Aluminium International Today July/August 2016

INDUSTRY NEWS

MINING & REFINING

SECONDARY

ANALYSIS & TESTING

www.aluminiumtoday.com July/August 2016—Vol.28 No.4

THE JOURNAL OF ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING

Y O U R R O U T E T O E F F E C T I V E M I L L C O O L A N T F I LT R A T I O N

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communications@sms-group.com www.sms-group.com

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CONTENTS 1

www.aluminiumtoday.com

Volume 28 No. 4 – July/August 2016 Editorial Editor: Nadine Firth Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855115 nadinefirth@quartzltd.com

COVER INDUSTRY NEWS

MINING & REFINING

SECONDARY

Consulting Editor: Tim Smith PhD, CEng, MIM Production Editor: Annie Baker

2

LEADER

2

NEWS

ANALYSIS & TESTING

2 MINUTES WITH...

www.aluminiumtoday.com July/August 2016—Vol.28 No.4

THE JOURNAL OF ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING

Sales Sales Manager: Anne Considine anneconsidine@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0)1737 855139

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Sales Director: Ken Clark kenclark@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0)1737 855117

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Heidi Brock

PROJECTS & PRODUCTS

Advertisement Production

UPDATES

Production Executive: Martin Lawrence Managing Director: Steve Diprose Chief Executive Officer: Paul Michael

Circulation/subscriptions Elizabeth Barford Tel +44 (0) 1737 855028 Fax +44 (0) 1737 855034­ email subscriptions@quartzltd.com Annual subscription: UK £231, all other countries £251. For two year subscription: UK £416, all other countries £452. Airmail prices on request.

Single copies £42

CHINA - Out with the old thinking

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USA - Challenging China

14 EUROPE - From a plan to reality:

Y O U R R O U T E T O E F F E C T I V E M I L L C O O L A N T F I LT R A T I O N

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Making the Circular Economy happen

Cover picture courtesy of Primetals Technologies

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14

MINING & REFINING 17

Supporters of Aluminium International Today

Upstream investments

SECONDARY 20 Stirring solutions

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24 Aluminium technology sorted 28 European aluminium recycling industry improves

ALUMINIUM INTERNATIONAL TODAY is published six times a year by Quartz Business Media Ltd, Quartz House, 20 Clarendon Road, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1QX, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855000 Fax: +44 (0) 1737 855034 Email: aluminium@quartzltd.com

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ANALYSIS & TESTING 34 Schneider rolling mill filtration: Origins and developments 38 Modern analysis systems

PERSPECTIVES 42 MQP answers

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2 COMMENT

INDUSTRY NEWS - PRIMARY

Sohar hits production record

Ups and downs It has been a strange few weeks here in the UK and while we wait for the dust to settle, it could be some time before we see any sort of impact on the global aluminium industry.

After talking to a number of industry representatives, there is quite a lot of confusion at the moment and it seems the future will very much depend on the individual circumstances of UK companies.

As with everything in life, there is likely to be some winners and some losers. Unfortunately, when it comes to football, England is far too familiar with the latter!

I won’t pretend to know anything about football, so it is probably best that I stick to knowing what can be found inside this issue of Aluminium Internatioanl Today.

Paul Adkins, Managing Director of AZ China, presents China in a different light in an update on page 10, while this theme continues in a US update, which looks at challenging oversupply and the impact on aluminium prices.

It’s not all doom and gloom, as there are also interesting technical articles on furnace stirring technologies and automated sorting in a ‘Secondary’ feature starting on page 20.

Finally, a detailed feature on ‘Analysis & Testing’, highlights modern analysis systems for the aluminium industry and the problems primary plants are experiencing because they are still relying on old technology on page 38.

I hope you enjoy the issue. nadinefirth@quartzltd.com

Sohar Aluminium, the largest non-hydrocarbon industrial venture in the Sultanate of Oman, achieved a new production record in 2015.

Aluminium production reportedly jumped from 363,528 tonnes in 2014 to 377,186 tonnes last year - the highest annual output in the company’s history.

According to reports, this was achieved by operating at the highest amperage - 389kA at the end of the year, at targeted current efficiency and operating pots levels,

and a production rate of 2,879 kg Al/pot/day - amongst the best in the world for this technology and amperage, the company said in its newly released Sustainability Report 2015.

“To achieve this feat, all departments across the smelter operated at significantly better levels than in previous years.

The plant also achieved its best specific energy efficiency in the last five years at 13.7 kilowatt-hours/kilo. With the completion of the AP 39 lining, the

plant is well on its way to operate at around 400kA efficiently. Metal purity levels improved significantly through the year contributing to outstanding customer satisfaction,” it stated.

Set up in 2004, the $2.4 billion venture is the product of a partnership between Oman Oil Company (40%), Abu Dhabi National Energy Company-TAQA (a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority) (40 per cent) and Rio Tinto Alcan, a global leader in aluminium.

EGA: Bauxite mine in Guinea Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) will begin construction on a major bauxite mine in the Republic of Guinea, to secure supply of the high-quality raw material for its primary aluminium production facilities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and create a new, substantial revenue stream through exports to Asia.

EGA announced it has received final approval from its Board of Directors to launch the first phase of the mine, to be managed through its subsidiary, Guinea Alumina Corporation (GAC). The project will develop an initial 12 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) bauxite mine in the Republic of Guinea, where the company holds a concession on more than 1 billion

tonnes of bauxite. The project will also include the construction of a dedicated export terminal at Port Kamsar and upgrades to existing rail infrastructure for in-land logistics. Guinea holds the world’s largest and highest quality reserves of bauxite.

The mine is scheduled to begin production in 2018, with plans to export bauxite via Port Kamsar to the Middle East and Pacific markets. The development of this bauxite mine builds on EGA’s strategy to integrate its current smelting operations with worldclass upstream assets, thus reducing its dependency on third-party suppliers for critical raw materials.

EGA is also currently constructing the UAE’s first alumina refinery, on

a site adjacent to its Al Taweelah Operations’ aluminium smelter in the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD).

The 2 Mtpa alumina refinery will reduce EGA’s dependency on alumina imports by more than 40%.

Century: New power agreement Century Aluminum Company has renegotiated a market-based agreement with a third-party supplier to provide approximately 75% of the power requirements for the Mt. Holly, South Carolina smelter.

The remaining 25% of Mt. Holly’s power requirement will continue to be supplied by Santee Cooper. The new market-based power agreement will allow Mt. Holly to continue to operate at half capacity while it seeks a com-

petitive long-term arrangement.

“We are proud of the team at Mt. Holly, who have operated the plant safely and efficiently during these highly uncertain times,” commented Michael Bless, Century’s President and CEO. “We have regrettably not been able to achieve an agreement for full market power access; such a structure is required for Mt. Holly’s longterm competitiveness. We have achieved this current milestone due to the highly competitive na-

ture of the wholesale power markets and cost reduction measures.

“We are hopeful that additional consideration of this complex matter in South Carolina will enable Mt. Holly to purchase its full power requirement from the competitive market,” added Bless.

“Full access to market power will see Mt. Holly run at maximum capacity, rehire 300 employees and restore the $500 million in economic impact that was unnecessarily lost.”

July/August 2016

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INDUSTRY NEWS 3

www.aluminiumtoday.com

APPOINTMENTS Constellium intends to open a new manufacturing facility in Mexico to produce aluminium automotive structural components.

This plant, located in San Luis Potosí, will allow Constellium to respond to increasing demand for lightweight, high-strength aluminium Crash Management Systems and automotive structures for the expanding auto industry in Mexico.

The automotive industry expects that nearly five million vehicles will be produced annually in Mexico by 2019, making it one of the largest markets for automobile production.

Constellium plans to invest approximately $10 million in the 5,000m2 facility, which may be expanded to 13,000m2 in the future to adapt to customers’ supply needs. The company expects to initially employ approximately 100 people in San Luis

Constellium: New facility Potosí, which is centrally located to support current and new customers across Mexico. The facility is expected to start production in 2018.

The San Luis Potosí plant will complement Constellium’s growing footprint in North America for the fast expanding market of automotive structures. Last year, Constellium announced it would build a new manufacturing facility for automotive structures in Bartow County, GA, which is expected to start production in 2017. Constellium doubled manufacturing capacity at its facility in Van Buren, MI, in 2015 and has enhanced advanced prototyping and development capabilities to better serve

automotive customers in North America.

“The San Luis Potosí plant is an important step in our development in North America and will allow Constellium to expand its business into one of the most significant automotive markets in the world,” said Eric Krepps, Constellium’s General Manager of Automotive Structures for North America.

“By bringing our advanced manufacturing processes to Mexico to be near our customers’ assembly plants, we have a new opportunity to support automakers in their mission to make vehicles lighter, thereby improving fuel economy and lowering emissions.”

Constellium new CEO

Constellium has announced recently appointed Constellium Executive Director, Jean-Marc Germain will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer effective July 11, 2016.

Jean-Marc will succeed Pierre Vareille, who announced his retirement earlier this year. Pierre will work closely with Jean-Marc to ensure a seamless transition and will serve as an advisor to the Board.

New Outotec CEO

UC Rusal Joint Venture UC Rusal and Hebei Joy Sense Cable Co., Lt (HJSC) have signed an agreement to establish the joint venture (JV) ‘JSC Rusal-Hebei Joy Sense Cable Special Aluminium Products Co. Ltd. Investments’.

At this stage, the Partners will invest USD 1 mln dollars and will make further investment decisions on completion of the feasibility study.

JSC Rusal-Hebei Joy Sense Cable Special Aluminium Products Co. Ltd. is established in the form of

Sino-foreign equity joint venture with equal ownership stakes of 50% between the Partners. The JV will be a production and sales company with the production located at HJSC’s facilities in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, 300km from Beijing. The existing facilities will be developed and modernised to meet the manufacturing requirements of the JV. The JV will produce aluminium cable products for modern power supply, such as high-temperature

cables for overhead transmission lines made of aluminium-zirconium alloy produced under Rusal’s license, cabling and wiring products for solar and wind energy, and more. The JV will be able to process 72 thousand tonnes of aluminium wire rod per year at full capacity. On top of cabling and wiring products manufacturing and sales, the JV’s scope of business will include research, development, provision of technical services and client support.

Talex casthouse operational The Talex casthouse, which started operating in February 2016, was built as a turnkey plant by Hertwich Engineering. After the (now completed) first expansion stage, the annual output will be around 30,000 to 40,000 tonnes of extrusion billets.

Two extrusion lines were set up in the first stage, along with a casthouse for extrusion billets.

In addition to recycling scrap from the company’s own production and scrap from the co-operation partner Gulfex, molten metal from the adjacent smelter will also be

processed.

The material supplied by Hertwich includes a charging machine for scrap, featuring a charge weight of up to three tonnes, an Ecomelt-PR80 multi-chamber melting furnace, a casting furnace with a capacity of 30 tonnes, equipment for melt refining, a cooling water plant and a vertical casting machine, including Hycast GC (gas cushion) moulds.

Hertwich’s supply scope also comprised a complete continuous homogenising line including an ultrasonic testing unit and a sawing

and packing station.

The plant has been designed for the subsequent integration of a second casting furnace and a batch-type homogenising unit.

As a result, the plant’s planned capacity and alloy variation will be reached in the final stage.

Outotec’s Board of Directors has appointed Mr. Markku Teräsvasara as Chief Executive Officer. He will commence in his new position on November 1, 2016 at the latest.

Markku Teräsvasara is currently President of Atlas Copco’s Mining and Rock Excavation Service Division. He has been employed

by Atlas Copco since 1997.

Egrilmezer to leave Sapa Tolga Egrilmezer, executive vice president responsible for strategy and business development, has decided to leave Sapa.

He will stay on until October 31, at the latest, to ensure a good transfer of knowledge to the organisation.

Sapa has initiated a process to find Egrilmezer’s successor, who will be responsible for creating a group strategy team in addition to ensuring that innovation is a key driver across Sapa’s business areas going forward.

July/August 2016

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4 INDUSTRY NEWS - SECONDARY

NEWS IN BRIEF 20th ARABAL announced Top executives from primary aluminium smelters in the Gulf region will participate at the 20th Arab International Aluminium Conference (ARABAL 2016) in Dubai, UAE, from 22 to 24 November 2016 as part of an industry keynote panel discussion Commenting on his own participation in the industry keynote panel discussion at ARABAL 2016, Abdulla Kalban, head of EGA, said: “It is always a pleasure to share the stage with industry colleagues and to have the opportunity to promote the excellent work being done in our region’s aluminium industry.

“This, along with the varied and interesting topics covered during the rest of the conference programme, will make for an extremely productive few days for the industry.”

Hydro recycling upgrade Hydro’s aluminium recycling plant in Luxembourg hosted royalty, government officials, and business leaders on June 1 when it unveiled an extensive upgrade with production and environmental benefits.

Hilde Merete Aasheim, Head of Primary Metal, Roland Scharf-Bergmann, Head of Recycling, and Clervaux Managing Director Ludovic Dardinier hosted the ceremony.

His Royal Highness le Grand-Duc Héritier of Luxembourg and Prime Minister Xavier Bettel were invited.

The €15 million upgrade has two key features: It allows the plant to take in more post-consumed aluminium scrap and increase output to more than 100,000 tonnes per

year. It will also lower energy consumption.

“One recycling plant alone doesn’t save the world. But this expansion is one contribution and one step in the right direction,” Aasheim told the gathering.

“The investment means increased and improved recycling capacity so that we can save more post-consumed scrap and get it back into the loop again. By recycling, we save energy.

And, when making new products with this aluminium, for instance replacing heavy steel parts and making cars lighter, we help save fuel and emissions in the use phase.”

Taking the best from the con-

Recycling pavillion

Alcoa separation progress Alcoa has announced a major milestone in connection with its pending separation into two strong standalone, publicly-traded companies.

Alcoa Upstream Corporation has filed an initial Registration Statement on Form 10 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Alcoa Corporation will hold the Upstream and North American packaging businesses.

The Value-Add businesses will remain in the existing company, which will be named Arconic Inc. The separation is on track to be completed in the second half of 2016.

MetalX appointment MetalX LLC, Waterloo, Indiana, has announced that auto and aluminium industry veteran Kevin Moore has joined the company, effective immediately.

As a senior marketing executive, Moore will be focused on managing aluminium trading activities for scrap and refined products, hedging and risk management, scrap agency and industrial management programs and corporate strategic planning.

July/August 2016

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veying systems, the decoating technology and developing a new way of submerging the 6060 shredded alloys, the Clervaux plant is considered a pioneer in the aluminium remelting business.

The two original melting furnaces were replaced by one new melting furnace of a proven design also used at Deeside in Wales, Azuqueca in Spain, and Henderson and Commerce in the U.S. Then, one of the current casting furnaces was converted into a second melting furnace. Both furnaces will feed into the other current casting furnace, which itself has been increased to a larger capacity.

New aluminium casting facility Magna International Inc. will build a new aluminium casting facility in Telford, United Kingdom, to support Jaguar Land Rover.

The facility will be approximately 225,000 square feet and will create up to 295 jobs at full capacity. Working with the UK Trade & Investment and the Automotive Investment Organisation, along with financial support from the UK Government’s Regional Growth Fund, helped to secure this project. Construction is expected to start in the autumn of 2016.

Once production begins in 2018, the facility will use Magna’s high-pressure vacuum die casting process to produce a number of advanced lightweight aluminium castings – a key building block in the next generation all-aluminium

and multi-material vehicle architectures. By using these types of castings, Magna helps automakers deliver maximum strength and stiffness and minimum weight, ultimately achieving better fuel economy, safety and handling.

“We are excited to work closely with Jaguar Land Rover in the development of this project which will bring the most advanced structural casting technologies to the UK,” said John Farrell, President of Cosma International, an operating unit of Magna International.

“As lightweighting continues to be a key technology driver, we are uniquely positioned to help automakers achieve optimal weight savings throughout the vehicle architecture.”

The organisers of ALUMINIUM 2016 have announced that the upcoming event will feature a Recycling Pavilion.

In Hall 11, which primarily addresses the topics of primary production and recycling, the trade fair organisers have set up a special area with a themed pavilion where companies specialised in recycling exhibit their solutions for reclaiming aluminium scrap.

The Recycling Pavilion targets scrap dealers, sorting line manufacturers, shredding plants, remelters and secondary aluminium vendors.

Aluminium International Today

7/13/16 12:18 PM

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6 INDUSTRY NEWS - END USER NEWS IN BRIEF Hydro & Sapa agreement Norwegian aluminium company Norsk Hydro ASA’s fully owned subsidiary, Hydro Aluminium AS, has entered into a sales agreement with Sapa AS, owned 50%

by Hydro, to supply extrusion ingot under an open-ended agreement starting in 2017.

The agreement covers extrusion ingot in Europe, and replaces the existing contract, which was entered into at the closing of the Sapa Joint venture in 2013, and expires by the end of 2016.

Alro invests in saving energy Alro S.A. has an investment programme of more than USD 53 million, for 2016, focused on increasing energy and equipment efficiency and on expanding portfolio, increasing competitiveness and product quality.

The investment programme for 2016 includes the increase of scrap processing capacity of the Eco Casthouse, such as to reach a capacity of 90,000 tons per year.

Aluminium Hive The Hive in Kew Gardens will bring 17,000 aluminium bars to London.

Artist Wolfgang Buttress describes the amplified sound of bees communicating as “haunting” and he has built The Hive, a 17m-high swarm of aluminium among a wildflower meadow where visitors can hear a honeybee chorus beamed direct from a hive and see it transformed into a pulsating light display.

The Hive started out as the British offering to last year’s world expo in Milan, where more than three million visitors experienced it before it was taken down and shipped back to the UK. It will be open to the public at Kew Gardens until the end of next year.

www.aluminiumtoday.com

3D metal powder plant Alcoa has opened a 3D printing metal powder production facility.

Located at the Alcoa Technology Centre, the world’s largest light metals research centre, the company will produce proprietary titanium, nickel and aluminium powders

optimised for 3D printed aerospace parts. Alcoa also has invested in a range of technologies to further develop additive processes, product design and qualification.

Metal powders used for 3D printing durable, high-quality aer-

Sapa adds value

Aluminium in buildings is crystal

Sapa is consolidating its position in the aluminium extrusion sector in France by investing in new value-added services in Le Garric.

Sapa opened its new 2,400 square-metre machining workshop on 20th May 2016. The workshop provides additional production capacity to expand its machining capabilities and enhance its product line.

The capacity will allow Sapa to offer more complex parts to current and future customers, says Gilles Le Bouquin, managing director of Sapa Extrusion France.

Sapa invested approximately EUR 2 million in the industrial facility, including new equipment.

Prague’s desirable Vinohrady district has got a striking new addition to its skyline – The Crystal offices, a project that demonstrates how far boundaries can be pushed with aluminium curtain walling to create original spaces and bespoke shapes.

High-performance, bespoke glazing solutions were essential to ensure the building’s design features could be met. Its unconventional curtain walling was a unique system from Reynaers, based on its CW 86-EF aluminium curtain wall solution. By using a

ospace parts are available in limited quantities. Through this expansion, announced in September 2015, Alcoa will develop materials with the specific properties needed to 3D print high-performance components.

modular façade, a complete skin for the entire Crystal building was produced. Reynaers’ multi-chamber, high insulation CS 86-HI aluminium floating windows were also included in the build.

$120M auto finishing line Novelis has celebrated the commissioning of its third automotive finishing line in Oswego, N.Y. Installed to support the production of stronger, lighter and safer vehicles, the line represents Novelis’ latest investment

of $120 million to expand highstrength aluminium alloy supply for Ford F-Series trucks, America’s best-selling truck for 39 years and best-selling vehicle for 34 years.

The third and newest automotive finishing line in Oswego will

produce aluminium sheet for the body and cargo box of the all-new 2017 F-Series Super Duty lineup, helping to reduce the overall vehicle weight by up to 350 pounds so the all-new Super Duty can tow and haul more than ever.

2016 DIARY August 10 - 12 MMMM 2016

October 03 - 06 ICSOBA*

Now in its 11th year, the event is sponsored by The Indian Institute of Metals – Delhi Chapter (IIM-DC). www.mmmm-expo.com

The International Committee for Study of Bauxite, Alumina & Aluminium (ICSOBA). www.icsoba.org/icsoba-2016canada

September 27 - 29 31st Iternational Aluminium Conference*

22 - 24 ARABAL* Arab International Aluminium Conference held in Dubai, UAE. www.arabal.com

29 - 01 ALUMINIUM 2016*

ALUMINIUM is the world’s leading trade show and B2B-platform for the aluminium industry and its important application area.

It brings together producers, Metal Bulletin’s flagship aluminium The 22nd International Industrial manufacturers, processors and conference has over three decades Exhibition will be held in Moscow. suppliers. of experience. www.metal-expo.ru www.aluminium-messe.com www.metalbulletin.com/events *Pick up a free copy of Aluminium International Today at this event

November/December 08 - 11 Metal Expo*

For a full listing visit www.aluminiumtoday.com and click on Events Diary July/August 2016

Nadine july aug.indd 4

Aluminium International Today

7/13/16 12:18 PM

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2. Frequently asked question about your job?

How can I get my hands on one of those new Ford F-150 trucks and/or how many craft beers are now in cans?

3. Biggest topic that needs addressing in the industry?

The US and Chinese governments must work together to address the negative impact of China’s aluminium overcapacity and market-distorting subsidies.

The situation is bad for the global aluminium market, the environment and for the reputation of our industry.

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1. What is your first and last job of the day?

I begin my day by checking my phone for emails that came in overnight – then I head out for a walk with our family dog and think about the day ahead before heading into the office.

At the end of the day, I help put my son Sam to bed. That’s my favourite job of the day.

4. Someone you admire?

My father who passed away five years ago. He was a private practice attorney in my home town of Walla Walla, Washington, who was proud to represent people whose voice might not always be easily heard. Some of his clients could not always pay his bill, so he was regularly accepting alternatives like pigs, cows, or chickens.

I can vividly remember one day when three pigs got out

Heidi Brock* of the pen in our backyard and escaped down the road…

5. Proudest moment?

Watching my son Sam, at the age of five, ride off on a twowheel bicycle. It is an amazing thing to watch your child, who up until that point had always been dependent on you, move so confidently and independently.

Another proud moment was experiencing the ordination service of my husband Charles as he became an Episcopal priest.

6. Something we don’t know about you?

The time my dad agreed to represent a migrant family who had come to town for farm work in the area. They needed legal assistance, and in exchange for his services, my dad asked if they would take me to work with them in the onion fields, to pick and top onions. It was hot and dusty in those fields and I didn’t speak Spanish. That experience taught me a lot about respect for all people, and the value of hard work.

7. Funniest work memory?

We have a good time as a team.

One memory in particular that stands out – helping cover the work station of a colleague who was recovering from a sports injury in bubble wrap.

She loved it! We have pictures! *President & CEO, Aluminum Association July/August 2016

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PROJECTS & PRODUCTS 9

The aluminium industry is constantly embarking on new projects and developing new products. In this new regular feature, Aluminium International Today will present the latest announcements in these areas. If you’d like the opportunity to be considered for publication, please contact nadinefirth@quartzltd.com

Anode rod identification and indexing The correct installation of a new rodded anode into the pot cell is of critical importance. VHE of Iceland has developed and installed an anode rod indentification and indexing system.

VHE‘s marking system is installed after the rodded anode storage area at the delivery point to the pot rooms. The indexing process is initiated by the potrooms requesting an anode for a specific cell. Two lines are marked on the anode stem using VHE’s powder chalk marking technology. The first is a fixed index line, always marked at the same height from the top of the anode, and provides a manual stand-by option.

The second line is marked at the correct position for the pot stall in which it is to be inserted, this data being available in realtime from an Oracle database. At the same time, a bar code and six-digit numeric code identifying the potroom, cell, and stall is laser-printed onto a coated area near the top of the stem.

A check-system reads the lines and barcode to ensure correct placement and readability and the indexed rodded anode is then automatically delivered to the correct potroom.

Ma’aden selects Quintiq for business planning transformation program Quintiq, a Dassault Systèmes company has announced that its planning and optimisation software solution has been selected by Ma’aden Aluminium to facilitate a business planning transformation program.

Ma’aden Aluminium wanted to switch from volume-driven to demand-driven production planning. To achieve its targets, it needed planning software that could integrate internal planning processes, improve information flow and support optimal decision-making.

Ma’aden Aluminium chose Quintiq’s solution for its scalability and optimisation capabilities as well as its successful track record in the industry.

The solution will optimise the aluminium producer’s internal processes and guide its employees on industry best practices and strategies.

It will provide Ma’aden Aluminium with greater visibility of its supply chain, identify and reduce bottlenecks in production, and

develop expertise in pull-through production.

Quintiq’s scenario planning capabilities will enable Ma’aden Aluminium’s planners to handle disruptions effectively while its KPI dashboards ensure that they see the impact of their planning decisions on business goals.

Indalum extrusion plant order

Indalum S.A. ordered a complete extrusion plant with a 3,100 ton, nine inch front-loading press from Danieli Breda for its facility in Monterrey, Mexico.

The extrusion line will include log storage and pusher, log heating furnace, log saw, billet loader, profile quenching unit, roller table and fly-cut saw system, stretcher, cut-to-length saw, and ageing furnace. The new press will extend the company’s product range at the Monterrey facility, which already provides casting, extrusion, and anodising and painting capabilities.

The front-loading press features a hydraulic system equipped with new ESED technology and includes three axial piston main pumps, each equipped with VFD-Variable Frequency Drive to optimise energy. The press is designed to ensure the high quality of the end product, producing profiles up to 500mm x 250mm.

The unit comprises four cooling zones that use air mist as the cooling fluid. It utilises a light and compact design and a tunnel is divided into four different areas, which help to guarantee optimal profile cooling and excellent profile microstructure homogenisation. The cooling tunnel, which operates by mixing water/air, is designed to control the Continuous Cooling Precipitation (CCP).

The quenching unit has excellent cooling efficiency with low power consumption, and the cooling gradient can be continuously and automatically adjusted to reach the ideal cooling curve depending on the specific alloy and the specific profile design, thus maximising the mechanical properties of the end-product.

CAN-ENG installation

SensoTech establishes Chinese subsidiary in Shanghai

CAN-ENG Furnaces International Limited has installed and commissioned a 6000 lb/hour Continuous Mesh Belt Atmosphere Furnace System for Metex Heat Treating Limited, of Brampton, Ontario, Canada.

This new system was commissioned for the hardening and tempering of high volume fasteners and includes a computerised loading system, mesh belt controlled atmosphere hardening furnace, oil quench system, mesh belt tempering furnace, pre and post wash systems and a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system integrating enhanced features to support compliance with CQI-9 guidelines.

Under the name SensoTech (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. the German industrial company SensoTech has announced the opening of the Chinese subsidiary in Shanghai.

SensoTech’s business focuses on the development, manufacturing and sales of analytical instrumentation technology for liquid concentration and density measurement in industrial and research applications.

The branch in Shanghai intensifies the sales activities and cooperates closely with SensoTech’s Chinese distribution partners, that have been active in sales for many years.

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10 CHINA UPDATE

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Out with the old thinking

By Paul Adkins*

Hongqiao’s 600KA pot

To many people, China is a place that should not be making aluminium. The traditional thinking has been that China - with its scarce energy, meagre bauxite supply and high operating costs – is a high cost swing producer of last resort.

That’s the old thinking. The reality is quite different.

The aluminium world first took notice of China at the turn of the century. In those days, there was little to no information on what was going on inside the country. China had been using Soderberg technology and some plants were handme-downs from Russia. I recall one senior market analyst told me he used to estimate China’s metal capacity by studying satellite and aerial photographs of smelters. We knew next to nothing about what was going on in China.

All that changed in the second half of the last decade and nothing highlights the change more than the play by Rio Tinto to buy Canadian aluminium company Alcan. At the time, the thinking was that China would be a huge net importer of aluminium, and companies were looking

to position themselves as the supplier of all that metal. After all, China was scarce on electricity, and the growth of China’s economy would outstrip the ability to ramp up metal production – or so some people thought.

Hindsight is an easy tool, but even since we all learned that China would not be the importer we thought it would, still some people insist that China is a high-cost producer with an unsustainable supply model. It is only three years ago that Alcoa President Klaus Kleinfeld described China as a separate universe. He and the aluminium community had accepted that China would not be a major importer, but still clung to the notion that China is somehow different. Yet it was only months later that China’s exports of metal started to catch everyone’s attention. The international aluminium community went from wanting to be a supplier to China to finding themselves competing against Chinese metal in their traditional markets.

As more metal entered the market, delivery premiums fell as fast as complaints about China rose.

Yet even today, I see people describe China as a high-cost producer, and one that is not really a world leader in the way that other regions appear to be.

There are high cost producers in China, of course, just as there are in the rest of the world. There are smelters in China that still use old technology, just like elsewhere in the aluminium world. There are smelters in China that run at 160KA (the government banned plants with lower amperages several years ago), and there are some smelters that don’t have the necessary scrubbing equipment to capture their airborne emissions. And China’s treatment of Spent Pot Linings (SPL) lags well behind world’s best practice. But the same can be said for plants in other parts of the world.

What’s not as well understood is the position that China is taking at the pointy end of the aluminium world. Take Shandong Province for instance. This province produces the most aluminium in China, and is home to some of the best practice smelters in the world. The new Hongqiao plant is a marvel.

*Managing Director, AZ China Ltd July/August 2016

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Where outside China there are just a few dozen pots running at 600KA, Hongqiao (known in China by their parent company’s name, Shandong Weiqiao) has almost 400 pots.

Hongqiao has another advantage apart from the 600KA technology (which was developed by a Chinese company). Their total cash cost of production sits at below US$1500 per ton. That puts them in relatively good standing in terms of the world community of potline cash costs.

They can achieve this because they have very good arrangements for the supply of electricity. They pay less than half the average cost of electricity for all Chinese aluminium.

But if you think Hongqiao is a world leading company, then have a look at their neighbour, Shandong Xinfa. The Xinfa smelter in Shandong province also boasts 600KA technology, which they launched just a couple of months ago.

What’s more, Xinfa pay even less than Hongqiao for their electricity. Xinfa’s electricity cost is under US$20 per KwH. AZ China estimates Xinfa’s total cast cost of production to be under US$1,400 per ton.

Here are two Shandong companies that together produce more than 12% of the

Hongqiao is proud of their new plant, which features 370 pots running at 600KA.

entire world’s aluminium, and do so at costs which many smelters outside China would love to achieve, using technology that most practitioners inside the world’s aluminium industry have never even seen.

Other Chinese plants using the latest technology and with low costs of production, will soon join these two plants.

Shandong Province is the largest producer of aluminium today, but provinces such as Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia are growing rapidly. Inner Mongolia is home to a smelter that will house 3 million tons capacity on a single site – double the world’s biggest single site smelter today.

Amid all the focus on China’s exports of metal, especially semi-fabricated products, we tend to miss the fact that behind the

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scenes China is quickly transitioning into a leading producer in more ways than one.

In this context, it will be interesting to see how China shapes the aluminium world in coming years. Will we see the International Aluminium Association move headquarters to China? Will the LME continue to be the leading exchange for a metal that mostly made in one country?

Will we see Chinese aluminium companies take on leadership roles in the same way as we have seen Alcoa and Rusal do in the past? And will the paradigms about China aluminium linger, or will the old thinking be replaced?

China has gone from being an unknown quantity to being an unheralded world leader in aluminium technology and costs.

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July/August 2016

7/13/16 9:37 AM

12 USA UPDATE

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Challenging China The current state of the U.S. aluminium industry is clearly a tale of two industries. While its downstream, end use markets have experienced 36% growth in demand over the past six years, with shipments approaching records not seen since the mid-2000s, the story is quite different upstream, with producers hit hard by global overcapacity and other trade issues. Myra Pinkham* explains

Heidi Brock, president and chief executive officer of the Aluminum Association has called the situation for such upstream producers as aluminium smelters and alumina refineries as ‘urgent’.

In her April testimony before the office of the U.S. trade representative, Department of Commerce and other U.S. government agencies in a hearing on the situation of the global steel industry, Brock observed that since the beginning of 2015, eight U.S.-based aluminium smelters, representing about 60% of total U.S. primary aluminium capacity, have either curtailed production or have closed, resulting in the loss of nearly 3,500 U.S. jobs.

Matt Meenan, a spokesman for the Aluminum Association, points out that while the trade group’s 2016 Economic Impact of the Aluminum Industry study indicated that the number of U.S. aluminium industry jobs increased compared with those in 2013, which is when a similar study had been conducted, that is not the case for the upstream sector of the industry.

According to the study, which was prepared by John Dunham Associates for the Aluminum Association, the total number of direct U.S. aluminium industry jobs increased 3% to 160,888 jobs in 2016 compared with 156,744 jobs in 2013. But that was bolstered by a jump in downstream employment, Meenan points out. The number of jobs at smelters and alumina refineries has actually declined 58% to only 5,379 in 2016 compared with 12,787 in 2013.

Recent idling of capacity has left only four U.S. smelters operating, with some

of them doing so at capacity utilisation rates at or below 50%. Leo W. Gerard, international president of the United Steelworkers union, in an April press briefing following the USW’s Section 201 petition, which it quickly withdrew due to objections to such action by the marketplace, said it is possible that some of the remaining smelters might not even be able to make it through the summer.

This, Gerard says, comes on the back of a “breath-taking” growth in Chinese primary aluminium production capacity, which skyrocketed from only 2.5 million metric tonnes in 2000 to more than 32 million tonnes in 2015.

Brock observes that just last year, China’s primary aluminium production capacity grew by nearly 12%. “This kind of growth wasn’t warranted by the conditions in the marketplace globally and certainly not in China,” she says. “The Chinese economy has slowed, as has its demand for aluminium, but the Chinese government’s employment policies and manufacturing sector subsidies continue to drive the build up in overcapacity.”

At the same time, imports of Chinese semi-fabricated products increased 183% from 2013 through to the end of 2015, Meenan notes. And even though year to date they have come down about 23%, they are still considerably higher than they had been in 2014, indicating that the problem still hasn’t gone away.

“The bigger issue, however, is the global oversupply of aluminium,” and the impact that it has had upon global aluminium prices, Meenan says. The average monthly three-month LME bid price was $1,584 per metric tonne as of mid-June. While

that was up from its recent low $1,479 per tonne in January, it is still 8.2% lower than it had been a year earlier.

There have also been claims of transhipments, including some mislabelling of products. “We believe that this has happened with both aluminium extrusions and coil,” Charles Johnson, the Aluminum Association’s vice president of policy, says.

“The problem is that major gaps in oversight and enforcement have created opportunities for some Chinese producers to deliberately misclassify primary aluminium as semi-fabricated to avoid export duties and take fraudulent advantage of the 13% value-added tax (VAT) on value-added exports,” Brock said during her testimony.

“There is also evidence that some of this surplus metal is entering the U.S. and global market through the transhipment and relabeling of aluminium products in third countries in order to circumvent anti-dumping and countervailing duties placed on their products by major trading partners.”

She observed that while from 2009 to 2012 U.S. exports of primary aluminium increased almost 5% per year; last year they fell about 11% at the same time as Chinese aluminium imports to the United States jumped nearly 31%.

“Also something that is unique to our industry is that there has been allegations that some fabricated parts, which are being called fake semis by some people, are being exported by China to other countries as a means of getting additional primary aluminium out of China given the overcapacity there,” Johnson says.

*US Correspondent July/August 2016

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Chinese overproduction of aluminium extrusions has also impacted U.S. extruders, notes Jeffrey Henderson, president of the Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC), who maintains that due to Chinese policies of greater exportation, more aluminium extrusions are pouring out of China. “We have requested that both the U.S. Commerce and Customs Departments investigate this.” The Customs Department could potentially initiate criminal charges, while any charges by the Commerce Department would be civil in nature.

Henderson says the U.S. government is already investigating such practices with 5000-series extrusions, but the AEC is also asking them to look into China’s exportation of aluminium pallets. “We believe that the pallets being shipped aren’t really pallets, but extrusions,” he explains.

“It is all due to the overproduction of aluminium in China,” which Henderson says has led to the country to flood the world with aluminium extrusions, including through transshipments to the United States, where there are antidumping and countervailing duties in effect. “It is a state-owned industry and that industry is being very creative how it exports products,” he maintains.

The Aluminum Association is advocating the negotiation of an agreement between the U.S. and Chinese governments to address the aluminium oversupply issue.

Meenan admits that the trade group has just begun to address this issue as it is something that hadn’t been on its radar screen until about 12 to 18 months ago.

“The steel industry is a little further along when it comes to negotiating Chinese production cuts,” Johnson says.

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In fact, during the U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue held June 6-7 in Beijing, China had made certain steelrelated concessions, although some steel companies are not totally convinced that it will follow through with their promises.

In a statement issued at the conclusion of the meeting, Jacob “Jack” Lew, secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department, wrote: “China is to adopt measures to strictly contain steel capacity expansion, reduce net steel capacity and urge the exit of steel production capacity that fall short of environment, energy consumption, quality or safety requirement standards according to laws and regulations.” He also stated: “China is to actively and appropriately dispose of ‘zombie enterprises’ through restructuring, debt restructuring, bankruptcy and liquidation.”

Johnson says there were, however, no such concessions for aluminium despite discussions about aluminium overcapacity and the December pledge by China’s Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CNIA) to curtail some primary aluminium capacity and to not add any new capacity in 2016.

Regarding this, Lew said in the statement, “While regrettably we were not able to come to common understanding of the global aluminium excess capacity situation, the United States and China will continue to hold discussions on excess capacity in this important sector.”

There will be several opportunities later this year for further discussions, including at the Sept. 29 public hearing that is part of U.S. International Trade Commission’s Section 332 investigation into the global aluminium industry and competitiveness of the U.S. aluminium producers. Meenan says there is also a good chance that it will

be on the agenda of the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade meeting to be held this December.

The Aluminum Association, as well as other trade associations in the Manufacturers for Trade Enforcement coalition, is also actively opposing China’s designation as a market economy upon the 15th anniversary of the country becoming a member of the World Trade Association (WTO) this December, as, such designation could take away some of the tools that the U.S. government currently has to enforce its trade laws, Meenan says.

“Our industries can compete against any other market-oriented competitors, but we cannot compete against the Chinese government,” Brock said in a statement issued upon the formation of the coalition in March.

“The Chinese economy does not meet the basic requirements set forth by U.S. statutes and the Department of Commerce for a functioning market economy,” she maintains.

“And we will work together in this coalition to speak loudly, and with one strong voice, to prevent China from gaining a status that it does not yet deserve.”

“We are proud that China’s aluminium overcapacity has been elevated as an important issue by both U.S. elected and non-elected officials,” Meenan says.

“It is a big challenge. It is something that will be with us for a while, but we are committed to see this fight through,” he says, stating that the association believes that it isn’t just domestic companies that are being impacted by global overcapacity.

“It isn’t good for the Chinese industry either. It is something that needs to be dealt with.”  July/August 2016

7/13/16 9:37 AM

14 EUROPE UPDATE

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From a plan to reality: Making the Circular Economy happen Last year the European Commission adopted a package of legislative proposals aimed at creating a real circular economy in Europe, in which waste is used as a valuable resource to foster growth and jobs.

Today, Europe is in an excellent position to lead the transition to a circular economy and to grasp its full potential, providing that the legislation sets the right framework. And aluminium certainly has a central role to play in the transition to a circular economy, as it can be endlessly recycled without losing its properties or quality. Here, European Aluminium talks to Aluminium International Today

Last year the European Commission adopted a package aimed at creating a circular economy in Europe, in which waste is used as a valuable resource to foster growth and jobs. Today, Europe is in an excellent position to lead the transition to a circular economy and to grasp its full potential, providing that the legislation sets the right framework.

Aluminium has a central role to play to shift to a more sustainable and resource effcient economy.

Aluminium has gone circular long before we started thinking about the idea of a circular economy: it creates the opportunity for multiple recycling. All that we preserve will remain in service, a real incentive to do the best we can. Today, lerady more than 90% of the aluminium used in cars and buildings is recycled and 7 out of 10 beverage cans stay in the loop. On top, recycling aluminium saves energy: based on the fact that recycling aluminium saves up to 95% of the energy required to produce primary aluminum,

recycling 1 million tons in Europe would save the equivalent of the annual energy consumption of countries such as Latvia or Luxembourg.

The European Commission’s proposal provides a solid basis to build a more resource efficient economy. However, efforts are necessary to improve collection and sorting systems and invest in efficient and innovative infrastructures and technologies. Administrative barriers to the free movement of waste continue to hinder the internal market for waste.

European Aluminium’s campaign, boosted by digital communications, aims at accelerating the transition to a cost efficient way of enhancing the collection of all valuable materials, stimulate innovation and investment and ensure free and fair competition at global level.

During the 2016 Spring meetings, European Aluminium organised a public event called “Circular Economy: From a plan to reality: making the Circular Economy happen”. EU Environment Commissioner Vella gave an inspiring keynote speech to an audience of more than 180 participants from European institutions, industries, civil society and NGOs. He praised the commitment of the aluminium industry and its leading role linked to the circular economy stating, “Let’s look at the implications for the aluminium industry. As I said at the outset, you are an important partner in making the circular economy a reality. Aluminium is infinitely recyclable, and it doesn’t lose any properties during the recycling process.”

The Commissioner confirmed the need to further invest in new technologies and

maximise recycling rates: “[Aluminium] demand is also growing. That means that there are very obvious benefits to closing the loop and maximising recycling wherever possible”. Moreover, Vella did not hesitate to welcome European Aluminium’s decarbonisation efforts: “I know that we are on similar wavelengths here. Your Sustainability Roadmap for the Aluminium Industry for 2025 and the Aluminium 2050 Roadmap to a LowCarbon Europe both apply the principles of a circular economic model.”

A first panel, with representatives from Guala Closures, Airbus and Scholz Group, demonstrated the circular economy in practice. Panellists agreed that the circular economy is already in place in critical sectors such as mobility and packaging, but more measures should be considered to improve the collection and sorting phases and enhance the access to aluminium scrap in Europe. Stimulating innovation, fighting illegal exports and ensuring a level playing field with global competitors on recycling process standards are top priorities for their business.

A second panel focused on the need for an adequate legislative framework.

German Member of the European Parliament Reinhard Bütikofer (Greens) recalled the European Parliament’s commitment to enforce an ambitious package with mandatory targets. The Dutch Presidency of the European Union – which has put the circular economy on the top of its agenda for the first semester of 2016 – sees its capacity to both reduce Europe’s environmental footprint and modernise industry. To reach the full potential of the circular economy,

www.european-aluminium.eu July/August 2016

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balancing environmental benefits and industrial competitiveness is critical.

SMEs are an important lever to make the circular economy happen. Besides, the package includes incentives measures to stimulate the innovation with a budget of 650 million euros under the Horizon 2020 programme.

The 2017 International Aluminium Recycling Congress is the next milestone for the aluminium sector to further explore the opportunities presented by the circular economy. The Congress entitled “Recycling at its best: the circular economy opportunity” will take place on 7-8 February 2017 in Manchester, UK.

The Congress will engage participants on topics relating to market trends, innovative technologies, applications and the latest political developments in the field of aluminium recycling and circular economy.

It will also include a visit to Hydro’s plant located in Deeside. 

Interview with Gerd Götz, European Aluminium Director General AIT: Circular Economy is not a new concept to the aluminium industry. In this new proposal, what is at stake for your industry?

Gerd Götz: Aluminium can claim to be a permanent material, one for which the inherent properties do not change during use and the repeated recycling phase into new products. Recycling is a very tangible way of how our industry contributes to a more sustainable and energy efficient economy.

Our industry is agile, innovative and eager to transition to a circular economy.

Recently, our members opened two big recycling centres, bringing the total to more than 220 recycling plants across Europe. This is a strong basis on which to further build the circular economy.

Now we need to consider how to accelerate this process through legislation and voluntary initiatives from the industry. We need greater cooperation between Member States and enforcement of legislation.

AIT: What challenge do you see for the aluminium sector?

Gerd Götz: One of Europe’s weakness is to rely too much on imports of raw material, so shifting to a more resource efficient way of producing goods would reduce this dependency. Worldwide demand is growing for both aluminium and aluminium scrap. Consequently, since 2002, the EU has been a continuous net exporter of aluminium scrap year-on-year, with a peak in 2009 during the global crisis. In 2011, around 1 million tonnes of aluminium scrap was exported to non-European countries.

More than 80% of this scrap headed to Asia, with 37% destined for China and 28% to India. If the European industry had access to the exported aluminium scrap, recycled aluminium within Europe could be close to 10% higher than current levels.

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AIT: Concretely, what do you expect from the Circular Economy proposal?

Gerd Götz: We have informed the European institutions of our three key recommendations. First, we need a cost efficient business model to maximise the collection of all valuable materials.

Second, we need all actors of the recycling value chain to innovate and invest in more efficient collection, sorting and treatment technologies. And finally, free and fair trade is fundamental: we need a level playing field with global competitors ensuring that European environment, health and safety standards set a benchmark for other world regions.

The European Commission’s Circular Economy package is a balanced proposal, but now the European Parliament and Council of Ministers need to take steps to ensure a global mindset, effective enforcement and strong recycling ambition.

AIT: How does it relate to the aluminium industry’s sustainability agenda?

Gerd Götz: Today’s industrial commitment to sustainability can only be

credible if there is a tangible plan with a vision, objectives and examples. With the Sustainability Roadmap towards 2025, launched in April 2015, the European aluminium industry demonstrates that sustainability is engrained in its values and vision of the world. It is a set of voluntary commitments that go beyond the legislative requirements on sustainable production, applications and social welfare for the whole value chain.

The Sustainability Roadmap is a clear commitment to support a new business model that would reconcile sustainability and growth objectives in Europe. How could we claim to lead on the circular economy without a clear and strong sustainability agenda?

We have collected some of the best practices in the aluminium sector that showcase our contribution to today’s challenges, and more will be shared at our Recycling Congress in February next year. The Recycling Congress will gather experts in recycling, economists but also policy makers and academics.

Check out the programme here: www.alueuroperecyclingcongress.eu

July/August 2016

7/13/16 12:20 PM

ALUMINIUM 2016 11th World Trade Fair & Conference

Visions become reality.

29 Nov – 1 Dec 2016 Messe Dßsseldorf, Germany www.aluminium-messe.com Organised by

Partners

MINING & REFINING 17

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Al Taweelah Alumina and Straddler Crane

Upstream investments With many of the world’s aluminium producers no longer owning bauxite and alumina resources due to consolidation activities, the export market for resource owners has grown exponentially over the years – as evidenced by recent increased prices for the commodities.

In a quest to mitigate the associated risks by securing its own raw materials, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has diversified its asset base through upstream investments.

A two-pronged approach has been taken: (i) bauxite mining in the Republic of Guinea (RoG); and (ii) alumina refining in the UAE and RoG. Good progress has already been made.

Bauxite mining Guinea Alumina Corporation S.A. (GAC), a wholly owned EGA subsidiary, is mandated to develop a two-phased project in RoG. In Phase I, GAC will develop a 12 Mtpa bauxite export mine; upgrade an existing rail network; and construct a new, multiuser Kamsar Container Terminal (KCT) at Port Kamsar, capable of accommodating Cape-size vessels (10,000 Deadweight tonnage) – the latter designed to de-risk logistics and the supply chain significantly.

Mechanical completion of the KCT commercial quay was achieved in April 2016.

A Social and Environmental Impact Analysis (SEIA), prepared to International Finance Corporation and African Development Bank standards, was approved by the government of RoG in January 2016. An FEL3 Banking Feasibility Study for Phase I was completed and submitted in June 2016. Phase I was officially announced the same month.

The project is divided into eight Engineering, Procurement and Aluminium International Today

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Construction/Lump Sum Turnkey plus several equipment supply packages. The procurement process is at an advance stage, with normalised bids available from multiple vendors per package. The conventional, open pit bauxite mine is due to begin operations by 2018, with all production destined for sale to third parties.

When operating at full capacity, Phase I will process approximately 5 million tonnes per annum of Guinean bauxite into alumina. The bauxite will be shipped from Port Kamsar to the EMAL berth in Khalifa Port and the residue will be filtered, transported and dry-stored in an area located 35km inland of the refinery.

EGA’s decision to invest in RoG is attributable to a major extent by the country’s wealth of mineral resources.

RoG is home to over 7 billion tonnes of bauxite reserves – equating to 27% of the world total. Moreover, Guinean bauxite is among the best quality in the world, particularly in terms of high alumina grade and low silica levels, making it highly exportable. The GAC project is centred on a high quality, export grade bauxite deposit in excess of 1.3 billion tonnes in the Boké region of north-western Guinea, right at the heart of the bauxite reserves.

Importantly, the GAC project is transformational for Guinea. The SEIA mentioned above reflects the significant benefits to the RoG community through the development of local skills, job creation

and corporate social investment activities in the country. In the last two years, GAC has funded the training of over 300 young Guineans in the fields of masonry, carpentry, electricity and mechanics. The business has also constructed nine schools and six health posts; drilled more than 40 wells; and delivered health awareness programmes on HIV/AIDS, malaria and Ebola to over 175 local community members. The development of the commercial quay at Port Kamsar will also unlock other regional opportunities for bauxite and agricultural exports, as well as material imports.

Alumina refining EGA also wholly-owns Al Taweelah Alumina, which is mandated to develop, the UAE’s first refinery. The project, adjacent to Al Taweelah Operations and Khalifa Port, is being designed and built in two phases, using the highest local and global standards. The refinery process design for Al Taweelah Alumina is an adaptation of the standard Bayer Technology, as employed in most modern alumina refineries. Raw materials other than bauxite will be sourced either domestically or abroad, including caustic soda in liquid form, dry lime, chemical reagents and acid for cleaning purposes.

Phase I, currently under construction, will have a nameplate capacity of 2 Mtpa, which will meet 75% of the annual alumina requirements at Al Taweelah Operations.

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18 MINING & REFINING

The project scope includes facilities for bauxite unloading, storage, crushing and grinding, digestion, clarification, mud washing and filtration, heat interchange, evaporation, precipitation, hydrate classification, seed and product filtration, calcination, and alumina handling. Offices, control room, switch-rooms, laboratory, change house and a canteen will service the refinery, along with associated utilities including an electrical power distribution, distributed control system, sea water, process and potable water distribution.

Steam and power, seawater, potable water, process water, fire water and gas will be provided by upgraded facilities at Al Taweelah Operations.

Limited Notice to Proceed with Phase I was issued on 1 October 2014, with Full Notice to Proceed following on 4 May 2015, after approval of an SEIA by the Abu Dhabi Environmental Agency in early-2015. EGA has appointed top leading technology suppliers who will work in collaboration with skilled local construction and service companies to construct the refinery.

Bechtel-Petrofac Joint Venture (BPJV) is the appointed EPCM contractor, Rio

Tinto Alcan Limited (RTAIL) is the Refinery Technology Provider, including Start-up & Operations Assistance, and Hatch Pty Ltd & Outotec Pty Ltd Joint Venture (HOT) is the Digestion Design Technology Provider.

Good progress has been made already, with 23.4% of the overall development and 60% of engineering work completed by end-April 2016. The current execution plan is targeting first alumina production in the first half of 2018.

Al Taweelah Alumina Phase I will consume an estimated 4.9 Mtpa of bauxite. For this purpose, EGA has signed a contract with Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée (CBG) for the supply of 5 Mtpa bauxite (to be shipped from Port Kamsar, RoG, to the Al Taweelah Operations Berth at Khalifa Port, using Cape-size vessels).

Al Taweelah Alumina aims to be the reference refinery worldwide by using the best available technologies and best in class practices for bauxite residue management. The bauxite residue July/August 2016

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Kamsar Quay

produced by Phase I (approximately 2.4 Mtpa) will be filtered, then transported by truck from the Al Taweelah Refinery to a dry-store area located 35km inland of the refinery complex. To go beyond application of existing best practices and with support of array of stakeholders, EGA will embark on a comprehensive programme of work on bauxite residue research and development and explore opportunities to reuse bauxite residue in commercial and industrial applications.

In keeping with EGA’s commitment to sustainability practices, Al Taweelah Alumina has embraced best practice alumina refining technology and environmental design to minimise energy consumption, emissions, noise levels and waste footprint. The construction, commissioning and operation of the refinery will adhere to the highest environmental and safety stansdards, and will be fully aligned to the specific requirements of operating in the UAE. Synergies within EGA’s existing facilities will further support the economic and environmental profile of the refinery.

Importantly, Al Taweelah Alumina will contribute substantially to the UAE’s economic diversification strategy by accelerating the development of the aluminium cluster in Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (where Al Taweelah Operations is the anchor tenant); and increasing the socio-economic impact of industry through job creation. It is envisaged that Phase I will add US$ 270 million to the UAE’s annual GDP and create several hundred jobs for UAE Nationals, with an Emiratization target of 18% by 2017.

With a total project budget of US$ 3.0 billion, committed value to date stands at approximately US$2.0 billion with about US$1.0 billion award, purchase and commitment to be completed. More than 60% of the investment will be spent within the UAE.

EGA plans to double the capacity of Al Taweelah Alumina in Phase II. This will cater for more than 80% of the alumina requirements of EGA’s midstream operations. The land use of the site has been designed to allow for the construction of three equal phases.

Then there’s Phase II of the GAC project in RoG, which will entail the development of a 2 Mtpa alumina refinery. EGA’s current plans are for first alumina production in the second half of 2022.  Contact www.ega.ae

Aluminium International Today

7/13/16 12:24 PM

ADVERTORIAL 19

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New Product: Pyrometer AMETEK Land, the leading industrial infrared non-contact temperature measurement specialist, has developed an innovative new pyrometer that provides high accuracy and a three-in-one capability specifically for aluminium applications, including extrusion press exit, extrusion press quench zone, and aluminium strip mills.

The SPOT AL EQS (SPOT Aluminium Extrusion, Quench and Strip) pyrometer is an extremely flexible instrument with pre-configured algorithms that make it especially suitable for use at the extruder press exit and quench position as well as at mill entry and exit positions in hot rolling mills. In addition, the pyrometer’s algorithms can be customised and tuned for bespoke applications and specific aluminium grades.

Richard Gagg, Global IR Product Manager for AMETEK Land, said: “The SPOT AL EQS is a revolutionary new pyrometer, designed for even greater accuracy and convenience. It incorporates Land’s 35 years of experience producing high-accuracy, reliable temperature measurement equipment for the aluminium industry. We are confident that we have developed a temperature measurement solution that will optimise efficiency and achieve cost savings for aluminium producers, who now no longer need separate pyrometers at different points in the aluminium process.”

Cristiano Baiano, Automation Engineer at SAPA Profiles UK, said: “The implementation of the SPOT AL EQS across a number of our manufacturing sites has better enabled us to meet the exacting standards of our automotive customers. We were impressed with how easy it was to integrate the technology into our control system. We now have more information available for our operators to make better informed decisions.”

This latest addition to the LAND range of SPOT pyrometers was specifically designed to work in low emissivity environments where regular pyrometers might struggle to provide accurate and reliable readings. It has the ability to measure a wide temperature range from 200o to 700°C / 392o to 1292°F. Utilising the latest, cutting-edge temperature detector design in combination with the most-advanced data processing algorithms, Land has created an extremely accurate and repeatable pyrometer with an industry-leading response time.

Incorporating the latest digital communication capabilities, the SPOT AL EQS can be configured remotely through a dedicated webserver and with Power over Ethernet (POE) capabilities is able to communicate data over Ethernet through a variety of different protocols (TCP-IP, Modbus TCP, DHCP, http, udp and ICMP). This further ensures that, along with the traditional 4-20mA/0-20mA output signal, the SPOT AL EQS can be easily integrated into any plant control infrastructure.

SPOT AL EQS works straight out of the box and can be installed by just a single person, offering greater convenience and ease of use. If the sensor is in an inaccessible location, SPOT AL EQS has a remote viewing capability to verify alignment and ensure a high level of accuracy. A built-in camera aids alignment, which, combined with a green LED, allows the user to position the measurement point in an optimal location to avoid ambient lighting reflections. Data from the SPOT AL EQS is available remotely as snapshots using free SPOT Viewer software or standard web browsers.

SPOT pyrometers are designed for high accuracy, high reliability, simple installation, configuration and flexible digital communications. They can be easily interchanged with other AMETEK Land pyrometers and other manufacturers’ equipment. All processing functions are integrated into a single pyrometer, making them suitable for use in all sized plants.

Designed in close collaboration with industry-leading aluminium producers and plant control system engineers, the SPOT AL EQS pyrometer is helping lead the way in improving aluminium extrusion and strip plant throughput, quality and energy efficiency. This latest AMETEK Land temperature measurement instrument already has demonstrated its ability to provide immediate data for process improvement.

AMETEK Land (www.landinst.com) is a business unit of AMETEK, Inc. a leading global manufacturer of electronic instruments and electromechanical devices. Land designs and manufactures a wide range of instruments for industrial non-contact temperature measurement, combustion efficiency and environmental monitoring.

For additional information, contact AMETEK Land, Stubley Lane, Dronfield, UK, S18 1DJ, tel +44 (0)1246 417691, fax +44 (0)1246 410585, email land.enquiry@ametek.com, website: www.landinst.com/press_releases/ametek-land-launches-latest-generation-digital-multi-mode-pyrometer-for-the-aluminium-industry--2

For more details, visit www.landinst.com/products/spot-al-eqs and www.spotthermometer.com or email land.enquiry@ametek.com Aluminium International Today

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Stirring solutions A critical review of aluminium furnace stirring technologies with a focus on electromagnetic stirring.

By Rob Morello*

Over the past 15 years the industry has witnessed a proliferation within the field of stirring technology for melting and holding furnaces. This increase in available technology has culminated in a situation where it is sometimes difficult to see ‘the wood for the trees’ when selecting the appropriate technology for your furnace.

Fifteen years ago the issue was – Do you need to stir a furnace rather than what to stir it with; advances in stirrer technology however has led to a different way of thinking in the present day.

This editorial will examine why melting furnaces need to be continually stirred and then look at why one Electromagnetic Stirrer is not necessarily the same as the next.

ALTEK has been ever present during the evolution of furnace stirrer technology and as a result has been involved with all types of pumping or stirring technology (Metallic graphite pumps, EMP, mains frequency linear induction technology, low frequency air cooled linear induction and also Permanent Magnet stirring and pumping technology. In 2004, ALTEK undertook a detailed study of Permanent Magnet stirring and pumping technology in association with the Institute of Physics in Latvia.

Qrad gas

Qrad wall

Why continually stir a furnace?

Why choose an electromagnetic stirrer?

A furnace should be stirred to assist the melting of scrap within an aluminium melting furnace. When considering what the electromagnetic stirrer is doing in terms of assisting the melting of scrap within an aluminium melting furnace, it is sometimes easier to relate it to the ‘Iceberg’ with the submerged scrap looking very much like this image.

Fig 1. Picture showing the ‘Iceberg’ effect of submerged scrap

If the scrap never became submerged within the aluminium bath then there would be no need to stir the metal, as radiated heat to the exposed scrap is the most efficient mode of heat transfer.

The exposed scrap pile at the beginning of a melting cycle is ‘melted’ by means

Qbath refl

of the well-known radiated heat transfer (Q) effect from the burner and the hot refractory (T4 effect). Qtot = Qrad_gas + Qrad_wall If we take the typical dry hearth melting furnace represented in Figs 2 and 3, you can see the effect of the scrap pile from its initial charge, reducing as the liquid heel develops and part of the scrap is submerged. In some furnace operations this is done through successive charges (laying scrap on the sill to pre-heat and then push into the bath as it develops (typical of many extrusion melting furnaces for example).

This submerged part of the scrap pile has a colder outer boundary layer that insulates the scrap from the warmer bath (heel). The aluminium bath has its hottest aluminium at its surface (due to the heating effect of the combustion space above it) and becomes colder the lower you go in the bath. Without stirring, the submerged scrap would take a very long time to melt down as it relies on conduction and convection heat transfer.

Stirring the bath breaks this limitation and the heat transfer is greatly increased by convection effects. This is valid if the stirrer technology in place generates a horizontal flow pattern. The EM stirrer uniquely

Qrad gas Step 1

Qbath absorb

Conduction + convection

Step 2

Qrad total = Qrad gas + Qrad wall Qrad total = Qbath absorbed + Qrad reflected

Fig 2. Furnace heat transfer diagram

Step3

Fig 3. Generation of a liquid heel on a dry hearth melting furnace

*Technical Sales Engineer & Marketing Manager July/August 2016

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SECONDARY 21

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Temperature

740 720 700 680 660

350 0

50

100

150 Seconds T’bas°C

200

250

300

350

T’haut°C

Fig 4. Graph showing the rate of temperature homogeneity between the top and bottom of the bath in a 65T melting furnace

utilises the relatively high density and low viscosity of aluminium to generate lots of eddy currents in the melt. This creates a turbulent flow mixing the melt also in the vertical direction. This strong ‘mixing’ has several positive benefits: 1. The heat penetration depth into the aluminium bath is increased and consequently the melting performance will be improved.

2. The bath surface is ‘cooled’ down increasing the temperature difference between melt and roof and the heat-pick up (Stefan Bolzman equation) leading to a better utilisation of the energy from the burners.

3. In addition, this colder bath surface is less prone to oxidation, thus reducing dross generation.

To achieve these benefits, the following conditions must be met: 1. There must be liquid, which can be stirred.

2. The liquid must be super-heated, otherwise it cannot melt other metal.

3. The stirrer must not be blocked by solid metal.

With the stirrer the thermal stratification differences inside the aluminium bath are usually very quickly equalised as figure 4 shows correctly (some graphs published show an equal trend of the lower and upper temperatures which is not correct).

Can you have any stirrer on any furnace?

Clearly the furnace type is an important factor in determining which stirrers are appropriate for an application. A round top charge furnace with a basement would utilise any of the bottom mounted stirrers whether tilting or static, if tilting furnace certain systems would not be appropriate from an installation or practical operational point of view.

Stationary furnaces with no basement would require side stirring and there are a variety of products available for that application. It is important to look at the stirring pattern, the starting heel requirement, the ability to control in the cycle at different intensities, space availability around the outside walls Aluminium International Today

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of the furnace, clearance and access requirements for maintenance and installation and impact zone of the magnetic field.

Side well furnaces can benefit from conventional pumps and also allow for side stirring technology to be applied quite successfully. Again, location of the stirrer to ensure correct flow pattern to maximise impact on melting the scrap and mixing the bath for homogeneity, are important factors to consider along with many identified in the previous paragraph.

Twin and Three chamber furnaces tend to utilise pumps for flow between the two chambers, but stirrers have also been used to aid further homogeneity through the whole bath depth to ensure effective heat flux in the metal being transferred by the pumps.

It is a common misconception within the industry that all stirrers have the same stirring pattern in the furnace. This is an incorrect assumption as the flow patterns have significant variations. A water cooled stirrer has quite a different flow pattern in the bath compared to air cooled stirring technology due to the design of the coil and the method of driving the current to the coil. Permanent Magnet stirrers also have quite different flow patterns as these are revolving drums that have a continual and fixed magnetic flux intensity.

the furnace, whether this be for melting scrap, alloy additions or simply mixing the metal to gain homogeneity. Each device can deliver quite a different result. Linear flow as depicted in the Figures below is far more effective at melting scrap and by carrying the frequency of the applied 2 or 3 phase current to the inductor and also the current, allows for both the speed of flow and the intensity of flow to be varied during the cycle.

Type of Stirrers  Water Cooled Induction Stirrer (Low Frequency 0.2 to 2Hz)  Air Cooled Induction Stirrer (Low Frequency 0.2 – 2Hz)  Water Cooled Induction Stirrer (Mains Frequency – 50/60Hz)  Electromagnetic Pump (Mains Frequency – 50/60Hz)  Permanent Magnet Stirrer

Why is the flow pattern within the furnace important?

The flow pattern is important when aiming to achieve certain objectives within

The big difference in the induction stirring units is their operational frequency.

For the inductor’s magnetic flux field to penetrate the full refractory thickness of a standard furnace and the physical stainless steel plate, this needs to be a low frequency type device (air or water cooled). These devices can penetrate refractory/steel combined thicknesses in excess of 700mm and still deliver a powerful magnetic field in the aluminium bath to which there are many examples of this around the world.

The higher frequency devices will have to work through much thinner refractory thickness (in some cases only a ceramic plate of 50mm thickness), to enable full penetration of the magnetic flux field into the bath. This clearly then gives furnace safety and overall integrity potential issues.

The permanent magnetic field strength is defined by the type of permanent magnets that are installed onto the rotating drum.

There are a variety of permanent magnets commercially available in the market and choice of correct magnets is an important

Fig 5. ALTEK bottom mounted Electro Magnetic Stirrer

Fig 6. ALTEK side mounted Electromagnetic Stirrer

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Velocity streamline 1.03

Velocity 1.641

Velocity streamline 1.03

1.232

0.77

0.77

0.824

0.52

0.52

0.415

0.26 0.00

v

0

1.114 2.227 3.341 4.454 (m)

Fig 7. Typical linear flow pattern on an ALTEK bottom mounted linear electromagnetic inductor

v

[m s -1]

0.26 0

[m s -1]

3.000 (m) 1.500

Safety considerations One of the main reasons the industry is beginning to turn towards air cooled electromagnetic stirring are issues surrounding safety and maintenance.

Removing the water cooling requirement of conventional stirrers from the basement area under a furnace or next to a furnace has provided operators with the peace of mind if there was ever a furnace break or leak.

Water cooling systems are also prone to leaks and build-up of deposits in the pipes which, should failure occur, causes major repair work and downtime. Operations that have traditionally used water cooled stirrers have now moved over to air cooled stirrer technology.

Installation considerations It is important to establish the location relative to what you are trying to achieve in the above and what space is available.

Common aspects to consider on the different technologies are:  Can I vary the flux intensity during the cycle to suit the particular part of the cycle time to gain maximum efficiency from my investment on my particular application.

Permanent Magnet technology is based on a fixed array of magnets located on a

When choosing a correct location for the stirrer it is important to look at the stirring pattern required within the furnace, the type of furnace operation (dry hearth or heeled), ultimate bath depth, type of scrap to be charged and where it is charged, the ability to control in the cycle at different stirring intensities, space availability around the outside walls of the furnace (for side mount type), or available space in the basement, clearance and access requirements for maintenance etc.

secondary altek.indd 3

3.000 (m) 1.500

[m s -1]

Fig 10. ALTEK’s TYPE 500 stirrer in tunnel beneath multiple furnace operation

drum so has a permanent field that cannot be varied or tuned.  Can I increase the frequency of the field and thereby the speed of flow in the furnace.  Will the magnetic flux field decay or change over time or with temperature.  Will temperature have an effect on the stirrer.  Safety considerations around the stirrer (particularly side stirrer installations) due to the magnetic field. There is a natural decay of the EM field around linear inductors as they are closed type inductors unlike the ‘open’ permanent field in a PM device which will interact with all objects surrounding it.  Cooling systems. How to organise and manage and what is the impact on the stirrer of any unforeseen high temperature events on the life or construction (copper, insulation, magnets/magnetism etc).  Do you need the stirrer to work on multiple furnaces?

July/August 2016

0

Fig 8. Typical linear flow pattern on an ALTEK side mounted electromagnetic inductor

Fig 9. ALTEK’s bottom mounted TYPE 700 furnace to work through 750mm refractory floor

consideration as this will determine both the strength of the magnetic flux field but also the operating temperatures that the device can withstand without irreversible magnetic field decay.

0.00 v

0.006

Operating cost considerations There can sometimes be a misapprehension about energy usage in linear electromagnetic stirrers being very high and having very high electrical operating costs as a consequence compared to Permanent Magnet Stirrers for example.

This is true of the water cooled stirrers which do use more electrical energy than the modern air cooled stirrers and as a typical rule of thumb, the electrical energy cost for the ALTEK stirrer per cycle is about Euro 10 to Euro 15 per furnace melt cycle, so irrelevant in the scheme of the savings that are obtained per furnace cycle with such technology.

Recent data from some of ALTEK‘s installations has shown energy savings (gas) of between 10 and 15% per cycle.

Concluding thoughts Modern low energy air cooled linear induction stirrer technology provides a versatile device for stirring almost all types of aluminium melting or holding furnace.

With operating energy costs almost negligible, in the context of the energy savings attainable, and the flexible ‘in cycle’ controllability of stirring speed, magnetic flux and power, these stirrers provide a very efficient tool for the aluminium casthouse to increase productivity and efficiency.

With the low energy costs, associated safety benefits of not having water under the basement of a furnace, and powerful circulation, understandably the take up in this technology is very strong.  Aluminium International Today

7/15/16 9:32 AM

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Aluminium technology sorted Automated sorting technology is making aluminium recycling worthwhile.

By Frank van de Winkel* The production of aluminium metal has increased over the past decades and observers expect this upward trend to continue. Offering an excellent combination of high strength, formability and corrosion resistance, aluminium is an especially attractive proposition for transport applications – just considering light-vehicle aluminium content alone, the future demand is anticipated to approach almost 35 billion lbs over the next 10 years. This will make its deployment in light vehicles the primary application for aluminium, with 6xxx series alloys comprising 70% of this projected requirement1.

The extraction of primary aluminium is not only laborious and therefore energy consuming, but as we know primary resources are limited. Enhancing the aluminium recycling process plays an instrumental role. Already today it is possible for smelters to gain new and cheaper sources of material by separating aluminium alloys and heavy metals with high precision, so that aluminium purities of 98-99% can be achieved.

Other heavy metals 9.0%

Residue 2.1%

Aluminium wrought 12.3%

Brass 7.3%

Copper 9.1%

Cast aluminium 60.2%

Example of composition of zorba (unsorted), grain size of 10-30mm 1

3

2

Recycling challenges Recycling aluminium presents some specific challenges:  Aluminium bonds tightly with other elements  Alloying elements cannot be removed by metallurgical processing  The only viable way of influencing the composition of molten (secondary) aluminium is dilution with primary aluminium and/or adding alloying elements  Wrought alloys and cast alloys differ significantly in their composition  Copper, iron, zinc, manganese and silicon are the main alloying elements  Mixed fractions can only be recycled in to cast alloys  Within wrought alloys, some specific aluminium alloys will need to be separated

Firstly, it is essential to recycle wroughtand cast aluminium alloys separately.

1 Feeding of unsorted material 2 X-ray camera 3 X-ray source 4

4 Separation chamber

Today, these scrap sources are often collected as a mixed product, or with minimal separation. So where segregation cannot be achieved, mixed aluminium fractions can only be downcycled to produce materials of lower quality and reduced functionality.

Today, many of these scrap sources are often mixed when collected, or only separated to a limited extent. However, sorting technologies/methods are mandatory where the eventual aim is to generate a “high grade” recycling output.

Currently, any mixed aluminium scrap (where different grades are not separated) poses certain challenges to gaining full value from any reuse of the material:  Any contamination with alloys

containing copper, zinc and iron limits the prospects for recycling to casting processes  Within wrought-aluminium scrap, any event contamination with wrought alloys containing zinc or copper makes recycling difficult After separation of aluminium and heavy metals, the aluminium fractions are then recycled or sold to a processor.

Methods of sorting Of the various methods of sorting aluminium scrap, the primary techniques most frequently called upon include hand sorting – not covered here, dense media separation, and sensor-based sorting.

*Business Development Manager Metals at TOMRA Sorting Recycling July/August 2016

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Dense media separation Dense media processing is used to separate metals with different densities, for instance, to separate aluminium from other non-ferrous metals. This process requires large amounts of water and other additives, and both the procedure itself, and the subsequent disposal of the waste effluent generated, place an additional burden on the environment.

Clearly, the process can only be used to differentiate materials with different densities – for example, to remove copper, brass, zinc or lead from aluminium – and thus no alloy separation is possible. The two most common dense medias used as additives are ferro-silicon (FeSi) and magnetite (Fe3O4) which has to be kept suspended in water during the separation process. These expensive facilitators are consumed during the sorting process, and the constant replenishment of such costly components essential to waterbased separation presents some technical challenges.

The dense media mixture must be carefully monitored and managed at all times:  To prevent settlement and keep the additives in suspension;  To constantly maintain all pipes, pumps, etc. in good working order;  To avoid the formation of systemblocking ‘plugs’;  To ensure the water does not freeze (in winter);  To ensure the liquid does not foam, etc.

The potential investment required to install the type of sink-float (dense media separation) processing equipment would be substantial.

Sensor-based sorting Sensor-based sorting can be used for a broad variety of applications because sensors can be deployed to perform different sorting tasks, thus extending the possible menu options. This lowmaintenance sorting technology is always on standby and combines superior precision with high throughputs. In use, sensor technology requires no densemedia processing or additives and can Aluminium International Today

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effect differentiated sorting by density and colour, and even alloys. The clean procedures avoid the risk of pollution by hazardous substances and employ stable technologies which have been thoroughly developed over the last 20 years. In addition, the entire sorting process has a built-in flexibility which allows for adjustments to meet the varied requirements of different tasks and contexts, including the fine-tuning of processes on location.

X-Ray Transmission (XRT) is used to sort metals at high capacity based on their atomic density, irrespective of their surface profile and material thickness. It is commonly used to create a twitch product (fragmented aluminium scrap produced by shredding) from ELVs, and to remove heavy metals from the zorba fraction as well as zinc, copper and ferrous material containing alloyed aluminium. Utilising an XRT-based system, zorba can be easily converted into a furnace-ready aluminium.

As shown at point (1) above, a preSensor-based sorting within the processed input stream, which consists of a aluminium industry single layer of unsorted material, is carried Over the last three years, the sorting of along a conveyor belt at high speed. The different secondary aluminium streams has waiting sensor equipment consists of an become ever more important. In response, X-ray camera (2) plus an X-ray generator TOMRA Sorting has conducted its own (3). This DUOLINE twin-sensor system research and invested a significant amount sends an X-ray stream across the material of resources in order to develop sorting to be separated, and the resultant data is captured and interpreted by two solutions for market requirements.

This continuing programme of innovation independently configured sensors working has resulted in significant success in the in parallel. High-speed data processing aluminium recycling/sorting sector. With instantly determines the precise location, more 60 units sold into the worldwide shape, atomic density, conductivity and aluminium recycling industry – in Europe, other properties of each object. As a Asia and North America – TOMRA Sorting result, the material can be reliably sorted has become one of the leading suppliers of as it enters the separation chamber at (4), sorting units for the separation of different with air jets separating and removing the impurities whilst the cleaned aluminium scrap sources such as: fractions are fed into a bunker.

- Zorba from ELV recycling Maximising the efficiency of such sensor- Taint Tabor from (old) sheet scrap - Extrusion profile scrap (for example, based sorting is primarily a matter of efficient pre-processing of the waste stream

from recycled windows) material. In the above example, magnetic - Used beverage can scrap separation would be used to remove ferrous - Production scrap/new scrap from metal, as well as a screening process to

manufacturing waste split the material into pre-determined grain sizes, eddy-current separation to extract Sorting applications The following descriptions of sorting non-ferrous metal, plus the careful removal applications are based on three different of all lighter material2. scrap sources, and thus respectively designated: Zorba, Taint Tabor/Extrusions What a process-extension might and UBCs. look like: Adding in extension processes after XRTZorba based sorting, it becomes possible to As described by the Institute of Scrap separate and remove free heavy metals Recycling Industries (ISRI), zorba is a mixed (zinc, copper etc.), and also some alloyed fraction consisting of a combination of aluminium products (for example, cast non-ferrous metals. Shredded zorba will aluminium containing copper, iron or zinc). contain mostly aluminium – though in Using sensor-based technologies enables a variety of different grades – and also rapid processing with a high throughput, quantities of zinc, tin, stainless steel, and produces a uniform output of clean, nickel, magnesium, lead and copper. cast-rich secondary aluminium fraction.

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Finished aluminium product after XRT processing After the separation of aluminium and heavy metals, the aluminium fraction is then suitable for recycling and ready to be sold on to a processor.

Sorting the remaining fractions After the aluminium fraction has been separated, the remaining heavy metal fraction presents further commercially viable sorting opportunities.

The appropriate sorting technologies to introduce for these later phases include sorting based on colour detection, or elemental detection using X-ray fluorescence technology to separate the fraction further.

As shown in the ‘process-extension’ diagram, sorting the remaining fractions will yield further quantities of copper, brass, grey metals, zinc fractions and printed-circuit-board fractions.

Sorting units can be combined in automated batch operations to deploy machine configurations at optimal levels of efficiency, thus ensuring maximum operational benefits are achieved from any plant investment.

Taint tabor and extrusion profiles The ISRI specification defines taint tabor thus: ‘Taint tabor shall consist of clean old alloy aluminium sheet of two or more alloys, free of foil, venetian blinds, castings, hair wire, screen wire, food or beverage containers, radiator shells, airplane sheet, bottle caps, plastic, dirt, and other non-metallic items. Oil and grease not to total more than 1%. Up to 10% Tale permitted3.’

The same XRT equipment can be used for sorting this material, but some extra challenges have to be considered.

Firstly, taint tabor is not only contaminated with free heavy metals like copper, brass and zinc, but is also quite likely to be contaminated with heavymetal-containing wrought alloys too.

This additional complication essentially means that the content of zinc, copper and ferrous material present in the scrap must be reduced before the product can be brought up to the standard required for reuse in the production of wrought aluminium alloys.

The solution to this problem is to employ a more-sophisticated version of the XRT system which is able to detect and eject the following materials from the scrap input stream:  free heavy metals  2.xxx (“2-thousand”) coppercontaining aluminium wrought alloys  7.xxx (“7-thousand”) zinccontaining aluminium wrought alloys As a result, the process outputs July/August 2016

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Extension shredder process

Zorba from shredder process*

Heavy metal, aluminium compound

X-TRACT

Aluminium

Ferrous aluminium compound

Magnet

Heavy metal

COMBISENSE and/or X-TRACT Residues

Batch option

Manual control

Finished aluminium product

Printed circuit boards**

Copper**

Brass**

Grey metals/ zinc**

* in different grain sizes; recommended grain sizes: 10-30mm, 30-50mm, 50-100mm ** optional manual check Source: TOMRA Sorting

Element

Share

Al Aluminium

>98%

Si Silicon

>0.5%

Fe Iron

<0.4%

Cu Copper

<0.2%

Zn Zinc

<0.1%

Others

<0.95%

Melt analysis of aluminium after X-tract. Input material: aluminium wrought material like window profiles, etc. results without burn-off and loss. Source: TOMRA Sorting

aluminium fractions of a very high purity where the residual copper content will typically be lower than 0.2%, and where zinc traces are below 0.1%. A full output melt analysis is given as an example in the table below: Problem solving Certain kinds of scrap can present specific problems which must be overcome during the sorting phase. With painted extrusion profiles for instance, some paints contain hazardous substances which could compromise any subsequent recycling process. Using a variety of sensors, TOMRA Sorting equipment can safely identify and eject painted aluminium profiles from the scrap stream, thereby adding value to the residual fractions which would otherwise be lost.

Similar challenges and process apply for UCBs. Conclusion More use of scrap, less energy to achieve planned outcomes while reducing rawmaterial costs In the past, recycling was hampered by limited sorting possibilities. Only “downcycling” was really viable, and this mostly failed to make optimum use of much of the high-grade scrap which was invariably downgraded via the process.

New sensor-based sorting technologies offer enhanced opportunities to sort

scrap into different grades whilst also removing unwanted content. This facility extends the options for the usage of scrap/ secondary aluminium: Higher volumes of aluminium scrap can be recovered and reused, new processes also make it possible to use separated secondary material – once a ‘lost’ resource, and substantial energy savings reduce costs, increase profit margins and contribute to a “green” model which is responsible and sustainable.

Sensor-based sorting will continue to refine and develop alloy-sorting techniques, unlocking even more of the intrinsic value and usage opportunities afforded by scrap and secondary sources.

Customers can now make more use of scrap, need less energy to achieve their planned outcomes, and will be able to reduce their raw-material costs – all of which will help them to promote an even ‘greener’ image.

For aluminium recyclers, the projected automotive-industry demand for aluminium has to be given serious consideration. One clear implication is that the conversion of aluminium-rich material into a furnace-ready product supplied to the secondary market constitutes a very attractive option. However, for many present operators, an audit of their current facilities will show they need to purchase new sorting technologies in order to access this profitable opportunity.  References:

1. Ducker Worldwide, 2014. ‘2015 North American Light Vehicle Aluminum Content Study’, June 2014, commissioned

by The Aluminum Association’s Aluminum Transportation Group (ATG).

2. TOMRA Sorting, 2012. ´Non-ferrous metal segment guide´.

3. Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc., 2015. ‘Scrap Specifications Circular, 2015’.

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Hall 9/I23 Thermo Fisher Scientific Frauenauracher Str. 96|91056 Erlangen|Germany Tel +49 (0) 9131 998 546 | Mob +49 (0) 173 3673263 tracey.sinha-spinks@thermofisher.com | www.thermofisher.com/gauging

Hall 14/12

Hall 11/H31

Turla Via del Pavione 6/8|25050 Paderno FC (BS)|Italy Tel +39.030.6857555 i@turla.it | www.turla.it

Rex Materials Inc 1600 Howell | MI 48855 USA Tel +1 517-223-6827 | Fax +1 517-223-6806 Mob +1 517-974-4337 www.rexmaterials.com

Hall 10/H10 Interpower Induction Ltd |t/a Melting Solutions |250 Lichfield Road | Brownhills | WS8 6LH | United Kingdom Tel +44 (0)1675 470 551|Fax +44 (0)1675 470 645 enquiries@meltingsolutions.co.uk |www.meltingsolutionsco.uk

Hall 13/I50 Combilift Ltd Monaghan | Ireland Tel +353 47 80500 info@combilift.com | www.combilift.com

Hall 12/ F29 Hall 9/C20 Bronx International Pty Ltd |111 Boundary Road |Peakhurst NSW 2210 |Australia Tel + 61 2 9534 4233 |Fax + 61 2 9534 4732 cherylc@bronx.com.au |www.bronxintl.com

Hertwich Engineering GmbH Weinbergerstr. 6 | 5280 Braunau|Austria Tel +43 7722 806 112| Fax +43 7722 806 122 info@hertwich.com | www.hertwich.com

Hall 11 l33

Hall 10/ C24

FIRE RESISTANT HYDRAULIC FLUIDS & HIGH TEMPERATURE GREASES for aluminium industry

Fives Group|France secondaryaluminium@fivesgroup.com www.fivesgroup.com

Condat Lubricants|104 avenue Frédéric Mistral 38 670 Chasse-sur-Rhône|France Tel +33 (0)4 78 07 38 38 | Fax +33 (0)4 78 07 38 00 info@condat.fr | www.condat-lubricants.com

Hall 10/D25 SECO/WARWICK ‘ ‘ Swierczewskiego 76|66-200 Swiebodzin| Poland Tel +48 68 3819800 | Fax +48 68 3819805 www.secowarwick.com

Hall 11,J47

Hall 10/C10

Jasper | Bönninghauserstrasse 10 59590 Geseke | Germany www.jasper-gmbh.de

Hall 10/G10

Altek Lakeside House | Burley Close |Chesterfield S40 2UB | UK Tel +44 (0) 1246 383737 sales@altek-al.com | www.altek-al.com

Quartz Business Media Ltd Quartz House |20 Clarendon Road | Redhill | Surrey RH1 1QX To reserve space in our Sept/Oct show issue please email anneconsidine@quartzltd.com | Tel +44 (0) 1737 855139 www.aluminiumtoday.com

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European aluminium recycling industry improves The European Commission has recently introduced the Circular Economy package in an attempt to make a substantial contribution in the battle against climate change. It will also contribute to redefine business models and boost innovation across industrial value chains in Europe.

Goran Djukanovic* explains Recycling of aluminium and other metals will play a major role in this project and therefore resources and procedures in collecting and processing of scrap must be improved. Europe depends more on imported raw materials than any other continent. Increasing levels of waste recycling will reduce Europe’s dependency on imports and maximise the use of existing resources.

Some two thirds of all aluminium currently produced in the European Union originates from secondary raw materials and that trend is on the rise. Some 4.3 million tonnes of aluminium in the EU is recycled annually, or more than 40% of its total aluminium demand.

“Meeting ambitious EU recycling targets and making the circular economy a reality is the responsibility of the entire supply chain, and will require long-term commitment and involvement throughout the materials sector. Programmes like MetalMatters and Every Can Counts are helping to educate consumers and make recycling part of everyday life, and will continue to be key elements in our industry’s ‘roadmap’ to 2025,” stated Rick Hindley, executive director of Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro).

In 2015, Spain and Serbia joined Every Can Counts, and more countries are expected to adopt this model in the near future. Across the European continent, including other Eastern European countries, Russia and Turkey, some 28 billion cans or 400,000 tonnes have

been recycled. This means that European aluminium can recycling avoids 3.2 million tonnes of GHGs, which is equivalent to the yearly emissions of the population of cities with about 400,000 citizens.

Europe is currently the world leader in aluminium recycling, with more than 90% of aluminium recycled in the construction and automotive sectors and more than 60% in packaging.

Aluminium is already a key contributor to the Circular Economy and can be recycled again and again without any loss of quality (if it contains no impurities).

European remelting and refining companies have the capacity to recycle even more aluminium scrap in the EU, if collection processes were improved and unnecessary exports reduced.

However, waste markets are global and Europe is facing unfair competition for aluminium scrap.

“It is disappointing that recyclable waste still ends up in landfills in Europe.

Recyclable materials such as aluminium must stay in the loop. Landfilling clearly belongs to the linear economy. It should be phased out and replaced with efficient collection and sorting systems as soon as possible,” said Gerd Götz, European Aluminium Association director-general.

Prices for recyclable materials have plummeted because of lower oil prices and reduced demand for them overseas.

It is still more expensive for municipalities to recycle household waste than to send it to a landfill.

The overall recycling rate for aluminium beverage cans in the European Union, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland increased by 1.8% year-on-year to a new record level of 71.3% in 2013, according to the latest data released by the European Aluminium Association (EAA) (February 25, 2016).

EAA considers this result an important milestone on its path towards its voluntary recycling target of 80% by 2020 for used beverage cans.

Although the recycling rate for aluminium beverage cans in Europe is on the increase, more effort is necessary to reach the 80% recycling target set for 2020, insists Maarten Labberton, director of the European Aluminium Packaging Group.

He pointed out the need for more efficient collection, sorting and recycling schemes in countries with less developed recycling infrastructure: “These Member States can learn from best practices in the most advanced countries and should adapt these to their specific needs. Countries should improve existing producer responsibility schemes and move towards modern collection tools based on the scrap value of aluminium cans.”

Manufacturers are working hard to meet the EU's 85% recyclability and 95% recoverability targets. The automotive industry is also in line with the EU's new Circular Economy package - to the extent that it has already ‘embedded’ the circular concept in the majority of its activities across the continent.

*Analyst and industry consultant, Montenegro July/August 2016

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More than 10 million tonnes of automotive waste from end of life vehicles (ELV) are generated yearly in the EU and the values are continuously increasing. ELV wastes are managed by the auto-shredder plants which process ELVs through a series of mechanical and physical operations in order to separate the materials into different streams: Ferrous, non-ferrous, heavy non-metal and fluff.

Ferrous materials, constituting more than 60wt% (percentage by weight), are sent to steel-making plants, while the nonferrous fraction, rich in aluminium and representing slightly less than 10wt%, is processed to separate some alloys.

The EU Circular Economy package would help increase the durability, reparability and recyclability of cars, stated Artemis Hatzi-Hull, European Commission policy officer for the circular economy and waste management. She also expects it will have a ‘positive impact’ on employment in the recycling sector, especially in shredder and post-shredder operations.

In accordance with this Ms. Hatzi-Hull believes new high-tech recycling plants will be established in the near future, equipped with the latest sorting technologies to boost the recovery of e-scrap.

EU car recycling legislation still has its ‘shortcomings’. A major step forward would be the creation of a EU-wide system obliging owners to deregister, together with an obligation to provide proof of the proper disposal of end-of-life vehicles with the corresponding monitoring, experts familiar with this segment propose.

Estimated recycling rates for aluminium foil containers have been found to ‘vary significantly’ from country to country, including: More than 85% in Germany; 65% plus in Italy, 40% plus in the UK, and around 35% in France and Spain.

Recycling of aluminium closures has caught on in Europe, especially Germany, where 85% of closures are now recycled, according to the European Aluminium Foil Association. Italy recycles 65% of

this trend will continue whereas only 9% expect an improvement in the situation.

A quarter of scrap firms foresaw a further downturn in business caused by the continuing weak performance of the whole industry. However, 13% of its members expect that the situation will improve in the upcoming months - at least 3% more than a few months ago.

Taking into account the weak economic dynamics, 21% of traders are planning to reduce their inventories while 15% intend restocking during the second quarter of 2016, concludes the VDM summary.

According to VDM, which represents some 80% of all German enterprises processing and trading non-ferrous scrap, ‘significant’ Chinese overcapacity, weak European industrial production and lower commodity prices have continued to challenge traders and recyclers.

The German automotive industry is showing great commitment to making its contribution to sustainable practices at an early stage in the development and manufacturing process. Based on the recycling rates that have now been achieved and taking into account the effort involved in collecting, processing and recycling the scrap as well as any material losses that occur, the annual saving in greenhouse gases is estimated to be more than 390,000 tonnes of CO2, equivalent to the total fuel consumption of 13,000 newly registered cars on Germany’s roads.

A precise analysis of the shredded aluminium parts and a proper sorting into clear fractions is essential for comprehensive recycling. The metal separation by fractions, using special X-ray equipment and different screening methods, enables the recycling of 30,000 tonnes of high-quality aluminium per year and a reduction of CO2 emissions by more than 200,000 tonnes. This key technology was funded within the framework of the Environmental Innovation Programme of the Federal Ministry of Research and Development.

its aluminium caps, and the UK 45% – which is also the average across Europe.

Encouragingly, even countries with relatively low aluminium closure use such as France and Spain recycle one in three caps.

Germany Germany is a country with an excellent recycling system and has among the highest recycling rates in Europe. It is gradually and constantly increasing recycling rates for aluminium packaging.

The “yellow bin” recycling system functions well and is successful. The most advanced separation technologies, such as efficient eddy current separators, are in widespread use.

The latest available data for recycling rates for aluminium packaging in Germany are only those for the year 2013, showing the rate reached 89%. This means, in regards to further improvements in the last two years, that the current recycling rate in Germany is over 90%. In numbers, Germany uses around 100,000 tonnes of aluminium packaging annually, while it recycles some 93-94 thousand tonnes.

Demand for aluminium cans in Germany is rising after discount supermarket chains Aldi and Lidl decided to sell drinks in metal cans again. The discounters had removed cans from their German supermarkets for some time because of a compulsory deposit scheme requiring retailers to take back empty cans.

Metal recyclers in Germany complain about the economic situation, which is getting worse, according to metal traders federation VDM on the basis of a survey of its members. This industry body said 23% of responding companies claim the present state of business was worse than in April 2015 and is at its worst since 2013.

The survey also shows concern among 50% of recyclers in Germany about the ‘critical state’ of supply of non-ferrous scrap, with one-third anticipating that Closed loop system

Europe = the world leader in recycling Total

CONSUMER PRODUCTS

Rest of the world FINISHING

Middle East

AUTO PRODUCTION

Other Asia Latin America China

ROLLING

North America

PRODUCTION SCRAP

POST-CONSUMER/ JUNKYARD SCRAP

Japan Europe 0

2

4

6

8

10

12

PRIMARY RAW MATERIALS

INGOT CASTING

RE-MELTING

SHREDDING & DECOATING

Recycling production per capita (kg/pers)

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United Kingdom Over the past year, the margins available to companies that melt aluminium scrap into secondary ingots have tightened to almost nothing as supply pressures in scrap markets saw prices ramp up much faster than they did for ingot.

The UK’s national recycling rate of aluminium packaging stands at 55%, an estimated 86,200 tonnes, for 2015, up from the reported a year before at 48%, according to the latest report from Alupro. The organisation is optimistic this could reach the 75% target by 2025. The estimated recycling rate for aluminium drinks cans alone has reached 69% (up from 60%).

According to packaging waste recovery data recently released by the Environment Agency, the “business” recycling rate for all aluminium packaging exceeded its 2015 target of 49% to reach more than 76,027 tonnes.

However, recent research commissioned

by Alupro into the amount of aluminium packaging reprocessed or exported by the UK in 2015, has revealed that the ‘real’ value is approximately 10,000 tonnes more than the official figure released by the Environment Agency (EA). That 10,000 tonnes of material was recycled but not reported by the usual packaging recycling note (PRN) system. Around 69% of aluminium drinks cans are recycled, according to Alupro, but the study suggests it could be even higher.

Moreover, around 6,000 tonnes of aluminium scrap, representing 10% of the total material available for recycling each year, is being exported to countries such as the Netherlands within refuse derived fuel (RDF), according to Alupro. The study was commissioned by Alupro and undertaken by independent environmental consultancy Resource Futures. The “real” 2015 recycling rates announced by Alupro are based on the methodology outlined in the EU’s Circular Economy package proposals.

Programmes like MetalMatters and Every Can Counts are helping to educate consumers and make recycling part of everyday life, and will continue to be key elements in our industry’s ‘roadmap’ to 2025, Alupro stated.

Packaging waste recovery data for the third quarter of 2015 shows that reported aluminium packaging recycling has recorded its highest ever quarterly performance at 23,330 tonnes in the UK. The Q3 results are the direct result of adjustments made to the accreditation process, following lower than expected tonnages in Q1 and Q2, and increasing volumes of aluminium packaging recovered from incinerator bottom ash (IBA) being reported through the July/August 2016

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system. An estimated 18,800 tonnes is required in the final quarter to achieve the 2015-recycling target.

European secondary aluminium producers try to force prices higher European secondary aluminium producers are attempting to force spot prices higher on strong demand from consumers, but the low London Metal Exchange aluminium price continues to thwart those efforts. Metal Bulletin-assessed aluminium scrap and foundry DIN226 diecasting ingot prices were in range €1,600-1,680 ($1,805-1,895) per tonne during most of May, from €1,580-1,680 previously.

However, prices dipped slightly by the end of the month. A German diecaster booked DIN226 ingot at €1,580/mt delivered plus credit for July and August, reported Platts.

He said he had found many producers were not willing to go below €1,600/ mt but that he had received offers from various traders and also from a couple of producers with volumes to sell at below this level.

He said the market for DIN226 was generally “united at €1,600/mt” and that although the range of offers he received was between €1,580-1,620/mt, more sellers offered volumes at €1,600-1,620/ mt.

Offers for DIN226 ingot were expected to be in the region of €1,600-1,620/mt for delivery to Poland and around €1,620/ mt delivered to the Czech Republic, with liquid metal some €60-80/mt higher delivered Germany.

The scrap market has continued to be tight, since “There's good availability but no one wants to sell right now as dealers know good levels of demand are coming,” a German trader said. Merchants are cautious and are waiting for the big demand to come, an Italian trader said.

Margins were being squeezed by low ingot sales prices and rising scrap costs.

Old Cast aluminium scrap was on offer at around €1,250/mt delivered.

ALUMINUM SCRAP PRICES: Update May 26, 2016 Mixed Aluminium Turnings US$ 650/tonne Aluminium Cuttings US$ 950/tonne UBC US$ 800/tonne Old Cast –US$ 950.00/tonne

Source Scrapmonster ( h t t p : / / w w w. s c r a p m o n s t e r. c o m / european-scrap-prices)

A Polish seller said the scrap situation was “uncomfortable” as Old Cast scrap prices had risen by €100-150/mt since January/February when Q2 ingot contracts were being agreed. By contrast, ingot prices have only risen by some €30-50/mt over the past four months.

She said she suspected larger producers would be unwilling to sell DIN226 below €1,600/mt and the majority would be looking for prices at around €1,6301,650/mt as a minimum.

Aluminium alloy is produced using scrap metal, and dealers watch the high-grade primary aluminium contract on the LME for direction. An increase in primary is likely to cause scrap dealers to raise scrap prices.

Recent investments in Europe In October 2014, the leading global aluminium rolling and recycling company, Novelis, opened a US$ 258 million recycling centre in Nachterstedt, Germany, which claims to be the largest in the world. The recycling centre has the capacity to process up to 400,000 tonnes of aluminium scrap annually, turning it back into high-value aluminium ingots to feed the company’s European manufacturing network.

The Nachterstedt recycling facility features state-of-the-art technology for aluminium scrap sorting, de-coating, melting and casting, and gives it the flexibility to process a wide range of scrap types. It said that this would help create a more efficient closed-loop recycling system and increase Europe's domestic scrap consumption.

Hydro Aluminium has recently commissioned a €45 million facility in Germany that can recycle up to 50,000 tonnes of used beverage cans. Situated in Neuss, near Düsseldorf, the facility will recycle a proportion of the 450,000 tonnes (35 billion cans) that are used across Europe each year.

Hydro president and chief executive Svein Richard Brandtzaeg said: “Hydro’s facility in Neuss is the first to adopt a patented, advanced sorting technology for used beverage cans, able to process collected aluminium material with up to 20% impurities – making the new recycling line the best place to be for any used beverage can.”

Hydro is aiming to become climate neutral by 2020. In June, it starts production of its €15 million aluminium remelting plant at Clervaux in Luxembourg, recycling used aluminium products into extrusion ingot for building and construction.

French aluminium product manufacturer, Constellium has completed a €15 million investment in its site located in Decin, Czech Republic, that will enable it to deploy recycling technology.  Aluminium International Today

7/13/16 10:06 AM

Increased confidence The future is in your hands The X-ray source and detector of the Thermo ScientificTM NitonTM XL5 alloy analyzer have been moved closer to the sample, improving LODs and shortening measurement times, especially for light elements such as aluminum.

A wider alloy library increases analytical performance.

And an internal calibration standard ensures accuracy.

Find out more at thermofisher.com/XL5

Š 2016 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of Thermo Fisher Scientific and its subsidiaries unless otherwise specified. 0616

Niton XL5

Fast, light, powerful Lowest levels of detection

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Transformative technology How portable X-ray fluorescence impacts the secondary aluminium industry.

By Jonathan Margalit*

The global market for aluminium has never been greater than it is in 2016. Alcoa, Inc., the largest producer of aluminium in the United States, indicated in January that it expects 6% more demand for aluminium year over year from 2015 to 2016. The industrialisation of emerging markets and growth in the automotive and aerospace industries, among others, has helped drive this trend.

With increasing demand for aluminium in general comes growth in the production of secondary aluminium, or aluminium produced from a mixture of scrap metal and virgin aluminium, a burgeoning market in recent years. As the technology needed to incorporate scrap into the production of aluminium has improved, the benefits to using scrap over primary aluminium have become more widely recognised.

The energy and greenhouse emissions savings alone can reach 95%, allowing businesses to comply with environmental regulations – including the European Chemicals Agency’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation and the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) regulation – without experiencing any loss in quality. One leader in aluminium production, Novelis, has said that it plans to incorporate 80% recycled content into its production by 2020, an important signal that the industry is, indeed, evolving.

The challenge facing secondary aluminium producers is to become more efficient in meeting this growing demand while ensuring the high quality of oftenunknown materials in post-consumer scrap. Compared to the clean, neatly packaged and well-defined alumina raw material that is most familiar to manufacturers, post-consumer scrap brings new variables into the equation.

The exact chemical composition of scrap,

and with it the existence of residual or hazardous elements, may not be immediately known and, as a result, end-product quality, process integrity, safety and regulatory compliance are jeopardised.

Portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) technology has emerged as a solution for secondary aluminium producers who require quick and accurate analysis of the elemental composition of post-consumer scrap.

Inside the technology Technological breakthroughs in XRF spectroscopy have allowed for the design of smarter, faster and – perhaps most beneficial for any professional dealing with scrap – smaller instrumentation.

The portability factor in the leading instruments on the market today, such as the Thermo Scientific Niton XL5 analyser, allows users to go into the yard to identify and sort metal without the need to budget time to transport the material to a lab for identification.

Smaller and lightweight instruments like these play a significant role in reducing user fatigue; field personnel can carry such a device through a full day of sorting at multiple scrap sites without the risk of physical burden.

Further, these instruments are easy to operate, as they can identify metal alloy grade and chemistry by simply pointing and shooting, without user interpretation.

XRF technology can detect a wide range of elements, including aluminium and its

major alloying elements. XRF analysers emit low radiation X-rays that are directed onto the sample. These X-rays interact with the atoms in the sample and induce them to emit secondary, or fluorescence, X-rays. The energy and wavelengths of these secondary X-rays are characteristic and unique for each and every element on the periodic table and therefore serve as a “fingerprint” for the element. The XRF analyser reads the different “fingerprints” in a sample and can then identify and quantify the elements of interest, as well as name the correct alloy grade.

The accuracy of XRF technology is another appealing feature for scrap yard users and secondary aluminium producers. Accurate identification of the material composition of scrap metal can help users reduce business risks, streamline operational processes and maximise profits.

In order to more fully understand the benefits of XRF technology to the secondary aluminium industry, let’s look at two specific industry applications of handheld XRF analysers – in scrap yards and in secondary aluminium manufacturing facilities.

Maximising XRF in scrap yards One of the main challenges facing scrap yard operators and owners is accurately identifying the alloy grade and elemental composition of a sample.

The fact that a given lot of scrap has originated from the same field of use (for example, the automotive industry) does not guarantee that the grade contents are similar. To illustrate this point,

*Global Marketing Manager, portable analytical instruments, Thermo Fisher Scientific Photos courtesy of Thermo Fisher Scientific July/August 2016

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the alloy 7029 (specified for bumpers) contains a higher level of zinc (Zn), while the alloy 2036 (for auto panels) contains higher copper (Cu) levels. Aluminium manufacturers who purchase scrap for their secondary aluminium production must meet stringent compositional requirements to ensure end product quality as well as a smooth manufacturing process. Therefore, the need to correctly identify the alloy grade and rapidly analyse its chemical composition has cascaded down the supply chain to the scrap yards, where users need portable instrumentation to identify any contaminants that result from the metals recycling process.

Handheld XRF analysers give scrap yard owners a competitive advantage by reducing their business risks and maximising their profitability. Scrap yard owners can be certain that they are delivering correctly identified grades to secondary aluminium smelting operations. This is important, as different grades have different prices as well as different properties; small variations in composition can significantly impact both. Delivering misidentified grades could result in a negative outcome in that the secondary aluminium manufacturer who is purchasing scrap may downgrade the load, refuse the load entirely or refuse to continue to do business with the scrap yard. The ability to accurately analyse the scrap prior to delivery of the load will significantly reduce the risks of losing business and money.

For example, aerospace alloys such as 2014, 2024, 7055 and 7449 are each intended for specific parts of the plane and are not interchangeable. Handheld XRF analysers can easily separate these grades. In another example, alloys 6061 and 6063 are some of the most popular aluminium alloys used in a wide variety of applications. Considering the price differential of these alloys, one could easily see the profit potential in properly segregating these alloys when processing several thousand pounds of mixed material.

can have a direct impact on any of these properties. For example, the major alloying elements in 6061 and 6063 are magnesium (Mg) and silicon (Si) and their maximum Zn content must be kept below 0.25% and 0.1%, respectively. With an XRF handheld analyser, it is possible to identify and quickly remove any scrap containing Zn, such as alloys from the 7000 series, from the melt, preventing downtime due to furnace contamination.

XRF technology, when applied to secondary aluminium manufacturers, can maximise margins and help recover the value “locked up” in scrap metal. A secondary aluminium smelter may vary the ratios of feed grades used to produce a final alloy. Handheld XRF analysers can help an operator select the lowest cost grade combination, thus maximising profits. Recovering the “locked up” value of scrap metal means that by knowing the quantity and type of trace elements, smelters can wisely build that knowledge into the logistics of raw material purchasing and eliminate the need to purchase expensive additives.

Conclusion As we continue to witness the increasing role of scrap in the production of aluminium, scrap yard users and secondary aluminium producers alike will have a growing need for technology that will make their operations more efficient and more profitable, without sacrificing quality.

Portable XRF analysers offer field personnel an opportunity to achieve all three objectives – up and down the secondary aluminium industry’s supply chain. The long-term payoff can be substantial for those operations that have the foresight to adopt technological innovation early. 

Benefits to secondary aluminium manufacturers The main challenge for secondary aluminium operations is to be able to closely and accurately monitor the composition of the feed material, which includes aluminium scrap. The chemical composition of the feed material can have a critical impact on the properties of the melt (viscosity, solubility, melting temperature), integrity and longevity of the furnace, end-product specifications, plant emissions, downtime, and safety of the operating personnel. Preventing contaminants from entering the melt Aluminium International Today

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Schneider rolling mill filtration: Origins and developments

By Andy Ricketts* Rolling mill filtration owes much to the inspiration of the J R Schneider company of Benicia CA, USA. Russ Schneider is generally acknowledged as the father of the modern plate type filter used extensively in rolling mills around the world, for a variety of materials but most specifically in aluminium processing. The original filters appeared in the 1960’s, many of which are still in service and much of that fundamental concept has been retained, albeit extensively embellished in the following half century. In the 1990’s JR Schneider Co. withdrew from the capital equipment market to pursue the consumables business. As a result, Schneider Filters are now manufactured

by Primetals Technologies under Licence from JR Schneider Co. Simply, the filter uses a material membrane, generally referred to as paper, together with a filter media applied to reduce the size of particles capable of being captured and to maintain consistent properties of the filter during use (Fig 1).

The filter media is a combination of a mechanical filter of Diatomaceous Earth (DE) and a chemical cleaner of Fullers Earth (FE). DE is made from Diatoms, fossilised minute sea creatures, mined from vast ancient deposits, then graded in size ranges. More modern alternatives are available using an acid activated cellulose as a filter media. Filter Paper is a subject in its own right, covering a wide range of base materials and manufacturing processes.

The correct combination and compromise of paper and media is fundamental to the success of a rolling mills product, and therefore for each customer is a close guarded secret, often viewed as a mix of science and experience. The mix of filter media is known as Bodyfeed.

Bodyfeed is added as a slurry, pre-mixed with coolant within a Bodyfeed Tank.

During the filtration process, in order to maintain consistent filtration properties, a controlled flow of bodyfeed is added

until the overall back-pressure of the filter reaches a pre-set level indicating that the filter has to be cleaned. The buildup of bodyfeed on the paper in use is referred to as “Cake”. After removal of spent media, fresh paper and bodyfeed are introduced to re-start the filtration process. The permeability of bodyfeed is measured by a Darcy number. The lower the Darcy number, the tighter the cake, better filtration but shorter cycles between cleaning. This is a cost controlled compromise.

Schneider filters are often referred to as Plate Filters due to their construction from multiple chambers, formed by a stack of filter plates (Fig 2). Each plate comprises a bottom half chamber where dirty coolant and media enter, separated by paper to a lower plate where the top half chamber Scanning electron micrograph of 10µ latex beads in a cake of Hyflo® Super-Cel® (1000x)

supports the paper and exhausts the clean coolant. There are no seals between adjacent plates. Sealing is achieved by the plates being clamped together, the paper swells in use, and any liquid passing out of the chamber by capillary action in the paper being removed via a peripheral vacuum chamber in the top of each filter plate.

Filter plates are mounted on top of each other in stacks which can form up to 20 chambers, depending on customer installation preferences such as the height of an existing building, and available floor area. Multiple filter stacks can be provided to suit specific flow and filtration requirements. Filter stacks can be provided with dummy plate positions, or complete dummy stacks for future capacity expansion. From this, a modular Schematic of precoat and filter cake

Fig 1

*Product Manager, Schneider Filter products. Primetals Technologies (ShapeTech) July/August 2016

ANALYSIS primetals 2.indd 1

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ALUMINIUM ROLLING TECHNOLOGIES CUSTOMISED SOLUTION FOR HIGH QUALITY FLAT ROLLED PRODUCTS Whether you are looking to enhance existing mill performance for higher yield, throughput and quality, or to build a new mill to expand product portfolio for a new market or region, we provide innovative technologies to support your specific needs.

primetals.com

As a global supplier with a strong reference base, we offer integrated solution for Aluminium Hot, Cold and Foil Mills, combining modular technologies with process knowhow to ensure quick return on your investment.

36 ANALYSIS & TESTING

Fig 2

Vacuum maniford

Filter cake Vacuum groove

OUTLET MANIFOLD

Lower chamber INLET MANIFOLD

Fig 3

Vent & blowdown manifod

Support

Filter paper

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Paper Upper chamber

Vent

Fig 4a

approach to filter design and manufacture can be provided to reduce (engineering) costs for successive filters. Other modules are required to handle the paper, usually supplied as rolls. To load the paper, a paper roll rack is used which can be in either a vertical or horizontal format. The vertical format uses minimum floor space and is better served by automated paper roll handling, horizontal format being better for manual handling of the rolls of paper. A paper extractor is required for removing contaminated filter media, Primetals Technologies specialise in the linear pin type extractor, which is straight forward, operator friendly and low cost.

Base Beams and drips tray are always included. See Fig 3 for a typical customer configuration.

Every customer requirement is different; common modules are assembled to best serve the process. Kerosene velocity in pipes has to be carefully managed to minimise electro-static build-up. Consequently, some degree of customisation will always be required for a specific customer coolant flow. Much care is included in the fundamental design to reduce and dissipate any static charge, creating a safe working coolant. Primetals Technologies generally recommend using the standard modules as a cost effective capital outlay, but some degree of customisation is often July/August 2016

ANALYSIS primetals 2.indd 2

Fig 4b

required including recent examples of increased plate pitch and hose type and connection variations. Related equipment can also be supplied, such as By-Pass filters, Guard filters, paper cake separators and dust extractors.

Cam timers and relays have long since been replaced by full PLC and touchscreen MMI/HMI. Inlet flow control is available as constant flow for consistent filtration quality, or as VFD controlled for reduced filter pump running and potential maintenance costs. Bus connections and Mill interfaces are normal and constantly evolving as technology moves forward, although historically the control system is based on the Industry standard Siemens S7, other PLC hardware and software platforms are also available.

The incorporation of screw-jacks for stack clamping using electric motors and clutches have now been superseded with hydraulics to reduce maintenance, improving process control and reducing capital and running costs.

Primetals Technologies offer the full variety of filter modules and build configurations with the inherent customisation for individual rolling mill customer requirements. However the Schneider filter has also been used for cleaning of the coolant used in Bodymakers, in the Drawn & Ironed (D&I)

Fig 4c

manufacture of aluminium beverage cans.

Coolant in this instance is soluble oil in water, and in recent years, the plate filter has been superseded by discrete filter vessels using bags or elements, much like a Mill by-pass filter. Such coolant filtration systems will include tanks, pumps, interconnecting pipework, and full PLC HMI/MMI control. Dedicated coolant systems come in all shapes and sizes, manual, partially automatic and fully automated (Fig 4a, 4b, 4c).

Over the decades, different plate types and materials have been developed.

Plastic plates have been used but evolution of rolling oil additives combined with Fig 7a

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Fig 5a

Fig 6a

thermal cycling has reduced their overall life expectancy. Cast aluminium plates have many potential cost advantages, but there is potential for long term erosion.

Primetals Technologies generally recommend the traditional fabricated steel plates, as these will survive all known and foreseeable processes, but we are seeing a trend for full stainless steel fabricated construction albeit at a cost premium, or at least stainless steel for the internal paper supports (Fig 5a, 5b). Both single and dual inlet and outlet hose variations are also available, allowing for high flow and coolant types. Recent developments

by Primetals Technologies include detail Fig 7b

Fig 5b

Fig 6b

enhancements to the paper extractor chain tensioners and links. These are available for all pin type linear paper extractors and offer improved serviceability and reduced maintenance (Fig 6a, 6b, 6c).

As Health and Safety concerns relating to long-term exposure to filter media become more apparent, Bodyfeed tank derivatives are required. Primetals Technologies have provided various media handling solutions, both in-house and third party, including vacuum loading and auto-filling (Fig 7a, 7b).

As legislation changes around the world, Primetals Technologies have had to respond to such Directives as CE and ATEX Fig 8

Fig 6c

in Europe and UL in the USA, evolving the product to suit each market requirement, including the recent incorporation of light curtains to protect against access around the filter stack.

For filtration process quality measurement, the Turbidimeter has now been replaced with a Particle counter, providing real-time monitoring of particle sizes and quantities against ISO 4406 or NAS 1638. This is also available from Primetals Technologies as a separate retrofit product (Fig 8).

All Filtration equipment supplied by Primetals Technologies is manufactured in Europe and constructed in accordance with the EC Machinery Directive 2006/42/ EC as Partly Completed Machinery (PCM) not listed in Annex IV, and as such will be supplied with the required Declaration of Incorporation.

Advice can also be supplied for the safe design of the entire coolant system including tank design and sizing.

Generic Schneider plate type filtration systems have been around for more than half a century and thanks to engineering input from the West and commercial duplication in the East, interest and use show no sign of abating. î ˛ Contact contact@primetals.com

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38 ANALYSIS & TESTING

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Modern analysis systems The industrial analysis of metals is currently in a state of change. Many of the large primary plants or large die-casters still rely on instruments up to 30 years old. Despite their age, the hardware is still functional, but servicing costs can be quite high, additional hardware to enable the analysis of additional element is expensive and the readout electronics/computer hardware and software is perhaps not supported anymore. By Laurie Palmer*

The technology used by all these large primary plants, as well as melters, casters, extruders, test houses etc., is known as optical emission spectroscopy (OES). A small spark is used in a controlled manner in an argon atmosphere, to atomise a small amount of the solid material and the light produced is passed to the spectrometer for optical processing. The light from the spark is separated into the various constituent wavelengths, using a diffraction grating and the spectrum produced – rather like a rainbow – contains the discrete wavelengths emitted by the various elements in the sample being sparked. The intensity of a particular wavelength is proportional to the concentration of the element in the sample. This technique which can analyse all of the important elements in modern metals including Carbon, Nitrogen, plus other gases, from ppm levels to percent has been around in several forms for more than 50 years. Although many people look for a magic bullet solution to do as well, or better than conventional spark OES, without the need for argon gas, without the need for sample preparation, without the need to calibrate with certified reference materials (CRM) or indeed a system to be used while the material is still in its molten form before casting or forming, they are still looking and experimenting.

Hand held X ray units HH-XRF have now been around for at least fifteen years and give remarkably good results on *Managing Director, MetalScan Limited trading as Arun Technology July/August 2016

ANALYSIS ARUN.indd 1

complex alloys, but are still not ideal for pure aluminium or alloys and lack carbon in a ferrous base. They are mainly used for scrap sorting, material checking and rarely if ever for verifying chemistry prior to casting. These units will no doubt improve further with time.

More recently hand held units using a laser to ablate and excite the material (HHLIBS) have been introduced, but although they show promise they are still largely developmental and will not resolve all the problems of OES. They will no doubt be perfected and find their niche in the industry.

Younger readers and some people in the industry cannot understand why you can’t

just have an analysis app on an iPhone, to immediately give a complete analysis regardless of metal type and composition.

Despite Dr Spock doing something similar in Star Trek that option is a bit of a way off…

There are however continuing developments in OES and current instruments are smaller, cheaper and easier to maintain than the older conventional units. Photomultiplier tubes (PMT) which look like the old thermionic valve used in early radios were developed in the 1940s and enabled the measurement of very low light levels, so were quickly adopted for spectrometers giving a direct reading system rather than a photographic method. With detector tubes arranged along the spectrum produced by the spectrometer and one tube assigned to measure the light emitted by each element of interest, the cost and complexity was directly proportional to the number of elements the customer wanted to analyse. Units were relatively large – the size of several filing cabinets- and often incorporated large vacuum chambers to enable the very low light levels to be measured and mechanically discriminated from nearby emission lines.

The current OES models have replaced the PMT devices by Charge Coupled Devices (CCD) chips, which are now commonplace in video cameras, mobile phones, document and bar code scanners and Aluminium International Today

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the like. Linear CCD arrays, each with many thousands of light sensitive pixels are arranged to view the whole spectrum of emitted wavelengths in a much more compact optical arrangement. With a large number of pixels adjacent wavelengths can be discriminated electronically rather than mechanically and re-profiling (searching for the peak of an emission line) can be automated.

Rather than an expensive vacuum optical chamber, the much smaller volume of the CCD optic can be purged with nitrogen or argon, the latter still being needed to shroud the spark that is applied to the sample. Although early CCD based instruments in the 1990s had limited performance and were initially used on simpler applications, the current models, offered by most reputable manufacturers, can be used on all metal applications and regularly replace the older PMT units that are coming to the end of their useful life.

Other advantages of modern units include: As all of the spectrum can be viewed there is no cost of having more elements analysed. The instruments still need to be

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calibrated for the particular material type and rely on there being suitable certified standards available. So, new elements of interest in aluminium such as Scandium or high levels of Boron can be analysed.

Modern PC based software specifically developed for OES running under the latest Windows 10 operating system offers many more features to store, track, transmit and classify results or produce pseudo elements such as sludge factors for aluminium or carbon equivalent in steel.

Simple internet based remote

trouble-shooting to minimise service costs.

Smaller size so can be in a smaller room or office close to the process.

Unit size makes them less susceptible to variations in pressure and temperature leading to good stability Lower initial capital cost opens possibility of a standby unit for 24/7 operations.

A typical desktop unit based on CCD technology and incorporating several optical assemblies to cover the optical spectrum from 140 to 780 nm is shown in the picture.

Although there is no new â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;killerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; technology for the day-to-day analysis of aluminium in industrial process the latest generation of CCD based OES offer accuracy, stability, low levels of detection and competitive pricing for new plants or to replace existing units.

Contact: Sales@aruntechnoloy.com

July/August 2016

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DECOATING TECHNOLOGY AND RECYCLING PLANT PE Melting Technology completes the recycling process by providing, together with decoating lines, melting and holding furnaces, charging and skimming machines, dross coolers and aluminium transfer systems

Melting Technology division of Presezzi Extrusion manufactures furnaces for aluminium melting, holding and heat treatment, as well as aluminium scrap decoaters, automatic charging and skimming machines, Low Energy Consumption stirrers and dross coolers at the highest technological level.

Besides a 70t fixed double-chamber melting furnace, featuring two regenerative burners (North American), one oxygen/NG burner and laser oxygen probe for control of complete fume oxidation, a complete foundry plant has been realized, including: one aluminium scrap decoater 7 t/h, 80 t fixed furnace with LOTUSS, recirculation pump system, OTS pump for metal transfer, regenerative burners (Bloom) and a compl complete dedusting and fume treatment plant.

This order came from Customer requirement for minimizing specific consumption and maximizing scrap metal recovering. The new furnaces are equipped with the new “cold chambers” that are provided with two couples of high velocity burners in order to optimize with high turbulence the “decoating” process.

For the same Mexican Customer we are designing and manufacturing n° 6 Dross Coolers. With these machines the Customer will recover up to 30% more aluminum with very short process times (approx. 120 minutes).

www.presezziextrusiongroup.com

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These furnaces and these special machines have been designed at our Technical Department and we fully own the know-how of furnaces at the best state of the art, as the ones described above.

Actually our internal R&D department is developing a new concept of double-chamber furnace. The calorific value of “decoating gas” is exploited in a special burner (the CO content is controlled with an advanced probe) minimizing fuel consumption (indirectly heating) and oxygen level while a special dumper valve controls the flue gas flow through the opening in the partition. In this way the dirty scrap is processed with low energy consumption and very high metal yield. The unburned fumes are conveyed in the hot chamber through a special fan in which two Ultra Low NOX regenerative burners operate with a controlled stoichiometric ratio (oxygen probe).

Furthermore, we can supply homogenization, annealing and ageing furnaces for semis, UBC and aluminium scrap decoaters, complete billet or slab casting plants as well, thanks to our internal expertise in the field and to our cooperation with primary manufacturers of casting equipment.

Ou Our projects manage complete “turnkey” installations worldwide as well as part supply contracts whereby our Customers may only require engineering design or critical components.

Melting Technology - Division of Presezzi Extrusion S.p.A. Via Rovereto 1/d - 20871 Vimercate (MB) - ITALY - tel. +39 039 635011 - info@presezziextrusion.com USA and Canada - Bruno Donada Area Manager - Tel: +1 847 676 2459 - b.donada@presezziextrusion.com

7/18/16 9:04 AM

42 PERSPECTIVES

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MQP answers From the technology of Batchpilot furnace weight measurement to the methodology of Opticast grain refiner optimisation, from Premetz real time web based quality control to Optifilter state of art filtration and from Optifine high performance grain refiners to environmentally friendly Refinal fused refining fluxes, MQP is continuing to advance casthouse melt quality. John Courtenay, Owner and Managing Director, speaks to Aluminium International Today.

1. How are things going at MQP? I’m pleased to say our business is going very well with strong sales growth in countries around the world. We’ve recently employed more people, including Richard Dean as International Sales Manager for Europe and Middle East and Adel Palmer as Operations coordinator.

consumption and raw material usage will be decreased by the same amount; also 70% less is needed to be transported and 70% less storage is needed. Last but not least and handling in the casthouse, e.g. truck transports, coil changes etc., is reduced to a minimum.

2. How does MQP work with the aluminium industry?

Our policy is to create partnerships with customers and work with them to provide the best solutions for their quality and costs of production needs. This often involves a number of visits, our technical staff spending time in customer’s casthouses and carrying out testing and examination of their metal samples in our laboratory.

Subsequently a technical report is prepared which makes recommendations on quality issues and the application of MQP products.

3. How is MQP working towards being more sustainable?

We have developed the range of Refinal environmentally friendly, cost effective, fused fluxes for the removal of sodium and cleaning molten aluminium. These have replaced the use of chlorine gas which although effective, presents major health and safety concerns in its usage and control in a casthouse environment.

We have also introduced a much more effective TiBAl grain refiner which means that the tonnage of TiBAl made by the producer is reduced, which has a significant benefit for the environment.

For example, each tonne of grain refiner produced requires 368kg of Potassium borofluoride and titanofluoride salts to be reacted, releasing a significant quantity of fluorine gas. Western world production of grain refiners will use in excess of 11,000 tonnes of these toxic salts in 2016 based on current estimates.

If grain refiner consumption is decreased by 70%, then emissions, energy July/August 2016

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4. What are the big trends in technology and where is MQP leading the way?

The aluminium industry is increasingly focused on the production of quality critical ultra clean semi-finished slab and billet products for applications in the automotive industry. Casthouses are now developing processes and equipment to produce, measure and maintain clean metal to a high specification.

MQP is offering real time Premetz analysis software, developed by Technology Strategy Consultants (tsc), which brings a totally fresh approach to melt quality.

The Premetz software is the basis of a web based service where casthouse customers can securely upload Prefil data files for immediate analysis, singly or in batches and obtain meaningful information on their melt cleanliness and quality in real time. Using Premetz it is possible to obtain a complete analysis of a Prefil test within five minutes of taking the sample; a major benefit.

5. Do you see MQP as an innovator within the industry?

We certainly do. MQP was formed in the year 2000 and from the outset our guiding philosophy has been to develop and introduce innovative technology for casthouses.

Batchpilot is a system for accurate electronic measurement of furnace heel weights and transfer weights. The system is based on the principle of measuring changes in the furnace hydraulic cylinder pressure with furnace tilt angle.

Other measurement systems, based on lasers and radar beams or load cells can be inaccurate and do not provide a solution because they cannot differentiate between the mass of build ups on the furnace hearth and walls and the weight of the liquid metal heel remaining in the furnace. Having identified this “need” we sought specialised help and engaged an expert in this technology, Daniel Audet from UQAC, Quebec.

Today, Batchpilot is established as a reliable means of accurately measuring liquid metal heel and full furnace weight in tilting furnaces and 55 systems are currently in operation worldwide.

6. What does MQP have in store for 2016/17?

We expect to complete the testing of the Optifilter three chamber filter with cyclone and to apply this high efficiency filtration system together with Optifine high efficiency grain refinement to improve liquid metal quality and reduce costs.  Aluminium International Today

7/15/16 9:43 AM

Al

Casting Confidence

Built on innovation and refined through experience, Wagstaff billet and ingot casting technologies are a gateway to profitability. Casthouses around the world rely on the history, experience, and service offered by Wagstaff to foster confidence within the casting operation. That casting confidence is vital for success in high quality aerospace alloy casting for downstream rolling, extrusion, and forging.

Wagstaff® LHC™ Rolling Ingot Casting Technology for can, sheet, and plate stock

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Find out how Wagstaff innovation can increase your profits Call +1 509 922 1404 | www.wagstaff.com Wagstaff, Inc. | Spokane, Washington USA

44 BUYERS’ DIRECTORY

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Aluminium International Today Buyers’ Directory As a leading resource for the aluminium production and processing industries, the Buyers’ Directory reaches the most senior buyers and suppliers in the business.

HANDLING & STORAGE

CLAUDIUS PETERS PROJECTS GMBH Schanzenstraße 40 DE-21614 Buxtehude, Germany T: +49 4161 706-0 F: +49 4161 706-270 E: info@claudiuspeters.com W: www.claudiuspeters.com Claudius Peters stockyards, pneumatic conveyors, silos, clinker coolers, grinding mills, and packing systems can be found in Cement, Coal, Alumina, and Gypsum plants across the globe. The group’s other principal Division, Aerospace, manufactures aircraft parts for Airbus.

PRIMARY REDUCTION/SMELTER PRIMARY

ALUMINIUM BAHRAIN B.S.C. (ALBA) Building 150, King Hamad Highway Askar 951, Bahrain T: +973 1783 0000 F: +973 1783 0083 E: alba@alba.com.bh W: www.albasmelter.com Aluminium Bahrain has been consistently ranked as one of the largest aluminium smelters in the world and is known for its technological strength and high quality aluminium.

FURNACE

HERTWICH ENGINEERING GMBH Weinbergerstr. 6, Braunau, Upper Austria, 5280, Austria T: +43 7722 806-0 F: +43 7722 806-122 E: info@hertwich.com W: www.hertwich.com Hertwich Engineering, a company of the SMS group, is active worldwide with design, supply, construction and commissioning of speciality equipment for the aluminium industry, in particular for aluminium casthouses.

July/August 2016

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Distributed to more than 50 countries and read by thousands of industry contacts, it contains a comprehensive alphabetical listing of company and contact details.

ROLLING

DANIELI FRÖHLING Scherl 12, D-58540, Meinerzhagen, Germany T: +49 2354 7082 0 F: +49 2354 7082 200 E: info@danieli-froehling.de W: www.danieli-froehling.de Danieli Fröhling is synonymous for innovative tailor-made solutions for the aluminium industry.

Fröhling customers trust in more than 65 years’ experience in manufacturing of rolling mills and finishing lines.

EXTRUSION

CASTOOL TOOLING SYSTEMS 2 Parratt Road, Uxbridge, Ontario, L9P 1R1, Canada T: +1 905 852 0121 F: +1 905 852 2300 E: info@castool.com W: www.castool.com CASTOOL Tooling Systems is globally acclaimed as a provider of today’s most technologically advanced production tooling and equipment for the light metal extrusion industry PUBLISHING

ALUMINIUM INTERNATIONAL TODAY Quartz House, 20 Clarendon Road, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1QX UK T: +44 (0)1737 855000 F: +44 (0)1737 85034 E: aluminium@quartzltd.com W: www.aluminiumtoday.com Aluminium International Today is published bimonthly and circulated worldwide alongside foreign languague issues in Chinese and Russian, published twice a year. A weekly newsletter is sent to over 25,000 contacts worldwide.

Here is a sneak peak at some of the listings that will appear in the 2017 Buyers’ Directory.

QUALITY TESTING & MEASUREMENT

POLYTEC GMBH Polytec Platz 1-7, D-76337, Waldbronn, Germany T: +49 7243 6042 36 F: +49 7243 6041 50 E: f.fughe@polytec.de W: www.polytec.de Polytec is the market leader for non-contact, laser based vibration and velocity measurement instrumentation. Our innovative solutions allow our customers to maintain their own technical leadership across many fields.

SMELTER PRODUCTION/EQUIPMENT

ROSS CONTROLS 1250 Stephenson Hwy, Troy, Michigan, 48083, USA T: +1 800 GET ROSS F: +1 706 356 3700 E: bob.winsand @rosscontrols.com W: www.rosscontrols.com With more than 90 years of proven design experience, Ross Controls is a global manufacturer of rugged and robust pneumatic solutions for the aluminium industry. Proven potroom performance and safety (LOTO).

It is free to list your company, get in touch today to find out more: Esme Horn, Directory Co-ordinator Tel: +44(0)1737855136 Email: esmehorn@quartzltd.com Anne Considine Sales Manager Tel: +44(0)1737855139 Email: anneconsidine@quartzltd.com

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Ozeos, the ultimate scrubbing technology, ensures the lowest emissions and a richer alumina for the benefit of your smelter operation.

Thanks to the significant improvements achieved in terms of environmental, maintenance and operational performance, the Ozeos dry scrubber module was awarded the Fives Engineered Sustainability label in 2014. It combines a low velocity integrated reactor and long filter bags into an optimized footprint. In comparison with other state-of-the-art technologies, Ozeos is 5% less energy consuming. Its maintenance is easier and emissions are further reduced by 20%.

Aluminium can be recycled again and again â&#x20AC;&#x201C; infinitely.

Hydro has been developing natural resources since 1905, and like our metal we are here to stay.

www.hydro.com