Editor, Furnaces International nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com 3 Furnaces International March 2019
Alba starts Casthouse 4 Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) started up the biggest furnace in its company history in January 2019 with the first cold charge of Furnace 3 in its newly constructed Casthouse 4. The casthouse, which will have a total design capacity of 530,000 tonnes of value-added aluminium per year, is part of the recently commissioned Potline 6. “We are pleased with this
milestone, which is another turning point in Alba’s journey towards becoming the largest smelter in the world,” said Shaikh Daij bin Salman bin Daij Al Khalifa, chairman of Alba’s board of directors. “With this landmark, we are on track to cast final products from CH 4 — another success in the safe start-up of Line 6. I thank all teams for their commitment to achieve this
milestone safely and on time.” The furnaces for Casthouse 4 were supplied by Mechatherm, under a contract awarded by engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM), Bechtel. The full scope of the supply for Casthouse 4 includes three 165 tonne melting/holding furnaces, three 85 tonne melting/
holding furnaces, two EMS systems, fully integrated launders, and degassing and filtration systems. In addition to Alba’s chairman Shaikh Daij the first cold charge was also witnessed by Ali Al Baqali, deputy CEO of Alba, Alba’s executive management team, the Casthouse 4 startUp team, Bechtel personnel, and other major contractors.
Furnace manufacturer installs gas hot press in US Solar Manufacturing has completed the installation and startup of a Vacuum Hot Press for Refrac Systems in Arizona, United States. The installation includes a large 100 tonne force Vacuum Hot Press with a
two-Bar Gas Fan Quench cooling system (GFQVHP) for Refrac Systems’ commercial and aerospace diffusion bonding operation. Norm Hubele, President of Refrac Systems, worked with Solar’s engineering
team to select a derivative of the Solar Manufacturing standard HLF-5748-2IQ internally quenched two-Bar vacuum furnace as the base design. William Jones, CEO of the Solar Atmospheres, said: “Norm put together a team of engineers to design and build this stateof-the-art GFQVHP, and it contains many innovations. Throughout the entire process, Norm personally reviewed all aspects of the design and added considerable insight to the development of this unique vacuum furnace system.” The furnace hot zone was modified to contain a 100 tonne load hydraulic ram centered over the zone,
which is configured to diffusion bond parts of up to 36” wide x 48” long x 30” tall. It is specifically designed to diffusion bond large plastic injection molding dies and concurrently quench hardening them. The system finds applications in bonding advanced super alloy heat exchangers where the quench cooling offers improved performance. Mr Hubele said: “We really drew on the extensive engineering experience base that Solar Manufacturing has for building large gas fan quench cooled vacuum furnaces coupled with our own vacuum hot pressing experience to build this very unique hot press system.”
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News
Chemical manufacturer to invest £60 million in UK INEOS O&P UK has planned to invest £60 million to expand its site in Grangemouth, Scotland. It has issued the contract to build an extension to its current nine furnaces with the addition of a tenth furnace. The manufacturer has awarded the contract to build an additional furnace on its KG ethylene plant to Selas-Linde in Germany. John McNally, CEO of INEOS O&P UK said: “Our plans to invest in the UK with the further expansion of our plant at Grangemouth, has been made possible because we now have access to the raw materials that we need. The successful completion in 2016 of our project to bring
to Grangemouth plentiful supplies of competitive US shale gas ethane over a long-term agreement, has breathed new life into the plant.” The addition of a tenth furnace, will improve efficiency of the plant and increase its production capacity, to ensure the business can continue meet growing demand for its products. This project was possible due to US ethane, which has been fundamental in turning around the fortunes of the site. Mr McNally continued: “Production from Grangemouth provides vital raw materials used extensively throughout UK
industry. Having additional furnace capacity, will provide a range of future opportunities not just for INEOS and for the site but also for the heartlands of manufacturing in Scotland and the North East and North West of England.” The investment affirms the manufacturer’s commitment to UK manufacturing at a time when it is in decline across many industrial regions across the country. He said: “It is entirely fitting that we make this announcement in the year we celebrate 25 years of continuous manufacture of ethylene on the KG plant. Investment into our Chemicals’ business
in Scotland alone has already surpassed £500m in the last five years. This latest announcement demonstrates INEOS’ ongoing commitment to its manufacturing operations at Grangemouth and investment into the UK.” The main construction work will start in 2019 and commissioning towards the end of 2020.
Glass Service to host furnace design seminar Glass Service (GS) will organise the 15th International Seminar on ‘Furnace Design – Operation and Process Simulation’ on 22-23rd May 2019 at Hotel Horal in Velke Karlovice, Czech Republic. In conjunction with the seminar, the ICG Technical Committee 15 & 21 Meeting and GS Glass Furnace Model (GFM) User Meeting will be held on the 21st May. Topics will focus on energy consumption and savings. This will include: Application of modelling – furnace design and forehearth simulation; modelling of combustion and electric melting; use of models in furnace operation and related advanced control; glass quality and yield
improvement; glass forming simulation; CO2 reduction strategies and Industry 4.0 and hot end. It will be aimed at those seeking to learn more about Industry 4.0 and the optimisation of glass melting furnaces with CFD
simulation. Delegates can present and learn about the newest developments in the simulation of furnaces and advanced furnace control. The seminar will focus on presentations that provide solutions to reduce CO2 emissions by 40% or more by
the year 2030, following the Paris Climate agreement. The event takes place every two years and brings together more than 150 glass experts from around the world to discuss the use of simulation and control tools, with the goal of optimising the glass melting and forming process. Contributions will include invited lectures, regular lectures and posters. Oral presentations will be limited to 25 minutes plus five minutes for discussion. Posters will be presented in a separate session. Participants can submit an abstract of approximately 200 words before 28th February. 5
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News
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NLMK embarks upon RUB34 billion blast furnace upgrade NLMK Group has embarked upon a RUB34 billion, large-scale reconstruction of blast furnace No. 6 (BF-6) at its Lipetsk site. The project will bring about an 8% increase in BF capacity to 3.4Mt/yr of pig iron, ‘significantly improve’ BF-6’s environmental performance and extend its inter-repair cycle by 50% to 25 years. At present, work is underway to install new blast air heaters and dedusting systems, assemble main units and steel structures. These
works will be completed before the blast furnace’s scheduled shutdown in May 2019. During the 130day stoppage, the furnace will be dismantled and rebuilt from prefabricated modules, claims NLMK. According to Konstantin Lagutin, NLMK Group’s vice president of investment projects, “Leading Russian and international engineering companies, MPE and technology suppliers have been brought on board to work on this largest investment project to be executed at the Lipetsk
site over the past two years. We will end up with a more productive and efficient blast furnace with improved environmental performance.” Lagutin said the upgrade of the dedusting system will reduce dust content in the air ‘almost 10-fold’. “We are not just replacing an obsolete furnace with a new one: the project will make a significant contribution to the overall increase in steel output as part of the new strategic cycle.”
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News
Tata completes life extension work on UK furnaces
The First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford AM, visited Tata Steel’s Port Talbot site following the completion of a major project to extend the operational life of one of its two blast furnaces. Tata Steel Europe has completed work on extending the operational life of its two Port Talbot blast furnaces.
The multi-millon pound project concluded with an onsite visit by the First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford AM. Mark Drakeford AM was joined on site by Hans Fischer, chief executive of Tata Steel’s European operations, who said: “We are delighted to welcome the First Minister to Port Talbot to see the biggest single investment we have made here for more than five years. This project demonstrates our commitment to building a stronger and more sustainable steelmaking business in the UK, now and in the future.” According to Tata Steel
Europe, the ‘life extension’ of blast furnace number five was a critical part of the steelmaker’s longterm strategy to strengthen its operations in the UK, ‘underpinning improvements throughout its UK supply chain’. The giant furnace was drained in the autumn in order to carry out vital engineering work, extending its life by five to seven years. Following the relighting of the furnace, the first iron has now been produced and turned into a finished steel product before being delivered to a manufacturing business in the UK. Once the heart of the
furnace, which is normally more than 1,200°C, cooled last year, skilled engineers replaced part of the heat resistant interior and vital structural parts. The waste gas and dust extraction system was also replaced. The final part of the process involved the hot blast main being opened, injecting air at 1,100°C and bringing the furnace ‘roaring back to life’. Confirmation of this project came at the same time as the announcement in June 2018 of definitive agreements being signed by thyssenkrupp and Tata Steel to form a joint venture of their European steel businesses.
Danieli Corus recovers Tata Steel furnace Danieli Corus has recovered Tata Steel’s Kalinganagar, India furnace after a hearth chill. Process irregularities escalated at Tata Steel Kalinganagar blast furnace #1. Its hearth was put into a “chilled” condition, which immediately stopped production. This was due to problems in auxiliary plant areas as well as disrupted hot-metal logistics, caused by a torpedo car derailment. The Kalinganagar works relies on a single blast furnace for the full supply of hot metal to downstream operations, and immediate action was required. A team consisting of Danieli Corus experts and senior operational staff from the Tata Steel site in Ijmuiden travelled to India to implement the best-in-market recovery practices. It is based
on applying oxy–fuel lance technology in combination with highly specialized operational expertise. After 16 hours of drilling, lances could be inserted and ignited in order to restore the connection between the tapholes and tuyere level that is required for restarting production. After 95 hours, sufficient heat had
been introduced into the furnace hearth to allow for reconnection to the hot blast system, marking the restart of the reduction process. On the fourth day, the first cast was made and nine days into the recovery project, 60% of the tuyeres had been reopened. Within two weeks after the first cast, hot metal quality was within
specification for processing at the BOF plant. This recovery project is the 37th completed by Danieli Corus, confirming the undisputed leadership in blast furnace operational services. Danieli Corus offers a comprehensive portfolio of services for blast furnace operations.
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Glaston closes deal with Press Glass for advanced tempering furnaces
Glaston has received orders from Press Glass for two advanced flat tempering furnaces. The orders for the FC Series and Jumbo Series tempering lines are included in Glaston’s Q4/2018 order intake. The lines will be delivered to Press Glass’ production plants in Poland in the second and third quarters of 2019. Pekka Hytti, SVP, EMEA at Glaston Corporation said:
“The cooperation with Press Glass is much appreciated. It’s very rewarding to have an open dialogue with a company that truly values innovation and new technologies”. The Jumbo Series machine, for jumbo-sized architectural glass, was launched at Glasstec 2018 and is built on the reliability and experience of 50 years of delivering high-end tempering lines
worldwide. Tomasz Wozowicz, CEO at Press Glass, said: “Our aim is to cooperate with suppliers offering us not only state-of-the-art technologies but more – a performance customised individually for Press Glass and reliable operation creating our unique know-how”. Glaston’s customer relationship with Press Glass goes back to 2003
and is based on a common understanding for technology leadership and the best quality. To meet the growing demand and to respond to developing market needs, Press Glass has constantly increased their production capacity. In addition, the company has systematically invested in state-of the-art technology in order to guarantee top quality of the glass.
Kioo Glass commissions P-D Refractories for its furnaces Tanzanian container glassmaker Kioo Ltd has
commissioned a second Sorg furnace at its plant.
The first furnace, called K1, in its Dar es Salaam
plant was commissioned in 2018 following successful refractory installation of P-D Refractories’ products. Kioo has now commissioned P-D Refractories to also supply the Sorg K2 furnace with its refractory products. These will be manufactured at P-D Refractories’ Bochum, Germany; Wetro, Germany; and Czech Republic sites for May 2019. Kioo is East and Central Africa’s largest manufacturer of container glass in a variety of colours. It supplies AB InBev, CocaCola and Heineken among others. 9
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News
SSAB Europe blast furnace repairs brought forward
SSAB Europe is carrying out repairs and bringing forward maintenance work at its blast furnace 2 in Raahe, Finland. The Nordic and US-based steel company will carry out repairs and maintenance work at one of the two blast furnaces at the Raahe site, meaning that the operations at blast furnace 2 will be stopped for around eight weeks and the total cost is estimated to be around SEK 200 million in Q1 2019. The reason for the disruption is a minor break out in blast furnace 2 that occurred on 22 January when some molten iron leaked through the hearth wall from a hole. The blast furnace was stopped temporarily and repair work started. In addition, an extensive analysis of the condition of the blast furnace took place. The results of the analysis prompted the bringing forward of repairs and maintenance work planned for summer 2020 in order to reduce the risk of further disruptions. This means that the operations at blast furnace 2 will be stopped for around eight weeks in total. The production loss will be partly compensated by the SSAB Europe’s other blast furnaces and by the blast furnaces of SSAB Special Steels in OxelÜsund. SSAB Europe might also source slabs externally. According to SSAB Europe, the negative result of the repair and maintenance work are mainly lower capacity utilisation and increased costs for logistics and repairs, which is estimated to be around SEK 200 million in total in Q1 2019. As the production loss partly will be compensated, the impact on shipments during Q1 will be limited. Maintenance work being done will mean that the refurbishment of blast furnace 2, scheduled for summer 2020, will be postponed until 2022 or even 2023. The production at blast furnace 1 in Raahe is running according to plan, the company claims.
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TRIMET:
AMETEK Land appointment
New recycling furnace in operation
With a capacity of around 40 tons, the new furnace will be replacing two of the three existing systems. The TRIMET Executive Board, headed by Chairman Philipp Schlüter, Plant Manager Jens Meinecke and the employees of TRIMET’s Gelsenkirchen plant ceremoniously put the new system into operation on 15th February 2019. “Around 90 percent of the aluminium in circulation is recycled, and the total quantity of recycled light metal continues to increase as a result of increasing demand. So it is only logical for us to consistently invest in expanding our capacities and modernising our plants,” said Philipp Schlüter, Chairman of the Executive Board of TRIMET Aluminium SE. The new rotary furnace significantly increases remelting capacities at the TRIMET plant in Gelsenkirchen. Along with its installation, the infrastructure and exhaust system of the secondary
smelter were modernised and expanded. “The employees have put their heart and soul into the planning and remodelling with a great deal of flexibility. We are proud of this, because only in this way could everything be carried out smoothly without interrupting operations. At the same time, we are all happy that we can now concentrate fully on remelting aluminium scrap into high-quality products,” said Jens Meinecke, head of TRIMET’s Gelsenkirchen plant. The furnace has a selfcontrolling burner system that switches between oxygen and air during the production of the fuel mixture, depending on requirements. This not only significantly reduces energy consumption, it also increases the proportion of recycled metal. In addition, the furnace is equipped with intelligent charging technology, which enables faster filling and can process larger quantities of material per smelting process.
AMETEK Land is pleased to appoint Manfred Hayk as the company’s new Global Infrared (IR) Product Manager. Mr Hayk has over 15 years’ experience in infrared temperature measurement and more than 20 years in optical metrologies, including laser technologies and further high-end metrologies. Prior to his new role, he was the company’s Sales Channel Manager for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Russia. Mr Hayk will lead AMETEK Land’s Global IR product team, which focuses on developing intelligent infrared technologies for superior application solutions to serve AMETEK Land’s new and existing markets. He will also develop new ways to help customers control and improve their processes. Additionally, he will develop an outstanding
family of new intelligent thermal imaging solutions for different industrial applications. Mr. Hayk seeks to develop AMETEK Land’s core markets of steel, metals, glass, HPI and power while also exploring opportunities in several new markets, including heat treatment, electro mobility, high strength steel, aluminium, new intelligent materials, semi-conductors, solar, batteries and power transportation.
Forglass acquires Ekopol Poland’s Forglass has acquired design and fabrication specialist Ekopol. Poland’s Forglass has acquired design and fabrication specialist Ekopol. Forglass is a glass batch and furnace supplier while Ekopol specialises in the design and fabrication of various equipment for the glass industry. It also builds steel constructions for furnaces and batch houses. Piotr Knast, CEO and cofounder of Forglass, said: “It’s not just furnaces or just batch houses or hot repairs. We have the ability, the engineering know-how and the logistical base to support our clients’ glass production
from engineering and design through start-up to getting the perfect product every time.” Mr Knast said that as the clients’ demands increase, Forglass continually seeks new ways to solve their complex problems. The two companies have been close business partners since Forglass was founded, so this is more a fusion of like souls. For clients, the acquisition of a large and modern production company means even more stability of Forglass as a reliable business partner for them. The transaction was formalised at the end of 2018. 11
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Projects/Products
GILLESPIE & POWERS SUPPORTS EXPANSION PROJECT
Gillespie & Powers Inc. has entered into an agreement with Ellwood Engineered Castings to supply Melting Furnace, Holding Furnace and SOW Dryer and related equipment in support of their business expansion in Hubbard, OH. This equipment will be operational by December 1, 2019. Gillespie & Powers Inc. is honoured to be working with EEC to develop their expanded product range. Gillespie & Powers is a 5th Generation family owned design, build, supplier of specialised high temperature furnaces supporting the metals processing industry.
For additional information contact info@gillespiepowers.com
CAB TECHNOLOGY COMMISSIONED BY AUTO PARTS MANUFACTURER
A manufacturer of automotive heat exchangers recently partnered with a leading heat treat furnace manufacturing company with a formidable U.S. presence to produce parts using a complete Controlled Atmosphere Brazing (CAB) line for its greenfield project in Gujrat, India. Karnavati Car Air Conditioners Pvt. Ltd, Ahmedabad, (KCPL), which produces a wide variety of high-quality radiators, condensers, cooling coils, and fan assemblies, will utilize SECO/WARWICK’s CAB line and related equipment in the manufacturing process, including thermal degreaser, fluxer, dry-off oven, air quality and cleaning. The system will be utilized for aluminum heat exchangers of all types for the automotive market. “KCPL is one of the fastest growing companies in India,” said Kartik Jethwa – Chief Engineer, KCPL, “dealing in automotive radiators,
condensers, cooling coils and fan assemblies. We have selected the complete SECO/WARWICK’s CAB brazing line because the system versatility will enable our company to produce a wide variety of high-quality products with the lowest possible cost – our goal is to continue our rapid pace of growth and improve profitability by modernizing our brazing operation.” “We are proud technology partners with KCPL and look forward to their continued success. Since 1984, SECO/WARWICK has been the leader in the evolution and innovations in CAB technologies ensuring our customers that they will receive the finest system value and professional technical services to keep their equipment online and operating efficiently for many years in the future,” said Piotr Skarbinski, VP, Aluminum Process and CAB Technology, SECO/WARWICK.
For additional information contact www.secowarwick.com
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Projects/Products
AMETEK LAND COLLABORATES WITH DANIELI TO DELIVER AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE TAPPING SYSTEM
AMETEK Land has collaborated with Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche S.p.A. (Danieli) on an automatic tapping system to increase operation safety and improve process control for steel plants. Established in 1914, Danieli designs plants and manufactures and installs machines for the metals industry covering the entire production cycle from raw ore to finished steel products. With the Danieli Automatic Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) Tapping System, it is possible to execute a complete furnace tapping remotely from the main pulpit of a steel plant. The system starts furnace tilting in automatic mode, controlling the furnace position during the complete tapping process. Embedded within the system are two thermal imaging systems from AMETEK Land: its world-renowned Slag Detection System (SDS-E), branded as Danieli’s Q-Slag, and a near-infrared (NIR) fixed thermal imager that is an integral part of the Ladle Level Detection (LLD) system. The thermal imaging systems are used in conjunction with Danieli software to control steel flow in real time. Q-Slag makes use of an SDS-E imager to detect the transition between steel and slag. It also quantifies the amount of slag that
may pass into the ladle. That information is useful for fine-tuning alloys and lime additions for the secondary metallurgy. In parallel with Q-Slag, the LLD system controls when steel inside the teeming ladle has reached pre-set level positions. Back tilting can be done either in automatic mode (when the pre-conditions regarding steel level and weight are met) or by remote intervention of the EAF operator from the main pulpit. AMETEK Land’s selection by Danieli as development partner was based on Land’s 75 years of steel industry application expertise, along with the demonstrated ability of its Slag Detection System to
improve operator response times and steel consistency at the end of each tap. Those improvements typically result in up to a 25% reduction in slag depths, compared with traditional methods of stream monitoring. “We are delighted that Danieli selected AMETEK Land as a partner on their Automated Tapping System. There are major benefits for steel producers of using this technology,” comments Ben Wileman, Division Vice President, Sales and Marketing for AMETEK Land. “Fast slag detection response allows plants to significantly reduce slag carryover, resulting in improved yields, higher quality steel, and a reduction in costly downstream processing.”
For additional information contact www.ametek-land.com
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Projects/Products
NEW PARTNERSHIP OFFERS REFRACTORY SUPPORT IN EUROPE The Plibrico Company and the Pli Group Europe GmbH have partnered to supply monolithic refractory materials and services in Europe. This collaboration between manufacturer and distributor allows more than 10 European countries access to Plibrico made refractory materials and services. “Adding Pli Group Europe GmbH to our ranks of PliPartners allows Plibrico to reinforce its expertise, enhance its service offering and strengthen the value chain offered to customers throughout Europe,” said Brad Taylor, president and CEO of the Plibrico Company. “Pli Group Europe GmbH has over four decades of experience and has assembled a first-class team that is committed to delivering great service to its customers. We look
forward to working together to deliver quality refractory materials and services to Europe’s key Industrial Markets.” Under the new alliance, Pli Group will provide full-service distribution of Plibrico’s Plico® brand refractories in Austria, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and Bulgaria, effective immediately. Pli Group has a local presence in Europe, which will garner Plibrico the growth needed to expand it’s market. Pli Group is currently experiencing strong momentum as a result of continued investment in the region. Its recently opened office in Vienna, Austria, will serve as its hub for Central Europe, and strengthen
ties with local customers. The company will continue recruiting additional technical representatives to accelerate growth and further enhance its engineering, installation and maintenance services. “We were looking for a refractory supplier with a strong, long-standing reputation for excellence and innovation, a broad product portfolio across industries, and a proven track record of supporting its distribution network,” said Oleg Bobrov, president of Pli Group Europe GmbH. “Plibrico fit our criteria in every respect. Our team is excited by the opportunity to work with Plibrico to provide a broad range of superior products to our European customers.”
For additional information contact www.plibrico.com or www.thepligroup.com
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Projects/Products
ATLAS COPCO VACUUM TECHNIQUE Atlas Copco launches a clean, clever and compact dry screw vacuum pump Atlas Copco’s Industrial Vacuum division have launched the DHS 065-200 VSD+ dry screw vacuum pump offering lower lifecycle costs, higher productivity, less energy consumption and easy maintenance. Cologne, Germany, February, 2019: Built for rapid cycling and continuous operation applications, the DHS VSD+ is a truly clean, zero contamination dry vacuum pump that requires no water or oil cooling. Certified as oil-free in the category ‘Class Zero' according to ISO standard 8573-1 the pump is free of oil emissions, including aerosol oil content in the outlet air stream. The reduced number of parts within the pump combined with the variable pitch screw design help increase efficiency and reduce maintenance. Best-in-class performance in its category Alexander Frerichs, Product Manager Dry Pumps, commented: “The new screw profile of the DHS 065-200 VSD+ offers best-in-class performance in its category. We set out to build a pump that would create a safer, cleaner and smarter industrial environment. The robust design, clean operations and remote monitoring and control capabilities makes it the perfect pump for industrial applications”. No oil migrates in the pump environment Due to the completely dry operation of the DHS 065 - 200 VSD+, no oil migrates in the pump environment. It helps to create a cleaner and safer working environment. „This is a great advantage especially in applications such as vacuum drying and cleaning, paper converting, sensitive and regulationsdriven electronics manufacturing and food packaging industries, because there are no reactions with other process media or deposits inside the vacuum pump“, says Alexander Frerichs. Integration in the plant management system Housed in a noise reducing canopy ensures a noticeably quiet, vibration-free operation with a low pitch sound level,
Built for rapid cycling and continuous operation applications, clean, zero contamination dry vacuum pump that requires Certified as oil-free in the category ‘Class Zero’ according to pump is free of oil emissions, including aerosol oil content (Photos: Atlas Copco)
the pump is equipped and controlled with the MK5 Elektonikon®. This integrates the pump to plant management systems. Users get the latest Atlas Copco Vacuum Solutions status updates on running and stopped hours, warning, and fault and shutdown indications. Combined with Atlas Copco’s SMARTLINK, the pump offers unrivalled remote monitoring capabilities. The belt can be changed within 30 minutes
the DHS VSD+ is a truly no water or oil cooling. ISO standard 8573-1 the in the outlet air stream.
Reduced maintenance is an integral feature of the DHS VSD+ series. The grease-lubricated bearings and the belt are the only parts which require replacement. The belt itself can be changed without external service support within 30 minutes. The robust canopy retains the integrity of the internal parts and can be removed easily. This greatly reduces installation complexity and associated costs. Truly a clean, clever and compact vacuum pump.
For additional information contact www.atlascopco.com
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Furnaces International March 2019
Projects/Products
Mesh belt
For additional information contact www.can-eng.com
TENOVA: VIETNAM CONTRACT Tenova, a company of the Techint Group specialised in innovative solutions for the metals and mining industries, was recently awarded a new contract for the new furnace concept, the Flexible Modular Furnace (FMF®), for Pomina 3 steel plant, part of Pomina Steel Corporation in Ba Ria, Vung Tau region, Vietnam. In the Pomina 3 steel plant, the steelmaker upgraded the 120 tons Consteel® EAF – supplied by Tenova in 2013 – into a Tenova FMF®. Adopting
this new technology, Pomina 3 will also be able to charge the furnace with hot metal coming from the new blast furnace. This solution will allow Pomina 3 to adopt a hybrid electrical/integrated steelmaking technology minimizing CAPEX and gaining a saving on production costs. The start-up of this plant is foreseen in early 2019. “This project is the first one of this kind in Vietnam, following a trend of steelmakers for advanced
solutions to decrease production costs and look for more flexibility to use different input materials into an EAF. In the last three years, Tenova signed four contracts (relevant to six furnaces) linked to the FMF® solution”, said Stefano Marelli, Tenova Global Sales Regional Manager. Tenova FMF® is a modular concept of smelting furnace that can be developed from core equipment called base module with specific add-ons and has the flexibility
16 Furnaces International March 2019
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Projects/Products
CAN-ENG SUPPLIES MESH BELT SYSTEM
CAN-ENG Furnaces International Ltd has recently commissioned in the Piedmont Region of Italy, a state-ofthe-art continuous mesh belt heat treat system for the production of high quality automotive fasteners. This Italian project was one of four installation locations for this globally recognised producer of specialty automotive fasteners that span from Europe, South America, Mexico and USA. CAN-ENG was chosen to supply its systems based on proven reliability, efficiency, and soft-part-handling features; hallmarks of CAN-ENG’s Mesh Belt Furnace Systems. The new, highvolume fastener system features energy efficient combustion and waste heat recovery systems, atmosphere controlled mesh belt hardening system, oil quench, post wash system, temper furnace, soluble oil system, bi-directional conveyor discharge, and CAN-ENG’s Level 2 SCADA system. CAN-ENG’s PET™ system provides the
of converting various charge mix of raw material (scrap, DRI, liquid hot metal, pig iron, etc.). Each module is designed with specific features in order to fit the requirements of the charge mix. The FMF® solution is also suitable for those steelmakers that are looking for a transition from Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) to an EAF based steelmaking.
Flexibility is the greater advantage of this solution for all the markets that are developing toward lower environmental footprint steelmaking operations, however this solution also provides the possibility to smelt a full range of metallic charges which can reduce costs to a minimum level. Pomina Group (former Thep Viet)
user with access to vital Industry 4.0 data which includes product traceability, detailed process data for continuous process improvements, comprehensive equipment diagnostics, cost analysis, and inventory management. The topof-the-line system also integrates CanEng’s Energy Reduction System (ERS™) which significantly reduces the energy requirements of the system. The system was commissioned Q4, 2018 and has met, and exceeded the clients’ performance expectations. Through proven results, CAN-ENG Furnaces’ Continuous Mesh Belt Heat Treatment Systems remain an integral technology for processing high quality automotive fasteners. As the demands of the automotive industry grow ever-increasingly, CANENG’s Mesh Belt Heat Treatment Systems repeatedly, demonstrate their capability of meeting and exceeding processing standards that include AIAG CQI-9 requirements.
started the collaboration with Tenova almost 15 years ago, with a first contract for Consteel® EAF, ladle furnace and continuous caster, followed by another Consteel® EAF and, more recently, by a cold mill complex for pre-painted galvanized flat steel.
For additional information contact www. tenova.com 17 www.furnaces-international.com
Furnaces International March 2019
Projects/Products
CHENGDU CHANGFENG ORDERS EAF QUANTUM ELECTRIC FROM PRIMETALS TECHNOLOGIES
18 Furnaces International March 2019
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Projects/Products
ARC FURNACE AND LADLE FURNACE
For additional information contact www.primetals.com
Chinese steel producer Chengdu Changfeng Steel Group Co., Ltd. (Chengdu Changfeng) placed an order with Primetals Technologies to supply an EAF Quantum electric arc furnace and a ladle furnace for its plant in Dujiayan city, Sichuan Province. This marks the 9th EAF Quantum for China. The EAF Quantum furnace is designed to handle scrap steel of vary varied composition and quality. The electrical energy requirement of the electric arc furnace is extremely low because the scrap is preheated. This reduces both the operating costs and the CO2 emissions. The twin ladle furnace sets the desired steel grades and the correct casting temperature. The new furnaces are scheduled to be commissioned in early 2020. Chengdu Changfeng is a mediumsized state-owned enterprise based in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. The company operates three steel branches, one oxygen production company, and one mechanical manufacturing and processing company. For the new EAF Quantum electric arc furnace and the twin ladle furnace, Primetals Technologies will supply the complete mechanical and electrical process equipment and the automation technology. This includes the automated scrap yard management, the automated charging process, automation of the oxygen injection and sand refilling, as well as the Level 2 automation which makes the plant ready for Industry 4.0. The EAF Quantum developed by Primetals Technologies combines proven elements of shaft furnace technology with an innovative scrap charging process, an efficient preheating system, a new tilting concept for the lower shell, and an optimised tapping system. This all adds up to very short melting cycles. The electricity consumption is considerably lower than that of a conventional electric arc furnace. Together with the lower consumption of electrodes and oxygen, this gives an overall advantage in the specific conversion cost of around 20 percent. In comparison to conventional electric arc furnaces, total CO2 emissions can also be reduced by up to 30 percent per metric ton of crude steel. An integrated dedusting system with modern automatic off gas control fulfills all environmental requirements. 19
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Furnaces International March 2019
Refractories
Refractory solutions for glassmaking Stefan Postrach* and Markus Dietrich** discuss what the merger of RHI and Magnesita means for the glass industry.
New checker shapes TLW (with increased specific heat transfer area), TG32/175, and LCP (with large flue size).
20 Furnaces International March 2019
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Refractories
In 2017 RHI Magnesita became the world’s largest refractory producer with the merger of Austrian company RHI and the Brazilian company Magnesita. With this merger the Glass business unit was integrated into a newly formed business unit, Process Industries and Minerals, which includes the Environment-EnergyChemistry, Foundry, and Minerals industries as well as Installation segments. RHI Magnesita’s (RHIM) strategic approach to the glass sector has been updated and the total divestment of the fused cast production completed. One important future aspect of the business will be the glass furnace regenerator. Many excellent refractory material solutions for regenerator applications are available. At glasstec 2018 RHIM will unveil an extension of the refractory technology with a new shape concept for the regenerator checkerwork. The latest developments of the INNOREG system will be presented. Furthermore, a large product portfolio of proven refractory grades will also be available including high-end products such as the no lime silica, St e l l a
GNL; calcium aluminate blocks, SUPRAL CA, for tin bath bottoms; and a range of chrome corundum and zircon-containing materials. The objective of the expanded company is to use the increased research capacities and market expertise to create new solutions. Another focus of the new company will be service and consulting. Refractory performance is influenced by the handling of the refractory products during selection, installation, heatingup and operation. A strong relationship between refractory and glass producers is important to prevent problems arising from improper use or handling. This was the starting point for the service activities of RHI Magnesita, which are becoming increasingly established in the glass industry. The goal is to be in close contact with the customer to avoid problems and to take full-advantage of RHI Magnesita’s refractories and concepts.
INNOREG The performance of the glass furnace regenerator has a direct effect on the energy efficiency of the production process. To achieve the best performance with optimum regenerator design, operational conditions and customer expectations have to be considered. RHI Magnesita’s INNOREG system has captured all features of top performing regenerators into a flexible regenerator solution. INNOREG is a tool box, combining material solutions for the checkers, the casing and the rider arches, with new optimised checker shapes, that provide improved characteristics. This enables the execution of tailormade regenerator solutions. The heat exchange surface of the checker work is one of the key factors that influences the energy efficiency of the regenerator. Therefore the INNOREG system introduces a new fluted chimney block solution to increase the heat exchange surface area of the chimney block (TLW shape). Compared to the present TL chimney block, the surface area increase is 15%, leading to a calculated increase in efficiency of a typical regenerator by
approximately >1%. At the same time the new format maintains the advantages of today’s chimney blocks, including fast and easy installation as well as stability of the checker work. In regenerators, with a high sulphur and particulates load in the flue gas, a risk of clogging of the flue gas channels can be observed in the lower regenerator area, the condensation zone. In this case a chimney with a larger flue size may prevent such problems. The INNOREG system incorporates a new checker format, the Large Channel Pieces (LCP), allowing the necessary increase of the flue size of the regenerator channels by two, compared to standard chimney blocks. This larger flue strongly reduces the risk for clogging in the condensate zone. The cleaning of the channels from condensates is facilitated with LCP. The use of Large Channel Pieces together with the new TLW chimney block is made possible with a transition layer of chimney blocks with a flue size of 320mm. This is a double chimney block that transitions from the LCP to the more traditional 142mm flue chimney block. Rounding out the INNOREG system are the proven chimney blocks (TG and TL shapes), which are compatible with the new INNOREG shapes.
Silica Stella GNL Silica based bricks are the most common solutions for the melter crowns of container and float glass furnaces. For many years the first lime free solution for silica bricks for this application, Stella GNL, was an excellent alternative to conventional quartz sand based, lime bonded products. Stella GNL has proven its characteristics in many applications, even in oxy-fuel fired container-glass furnaces. But in certain cases the advantages cannot be observed if the installation or the heating-up process is not accurate. If joints between silica wedges are open 3-4mm and incompletely filled with mortar, the performance of the crown is clearly no longer determined by the quality of the silica bricks. The infiltration of the furnace atmosphere into the excessive joints results in advanced corrosion. This phenomenon is known as rat-hole formation and can be easily avoided by accurate installation together with a proper heat-up process. Therefore, it is essential to work with experienced and capable installation teams.
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Refractories
Incomplete filled joints between silica wedges
As additional protection, RHIM suggests the sealing of the crown with a gunned monolithic silica layer to seal open joints on the cold face. Stella GNL bricks can also be supplied in a honeycomb shape. When installed, this design results in a profiled hot side of the crown, which increases its surface area and by physical effects, the emissivity coefficient. The result is an improved energy efficiency of the production process.
Tin bath bottom block material Supral CA, the first alternative for tin bath bottom blocks not based on fireclay, has been an excellent solution for modern tin baths for 13 years. In contrast to CalciumAluminate, the raw material base for Supral CA, the traditional fireclay bottom blocks react with sodium from the glass belt and form nepheline. Under unfavourable conditions, particularly temperature changes, the nepheline formed at the surface of the tin-bath bottom blocks can peel, which causes problems in the production process. In more than 35 applications no peeling has been observed with Supral CA, which proves that the approach of a changed raw material base for the corresponding blocks is a viable solution. With application experience, it became apparent that during the heat-up process of a tin bath, the humidity within the metal casing and the tin-bath bottom blocks needs to be removed prior to filling with tin. If this is not done properly any remaining humidity might lead to production problems. Sufficient drying can be ensured
Silica honeycomb shape (available in Stella GGS and Stella GNL).
by adequate measurement in the tin bath atmosphere during heat-up.
Technical Services HOT INSPECTION
RHIM offers furnace inspection during operation, supported by endoscopic investigation or infrared measurements. This helps to follow the condition of the refractories and the furnace. For this purpose, inspection devices and compliance with the highest standards are equally as important as specialist knowledge and the relevant experience necessary to interpret results correctly. If necessary an accurate repair concept will be developed under consideration of the customer expectations. In this case the repair method and the right material selection is important as in many cases expensive solutions can be avoided. CONSULTING FOR FUSED CAST PRODUCTS
Fused cast products are the preferred refractory choice for glass contact material and are also frequently used in the superstructure of the melting basin
and other areas in glass furnaces. Thus, the quality level of fused cast products is essential to ensure the performance and lifetime of glass furnaces. Based on experience and profound know-how with fused cast materials, RHIM offers advice and quality control to the customer. The lifetime of fused cast blocks is influenced by several quality factors, particularly the inner structure of the shapes. At present, the most sophisticated method to check the internal structure of fused cast blocks is radar measurement. Here RHIM provides not only the corresponding test equipment, but also the expertise to interpret the measurement data. Other important quality aspects are the finishing of the blocks to evaluate resulting joints and the precise installation in the field. RHIM experts support the customer by examination of preassembled furnaces and cold inspection of the completed furnace before heat-up. Unfortunately defects are a constant challenge. In some cases refractories are suspected to be the source of defects. The investigation of glass defects are necessary to accurately identify their source and to start appropriate measures to find a solution to stop the problem. RHIM has the know-how and provides independent expertise to identify and overcome glass defects. RHIM has R&D centres in Austria, China and Brazil and offers all common methods to investigate the refractory products for the glass industry.
*Vice President Marketing,**Project Manager Marketing, RHI Magnesita, Vienna, Austria. www.rhimagnesita.com/en/solutions-services/glass/
22 Furnaces International March 2019
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Aludium Q&A
Growing for the future Markus Plakolm took up the position of Director of Growth Projects at Aludium in May 2018. Initially his focus is on the installation of the new multi-chamber furnace in Aludium Amorebieta, and the reopening of the Alicante cast house. Furnaces International spoke with Markus to find out how these projects are progressing. Furnaces International (FI): What are the main challenges in realising the new multichamber furnace, and the reopening of the Alicante cast house? Markus Plakolm (MP): It probably goes without saying that our priority is to deliver both projects on time and within budget. We’re achieving this by focusing on progress every day, and reacting immediately if necessary. But it’s not just the physical building works. We need to look forward to the commissioning of both projects. That means preparing for operations by ensuring we have the people we need, that they are trained, and that we have procedures in place for them to follow. And we have to make sure that the equipment is ready, and we have enough scrap in the pipeline to begin operations. And of course we need to get the permits and other paperwork completed in time. Luckily we have good support from the local authorities in both Alicante and Amorebieta.
FI: Are there factors that make these projects harder to achieve? MP: One of the biggest considerations is that we are working in ‘brownfield’ sites. That means we are building our new equipment in existing facilities that have been in use for many decades. In a brownfield site you uncover a lot of unforeseen issues, which can severely impact the project. Working in greenfield sites, where you are starting from nothing, is much easier. In Amorebieta for example, the situation is quite complicated because we need to produce material in the same place where we are completing a very big project. That has a big impact on the cast house, especially when we need to carry out work during production. FI: How do you react when unforeseen problems arise? MP: Over the years I’ve learnt to look at the ‘surprises’ in isolation first. If you look at the full impact it could have on the project, it can seem to be a bigger problem than it is in reality. FI: How do you see the role of Director of Aludium’s Growth Projects? MP: From the start, Aludium has defined three pillars for growth in the future: grow the business, optimise the cost of metal, and to optimise the product portfolio mix. I think we have a good chance to grow the business further, but more investments are needed and that’s where my role comes in. FI: The rotary furnace in Amorebieta is already in operation. Has that helped us achieve ‘metal independence’? MP: The investment in the rotary furnace
was the first step in our strategy to become more independent of third-party suppliers and reduce our costs. For the first time, Aludium also has the ability to melt dross, painted, and thin-layer scrap. One of the key challenges has been sourcing external suppliers of recycled material. Our metal team has established closed loop recycling with some of our customers to ensure we have the maximum amount of material available. With the installation of the multichamber furnace and the reopening of the cast house in Alicante we need to step this up a gear. FI: Did the rotary furnace have a negative or positive impact on Aludium’s carbon footprint? MP: The rotary furnace uses gas as a heat source. That’s already the cleanest material that we can use. But we minimise the amount of gas used because we melt painted scrap. The paint that is burnt during the melting process also raises the temperature in the furnace and that saves a lot of energy. When we installed this equipment we also built a fume treatment plant to reduce emissions to air to an absolute minimum. FI: Why was it necessary to also install the multi-chamber furnace? MP: There are two major reasons. Firstly, it reduces our dependence on external slab suppliers by approximately 55,000 tonnes annually. Secondly, it allows to reduce our slab costs further. The Herwich furnace we have chosen is one of the largest and most modern in the world. It can efficiently melt almost any type of aluminium scrap. And it’s designed so we can recuperate heat from the burner and reuse it to preheat the scrap before it goes into the furnace. This reduces melting time and energy use.
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Aludium Q&A
FI: Installing the multi-chamber furnace is a major operation. What have been the main challenges? MP: The size of the project is one. The equipment has been manufactured in different locations across Europe. We needed around 100 trucks to deliver everything to Amorebieta. The second major challenge is that we must install the multi-chamber furnace while the cast house is still operational. There are up to 150 contractors on site as well as our regular personnel. Maintaining the safety of everyone during the work has been very challenging. But I’m pleased to say we have succeeded in this so far with the support of the Amorebieta safety team. FI: Are you installing other equipment in addition to the furnace itself? MP: The multi-chamber furnace is linked to a new holding furnace that is being provided by GHI, a company from Bilbao. In the holder, we can optimise the chemistry of the alloy and control the temperature. From there, the liquid aluminium is moved to the casting pit. The holder is also where the liquid aluminium is filtered and degassed. These two steps ensure that we produce highquality aluminium slabs. We’re also installing a brand-new casting facility from Rodabell, a Spanish
company. The pit will allow us to cast up to five slabs at a time. The casting pit is highly automated and allows us to operate in a very safe way. It starts by itself, so nobody needs to come close to the casting area. FI: What alloys will the multi-chamber furnace produce? MP: Mainly alloys from the 5xxx family, but also from the 3xxx. These alloys are commonly used in architectural, industrial, and distribution sectors. It’s important to note that the multichamber furnace is Aludium’s first continuous melting technology. That means it will work 24/7, giving us high productivity to meet the demands of our customers in these sectors. Five fulltime equivalent (FTE) positions per shift are needed to operate this new melting and casting unit to achieve this level of productivity. FI: What are the benefits of the multichamber furnace to Aludium’s operations? MP: When it comes onstream in 2019, the new multi-chamber furnace will be able to melt up to 55,000 tonnes of painted or thin scrap annually. Compared to primary metal production, recycling aluminium reduces energy consumption by 95% or 14 megawatt hours (MWh) per
tonne of aluminium. With this project, Aludium expects to reduce CO2 emissions by 250,000 tonnes annually. FI: You were involved in closing the cast house at Aludium Alicante in 2008. How do you feel about being responsible for reopening this facility? MP: I’m very happy that the Board of Aludium decided to reopen the cast house again. That decision was taken in May 2018, and by December we will be ready to begin production again. We were well prepared, but this is still a very fast turnaround. FI: What is the strategy for the Alicante cast house? MP: In Alicante, we will be able to cast up to three slabs in each batch, while the continuous caster will cast coils. Most of this material will be produced from internal scrap. Slabs will be shipped to Amorebieta for further processing in the hot mill. Together with the improvements in the Amorebieta cast house, this will ensure our slabs are cost-effective and reduce our dependence on external slab suppliers. Coils produced in the continuous caster will be further processed in Alicante. This will help to reduce the bottleneck in the Amorebieta hot mill.
26 Furnaces International March 2019
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Furnaces International brings readers a selection of technical features focusing on all aspects of the international furnaces market, as well as industry news, events, and regular columns from the British Industrial Furnace Constructors Association (BIFCA).
Published quarterly in a digital format, Furnaces International magazine is sent straight to the inbox of over 50,000 professionals from across the aluminium, steel, and glass industries.
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BUSINESS MEDIA
Energy Efficiency
The L1 Project In support of Libbey’s sustainability strategy and alignment with the European carbon reduction roadmap, the L1 project goals were to utilise top grade furnace technology to improve productivity, reduce energy consumption and to diminish emissions. As a consequence, the L1 project has positioned the Leerdam location as first class for the sustainable production of premium tableware products. The startup of the OPTIMELT system at Leerdam was the last step of a comprehensive project to modernise and increase Libbey’s tableware production in Leerdam. Throughout the Leerdam furnace design stage countless CFD models were completed at Praxair to test out the system design and to adjust the furnace temperature profile to the syngas combustion system. The placement of the syngas port and the associated oxygen lances were optimised to fill the furnace adequately with the large flame without any signs of flame attachment or overheating of the crown or sidewalls. Special attention was placed to the distance of the flame above the glass melt and to the atmosphere directly above the glass so as to avoid any quality issues due to glass redox. The L1 project has significantly reduced the emission of NOx, SOx and dust at Leerdam. Table 1 shows preliminary and non-official emission measurements. The excellent results on SOx and dust indicate that the OPTIMELT flame is properly positioned in the furnace and that glass volatilisation is low as well as indicating that the new batch house
GLASS SURFACE TEMPERATURE OPTIMELT
OPTIMELT glass surface shows more uniform Tª range
28 Furnaces International March 2019
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Energy Efficiency
b. OPTIMELT System
a. 2 x Recuperative Furnaces
a&b. Libbey Leerdam transition towards increased sustainability
OPTIMELT crown TÂŞ model results close to measured trend
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Energy efficiency
Old Recup. Furnaces
at full pull, kg/t
Date of measurement
Oct 16/Apr 17
Oxy-fuel
L1
OPTIMELT L1
Oxy-fuel vs.
kg/t
at 75% pull, kg/t
at 75% pull,
OPTIMELT vs. old
OPTIMELT vs. Oxyfuel
old furnaces
30 May 18
4-5 Apr 18
NOx
1.625 0.390 0.230 -76% -86%
SOx
0.930 0.240 0.190 -74% -80%
-41% -21%
Dust
0.013 0.003 0.001 -77% -92%
-67%
Table 1: Performance and Emissions of the L1 furnace
design makes a positive impact on the data. The L1 project has significantly reduced energy consumption and consequent CO2 emissions at the Leerdam site. Most of the data points gathered so far fall into
a production range of approximately 75% of the furnace capacity. At this pull 13.3% energy reduction has been achieved which falls short of the expected performance (15%). The current available data at a higher pull of 85% (limited data
available) shows approximately a 15% fuel reduction, which falls into the expected range. The current process optimisation campaign will improve furnace performance!
ience counts !
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16/07/2018 10:40
Quench furnace
Manufacturer introduces quench furnace Thermcraft introduces its Dual Chamber Quench Furnace. Sheena Adesilu, Editorial Assistant, talks to its President, Thomas M Crafton, to find out more about the furnace and its future. 1. How long have you been President? 22 years. 2. What markets is your company involved in? Semiconductor, automotive, aerospace, ceramics, heat treating, laboratory R&D and nearly any market that has a need for the thermal process of materials. 3. What is the furnace industry in the United States like at the moment? Very competitive. Some manufacturers have been purchased or merged with other manufacturers and some have gone out of business.
7. Have you made any recent investments? We are in the process of investing in a more robust CRM system so that we can better maintain relationships with our customers. 8. Do you have any plans to incorporate Industry 4.0? No. 9. Do you have any plans to make your furnaces more environmentally friendly? We are always on the lookout for new, more environmentally friendly materials and processes. President Thomas M Crafton
4. What are the strengths of your dual chamber high temperature furnace? It is a versatile furnace system with attractive options. Two independent chambers allow for multiple thermal processes to be completed simultaneously. It has a robust, proven design that is long lasting and Made in the USA.
10. Do you have any projects coming up in the future? We are continuously working on product improvement and R&D for new products. We are currently working on expanding our laboratory furnace product offering.
5. Have you faced any challenges with the furnace in the past? Not really as this system has always performed as required.
11. What are the company’s goals for the future? To grow as a company by meeting the needs of the thermal processing industry and by supplying the best products available on the market.
6. What do you hope your furnaces will achieve in the future? It is our goal for Thermcraft furnaces to be recognised as the highest standard for thermal processing equipment.
Dual Chamber Quench furnace
Thermcraft Incorporated Winston Salem, North Carolina www.thermcraftinc.com
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Future of Foundries
Foundries prepare for an alumini
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Future of Foundries
ium future The rapidly growing global market for complex aluminium castings requires aluminiumspecific equipment that works together in harmony – from melting, holding, dosing and casting right through to finishing. And that’s the Norican speciality.
Aluminium used to be the world’s most precious substance. Today, with global consumption predicted to rise to 120 million tonnes by 2025, it’s second only to steel as the most popular metal. That demand is changing the face of the world’s foundries. Aluminium production grew by 6% globally in 2017 and it’s the automotive industry that’s the main impetus behind the boom, along with sectors like aerospace, mechanical engineering and packaging. As environmental legislation tightens, the pressure is increasing to reduce automotive fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. New greener vehicles must be lighter, so choosing featherweight aluminium instead of heavier steel can make a lot of sense for some components, particularly large structural parts. That’s why, by 2022, the average car will contain almost 100 extra kilos of aluminium in replacement of heavier components. Globally, the use of aluminium in automobiles will double from around 12% to 25% of consumption – 30 million tonnes – by 2025.
� A GROWING APPETITE FOR HIGH QUALITY ALUMINIUM Foundries are seeing aluminium and other light metals take a more prominent part in their national casting markets. China, the world’s largest aluminium producer and consumer, saw primary production grow by 10% in 2017 alone. In the USA, the aluminum casting market size was valued at $49.47 billion in 2016 and is expected to grow by 7.8% annually through to 2025. As the US imports the majority of its aluminium, 2018’s new import tariffs may well hurt those figures, but the outlook overall remains very positive. India, the world’s third-biggest casting producer and now its fastestgrowing large economy, is also pivoting towards aluminium. The same story applies in Europe, with aluminium increasingly used in premium automotive manufacture as well as in other sectors like construction. This rapid shift from steel to aluminium signals a huge opportunity for some foundries. But it’s not an easy business to get into. Complex aluminium automotive structural parts are difficult to both cast accurately and to finish efficiently and consistently. That means die casting is increasingly about quality rather than quantity, demanding sophisticated and specialised equipment. Foundries must invest and innovate to raise their game.
� INVESTING IN ALUMINIUM INNOVATION Shrewd die-casting foundries are already benefitting from the aluminium boom. In China, the automotive market has grown rapidly over the last twenty years and the die-casting market has expanded alongside it, doubling in size over the last decade. Companies that invested early to cater for this expansion are prospering, like DGS China. Specialising in aluminium and magnesium high-pressure die casting, the Nansha, Guangzhou-based company has seen its takings soar from RMB 40 million to over RMB 320 million since 2012. Constant plant upgrades with Italpresse Gauss and StrikoWestofen technologies help it profitably produce the complex and valuable structural
components its auto clients specify. Reducing costs and increasing productivity were behind substantial aluminium-related upgrades at South Korea’s Neoflam and Ford of Germany. The latter upgraded its Westomat furnaces with the latest digital controllers, improving dosing accuracy, energy consumption and system availability. Suppliers must also play their part in supporting foundry expansion into aluminium. Significant R&D resource is needed to develop products and service solutions tailored to aluminium’s material properties – and suit the often smaller foundries that work with it. At Norican Group, the new Wheelabrator LBS 1000 shotblasting machine range is a great example, fresh out of Wheelabrator’s Centre for Product Innovation in Metelen, Germany this July. This new, lighter mesh belt machine is particularly suitable for aluminium part finishing, with the mesh belt concept allowing efficient part blasting from all sides within a compact space and without tumbling. The new model’s pitless and compact design allows faster installation with a more ergonomic loading height. By fitting into tight layouts and moving more easily between cells, it allows more flexible integration with existing processes.
� INTEGRATED ALUMINIUM CASTING CELLS FOR PROCESS OPTIMISATION Vital as they are, surface finishing and cleaning are only part of the answer for aluminium component production. Die casting machines, melting and dosing furnaces – all play their part and must work together seamlessly. Norican Group brands DISA, Italpresse Gauss, StrikoWestofen and Wheelabrator are now collaborating closely to deliver integrated solutions for melting, holding, dosing, casting and finishing of aluminum parts. The Italpresse Gauss automated cells can integrate the die cast machines and all peripheral devices, from a dosing furnace to automatic deburring. They allow customization to fit each client’s individual process, from sophisticated automotive applications to the most common objects like lighting
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Future of Foundries
components or kitchen tools. Working closely with the customer, Italpresse Gauss delivers turnkey solutions for a part or the entire cell and ensures efficient implementation. This in-house approach applies leading edge 3D simulation, supporting feasibility analysis for project evaluation and carefully analysing the process and cell functions to optimise automation and cycle times. In production, customised HMe control software, data storage and analysis gives central management total flexibility for further improvement.
� THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF HIGH PRESSURE CASTING To build the most productive and competitive processes, businesses must consider investing in performanceenhancing equipment. Producing consistent castings with excellent mechanical characteristics and low porosity demands high pressure die casting machines with rock-solid rigidity and stability. Auto makers want the highest quality metal to give structural strength plus easy weldability and riveting. In fact, all aspects of the casting process need to be under review as never before. Energy efficiency, cost reduction per part, sustainability and a clean, safe working environment are growing in importance. A good example is StrikoWestofen’s Westomat dosing furnace and revolutionary new Schnorkle closed transport system. The Westomat dosing furnace requires a fraction of the energy consumed by automatic ladle systems using holding furnaces and has a service life up to 25 years. The Schnorkle light alloy transport system makes accidental overflow or unsafe tilting a thing of the past when transferring molten aluminium to the dosing furnace with minimal contact to the atmosphere. StrikoWestofen’s new BigStruc melter is another case in point, developed with emerging aluminium needs in mind, it can melt extremely large, thin walled returns of up to 2.5m². It is exceeding foundry expectations with the very high metal yields achieved and very low energy consumption – perfect for today’s more complex automotive structural castings. Meanwhile, developments such as Italpresse Gauss’ ECO-FIT system also support energy-saving ambitions. ECOFIT Mode and ECO-FIT Plus regulate
die casting machines’ hydraulic pumps to lower energy consumption, reduce hydraulic fluid temperatures and lower noise levels. This helps to save energy, reduce costs and create a cleaner working environment.
� INVESTING IN ALUMINIUM INNOVATION Wheelabrator’s compact new SPH-23/8 spinner hanger blast machine was developed specifically for aluminium applications and excels at descaling, deburring/deflashing and cleaning aluminium parts. Based on an existing multi-purpose model, it now has considerably increased blast power and abrasive throughput with a lighter, slimmer design that again suits compact aluminium production environments perfectly. Wheelabrator’s DS and DV manipulator shot blast systems were likewise designed specifically for the high-end production of complex light metal castings. With advanced integration and automation capabilities, their highperformance manipulator shot blast systems can blast clean, descale and shot peen components of different shapes and sizes without the need for re-tooling.
� SAND CASTING FOR FLEXIBLE ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION Green-sand moulding is another highperforming option for aluminium casting within Norican’s portfolio. Offering much lower tooling costs and far quicker tool changes, it can have significant advantages over die casting in certain aluminium applications. It can also deliver incredibly fast production speeds of 300 or more castings per hour. For safety-critical components with demanding mechanical requirements, low pressure sand casting is the most suitable solution. A pressurised furnace pumps molten metal into the mould, producing laminar flow that minimises the metal’s exposure to air. This reduces aluminium oxide formation, helping give the part excellent mechanical properties. Easy and efficient cored casting production is another attraction of the green sand process. Well-proven and economic cold box sand core technology makes it simple to produce complex, hollow section and thin walled
aluminium components. That gives designers more freedom to create intricate geometries with closed cross sections and precise wall thicknesses, perfect for components like automotive suspension control arms that have rigorous mechanical and tolerance requirements. As well as being lighter, hollow section parts also consume less raw aluminium. With their unmatched accuracy, machines such as the DISAMATIC D3 and, for bigger castings, the DISAMATIC 240 and 250 are perfect for this kind of demanding production. Where mechanical properties are less critical, gravity pouring can be the perfect aluminium casting solution. With a lower investment, machine ranges like the DISA MATCH and DISAMATIC C3 can rapidly produce large numbers of high quality sand moulds. The DISA MATCH employs patented DISA matchplate technology with the DISAMATIC Blow/Squeeze mechanism that combines speed and flexibility with high precision – the perfect answer for small to medium sized foundries manufacturing parts like flanges, bearing brackets and engine mounts. For example, the DISA MATCH 20/24 can produce up to 180 uncored moulds per hour with a maximum machine related mismatch of less than 0.2mm. A Quick Matchplate Changer (QMC) gives rapid pattern changes (under two minutes) to make short-run production even more efficient. Together, DISA and its Norican Group partners can supply everything from a single moulding machine to a complete foundry. Whether the run size is 50 or 50,000 pieces, or the casting’s mechanical properties are less critical or more demanding, DISA technology opens up new options for efficient aluminium casting production.
� COMBINED CREATIVITY FOR PROFITABLE ALUMINIUM CASTING As auto makers adopt more compact designs and reduce the number of steps in vehicle production, aluminium moulding, die casting and finishing will only become more challenging. Cast structural parts are becoming larger, flatter and more complex, with intricate shapes and thin walls. They must meet higher mechanical performance requirements, combining great strength
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Future of Foundries
and rigidity with low thickness. Innovation is the only way to stay ahead in this competitive world – and light alloy casting is certainly competitive. Innovation is a trait all Norican brands share and Norican Group is well positioned to support foundries as they pivot towards these new business prospects. With all four brands working in partnership, the Group is supercharging
its learnings and development to produce exciting new seamlessly integrated technology. As well as being a global source of integrated best-of-breed aluminium casting solutions, the Norican Group network is boosting its service levels in countries like China, which means improved local support response and parts supply. Engineers are close at hand to support
customers and share aluminium casting know-how, helping them to get the best out of their equipment and improve their manufacturing processes. At Norican Group, the aim is to solve current and future challenges by shaping industry. This unrelenting approach to innovation and quality service will ultimately help customers to make the most of the aluminium opportunity.
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Furnaces International March 2019
SUPPLIER PROFILE
Pioneering solutions for tomorrow What makes SECO/WARWICK a global leader in the production of heat processing equipment for metals and a trendsetter in the field of Industry 4.0? For many decades, the SECO/WARWICK Group has been revolutionising the global metallurgical industry by providing equipment and technology to leading companies in the aerospace, automotive, power generation and defence industries. The Group has become recognised around the world and won multiple awards for innovative and reliable solutions. As a forward-thinking manufacturing company that has always been interested in unconventional and innovative approaches, SECO/WARWICK holds a leading position in the field of delivering metal heat treatment systems and services that meet and exceed the growing
expectations of various industries.
Shaping the solid future “Where invention meets reliability” is more than just a tagline, it is a philosophy defining the foundation upon which the company is built. The research and development projects conducted in cooperation with the best technical universities, coupled with extensive experience has positioned SECO/ WARWICK at the forefront of the heat treatment industry, making it a business partner of choice,” said Katarzyna Sawka SECO/WARWICK Group Marketing Director.
Along with heat treatment systems like UniCase Master® (the technology which challenges conventional case hardening methods), ZeroFlow® (nitriding and nitrocarburizing as a method of precise layer creation on machines, vehicles and tool components with minimal ammonia consumption and fugitive gas emissions), the company has developed a set of intelligent tools enhancing production processes through the use of AI, IoT and the latest Industry 4.0 concepts. For example, SECO/PREDICTIVE™, an advanced, intelligent device control system that can detect potential failures before they occur, or SECO/LENS™, a holographic
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SUPPLIER PROFILE
solution based on augmented reality (AR) technology for monitoring, diagnostics or remote furnace repair.
4000 installations, customers in 70 countries, solutions for all industries With over 4000 installations and business partners in 70 countries, SECO/ WARWICK customers produce wide variety of components including gears, landing systems for aircraft, turbines, aircraft engine elements, heat exchangers in aircraft and automobiles, surgical instruments and coins. Complete solutions and modern technology enable SECO/WARWICK’s partners gain a competitive advantage in the industry. Analysts at Technavio, a leading global technology research and advisory company, point out “The growth of metal heat treatment technology can be attributed to its extensive use in the automotive and aerospace sectors. This technology also has wide applications in the competitive manufacturing sector, where companies need to manufacture
superior quality products with high precision to satisfy the expectations of customers.” SECO/WARWICK Group, as one of the leading heat treatment equipment manufacturing companies, provides customized solutions, specifically for aircraft manufacturers, which enables integration into their production lines. Nearly 70% of the Group solutions are intended for the aircraft and aerospace industries. Only regular implementation of product and technology innovations and attention to detail in advanced systems, enable SECO/WARWICK to meet aircraft component manufacturer’s high expectations. In this area, SECO/ WARWICK has proven to be a leader in designing state-of-the-art heat treatment systems for the aviation industry. For example, the company developed a new solution that meets the most stringent AMS standards that ensure complete control over temperature of the treated components in a multi-chamber vacuum furnace throughout the entire
process. The solution was successfully implemented in a two-chamber CaseMaster Evolution® vacuum furnace used for vacuum hardening of aircraft components. Automotive parts manufacturers are also looking for new technologies that will match the changing needs of the automotive market and will be designed according to the latest standards. In today’s fast-moving world, coming up with a better way to reduce downtime in heat treatment operations, discovering more efficient and reliable solutions is a priority and, in many cases, a gamechanger. SECO/WARWICK technology is ready for Industry 4.0 enabling its customers to obtain maximum benefit from smart solutions. To learn more about how the company is involved in shaping the future of heat processing technology, visit SECO/ WARWICK experts at the world’s most important trade fair in the industry, THERMPROCESS, which will be held in Dusseldorf, Germany in June.
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