ALUMINIUM WORLD JOURNAL
GMC Global Media Communication Ltd.
2015 | 2016 Edition 1
GMC Managing Director Christopher Fitcher-Harris Production Manager Sofia Henriksson Sales Manager Peter Jones Production Design db design Published by Global Media Communication Ltd. Telephone: +44 208 579 0594 Email: gmcproduction@gmx.com Cover photograph: Fives The opinions and views expressed in the editorial of content in this book are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily represent the views of any organisation with which they may be associated. Material in advertisements and promotional features may be considered to represent the views of the advertisers and promoters. The views and opinions expressed in this book do not necessarily express the views of the publisher. While every care has been taken in the preparation of the book, the publishers are not responsible for such opinions and views or for any inaccuracies in the articles or advertisements. Š2016 The entire contents of this publication are protected by copyright. Full details are available from the publishers. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior knowledge of the copyright owner.
ALUMINIUM WORLD JOURNAL 2015 | 2016 Edition 1
Global Media Communication Ltd.
Welcome to Aluminium World Journal 2015 | 2016, Edition 1. This edition is divided by industry sector sections to provide ease of navigation. Within each section you will find editorials, case studies and product reviews. This edition focuses on advancements in technology used in both Primary Smelting and processes and Anode plants. The Global Issues section produced by RIO TINTO contains editorials focused on the Rio Tinto development of the AP60 and APXe pot technology and the MESAL manufacturing excellence system that is now providing continuous improvement in the primary aluminium production sector. The Special Feature for this edition, produced by ABB, delves into the importance of producers choosing efficient power conversion systems to achieve cost reduction without compromising efficiency. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the participating companies and authors for providing editorials, case studies and corporate sponsorship. Aluminium World Journal 2016 is available for you to read online and available in pdf download and print formats. To subscribe for future editions, email your details to: gmcsubscriptions@gmx.com. Should you wish to discuss anything with relation to the content or companies featured in this edition or what you would like us to cover in future editions, do not hesitate to contact us via email at: gmcproduction@gmx.com. Hope you enjoy the read! Managing Director, Global Media Communication Ltd.
Christopher F. Harris
FOREWORD | AWJ 2016
3
GMC
INDEX
_______ 7-14
_______ 15-28
_______ 29-52
_______ 53-58
_______ 59-68
Global Issues Primary Smelting and Processes
Anode Plant Technology
Rolling Mills
Furnaces STAS Company Profile Advertisers and Web Index
Keeping your production running day an
ABB’s history of powering primary aluminium plants started 45 years ago. Since then, we have supplied complete electrification solutions and substations to more than 60 aluminium smelters worldwide. The modernization of an existing plant to the
Let Siwertell amaze you
_______ 75-82
_______ 83-88
_______ 89-93
_______ 94
ÖL nd LER ® hig ling Alu he sy mi r p ste na e m
Special Feature
INDEX | AWJ 2016
5
Maximize your return on investment? Absolutely.
ABB’s history of powering primary aluminium plants started 45 years ago. Ever since, we have been supplying complete electrification solutions and substations to more than 60 aluminium smelters worldwide. Demands for improved environmental performance and increased energy efficiency, price fluctuations and intense competition are the major challenges aluminium producers face today. ABB meets these challenges by providing state-of-the-art electrification, automation and process optimization solutions – always with the objective to increase your productivity and maximize your return on investment. For more information, visit us at www.abb.com/aluminium
Global Competence Center Aluminium 5405 Baden 5 Dättwil, Switzerland aluminium@ch.abb.com
SPECIAL FEATURE ABB SWITZERLAND Highly Efficient Power Conversion Systems with the Latest Safety Design for Aluminium Smelters
_______ 8-13
SPECIAL FEATURE | AWJ 2016
7
HIGHLY EFFICIENT POWER CONVERSION SYSTEMS WITH THE LATEST SAFETY DESIGN FOR ALUMINIUM SMELTERS
Power Conversion Station with 105kA/1800VDC Units at 230kV, primary voltage. Ras Al Khair, Ma’aden Aluminium, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (2012) - World’s highest rated aluminium conversion rectiformer.
For a typical aluminium smelter, electric power accounts for up to 35% of total metal production costs. New, more efficient highcurrent conversion units can therefore save money by reducing power costs. These high-current conversion units can create high arc power should there be internal damage requiring new designs for arc flash protection. The context describes the new technology of converter units rated for more than 100 kA and their benefits for the overall efficiency of a power system, while ensuring optimal 8
AWJ 2016 | ABB
safety levels. Modern ABB technology, which measures potline direct currents, is also described. Industrial plants can only improve efficiency when they make use of the latest available overall system, designed to optimize power quality. Introduction Primary aluminium is produced in an electrolytic process via use of DC electrical power of up to 900MW/per single potline. AC-to-DC power conversion units
(rectifiers) use diode or thyristor semiconductors to produce the DC current required for the process. Smelter projects applying up to 650kA pot-current may soon be built. With increased potline currents, the single conversion units also need an increased rating to remain highly efficient. Today, there are five plants in operation with single-unit ratings of more than 100kA. With these increased ratings, the plant can operate close-to-or at full
production in an N-2 operation mode (N-2 is defined as three out of five installed units operating at a time). Smelter Power System Rating Efficiency demands show that potline currents of 460kA and voltages at 1800V will be commonly used (i.e. 400 cell potlines) in the future. The AC-DC conversion substation for such plants need to be very efficient, as electrical costs alone, with a 1500MW smelter (two pot-lines with 400 cells and 460kA) will result in losses in excess of $5M per annum.
Considering ratings of 460kA at 1800V, the most efficient arrangement for a power conversion system is a six-unit parallel connection with the power factor correction connected, either on the tertiary side of the regulation transformers or at the high voltage (HV) level. Rectiformer Optimised Layout Design Higher primary voltages and potline current system ratings require in-depth technical review to ensure the optimal technical and commercial solution.
When engineers talk about a back-to-back arrangement, they are referring to a configuration where the rectifier and regulation transformers connect to each other back-to-back. The advantage of this arrangement is a reduction in the space required for the bay. However, with the increase in the unit rating, the physical separation of the regulation and the rectifier transformer is advisable, as without it, transportation and installation can become a costly issue.
The picture below shows a back-to-back arrangement with a 132kV cable connected to the regulation transformer.
100kA Conversion Unit with 132kV Primary, BHP Billiton, Hillside Smelter in South Africa
ABB | AWJ 2016
9
unit rectifier rated higher than 100kA, it used to be necessary to improve on the semiconductor arrangement as well as the semiconductor fuses. With previous rectifier designs, semiconductor fuses were only cooled on one side. Today, ABB design fuses are cooled on both sides, reducing aging effects tremendously. In addition to the semiconductor arrangement and fuse improvements, the rectifier’s mechanical geometry needed improvement in order to optimize the currentsharing capacity. 105kA Conversion unit with 220kV primary voltage. Sohar Smelter, Sultanate of Oman.
For higher primary voltages, the side and front arrangement as utilised at Sohar is preferred and commonly used. Here again, the technical and practical aims for the transformer design provide the direction for the most suitable arrangement. In most installations, air is used as a recooling medium. ABB designs their heat exchangers
in horizontal arrangements for maximum efficiency and minimal aging. When a conversion unit bay is designed, it is necessary to ensure free and unrestricted air movement is factored in. Rectiformer System Design In order to manufacture a single
Highest Safety Standards for Rectifier Enclosure Greenfield smelters make use of rectifier substations where the rectifiers are installed in aluminium enclosures. This “packaged” design makes it possible to simplify the civil arrangement and reduce installation time. The rectifier enclosures are commonly recooled with water-to-air heat exchangers.
The rectifier enclosure, similar to LV and MV switchgear, needs to be designed for the latest arc flash and arc force standards. Latest experiences from arc flash events have been implemented in the new enclosure designs to meet highest safety standards. The cooling units, along with the controls, can also be installed in the rectifier enclosure.
CURRENT SHARING FACTOR One of the most important design specifications of a rectifier is the current-sharing factor (ks). The key rectifier components, semiconductor and fuse can only be rated correctly when the ks factor is known. The current-sharing factor is mainly defined by the rectifier’s mechanical construction. Due to the geometrical arrangement of fuse and semiconductor, the impedance varies from semiconductor position on the commutation bar to the next semiconductor location. 10
AWJ 2016 | ABB
Current Sharing Measurement for one Rectifier Branch
Rectifier Overload
110kA Diode Rectifier Enclosure
This impedance variation results in a difference in current through the parallel components. In addition, the manufacturing tolerance of the components must be considered. The current-sharing factor rises with the number of parallel elements. Therefore with increased unit currents the additional required parallel elements rises accordingly. For a 110 kA / 1800 V diode rectifier group, 14 parallel elements per branch are now required. For this quantity of paralleled elements, the arrangement on one single heat-sink is not possible. The so-called commutation bus bars need to be installed to reduce the current-sharing factor to an acceptable value. Furthermore, the flexible AC connections between the fuses and semiconductors, as well as the distance between the parallel elements, require detailed design to ensure the impedance distribution has an optimal value. These measures in optimizing the current-sharing factor become very important for rectifiers especially with high current.
The semiconductor mainly defines the overload capability of a high-current rectifier unit. The maximal junction temperature, e.g. 150° C, is normally a strict limit and must not be exceeded under normal operating conditions. Some semiconductor suppliers allow exceeding the limit for a short time, e.g. an additional 50 °C, for one minute. The overload factor has a high value for brief overloading and goes down to 1 p.u. after approximately one minute.
For potlines operated with diode rectifiers, an overload capability of 50% for one minute is required (duty class II according to IEC Standards). During potline switching operation, the current regulation with tap changers and saturated core reactors is not always fast enough to prevent overload currents. In the case of thyristor rectifiers, the regulation is faster and the overload condition, according to duty class II, is not required.
Rectifier overload and Protection Curves
High DC Current Potline and Rectiformer Measurements ABB has developed a family of high accuracy fibre-optic current sensors based on the magneto-optic effect (Faraday Effect) in an optical fibre to measure uni or bidirectional DC currents up to 700 kA. The sensors also recover AC current components up to 4 kHz. The sensors consist of an optical fibre in a flexible, single ended cable and an optoelectronics module including the light source, an optical detection circuit, and a digital signal processor.
One loop of fibre cable is mounted around the current carrying bus bar. The signal is independent of the particular bus bar arrangement and insensitive to magnetic stray fields from neighbouring bus bars. The magnetic field of the current changes the velocity of left and right circular light waves travelling through the fibre and thus alters their differential optical phase. The waves are reflected at the end of the fibre and then retrace their optical path back to the optoelectronics module containing the light source, an optical phase detection circuit, and a digital signal processor. ABB | AWJ 2016
11
The digital signal processor provides high accuracy and excellent long-term stability. The closedloop detection circuit nulls the current-induced optical phase shift and thus produces a perfect linear output over the full dynamic range. The sensor measures a closed loop independent of the magnetic field. Therefore, the signal is immune to stray fields from conductors outside of the loop. Centring and placement of the sensing head with respect to the bus bars is not particularly critical. Saturation due to local field enhancements does not occur. Protection Concept In case of different faults, e.g. short circuit, overcurrent or overvoltage, the converter unit has to be protected fast and reliably. Proper system protection can prevent, depending on the fault, disastrous damages! A good protection concept assists in locating the fault without disassembly of system components. A serious fault results in a single group or a potline trip. In case of a short circuit on the DC side of a rectifier, all the parallel-connected groups have to be tripped (potline trip). The short circuit is detected via the reverse current relay logic or arc detection. In case of a group internal fault, (e.g. overcurrent or earth fault) only the corresponding unit is tripped. The protection concept also defines what kind of faults have to result in a trip and for which of them an alarm message is sufficient. To realize as few system trips as possible, one part of the protection study is the signalization and 12
AWJ 2016 | ABB
Fiber-optic DC current sensor
redundancy concept (e.g. a signalization of raised cooling water temperature) may prevent tripping if recognized early enough; or, the installation of one additional heat exchanger allows for operating the rectifier group until a planned outage.
from the conversion units all the way to the Enterprise Information System (EIS). These developments have made it possible to reduce the number of required HW devices and different programming and control software products to a large extent.
Control Concept with New Safety Standards
In addition, these developments have made it possible to connect a front-end device such as a semiconductor directly to the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) or Enterprise Information System (EIS).
Development advances have not only been realized in power conversion technology. During the last few years this has been particularly so on the control side
AC/DC Conversion unit: control, protection and regulation interface
THE HIGH VOLTAGE SUBSTATION AND AC/DC POWER CONVERTER SYSTEM CAN HAVE THEIR OWN WORKSTATIONS AT THEIR OWN DEDICATED CONTROL ROOMS. The utilization of the latest control system and protection relays enable fault recording, which is available within the protection relays and is directly connected to the control network or the substation controller. This allows access to this data throughout the plant network, hence eliminating the need for stand-alone disturbance recorders with their own I/O’s. The substation controller, which collects all the data from the protection systems, also include SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition), LMS (Load Management System) and EMS (Energy Management System).
Summary To accommodate both the requirements of higher power in smelters and lower electrical power costs (reduced losses), individual conversion units will become larger - supplying higher current levels, with the conversion stations being designed for N-1.5 to N-2 capability with certain overload limitations. Author: Max Wiestner, Industry Manager, Primary Aluminium Division, ABB Switzerland Ltd. Global Competence Center Aluminium 5405 Baden 5 Dättwil, Switzerland aluminium@ch.abb.com
Power and productivity for a better world TM
ABB | AWJ 2016
13
GLOBAL ISSUES Rio Tinto
The Rio Tinto Development of the AP60 and APXe Pot Technology
_______ 17-21
Rio Tinto MESALâ„¢, The Manufacturing Excellence Solution for the Aluminium World
_______ 23-28
GLOBAL ISSUES | AWJ 2016
15
AP Technology
TM
Metal tapping at AP60 potline
Rio Tinto Arvida Aluminium smelter
AP60 and APXe: The new reference pots for highest amperage and lowest energy ever achieved
THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE AP60 and APXe POT TECHNOLOGY
Introduction to AP60 and APXe For the last two decades (1990 2010), cells less than fifteen meters long and operating in the range 300-400 kA have been the standard. With the AP30 cell design installed in more than 25 potlines worldwide, Rio Tinto has established a reference cell. In order to continue increasing the capacity of AP30 brownfield smelters by modifying existing pots rather than installing new ones, more productive versions of AP30 cells, running at amperage between 400 and 450kA have been recently developed, or are presently in development by Rio Tinto AP40, AP42 and AP44. This development scheme based on the continuous improvement of the AP30 cell is particularly adaptive in the case of “retrofit” or “creeping” projects. Greenfield
Figure 1 : Operating regions of new AP cell technologies
projects, both for Rio Tinto’s own project portfolio and from a market perspective, have to be addressed in a specific way with a search for drastic breakthroughs in terms of energy consumption, environmental footprint, capital and operating costs. In response to this need, Rio Tinto has developed a strategy based on
Table 1 : AP60 and APXe configuration
Development of AP60 The first prototype cells have been tested and validated since 2010 at the LRF (Laboratoire de Recherche des Fabrications, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, France). The development of the AP60 technology reached new significant milestones in 2013 and 2014 with the successful start-up
of the Pilot Plant of Arvida Aluminum Smelter - AP60 Technological Center (Quebec, Canada), followed by the early operation of the Pilot Plant in the first half of 2014, finally crowned by the very successful performance test achieved in August 2014 by Rio Tinto teams. These outstanding steps are presented in more details in the following chapters.
the development of a cell technology covering the range of amperage from 500-620 kA, with two variants derived from a common platform: the AP60 variant will be able to deliver a high productivity cell running in the amperage range of 570-620 kA; while the APXe variant delivers a low energy cell running in the range 500-550 kA. As seen in Table 1, the two variants have been developed and tested in parallel, using the same optimized framework (busbars, shell and superstructure) and equipment to operate the cells. Specific elements, such as cathodes, anodes, and shell ventilation differentiate the two cell designs in order to operate at high amperage (AP60) or low energy (APXe). Arvida Aluminum - AP60 Technological Center Start-up Following extensive pre-operational verification including high magnetic field testing of the equipment, the 38 AP60 cells were started. R&D and operation people finalized the start-up methodology development of the new technology. RIO TINTO | AWJ 2016
17
Figure 2 : AP60 pot line at Jonquière
The first cells were started using hot bath from the nearby Arvida smelter. Then, cells were started using generated bath from new operating cells. Some of the 38 cells were used to develop a new dry start-up methodology. This approach is important as it provides a method for starting the first cell of a Greenfield smelter. Specific measurements were taken on each cell to validate the start-up methodology performance. Some cells were extensively equipped with internal sensors to monitor the temperature evolution in the lining. The 38 cells were successfully started, and no metal or bath infiltration was detected. To validate the mechanical behavior of the cell components, a number of measurements were taken on the cells during start-up and during stabilized operation. The behavior of the cell components (shell, superstructure, and busbars) has demonstrated a very satisfactory performance over the start-up period and the first months of operation of the plant. Some minor 18
AWJ 2016 | RIO TINTO
improvements opportunities have been identified and included in the design for future constructions. As shown in Figure 2, the AP60 development ultimately aims at a cell operating at 600-620 kA with 13.0 kWh/kg of energy consumption, while the APXe development targets a pot at around 500 kA with energy consumption close to 12 kWh/kg.
amperage was raised to reach the target of the first phase at 570 kA, in June 2014, as shown in Figure 3.
During the 6-month period of amperage increase, technological validations were made at different levels: equipment, alumina feeding, thermal regulation, operation practices, process and scrubbing parameters. After the first month of operation at 570 kA, some key performance indicators were conAP60 Performance test firmed, especially pot stability, Following the plant start-up com- bath temperature and anode effect pletion and the mechanical vali- frequency. dation of the AP60 technology, the
Figure 3 : Arvida smelter amperage increase
oride emissions actually achieved at the Arvida Aluminum Smelter-AP60 Technological Center were at a very good level as shown on the following graph, depicting the pot line roof vent total fluoride emission. The performance of 0.19 kg Ft/t Al was achieved over the last five months after plant start-up and operational stabilization. This was obtained at the lowest possible Figure 4 : Arvida smelter instability CAPEX, considering that the plant As shown in Figure 4, the cell’s in- This result reaches a new bench- is not equipped with over-suction stability (WRMI) was around 70 na- mark for AP Technology and con- systems or anode butt boxes. no-Ohms after plant start-up com- firms the potential to realize a very The final step to confirm the cell pletion. Through the amperage good stable cell performance. increase and technological optimizations, the WRMI decreased over the months to reach a new technological level at 30 nano-Ohms, in June 2014. This result confirms the optimized MHD situation previously evaluated by modeling. As for the anode effect frequency, the results were very unsettled at the beginning of the year, mostly due to the transition phase from the plant start-up mode to the operational mode as well as to the winter conditions in Arvida. However, as the process and operation teams got used to the full-scale mode and the technological validations made, the anode effect frequency decreased from 0.4 ae/p/d to 0.02 ae/p/d in August 2014, as presented in Figure 5.
Achieving outstanding environmental performance was finally one of the main design objectives for the AP60 technology. The flu-
Figure 5: Arvida smelter anode effect frequency
performance after the plant startup and the full-scale operation was to realize an industrial performance test to assess the industrial performance of the AP60 technology. During this test, many process and environmental key indicators were strictly followed, as well as the operation practices and the metal production. In August 2014, the test was managed during a period of 30 days, and the results are presented in Table 2. For all the key indicators, the results were outstanding and assessed very well the industrial performance of the AP60 technology. RIO TINTO | AWJ 2016
19
Table 2 : Jonquière AP60 performance test results
The Next Steps of the AP60 Technology Development
the next generation AP60 lining in order to lower the energy consumption at this level of amperage The Arvida Aluminum Smelter- as well as to operate way beyond AP60 Technological Center is also 600 kA. the platform for technological development up to and beyond 600 Development of APXe kA, as well as new environmental technologies and operational auto- Starting in early 2011 several versions of the cell have been tested mation. at LRF. The initial target was to Some cells are actually operating achieve a potline SEC of 12.3 kWh/ in Arvida at 600 kA on a dedicated kg. This figure includes all the exterdevelopment platform. These nal voltage drops, in particular the AP60 cells have been raised up voltage drops in the crossover and to develop the next technological in the process loop, which means step in industrial conditions. Some that the cell energy consumption work is also being done to prepare itself (calculated using cell voltage)
has to be below 12.0 kWh/kg. Figure 7 shows the promising results achieved with the very first cell, in which various different technical concepts and solutions were tested and validated. Following the start-up of the new Arvida smelter, the LRF facility has been fully converted to the development of the APXe cell, the last AP60 cells being stopped by the summer of 2014. They were restarted with the APXe design in order to validate operation in the range of 500-520 kA and 12.00012.300 kWh/kg.
Figure 7: Potline specific energy consumption of the first APXe cell
20
AWJ 2016 | RIO TINTO
Table 2 : Jonquière AP60 performance test results
Table 3: Technical results for the new APXe cell
Table 3 shows the results of a new optimised version. These are very encouraging with higher amperage, and current efficiency and reduced SEC. After the two first months of adjustment, the cell energy consumption itself (calculated using cell voltage) is below 12.0 kWh/kg. The potline energy consumption including all the external voltage drops, in particular the voltage drops in the crossover and in the process loop, is at 12.2 kWh/kg. A plan has been launched to reduce external voltage drop and energy consumption below 12.0 kWh/kg at the potline level.
Conclusion
measured and confirmed following a comprehensive and rigorous perThe 38 cells of the Arvida Alumi- formance test in August 2014. num Smelter-AP60 Technological Center are in operation since the In the meantime, at Saint Jean de end of 2013, and the AP60 technol- Maurienne, the LRF facility is now ogy was fully validated at 570 kA fully dedicated to the development in August 2014. Industrial start-up of APXe and is pushing the limit of procedures were developed and the low energy cell version in orsuccessfully demonstrated. Start- der to reach in the coming months up and operational equipment a specific energy consumption of capacity to operate safely in high 12.0 kWh/kg at 520 kA. magnetic field was also demonstrated, as well as mechanical be- With the AP60 and APXe pot techhavior of shells, superstructures and nology, Rio Tinto demonstrates its busbars. After the stabilization leadership in the development of phase, cell stability was demonstrat- efficient reduction cells for the bened and very good operating and efit of its own projects and its partenvironmental performance were ners and customers.
References 1. O. Martin, R.Gariepy, G.Girault “APXe the new reference for low energy cells” Australasian conference 2014. 2. Gariépy, René et Al. “Preparation and Start-up of Arvida Smelter, AP60 Technological Center”, Light Metal 2014, 797-801.
RIO TINTO | AWJ 2016
21
AP Technology
TM
Metal tapping at AP60 potline
42 million tonnes of aluminium… That’s continents That’s how how much much primary primary aluminium aluminiumcustomers customerson onfive five continents produced over the last 15 years using our industry-leading ALPSYS produced over the last 15 years using our industry-leading ALPSYS pot control system pot control system. ALPSYS and flawless ALPSYSconsistently consistentlydelivers deliversananunsurpassed unsurpassed and flawless technical performance. Supported by dedicated AP TechnologyTM technical performance. Supported by dedicated AP Technology™ Rio Tinto experts, it enables you to optimize both the pot process and experts, it enables you to optimize both the pot process and Arvida Aluminium smelter potline productivity. potline productivity. Join the ALPSYS Club and together let’s transform your reduction Join the ALPSYS Club and together let’s transform you reduction plant into a model of efficiency. plant into a model of efficiency. Visit ourand webAPXe: site : The new reference pots AP60 www.ap-technology.com/SitePages/Products/alpsys.aspx for highest amperage and lowest energy
ever achieved
MESAL™, THE MANUFACTURING EXCELLENCE SOLUTION FOR THE ALUMINIUM WORLD
Abstract
environment, the dependence on operations, quality, inventories, plant level information increases etc. and finally production perforHigh capability information sys- drastically. Rio Tinto is no excep- mance. tems are now a mandatory enabler tion. to achieve Operational Excellence In the Information System of a in a modern smelter. Realising full The need for effective decision plant the MES is the third IT level, potential of new or existing assets, making becomes more critical at unifying automation and superviby reducing operating costs and all levels and across all the manu- sion levels with the business manincreasing production capacity at facturing processes. agement level by supplying data to low capital cost, is supported by the Enterprise Resources Planning the best practice use of a capable The rapid response to changing (ERP) (Figure 1). Manufacturing Execution System. In order to reach this goal, Rio Tinto developed MESAL™, a Manufacturing Excellence Solution for Aluminium to enhance management of all aspects of smelter operations. This platform developed with a world leading IT company provides framework and dashboards for operation management, process quality follow-up, measurement and analysis of production performance and optimized inventory management. This paper describes why Rio Tinto has launched the global deployment of MESAL™ based on a strategy that aims at standardising and centralising expertise in competencies centres. Introduction
Figure 1 : MES location within Information system layers
conditions, the focus on reducing less productive activities and effecIn Rio Tinto, the search for en- tively driving plant operations and ablers to optimise our production processes requires current and activities is a constant Business Im- accurate data to initiate, respond provement goal. We have always to, and report on plant activities tried to provide as much visibility as they occur. Rio Tinto has a MES into manufacturing processes as platform providing this critical inpossible to help the production formation about production activteams to make better informed ities across the enterprise. decisions. A MES measures, visualises, analIn the evolving lean manufacturing yses and manages production
Under the name of MESAL™ Rio Tinto has implemented a joint approach, combining an Information System with a Lean Industrial Performance culture. The main objective of MESAL™ in Rio Tinto plants is to reduce operating costs by providing tools to support Operational Excellence and Lean Manufacturing deployment.
RIO TINTO | AWJ 2016
23
MESAL™ provides production documents and is adapted to each part of the plant; it allows operators to avoid dedicating time to distribute information, see in real-time the evolution of indicators and react when necessary with all the useful information. With MESAL™, operators have a list of clear and updated tasks, targets are followed in real time, data entry time is reduced, gain a better knowledge of the process and make better use of their skills allowing them to master their work. MESAL™ gives the downtime by cause for each equipment, alerts of the drift and critical parameters, informs on production and maintenance planning and allows management and scheduling of the interventions of maintenance and to work “hand-in-hand” with the production. With MESAL™, maintenance has the analysis by correlation of dysfunction (types of products, temperature, etc.), the follow-up of performance indicators, the understanding of failures, the support for the equipment reliability, the planning of maintenance tasks, and maintenance will be able to prevent breakdowns and downtimes and increase the availability of production tools. MESAL™ also informs about stock levels, manages materials flows, informs about quality controls for raw materials and products and allows an effective dialogue with the purchasing management. The supply chain team has the real-time levels of stock: quantity, material movements (updated ERP) between storage and plant and analysis of results at all stages of manufacture. The supply chain will be able to do just in time orders and avoid shortages while optimising work in progress (inventory). 24
AWJ 2016 | RIO TINTO
w Increases the real time
Key driver for reaching Operational Excellence is ensuring pot regularity and quality.
w Helps to transform constraints
MESAL™ Operational Excellence Platform for Reduction
MESAL™ main advantages: responsiveness of the company (legislation, customer specifications, quality) into competitive advantage
MESAL™ provides the tools for achieving Operational Excellence by:
w Ensures reliability of information w Generating information from varw Improves the dialogue between shops and plants
w Is a tool for continuous improvement
ious sources (PTA, Pot Control System, audits, other MESAL™ modules, MESAL™ plant infocentre),
w Collecting the relevant KPI (operation & equipment),
Operational Excellence to support w Exploiting information with a real production cost cutting and creeptime Dashboard and data analying projects sis tools (cross analysis, trouble shooting, process) through three Due to the ever growing global main focuses: competition, all producers of primary aluminium have to face stron- w Improving the decision process ger cost pressure. In this context, w Increasing operators involvement optimising each smelter is vital. and responsibility On one hand, the lowest capital cost lever used to increase the w Developing proactive management metal production of a smelter is basically current increase through a creeping project. On the other MESAL™ PTA MANAGEMENT alhand, production cost decrease is lows viewing information regarding achieved mainly through technol- PTA location, PTA available funcogy improvement (design, process tions (combination of tools availcontrol…). In both cases Operation- ability) and PTA transfers (transfers al Excellence with performance im- for operation reasons, for prevenprovement is the key to reaching tive maintenance or breakdowns). full asset potential by decreasing operating costs or managing the MESAL™ optimizes PTA usage via additional constraints introduced providing information on: by a creeping project. w PTA availability and availability per operation Operational Excellence in potline always prioritises safe operating w PTA Tools/functions reliability conditions with a particular emphasis on tapping, anode changing w Decision making : PTA position, and beam raising operations and available functions on coactivity between Pot Tending Assemblies (PTA), heavy load w PTA transfers (number and transport and pedestrians. reasons)
Figure 2: MESAL™ Dashboard views MESAL™ DASHBOARD views to enable operation teams to ensure production performance targets are met and supervisors are working to Rio Tinto best practices guidelines.
RIO TINTO | AWJ 2016
25
MESAL™ POT OPERATION QUALITY MONITORING with data analysis coming from various existing systems and visual inspection. Work done during operation on pot is measured and evaluated through Performances indicators, then the level of compliance with Standard Operation Procedures is qualified using a notation system. Analysis of evolution of notation is a performant way to see the trend on the pathway to excellence.
u Anode Changing (AC): grab
passes /anode, breaker shots/anode, duration of sub-operations, gauging performance
u
Anode covering: duration, quantity, number of recovering
uTapping:
cycle per crucible, ejector activation duration
u Anode
beam raising: duration, incidents
Main KPI elaborates by MESAL™ Performance Indicators based on Process Control system for pot operation quality improvement u Pot performance: Anode Effect (AE) during AC, tracking Performance Indicators based on duration after AC PTA information:
Figure 4: MESAL™ Shift Portal views
26
AWJ 2016 | RIO TINTO
u Tapped
mass
mass versus target
Performance Indicators based on inspection (visual audits) u Anode
change: sweeping, stem verticality
u Anode
covering: quality (number/quantity of recovering)
u Tapping:
quality of hole opening, crucible cleanliness
u Hoods:
number of pots with open hoods, tightness
Figure 3: MESAL™ Dashboard for pot operation quality
MESAL™ SHIFT PORTAL empowers MESAL™ main differentiating factors: supervisors by providing support to help them focus on the activities u Embed a strong Aluminium smelter know how that truly impact their results and so increasing management on the shopfloor (figure 4). u Robust, scalable and flexible It gives functions & information throughout the shift: u
u
u
Supported by a world leader IT Company
MESAL™ is based on a stretchable and customisable platform giving a high level of autonomy to each smelter to improve parameterization (equipment, KPI), and develop views or reports. MESAL™ can be cost effectively customized to any of our plants (also carbon plants). It uses standardised processes and reusable templates named “industrial Framework” applicable to each workshop (Material Management, Shift Portal, Equipment Performance, etc.) and “Aluminium Framework” (PTA management, metal flow, casting units, anode baking furnaces, etc.) (figure 6).
Help supervisors optimise their own time allocations
Based on Aluminium Pechiney (AP) experience
KPI calculation (to focus on analysis and correction)
MESAL™ has a strong Aluminium business content with more than 300 screens and dashboard views covering all smelter areas (figure 5 and specified through 5,000 man days of AP operation and technology experts during development with close to 30 000 IT man days to Final objective is managing operations and production, including commercialize the product. monitoring technical performance At AP, we’ve been designing, build- with accuracy, certainty and effiing, running and supporting smelt- ciency. ers worldwide for more than a century. The MESAL™ solution in- For Greenfield projects, it simplifies corporates this knowledge and ex- smelter start-up and operations perience. Continuous involvement by standardising parameterisation, of Operation, Technology and R&D operation, use and increasing inteexperts is part of MESAL™ develop- gration between the various systems implemented. ment governance model.
u Management
instructions display (avoiding multiple emails)
u Ease
communication between teams (log book)
Main features of the MESAL™ solution MESAL™ lies at the centre of our smelters, providing real-time visibility into the entire operation. This means immediate and customisable access to the information we need to maximize performance and proactively address issues.
Figure 5: Areas covered by MESAL™ solution
RIO TINTO | AWJ 2016
27
1.
2. MESAL™ frameworks 3.
1. 2. 3.
eShift LO log
Substation and utilities Consumption metering for energy, air, water and gas
G
1. 2. 3. LOG
Raw material handling Stock monitoring / Port installation management
1. M POE2. 3.
LOG
Equipment Lperformance OG
M POE
Casthouse LOG LOG
M
POE
Material management
KPI management 1. 2. 3.
M
POE 1. 2. 3.
Operation work order LOG
1. 2. 3.
1. 2. 3.
M POE
1. M 2. 3.
POE
M
POE
Production order execution management
Carbon Anode quality / Grain size distribution / Baking furnace operation / Flue wall follow-up / Rodding cast management
M POE 1. 2. 3.
Laboratory Laboratory information management system
M POE
Standard market solution to be parameterised POEM
1. 2. 3.
Energy management (thermal and electric)
LOG
Equipment line follow-up 1. 2. 3.
Reduction Process and environment data / Roof emission / GTC results / Operational excellence
Aluminium framework
M POE
Industrial framework
Analysis result management
M
POE
M POE
MESAL™ mobile solution
LOG
1. 2. 3.
M
POE 1. 2. 3.
Consumption metering for bauxite, caustic, lime, water, gas, etc.
Alumina framework
Material handling and stocks monitoring
M
POE
1. 2. 3.
M
POE
Bayer process performances
Recipes management
Operation management Cleaning operation / Operational excellence / Operation scheduling
Organisation and standard Administration
Environment management Laboratory information management system Standard market solution to be parameterised
Figure 6: MESAL™ Industrial and Aluminium Frameworks
Major MESAL™ deployments Implemented: MESAL™ is implemented in the following SMELTER
u
Kitimat (British Colombia – CANADA) 2015
production costs led us to focus on catching innovative projects with immediate payback. We are continuously developing evolutions on the MESAL™ solution to support these projects and accelerate R&D prototype validation and operating solution deployment.
MESAL™ Mobility tool to have MESAL™ on smartphones, tablets for operation manager on the floor u Sohar Aluminium (Sultanate and Executive management in of OMAN) 2009 headquarter. This tool allows a real time access to all MESAL™ KPI usu Aluminium Dunkerque (FRANCE) ing a secured WiFi/ 3G / 4G access The lever of the MESAL™ platform on a worldwide basis (access in give us agility to deploy immediate2010 ly at minimal new MESAL™ funcone application to all plant KPIs). tions supporting innovation and u Aluchemie (NETHERLAND) 2011 A MESAL™ version for Alumina thus catching value on all of our Refinery is in design and develop- production sites that could benefit u Alma (Quebec – CANADA) 2012 ment phase. A first deployment is from these innovations. u Laterrière (Quebec CANADA) planned in 2016/2017. 2013 The MESAL™ solution is an enabler to accelerate value capture for our Continuous MESAL™ solution improvement plants and it drastically reduces our IT cost. The high pressure on our smelters’ 28
AWJ 2016 | RIO TINTO
PRIMARY SMELTING AND PROCESSES
FIVES HeliosRT, the latest technology implemented by Fives at Vlissingen
_______ 31-36
FLSMIDTH MÖLLER® Alumina Handling Systems, High Performance, High Efficiency
STAS SIRS: A new solution for pot ramming: the PRM
HENCON Smart industrial mobile solutions
_______ 37-38 _______ 40-41 _______ 42-46
BORGESTAD FABRIKKER Your next generation refactories
_______ 47-52
PRIMARY SMELTING AND PROCESSES | AWJ 2016
29
HELIOSRT, THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTED BY FIVES AT VLISSINGEN
Figure 1 - Anode Baking Furnace at Vlissingen
Introduction In 2013, Century Aluminum carried ment its latest control system (Heout large investment to restart an liosRT) featuring clean and efficient anode production facility in The injection technology. Only a few Netherlands to produce world months after the furnace start-up, class anodes for parent aluminum the plant had reached perforsmelters. Along with the partial mance targets and stable operarefractory refurbishment of the ex- tion, demonstrating the perforisting baking furnace, the project mance of the new firing system. included the upgrade of the firing equipment to comply with new In June 2012, Century Aluminum, a local stringent regulation for NOx primary aluminum producer, puremission. chased the anode production facility of a former aluminum smelter Fives Solios was selected to imple- that was closed a few months ear-
lier in Vlissingen, the Netherlands. The existing production unit was modernised to optimize the anode flow and enabling a progressive size increase of the anodes to support. As part of the revamping of the Anode Baking Furnace, along with the partial refractory refurbishment of the furnace, the project included the upgrade of the firing equipment to comply with new local stringent regulation for NOx emissions (figure 1). FIVES | AWJ 2016
31
Fives was selected to implement its latest technology able to outperform the requirement of the contract guarantee (<250 mg/Nm3 NOx at stack).
tem using the latest available technology such as EtherCAT for the communication network.
With only redundant computers that control the basic Inputs/OutThanks to the combined effort of puts on each mobile ramp, the both Century and Fives teams, less system architecture is more robust than 7 months were necessary to and simple to understand and to upgrade and restart the complete maintain. The hardware is reduced Firing Control System in November and simpler than with convention2013. al Control System Architecture. Latest Control Technology
A modern baking furnace like Centuryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is supervised by only one In the last couple of years, Fives operator that follows not only the has developed a new Control Sys- Firing Control System but also the
Anode Handling System and the Fume Treatment Center. This operator who spends his time between the control room and the field needs to have all information wherever he is. HeliosRT has a unique interface so the operator gets the same information both on the fixed screens located in the control room and in the furnace. For very specific operations, this interface is also available on mobile tablet PC. It allows operating the system closer to the action and the operator can see the change he made in real-time. (Figure 2)
Figure 2 - Integrated Control System HELIOSRT
Advanced Injection Technologies The upgrade of the firing equipment includes up-to-date technologies developed by Fives to promote clean and efficient combustion while achieving high baking homogeneity: u
32
Advanced control algorithms to optimize fuel to air ratio AWJ 2016 | FIVES
u
u
New generation of gas injectors designed to limit NOx formation and improve thermal distribution inside flue walls. Advanced control algorithms to optimize combustion
u
Anti-flooding system
u
CO module
The first step in optimizing the combustion starts with an algorithm that limits the amount of fuel injected per flue wall line according to the amount of air available. The system calculates in realtime the maximum injection limit for a given flue wall as a function of the draft pressure available.
The second step of combustion optimization is based on online CO measurement for an adaptive control that takes into account outside standard operating conditions. In the case of bended flue walls, fume flow disturbance, shifted pitch burning area or other baking deviation phenomena leading to high CO content in the exhausted fumes, the module automatically searches for the responsible flue wall and manages the appropriate actions by moderating fuel quantity injected or by increasing the volume of blown air (Figure 3).
Figure 3 - Exhaust duct equipped with CO analyzer
Injection Matrix Control
gen available by sequencing gas in- and negative pressure to calculate jection pulses along a flue wall line the optimal injection sequences. This module is the last generation (Figure 4). This synchronization management algorithm dedicated to the imis a further step for combustion provement of the combustion pro- The algorithm combines the injec- improvement and flame developcess in an anode baking furnace. It tion demand with other measure- ment stability. allows the optimization of the oxy- ments such as CO, temperature
Figure 4 - Injection Synchronization
FIVES | AWJ 2016
33
New generation of gas injector The latest generation of gas injectors installed in Vlissingen is the result of a research program for the development of a clean and efficient injection technology. This program is based on experimental tests performed in a full scale pilot unit. With this new injector,
a large improvement of the flame temperature homogeneity was obtained thanks to an adapted configuration of the gas jet. The flame behavior observed in the testing unit with the new injector was confirmed in operation at Vlissingen: large scale turbulence flame distributed over a large vol-
ume inside the flue wall. Such a flame allows a homogenous heat transfer distribution along the refractory flue wall and consequently improves baking quality. As the volume of the flame increases the heat flux density is reduced and consequently the flame peak temperature decreases (Figure 5).
Figure 5 - New injector flame profile compared with former design
Figure 6 - injector and flame profile
34
AWJ 2016 | FIVES
Figure 7 - NOx emission benchmark
This has a positive impact on the reduction of NOx emissions. The NOx emission recorded at stack at Vlissingen reached 50 mg/Nm3 only. This result sets a new standard for NOx reduction in the area
of the anode baking (Figure 7).
baked anodes ready for shipping on 31/12/2013. After one year of The anode production started at operations, Vlissingen records very the end of 2013, with the first stable operations and high baking green anode on the 29/11/2013 performances particularly regardand the first container of slotted ing homogeneity ( Figure 8).
Figure 8 - Baking performances recorded at Vlissingen
FIVES | AWJ 2016
35
The mean levels of CO recorded at baking furnace and the RTO (Rethe exhaust ramps is less than 250 generative Thermal Oxidizer). For ppm. This level is reflects the com- comparison, in 2010 the average plete combustion of both gas and levels of NOx recorded by opervolatiles. The gas consumption is ators previously at the outlet of 10% lower than recorded before furnace D was about 400 mg/Nm3 the stoppage with the previous fir- without RTO). ing technology. Conclusion The continuous NOx measure made at the chimney is lower than To meet the new stringent environ100 mg/Nm3. This value combines mental standards, Century Alumithe NOx produced by the anode num chose Fives latest control sys-
By Pierre Mahieu, Nicolas Fiot Process Engineers at Fives Solios SA 32 rue Fleury Neuvesel - 69702 Givors - France
36
AWJ 2016 | FIVES
tem HeliosRT featured with its new injection technology to upgrade their firing control systems. After a few months, the production target of baked anodes was achieved in accordance with the contractual performance criteria. The NOx emissions recorded at stack sets a new standard in the aluminum industry and the baking level distribution is outperforming the world benchmark.
ALUMINA HANDLING SYSTEMS High Performance 5 High Efficiency
MÖLLER direct pot feeding system installed at Dubal Smelter ©DUBAL
About FLSmidth FLSmidth® is a market-leading supplier of equipment and services to the global minerals and cement industries. FLSmidth supplies everything from single machine units to complete minerals and cement flow sheets including associated services.
primarily engineers who develop, plan, design, install and service equipment, with most manufacturing being outsourced to a global network of subcontractors. This has proven to be both a robust and sustainable business model. FLSmidth therefore has a flexible cost structure, which makes it possible With almost 13,000 employees, to plan and adjust resources to FLSmidth is a global company with prevailing market conditions. headquarters in Denmark and local presence in more than 50 coun- FLSmidth is a learning organization, tries including project and tech- and our people are our most valunology centres in Denmark, India, able resource. FLSmidth’s strategy USA and Germany. Over the past entails strong emphasis on select134 years FLSmidth has developed ing, attracting and retaining the a business culture based on three right people who can support valfundamental values: competence, ue creation in FLSmidth. responsibility and cooperation. FLSmidth in the alumina business
by the Austrian chemist Josef Bayer, the alumina production process can be split into a ‘red side’ and a ‘white side’. Red side solutions FLSmidth offers equipment for the complete bauxite handling, storage, crushing and grinding flowsheet, complementing the digestion or dissolution of bauxite in hot caustic liquor. This is followed by the complete Settler-Washer train flowsheet for Red Mud using the leading technology acquired from Dorr-Oliver and Eimco. White side solutions
FLSmidth offers white side equipment, covering the complete flowIt is FLSmidth’s vision to be the FLSmidth first entered the alumi- sheet after the hydrate precipitacustomers’ preferred full-service- na industry more than 100 years tion process, including MÖLLER® provider of sustainable minerals ago. Today FLSmidth has an ex- equipment technology for alumina and cement technologies. This is perienced team of engineers and handling and load-out. reflected in focused research and support staff with extensive aludevelopment efforts aimed at ful- mina experience located in offices Overall, FLSmidth equipment covfilling customers’ future needs in around the world – and offers the ers more than 50 percent of the terms of innovative technical solu- latest equipment for most areas of equipment needs of a complete tions, high reliability and availabili- an alumina plant. alumina plant, from the bauxite ty, minimum environmental impact mine to the above refinery equipand the lowest possible product Red side, white side and alumina ment. In addition, FLSmidth also lifecycle costs. handling offers all equipment for alumina handling in the smelters. FLSmidth’s in-house resources are Based on the Bayer process, invented FLSMIDTH | AWJ 2016
37
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 1 & 2 show material handling modules for ALCOA Fjardaal Smelter. Figure 3 & 4 show truck loading station at DUBAL Jebel Ali Port.
MÖLLER Technology u
Through its MÖLLER® technology, FLSmidth specializes in design, engineering, procurement, erec- tion and commissioning of pneu- u matic material handling systems for turn-key projects and components for the alumina industry. Our capabilities of handling fresh alumina, reacted alumina, u crushed bath and aluminium fluoride comprise: u u
Large capacity storage silos (up to 85.000 t realized) including anti-segregation filling and discharge
u
MÖLLER airlift conveying systems (up to 6oo t/h realized) Pressure vessel dense phase conveying either with MÖLLER Turbuflow® our standard conveying pipe
u
u
MÖLLER screw pump conveying systems Truck/wagon loading and unloading stations
u
Dosage systems
u
MÖLLER Fluidflow® pipe air slide and rectangular air slide conveying systems MÖLLER direct pot feeding systems either with 100% MÖLLER Fluidflow pipe air slide conveying technology or as a hybrid of MÖLLER Turbuflow conveying pipe and MÖLLER Fluidflow pipe air slide PTM filling stations Modular designed systems – plug and play
For more than 75 years the MÖLLER® brand has stood for high quality standard systems with more than 5.000 references worldwide.
FLSmidth Hamburg GmbH Haderslebener Strasse 7 25421 Pinneberg, Germany hamburg@flsmidth.com
38
AWJ 2016 | FLSMIDTH
© Norsk Hydro
Expertise in Alumina handling FLSmidth® is your expert in handling of fresh alumina, reacted alumina, crushed bath and aluminium fluoride •
Large capacity storage silo including anti-segregation filling and discharge
•
MÖLLER® airlift conveying
•
Pressure vessel dense phase conveying either with MÖLLER Turbuflow® or standard conveying pipe
•
Truck/wagon loading and unloading stations
•
Dosage systems
•
MÖLLER Fluidflow® pipe air slide conveying systems
•
MÖLLER direct pot feeding systems
•
PTM filling stations
•
Modular designed systems - plug and play
FLSmidth Hamburg GmbH Tel: +49 4101 788-0 • hamburg@flsmidth.com www.flsmidth.com/moeller
SIRS A new Solution for Pot Ramming: the PRM The STAS Pot Ramming Machine
Introduction
ket where economic performance is maximized. In addition, the ofSTAS, a Canadian manufacturing fer for such machines has changed, company well known for its wide with fewer companies offering this range of equipment for the alu- kind of machines on the market. minium industry, has developed a new Pot Ramming Machine (PRM). It is in view of this situation that This equipment is used to compact STAS, with its 25 years experience the ramming paste during the pot in the aluminium industry, decided lining process and features im- to develop its own Pot Ramming proved performances and innova- Machine. STAS has been able to tive characteristics. stand out in this sector thanks to its well recognized expertise in proHistory cess quality control as well as in the design of specialized equipment Ramming paste around cathode for the aluminium industry. blocks is considered a critical step to avoid aluminium or bath infiltra Vertical vibro-compaction tion as well as premature failing, therefore maximising the useful Vibro-compaction has been selectlife of cells. To ensure a consistent ed as the ramming method, for it is quality in terms of compaction, and well recognized in civil engineering to avoid this tedious task for opera and in studies made on paste proptors, it is common to use a machine erties. And vibro-compaction is also recognized as a standard process by to compact the paste. several pot technology suppliers. The market for Pot Ramming Machines has evolved in recent The ram is intended to move the years. First, the requirements for compaction tool in a perfectly increasingly large cells operating vertical trajectory to facilitate the with higher electric currents have operation while ensuring more uniresulted in high expectations in form compaction. The long travel terms of ramming, especially in offered by the compaction ram the context of a competitive mar- gives great ground clearance to 40
AWJ 2016 | STAS
The machine has the capability to move to the next cell
the compaction head, allowing the machine to move by itself to the next cell, using embedded rails in the floor. This last feature is a major benefit, more especially during green field operations, where a second set of rails is used to move the machine to the next cell without any lifting operation. Quality control In terms of production manage ment, great emphasis was put in the integration of a sophisticated quality control system. A dedicated PC with its own interface is used to collect and record the complete compaction profile of a pot and to compare it to the predetermined production recipe and compaction quality criteria. Thanks to builtin encoding devices, a complete mapping of the cell is performed, including the positions of the joints, the number of layers and
compaction levels. The system automatically measures the com paction levels during the operation - and alarms can be activated if improper compaction is detected, thus avoiding the costly reconstruc tion of the cell if this problematic layer is detected too late in the process. In addition, data can be sent in real time to the level 2 for data logging and for more accurate monitoring of the process. Therefore, not only does the PRM allow a more uniform and constant compaction than manual compac tion, but it also prevents human errors that can be costly if detected too late. Ease of operation and maintenance As the machine is used in the vicinity of operators, the ergonomic aspect was a primary design criterion. Noise and vibration levels have been optimized to an unprec edented level for a vibro-compaction pot ramming machine, with a measured noise level well under 80 dB during operation. A patent pending compaction ram allows a very slim design next to the operators, while offering a vibration decoupling function and providing
maximum visibility. Such increased visibility, coupled with the precise control of the compaction tool allows easy, precise and quick positioning of the tool above the joint to be compacted. Indeed, the movement of the machine is controlled by a radio controller provided with the best-in-class safety features and the drive systems are carefully engineered to offer optimized dynamic performance and accurate positioning.
as such uses standard components from the industry, keeping proprietary parts to a bare minimum. In summary, here are the advantages of the PRM, based on the comments received from the customers during field trials: Very intuitive to operate.
w Very low noise and vibration;
Moreover, ramming is optimized by dynamically tunable parameters. w Both dynamic and static loadings can be easily tuned, which gives flexibility to the process and extends the compaction capabilities w of the machine.
operators can talk to each other during the operation.
Very good access around the compaction head, allowing a clear view of the current ram ming process. Quality monitoring, efficient and simple to follow.
Therefore, depending on the plant practices or the cell parameters, w From a process point of view, compaction recipes easy to such as the cell technology or the configure to enhance the selected type of paste, the compacramming quality of the cell. tion recipe is configurable with the PRM. The new Pot Ramming Machine is The design philosophy is based the result of a thorough develop on minimum maitenance while ment program that went from reliability and maintainability are prototyping through the selection achieved through a robust con- of operating parameters and the struction and easily available com- qualification of compaction up to ponents. The main structure is like the design and manufacturing of a a gantry type overhead crane and full-scale equipment to the size of the longest current pots (600 kA). After successful testing both inhouse and in plants in Quebec, the new Pot Ramming Machine is now available for the industry. References: Pascal Cote, Giovanni Pucella. An innovative Pot Ramming Machine, TMS (2015) Contact information: Florent Gougerot, Eng. - Marketing Manager Telephone Office: +1-418-696-0074, ext. 2426
HMI screenshot of quality control interface
STAS | AWJ 2016
41
SMART INDUSTRIAL MOBILE SOLUTIONS
For decades, the light metal industry seems to have been quite conservative when choosing logistic systems for their production process. Although proven technologies are available with a high grade of automation, these systems are hardly being used by primary and secondary aluminium producers. For more than 50 years Hencon has developed, designed, produced and serviced the traditional material handling and process support systems for aluminium producers and other industries. In recent years Hencon has also developed and implemented new technologies such as “Electric Drive Systems”, “Operator Assisting Technology” and “Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGV)” for unmanned, computer controlled processes and material-handling jobs in an aluminium plant.
functional performances and to keep the equipment in a good condition Hencon also provides on-site service and maintenance support. In this article, remarkable systems that could lead to huge savings and improved health and safety will be described.
than tilting solutions and is safer to use: the Metal Tapping & Transfer Vehicle (MTTV). The MTTV, one system for total handling of liquid metal
With the Hencon Metal Tapping & Transfer Vehicles, the metal is 1-Liquid Metal Tapping & Transfer sucked in via a closed vacuum sysSystem tem, using an on-board air compressor. Discharge is done by a The internal transfer of liquid al- pressurized discharge and not by uminium from the pots in the po- tilting. The MTTV reduces the fortrooms to the furnaces in the cast mation of dross to a minimum house is a crucial daily job for pri- leading to a higher plant efficienmary aluminium producers. Im- cy. Metal splash is eliminated and portant factors for the handling therefore costs of damage due to equipment are safety, reliability, metal spillage will are eliminatflexibility, quick handling and re- ed as well. Most importantly the duction on costs. health and safety of the plant is increased significantly. One machine Most smelters still use manually can be used for the total handling controlled overhead cranes for the of liquid metal. tapping process in the potroom and The complexity of producing cost- transport vehicles for the transfer With operator assisting technoloefficient base metals is constantly of liquid metal to the cast house. gy, linked to the central computer, increasing. In order to give light In the cast house the crucibles are the performance of the metal tapmetal producers the competitive usually emptied by tilting with an ping and transfer jobs will be imedge, Hencon is committed to pro- overhead crane or by special vehi- proved and risk of operator failures viding leading edge technology cles. Minimizing dross formation will be minimized. The tapping will and to delivering production-ready during transport of liquid metal is automatically be done at the right equipment at the earliest possi- essential in order to reduce costs. height, speed and quantity, this ble date. Today Hencon offers a leads to a longer lifetime of your wide range of integrated mobile Based on many years of experi- cathodes. These savings can be solutions for primary aluminium ence, continuous development significant. On all Hencon systems smelters, cast houses, rolling mills, and using the latest technologies, technologies like anti-collision sysextrusion plants and other produc- Hencon created a solution that is tems and anti-blind-spot systems tion processes in the light metal more flexible against lower pric- are available. industry. In order to optimize the es than cranes, creates less dross
42
AWJ 2016 | HENCON
Hencon Metal Tapping & Transfer Vehicle with closed siphoning system and pressurized discharge. One tool for total handling of liquid metal.
2- Scrap Handling and Furnace Charging Systems Aluminium is perfectly suitable for recycling. This requires far less energy compared to primary aluminium production. For a quick and efficient charging of the recycle scrap into the melting furnaces, Hencon Furnace Charging Vehicles with charging containers or fork units have been used for many years.
Complete Scrap Handling and Furnace Charging Solutions with unmanned vehicles are available
the picking up of the full container by the AGV. By using a laser controlled navigation system the AGV with the full container will automatHencon has developed and imple- ically drive from the scrap yard to mented Automatic Guided Vehicle the right furnace in the cast house, (AGV) systems with unmanned, where the scrap is pushed into the computer controlled vehicles for melting furnace. All these operahandling and transport of metal in tions are fully computer controlled. an aluminium plant. Operator costs will be reduced and In the scrap yard the aluminium a continuous and safe operation is scrap is collected in charging contain- guaranteed. ers. These containers are weighed and lifted in a lifting system prior to
Furnace Charging Vehicle
HENCON | AWJ 2016
43
HENCON AGV FOR UNMANNED TRANSFER OF 10T ALUMINIUM SCRAP FROM THE SCRAP YARD INTO THE MELTING FURNACE.
3-Cast House Furnace Tending Systems
Dedicated Furnace Tending Vehicles replacing the use of Fork Lift Trucks
this is the most economical option. Skimming will be done by scraping the dross, with a perfect and automatically controlled horizontal Nowadays some hazardous jobs at furnaces are still performed with Although standard low cost forklift movement, into a collecting bin. forklift trucks or even done manu- trucks with special tools are used Telescopic reach of the boom in a for furnace tending jobs frequently, range of 5 to 14 meters will be ally. this has huge disadvantages such adapted to the furnace dimensions. w Dross-skimming at the surface as damages to the furnaces, high maintenance costs, long charg- No more manual skimming!! of the molten metal ing times, safety risks because of w Cleaning the bottom and walls driving forwards/backwards and Manual dross-skimming is still bad visibility for the drivers. Some done at cast houses with small of the furnaces aluminium producers treat these melting furnaces and have limitforklift trucks as consumables, the ed space in front of the furnace. w Mixing the metal lifetime of a forklift truck in this en- Because of space constraint tradivironment is often not longer than tional tending vehicles or fork lift w Charging additives trucks cannot be used in these cast 3 years. houses. w Charging solid metal into the Dedicated Furnace Tending Vemelting furnace hicles for dedrossing, mixing and Manual dross-skimming can be furnace cleaning are safer, do not very hazardous to workers. The alSmart Industrial Mobile Solutions damage the valuable furnace and uminium bath is kept at a high temare compared with the more tradi- have a lifetime of more than 15 perature and the area in front of tional methods. years. Because of these reasons the furnace will be very hot. There
44
AWJ 2016 | HENCON
is always the danger of burns, so workers have to wear protective clothing. However, this protective gear makes the job even more taxing and hot. Besides heat the fumes from the furnace are often toxic. The reaching and lifting required with manual skimming can be straining and labour-intensive. A Hencon robotic skimming vehicle provides a safe alternative. Hencon has developed battery operated, multi-directional Furnace Tending Vehicles, that only require a minimum of floor space. These vehicles are designed to withstand high temperatures. No more tiring and endangering workers, but Multi-directional Furnace Tending Vehicle with comfortable lifting cabin. dedicated FTVs. These FTVs work consistently remove the dross at discharge height can be limited, the right rate and precisely clean Combined Furnace Tending & Charging Vehicles thus reducing splashes and damwithout damaging the lining or age of the bottom lining. Charging metal spillage. To reduce costs and the number can be done very quickly. Depending on the available space of vehicles in the cast-house, spein front of the furnaces, these ro- cial multifunctional combined fur- Advantages are: botic FTVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s can be delivered with nace skimming and charging vehior without a operatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cabin. The cles are available in different sizes w One single multi-functional machine for various jobs in operator in the lifting cabin is pro- and capacities. These vehicles can work with different tools for varthe cast house. tected against heat, splashes and ious jobs, such as a telescopic hazardous fumes and has an optimal view to the operations in the boom with a skimming or cleaning w Reduced cycle times for blade, a scrap container, a fork unit furnace. skimming and cleaning. for charging bigger solid parts or a The smaller FTV version without a cage for charging additives. These w Optimal and precise cabin is remote controlled, keep- tools can easily be connected to dedrossing, minimizing liquid ing the operator at a safe distance. the truck by the driver in his comaluminium loss. Several well known car producers fortable cabin. have discovered the advantages of w these robotic skimming vehicles The charging system works with inand are using these machines with terchangeable containers that give the possibility to fill the containers great success. that can be filled with the right materials in advance and stored w close to the furnace. The container can be emptied by pushing the scrap material out the front side. By pushing out the scrap material through the front side the contain- w er can be emptied. The material will be equally divided over the Robotic Furnace Tending Vehicle multi-directional, without cabin furnace. With a tilt mechanism the
Reduced heat loss in the furnace, due to fast opening of the furnace door. Reduced damage of the lining; controlled forces on bottom and walls; increasing lifetime of the lining. Increased safety in the cast house; no forward / backward driving during skimming and cleaning. HENCON | AWJ 2016
45
Combined Furnace Tending & Charging Vehicle
Automated Furnace Tending Vehicles
w All Hencon Furnace Tending
Vehicles can be provided with automatic programs for improved operations.
preventive maintenance program including the possibility of VDS and an online maintenance management system. Hencon Vehicle Data System ( VDS)
ments to have the right people and parts available at the right time. Various reports from temperatures of hydraulic oil to production time and much more can be automatically generated. Documents such as Operation Manuals, Service Manuals, Service Bulletins, Hydraulic and Electric Schemes and spare parts forecasts can be downloaded with a push of a button. The actual status and location as well as the history of machines is available in one central and secure place.
Every vehicle can be equipped with a data system that monitors w Pressure control technology, the system on a real time basis. preventing damage of the Data is securely transferred to furnace lining the online Hencon maintenance management system. Imagine to w Automatic dedrossing getting an automatic report with technology. location, G-force, error codes and driver identification if an accident Henconâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s maintenance managew Automatic alloying technology. occurred. ment system, in combination with the VDS and the service and mainHencon Service and Maintenance Hencon Maintenance tenance support, is a life line for Support excellent vehicle performance for Management System years to come. To ensure fleet availability for op- Hencon machines can play a vital erations, Hencon provides mainte- role in the production process. For more information about these nance support around the world. Hencon takes care of on-site main- and other solutions please visit: www.hencon.com tenance for many customers and Hencon developed a maintenance makes their experience available training program that will assist to its customers. The Hencon mainyour team in keeping the machines tenance system will improve the in operation. The focus of this main- scheduling of the service intervals, tenance system is the in-depth and enables maintenance depart46
AWJ 2016 | HENCON
Your next generation refractories Norwayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading refractory supplier Borgestad Fabrikker has always been a primary supplier to the global aluminium and ferro-alloy industries and to the Norwegian foundries as well. Borgestad Fabrikker was established in 1887, and have a long tradition in refractories. Refractories and service to improve your performance Borgestad Fabrikker offers superior refractory solutions to the aluminium and ferro-alloy industries around the world. At the same time, we supply a range of specialty products and services to other industries that use refractory materials â&#x20AC;&#x201C; both within Norway and globally.
Building a new future:
ranging from conventional, low cement, ultra-low cement We are committed to ensure the and no cement, suiting installation future of us as well as our valuable through vibration, self-flowing, customers. In this process, we are rodding, pouring, gunning, constructing a most modern mono- pumping and shot-creting. lithic refractory plant in Bjuv, Sweden, with a manufacturing capacity w Focus on energy saving monoof 30,000 MT/ year, to be opened lithic technologies, to reduce caron 1st of September, 2016. bon footprint, through reducing drying times and thus making the The key features of this modern developments sustainable. new plant are: Aluminium w High level automation. Borgestad Fabrikker has been supplying the refractory needs of w Intensive mixing technology aluminum foundries since the esfor monolithic mixes, to ensure a tablishment of the aluminum inhigh degree of homogeneity of th additives level of as low as 0,005%. dustry in Norway in the early 20 Century. Our range of materials has become the preferred refracw Robustly designed products tory solution for this industry.
Our range of innovative products will reward you with a cost-effective refractory solution and the lowest refractory cost per ton of produced metal. We aim to answer your needs and solve your problems â&#x20AC;&#x201C; even before you ask us. New product line BORGESTAD FABRIKKER | AWJ 2016
47
Our monolithic Thermocast 7.4.1 has become a standard in the aluminum industry to fill and seal open gaps in the refractory lining around the cathode steel bar. Thermocast 7.4.1 is very easy to work with, delivering exactly the right BJUF F is the classic ‘good old brick’ combination of strength and flexiused for decades throughout the bility. Borgestad Fabrikker delivers aluminum industry. Its 33-35% alu- this product in flex bags tailored mina content provides excellent re- to your order, ranging from 25 to Our product range includes: sistance against attacks of molten 1000 kg, so you get exactly the w Chamotte and high-alumina electrolyte. The brick is available in right amount of product for your bricks a wide range of formats. The larg- installation. w Monolithics (castables & est available cross section area is gunnables) All of our materials are regularly 500x500 mm. w Mortars monitored by a number of quality w Insulation material ALU 30 is the alternative brick institutes like SINTEF (the FoundaAnchors w with 29% alumina content. Several tion for Scientific and Industrial Restudies show that silica-rich barri- search at the Norwegian Institute In addition to our high-quality w products, we provide a range of er bricks like ALU 30 create a vis- of Technology), to assure product services spanning from design to cous barrier in reaction with mol- uniformity and consistency. ten electrolyte. This brick shows installation. especially good results from cup tests with molten electrolyte. ALU Electrolytic cells 30 is also available in large format. Borgestad Fabrikker understands At installation we use mortars that the demands of the production match the properties of Bjuf F as process in detail, and we are an well as ALU 30. experienced supplier of refractory E US O material for electrolytic cells. The -H ST A key strength of Borgestad FabrikC ker is own chamotte clay of excelN lent quality, which is calcined and TIO A LL classified for manufacturing barrier TA S bricks in Bjuv, Sweden. This allows IN us to control the manufacturing E UR process, quality as well as the miT FU crostructural design of brick that W E N is resistance to cryolite or bath components. D R& We provide complete refractory solutions for all the major production processes — cathodes, holding furnaces and anode-baking furnaces, as well as a number of special applications with top-class refractory materials that will help keep your costs low and promote your competitiveness.
TIO CA
Barrier bricks must provide as much protection as possible to prevent bath compounds from penetrating into underlying material. Here, we can offer two strong brick solutions:
N
U ED NE
I T-L O P
48
AWJ 2016 | BORGESTAD FABRIKKER
G N I D IER A E PL L S Y’ SUP A W RY R NO ACTO FR E R
Casthouse
The aluminium cup test using alu- Crucible Lining minium alloy AA7278 and competAlmost all melting and holding fur- itor material is presented in table Borgestad Fabrikker can design naces have one thing in common below. your crucible lining with bricks, — each one is unique! That’s why in-situ casting and for prefabricatwe have developed a comprehen- Table: Comparison of Alsafe 90 BP ed shapes including crucible lid. sive range of refractory solutions to with competitor materials improve the performance of your Alsafe 90 Sample Competitor 1 Competitor 2 unique production. BP In furnace linings, the focus is to maintain a stable heat balance throughout the furnace’s lifetime, and keep the isotherm for the freezing point of the metal within the hot face lining to minimize the risk of a breakout of molten metal. We offer a number of flexible, proven solutions — based on bricks or monolithics — that will help you to achieve this.
Attacked area, cm2
1.2
1.8
3.6
Crucible prefabricated lining
Designing the lining is also a matter of finding the right balance between output volume and the lining’s functional lifetime, the thicker the brick, or castable lining, the longer its life. In addition, identifying the right amount of insulation is an important factor in getting the best solution. The extreme environment of the holding furnace makes renovation an ongoing process, regardless of the quality of the refractories and their installation. Borgestad Fabrikker offers you full maintenance support for your kiln.
Aluminium Test SINTEF/ALILAB
Test pieces measuring approximately 110 x 110x 64 (75) mm3 are used in the test. A borehole with diameter of approx. 55 mm and a depth of approx. 40 mm are drilled in the centre of the test pieces. The Borgestad Fabrikker has experi- bottom of the borehole is surface ence and expertise in both mono- ground. The test pieces are dried at lithics and bricks for casthouse ap- 110°C for 24 hours. plications. Alsafe 90 BP is a classic example of cast house refractory After drying, 160 g of aluminium or bricks. This is a phosphate bonded an aluminium alloy is placed in the bauxite brick, with superior, resis- hole. tance to aluminium liquid metal contact. Aluminium resistance test The furnace used for the exposure performed by an external labora- test is an electrical furnace of the tory SINTEF has proven superiori- Naber type. The internal furnace ty of this brick for Aluminum alloy volume is 400 x 400 x 400 mm3. Six contact applications (See Figure 1). test pieces may be heat treated
simultaneously. The test pieces are placed parallel with a distance of approx. 10 mm. The temperature is registered with a thermocouple, type S. The thermocouple is placed in the centre of the furnace, approximately 10 mm above the test pieces. The heating rate is 10°C/ min. The test is carried out in air. The temperature is 800 ± 5°C, and the exposure time is 72 hours. The melt is stirred daily to break the oxide film formed. After exposure the test pieces are left in the furnace to cool. The test pieces are cut diagonally with a diamond wheel and the cut face inspected and photographed. The area of penetrated/reacted material is calculated and reported.
BORGESTAD FABRIKKER | AWJ 2016
49
Aluminium resistance of Alsafe 90 BP
Cut sections of Alsafe 90 BP after cup test with Aluminium alloy AA7278 showing no sign of neither penetration nor corrosion.
Alsafe 90 BP from Borgestad Fabrikker is tested against the aluminium alloy AA 7278 according to the procedure described above. Two test-cups were prepared for the test. Alloy AA 7278 Si < 0.15 % Fe < 0.20 %
Alsafe 90 BP after exposure to Aluminium alloy 7278
Cu 1.7 - 2.1 % Mg 2.7 - 3.0 % Zn 6.8 - 7.2 % Cr 0.18-0.22 % Results: There was no sign of penetration or reaction between the Alsafe 90 BP and the aluminium alloy. Pictures of the cut-face are shown.
Research and Development: Research is the heart of our business. In order to fulfill your current and future needs, we continuously research and develop new products and upgrade our existing solutions to incorporate new technical trends and safety requirements. We have a state-ofâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;the-art laboratory at our production facility in Bjuv and our R & D team is com50
posed of engineers and profes- A high abrasion resistance and sionals with deep understanding of high-strength castable Borgflow 85 used for making your operating practices. pre-cast floor tiles known as Using the latest technology Borgfloor is gaining more and processing methods, they reputation in industry at present. strive to develop the best This tile is capable withstanding materials or the most challenging heavy load from vehicle, and applications. We are equipped other mechanical abuses in user with sophisticated equipments indus-try. Borgflow is also f.e. particle size analyzer, thermal excellent for other wear resistant conductivity measurement, areas for your casthouse furnace. Refractoriness under load, hot Borgcrete 50 is our solutions for abrasion tester, microscopy etc, general purpose gunning mix for to completely characterize and both hot and cold repairs. understand the refractories. w Borgestad Fabrikker has two in-house installation companies Other Expertise, Installation known as GLC contracting in Norand training way and Macon in Sweden and w Borgestad Fabrikker, can offer is co-operating with some of the solutions to all other applications most experienced international installation companies in the world. involving aluminium industry.
AWJ 2016 | BORGESTAD FABRIKKER
w Service and support to customers References
Conclusions:
is very important part of business for us. Borgestad Fabrikker updates Borgestad Fabrikker customer base each year their customers on re- spans from domestic to global; cent developments of refractories, installations and other services w Hydro Aluminium through training programs. w Hycast w Alcoa Norway ANS w SOR Norge Aluminium AS w Vigeland Metal Refinery w Qatalum w Rio Tinto Alcan w Emirates Global Aluminium w Alba Aluminium Bahrain w Nordural w Isal w Slovalco
Borgested Fabrikker has long withstanding experience and expertise in developing, selecting and installing the right refractories depending on the needs of customers in all areas of aluminium manufacturing industry. Equipped with its own R&D and production center in Sweden, Borgestad is constructing a modern monolithic plant to expand on delivering the newest refractory technology for our customers benefit.
Eirich intensive mixer for monolithic production BORGESTAD FABRIKKER | AWJ 2016
51
New Plant Building
Author Contact Details: Roger Kvam General Manager BORGESTAD FABRIKKER AS Borgestadbakken 2, N-3712 SKIEN, Norway www.borgestadfabrikker.no
52
AWJ 2016 | BORGESTAD FABRIKKER
Give Siwertell the opportunity to amaze you
_______ 54-58
SIWERTELL | AWJ 2016
53
Say goodbye to crushing, dust, spills, and additional fines in
alumina unloading Our free demonstration at your site will show you what alumina handling should really look like. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll wonder why you didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t invest in a Siwertell unloader years ago. blksales@cargotec.com
youtube.com/siwertell siwertell.com
Give Siwertell the opportunity to global scale, we estimate it would result in annual savings of up to amaze you US$1.0 billion. Few investments can totally transform a business at a stroke, but You may think this is too good to be Juha Huovilainen, Sales Director, true, but Siwertell has supporting Siwertell, explains how making data showing conclusively that the the switch to a Siwertell screw- global aluminium production intype unloading system can save dustry can profit significantly from alumina plant owners and opera- making the switch to its totally-entors a fortune and offer major en- closed screw-type technology. The advantages and consequent cost vironmental benefits. savings are delivered in a number Siwertell screw-type unloaders of different ways, related to the outperform established, traditional nature, value and processing reequipment for alumina unloading quirements of alumina. But in all to such a high degree that opera- instances, it is the performance of tors would save so much, so quick- the Siwertell unloader that delivers ly, that their return on investment the results. would be unusually rapid, followed by major cost savings stretching Figures explained ahead for decades. Alumina is a valuable commodity. If the industry as a whole made the Spillage associated with traditionmove from traditional grab cranes al unloading methods costs the and pneumatic systems and in- industry millions of dollars every vested in Siwertell unloaders on a year. This is particularly true with 55
AWJ 2016 | SIWERTELL
grab cranes. The picture of the grab crane at work clearly demonstrates the scale of the problem. A Siwertell customer reports that using a grab crane for unloading alumina results in the loss of one and a half percent of the material during the discharging process. In contrast, discharging tests with Siwertell road mobile unloaders showed no loss of bulk material whatsoever. To present this in monetary terms, we can consider a typical operation with an annual intake of half a million tonnes of alumina. With alumina priced at US$400/tonne, the annual value of cargo arriving at the discharge berth is US$200,000,000. Therefore the annual saving resulting from using a Siwertell unloader is a massive US$3,000,000. On top of this, there is a negligible amount of cleaning necessary when using a Siwertell unloader and working
screw-type unloaders could save the global industry up to US$400 We estimate that eliminating spill- Siwertell customer Aluminij Mostar million every year. age right across the industry would reports that, in its experience, aluresult in savings of up to US$600 mina discharged with a pneumatic Environmental credentials unloader has a fines content with million per annum. a particle size of less than 45Âľm of Siwertell unloaders have unbeatable environmental performance Pneumatic systems are also widely up to five percent. with zero spillage and virtually no used for alumina unloading. While they do not incur spillage on the Aluminij Mostar used a Siwertell dust creation. Aside from the ecoscale of grab cranes, pneumatic un- unloader for discharging alumina nomic advantages of receiving 100 loaders lose money in other ways. for ten years (see separate text percent of the shipped cargo, opThey are less efficient than Siwer- box). During that time the alumina erations as clean as this are vital tell unloaders, and consume more had an average fines value of be- for those importers with facilities power per tonne of alumina un- tween 0.2 and 0.3 percent. The re- close to centres of population and loaded. Far more importantly, the duced amount of fines had a huge commerce who are finding it diffiuse of pneumatic systems results positive impact to the energy con- cult to meet increasingly stringent in high levels of cargo degradation sumption of the plant because the environmental regulations. which has serious consequences lower the percentage of fines, the less energy required for the smelt- Unloaders to suit operations of for the smelting process. ing process. any size Putting the lid on smelting costs A number of smelters have closed For alumina importers with a high Aluminium smelting requires a because the high cost of energy throughput, Siwertell can offer suitmassive amount of energy and made their operations uneconom- able unloaders with rated capacities the process is very sensitive to the ic. We estimate that minimising up to 2,000t/h. These can be fixed amount of fines (powdery material) cargo degradation by using our installations or they can run on rails. conditions are greatly improved.
in the alumina.
SIWERTELL | AWJ 2016
56
Some models can be equipped with rubber tyres to allow self-propelled operations without the need for rails. For smaller scale operations our road-mobile unloaders offer the perfect solution. Road-mobile units are also ideal for operators discharging alumina at multiple locations. Interested but still not convinced? We realise that asking operators to replace their cranes and pneumatic systems before they have reached the end of their useful life is a big ask; certainly not a decision to be taken without being absolutely certain that it will deliver all that is promised. This is why we have
Say goodbye to crushing, dust, spills, and additional fines in
alumina unloading Our free demonstration at your site will show you what alumina handling should really look like. You’ll wonder why you didn’t invest in a Siwertell unloader years ago. blksales@cargotec.com
youtube.com/siwertell siwertell.com
57
AWJ 2016 |SIWERTELL
a free, no obligation offer to bring one of our road-mobile unloaders to your import terminal so you can see for yourself exactly how it performs. You can make your own measurements and observations to confirm our claims regarding the cleanliness, the power consumption, the rate of discharge, the level of cargo degradation and the minimal clean up requirements. In preparation for such a demonstration we can provide you with detailed reports of similar tests carried out in Northern Europe. This is not a gimmick and there is nothing altruistic about it. We are all in business to succeed. We know we can give you a massive
commercial advantage and we want to sell our unloaders to you. We all have much to gain. Finally, if your company’s traditional alumina unloading system is near the end of its useful life; please think very carefully about your next move. You have the choice between giving your company a massive commercial advantage or committing it to decades more of sub-optimal performance. To support our business case we are prepared to give substantial guarantees related both to the performance of the unloader as well as the degradation of the bulk material.
Well-established in alumina demands of handling alumina, because they make use of loading aeroslides and Cleveland casSiwertell loaders have been cade-type vertical telescopic delivering reliable service for loading spouts that handle alumina exporters around the material very gently, resulting in minimal cargo degthe world for decades. radation. Dust collectors are Siwertell’s well-known attri- fitted at all transfer points to butes of clean, careful han- reduce dust emissions to an dling and low power con- absolute minimum, allowing sumption are exactly what exceptionally clean, high cathis market demands. On pacity loading. top of that, operators derive great confidence from the The highest capacity Siwertell support provided by Siwer- alumina loader delivered to tell’s global service network date is a Siwertell HST-1800 and our remote monitoring with a rated capacity of and fault-finding capabilities. 2,500t/h. It has been operated by Hydro Alunorte in Brazil Siwertell loaders are especial- since 2008. ly well suited to the particular
First delivery demonstrates performance capabilities The first Siwertell unloader to be used for handling alumina was a 5000 S, road-mobile unit delivered to Aluminij Mostar’s import terminal in Ploce, Croatia in 1997. Equipped with a double-loading bellows system and radio remote control, it had a rated unloading capacity of 150t/h, handling ships and barges of up to 5,000 dwt. A major factor in Aluminij Mostar’s decision to purchase a Siwertell system was its desire for a clean, environmentally-friendly operation. However, the company soon found that it had also made a very wise decision for wider-reaching commercial reasons.
Commenting on its unloader in 2001, it said that the machine was operating to its complete satisfaction, handling over 100,000 tonnes of alumina per annum, and exceeding its specified unloading rate by 30 percent. The company described it as: “environmentally superior and very efficient”. Operations at Ploce ceased in 2006. By that time the unloader had logged 10,550 hours, discharging over 1,250,000 tonnes of alumina, delivering an impressive overall through-the-ship rate of nearly 120t/h.
Siwertell gained valuable experience from providing solutions to some early teething troubles relating to bearings and their sealing and lubrication arrangements. These were quickly resolved to the customer’s satisfaction and from then on operations were virtually trouble-free. The screws experienced no significant wear. Building on this early experience and through subsequent developments and improvements, today’s Siwertell unloaders are perfectly specified for alumina handling.
SIWERTELL | AWJ 2016
58
ANODE PLANT TECHNOLOGY INNOVATHERM The impact of the firing and control system for a production boost in the baking area
_______ 60-64
STAS SIRS 3D Anode Stub Inspection System (ASIS3D)
_______ 66-69
OUTOTEC ARTS® A new Tool for Optimization of Anode Performance
_______ 70-73
ANODE PLANT TECHNOLOGY | AWJ 2016
59
THE IMPACT OF THE FIRING AND CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A PRODUCTION BOOST IN THE BAKING AREA
Figure 1. Anode Baking Furnace
Abstract Based on the actual conversion of an existing anode-baking furnace in a smelter in the Gulf Region, the paper will demonstrate the improvements that have been achieved by upgrading the firing and control system on the baking furnace. The focus was hereby set on boosting the production output, aiming for an increase in the range of 1520 %. The evaluation covers the most relevant parameters of the baking process such as fire-cycle time, temperature regime, baking level, quality consistency, fuel efficiency and the resulting boost in production. In addition to the advanced built-in features of the new system, which already offered a distinct improvement over the existing one, fine-tuning of the system by the carbon plant management in close cooperation with the system designer enabled the team to adapt further advanced features to the new system and optimize the furnace operation. 60
AWJ 2016 | INNOVATHERM
Details of the baking furnace: The baking furnace consists of 34 sections, each with 9 flues and 8 pits. Figure 1 allows a top view of the anode-baking furnace. The corresponding fire configuration consists of two fire groups and is shown in Figure 2. Introduction
Figure 2. Fire configuration
Baking Furnaces have been built at the carbon plant. However, for a Most of the Smelters in the Middle further production increase, there East were put into operation in the is often no space available for fuearly and mid-1970s. The original ture extension of any equipment. aluminium output was in a range Therefore, the anode production of 125.000 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 250.000 t/a, but this has to be increased within the has been continuously expanded boundaries of the plant and equipduring the decades. Nowadays the ment installed. annual production output has reached around 1 million tons Problem description of aluminium. For this increase in production, it was necessary to in- The challenge of the developcrease the production of anodes ment is how to further boost the continuously. Additional Anode anode production while staying
within the boundary conditions and e.g. the maximum available volume flow rates. The existing firing system utilizes all of the available oxygen in a fire cycle period of 24h. No further acceleration is possible. Therefore, the idea is to investigate into advanced technologies that could achieve a better combustion efficiency. Only this would allow a further acceleration of production. More production would be possible by better utilization of the pits and sections by faster fire cycles.
I. The Strategy: Upgrade of the Firing System After evaluation of several scenarios, a decision was taken to upgrade the existing firing and control system with the goal of getting a higher production output afterwards. The Upgrade Strategy: 1. Reuse as much as possible from the existing firing equipment, and put new technologies in place, which enable a further acceleration of the fire cycle time, thus providing a higher production output. 2. Analyse the sources for the limitations (e.g. available draft, temperature range, volumes etc.) and try to improve the situation as best as possible.
However, this immediately generates more fuel gas and more pitch load into the furnace. Fuel gas and pitch volatiles can only be combusted if enough oxygen is available. The maximum volume available limits the utilizable oxygen. Upgrade of the Firing Equipment Controls were directed towards an optimization of the fuel efficiency The firing system consists in generof the entire firing equipment. al of several steel frames and dedicated instrumentation and control All production situations of the equipment for preheating, heating fire, which also includes crossover and cooling. The steel frames were positions, were examined. Bottle- still in good shape and used again, necks like the maximum volume except for the cooling area. Shortwith respect to the available draft er firer cycle times also shorten the were taken into consideration. time for cooling of the anodes.
Therefore, in the cooling area, a new “high-power” cooling ramp and a “Zero point” ramp had to be designed and installed. All other instruments, controls and electrical cabinets were removed. New instruments, control panels and advanced technologies had to be implemented. The details are described as follows: 1. Upgrade of the Exhaust Ramp A position feedback instrument to measure the damper position for each flue enhanced the exhaust ramp. The exact position of the damper position is essential for reaching an accurate preheat control. For continuous monitoring of the combustion quality and optimization of the combustion efficiency, a CO sensor was installed and implemented into the control strategy. Figure 4 shows the device after installation.
Figure 3 illustrates the typical volume versus production curve.
Figure 4. Position feedback instrument Figure 5 shows the CO sensor in operation.
Figure 3. Volume versus production curve
Figure 5. CO sensor at Exhaust ramp
INNOVATHERM | AWJ 2016
61
2. Upgrade of the burner ramps On the burner ramps, all burners, solenoid valves and the main gas safety chain have been renewed. The new burner is a short pulse, high-pressure technology and requires a gas inlet pressure of 1.4 bar. The burner is operated at a gas speed of almost 380 m/s and a pulse length of 350 msec. This ensures the best possible agitation
and reaction with the available oxygen for a most efficient combustion - which is one of the targets of a revamping project.
Within these four months, the temperature accuracy was continuously degrading to +/- 15 °C at the end of the life-cycle. Therefore, the thermocouple was changed For reliable and accurate control of to a type S thermocouple in a SIC the baking temperature, the type tube. An advanced “shock absorbof thermocouple chosen plays an er” technology gives durability for important role. The existing ther- daily and even rough operators mocouple type N in a stainless handling. The thermocouple obsteel protection tube showed an tains an accuracy of +/- 1 °C in a average lifetime of four months. lifetime of 4 years plus.
Figure 6 shows the burner ramp after the changeover to the new burner technology.
Figure 7 displays the thermocouple in “move” position.
Figure 6. New Burner technology after revamping
Figure 7. Type S thermocouple SIC in “move”
3. Upgrade of the Cooling Ramp Unpacking is only possible, if the (Zero Point Control) anode has reached a temperature of less than 320 °C. Higher production output does not only require a better heating Therefore, a “high power” coolefficiency, it also requires more ing ramp was installed to maintain cooling efficiency, since the an- this fact. In parallel, a zero point ode has to be ready for unpack- control was installed. This teching in a shorter period of time. nology is also an important key
Figure 8. Cooling ramp incl. Zero point Control
62
AWJ 2016 | INNOVATHERM
factor in improving fuel efficiency. Instead of “cold” in-leaking air, preheated “hot” air from the cooled anodes is pushed into the firing zone at a constant pressure of +15-20 Pa for optimum combustion efficiency. The “high power” cooling regime is shown in Figures 8 and 9.
Fig. 9 Zero Point ramp
II. Upgrade of the Process Control System (Level 2) A new central process control system was installed which accommodates the new advanced control strategies. Higher production output requires a better heating efficiency. This can only be reached by optimum utilization of the available draft to combust the pitch and the fuel gas. With the on-line calculation of a Flooding Index [1] the actual oxygen levels in the
firing area of the furnace can be evaluated, especially at the front burner ramp. Any lack of oxygen is automatically prevented via the Flooding Index Module by dynamic limitation of the burner capacity.
Because of these observations, the pitch burn module dynamically The Pitch Combustion requires increases the draught (volume) in a specific recognition of the the individual flues and/or reducoxygen levels during the pitch es the fuel gas consumption at burn phase. The advanced Pitch the burner ramps in a dedicated Burn Module (as shown in Fig- strategy, which have been fineure 10) incorporates the CO tuned during the optimisation reading in the collection pipe of phase.
Figure 10. Pitch burn strategy
III. Introduction of Preheat Covers
the exhaust ramp and the temperature gradients in the preheat sections, to force the pitch combustion.
Figure 11. Setpoint correction by CO control
Figure 12. Cover for the preheat area
The draft situation was blamed for a major bottleneck, which could negatively influence the desired performance. Together with customer operations and process control, the whole flue gas installation was examined. Finally, a major bottleneck was detected and eliminated. Additionally a cover procedure was introduced. The preheat area is now covered by special environmentally friendly foils to seal the preheat area against ingress of cold air and to improve the draft level for each individual flue gas channel.
Figure 12 shows the cover as installed in the preheat area of each fire.
INNOVATHERM | AWJ 2016
63
Achieved Results Originally the anode baking furnace had an actual production figure of approx. 121,000 tons/a. After upgrade of the firing system, the production was gradually increased and stabilized in three steps as follows:
Consequently, the top temperature of the baking curves had to be increased to maintain an average final anode baking temperature of 1100 °C as follows:
The quality of the anodes is represented by the Lc values measured. The typical average Lc levels after consolidation of the temperature regime inside the furnace are as follows:
Conclusions This paper discussed possibilities of increasing the anode production in an existing baking furnace. The results demonstrate very impressively the reached targets and further improvements that have been achieved.
The anode baking process is nor- even further potline amperage inmally the bottleneck in the pro- crease in the future. duction chain for the production Authors: of anodes. These new strategies Dipl.-Ing. Detlef Maiwald, for the baking process to gain Domenico Di Lisa more production output provide additional space for the actual and www.innovatherm.com Innovatherm Prof.-Dr. Leisenberg GmbH & Co KG, Butzbach, 35510 Germany
64
AWJ 2016 | INNOVATHERM
SIRS 3D ANODE STUB INSPECTION SYSTEM (ASIS 3D)
The ASIS 3D System
Introduction 3D inspection technologies have been used for many years in several industry sectors such as automa tion or aeronautics. For the aluminium industry where prebaked Hall-Herault electrolysis cells are used, a very good applica tion for 3D inspection is for the anode stub assembly, in particular when the stubs are distributed in 2 rows like hexapods and the like. Indeed,in the replacement process of the anodes, after each anode cycle the remaining carbon of each anode butt is removed and the anode rod assembly is reused after inspection and eventually after repair. The bottom part of the anode rod is made with stubs, which have to be inserted into the holes of the new baked anode block and sealed with cast iron. The stubs, which are submitted to multiple heating/ cooling cycles, tend to deform over 66
AWJ 2016 | STAS
time, and attacks from HF gas and liquid bath erode them to a different extent at each cycle.
Moreover, a numerical simulation is performed to ensure the possibility of the next rodding. The system also allows keeping staSTAS has developed the ASIS30 tistics of the measurements on (Anode Stub Inspection SystemL a the stub population of the plant 3D inspection system designed es- database. pecially for the inspection of stubs. The system developed by STAS Figure 1 shows an example of uses proven technologies already a typical 3D scanner output for a used in other industry sectors. For hexapod. example, the equipment uses the same metrology software than the one already used by major players like Toyota and Bombardier. The STAS system creates a point cloud model for each stub assem bly for which multiple measure ments can be taken at once. Stub lengths, erosion profiles, diam eters, straightness and others can all be monitored and compared to the values of a new stub.
Figure 1. Typical scanner output of ASIS 3D
Importance of Anode Rod Inspection
“bored” or “distracted” from per- w After data has been recorded forming the same task on a daily for a while, the database will basis. Moreover, there is more allow the anode rod repair shop Anode rod inspection is essential of an advantage in the use of an to forecast the work load to ensure the proper operation of automated measuring system: weeks in advance. the rodding shop and of the electrolysis cells. Traditionally, manual Repeatability, independent human w Using the database and knowanode rod inspection was limited perception. ledge from the many studies to a visual check by an operator as on the focus affecting the stubwell as some manual gauging tools w Capacity of taking measurecarbon connection, one could and the operator’s judgment. ments not possible for an opprobably choose the repairs erator, such as the stub lengths that have the greatest positive In recent years, many studies rerelative to a reference plane. impact from an economic lated to performance penalties aspoint of view. sociated with the condition of the w Possibility to create a precise anode stubs have been published. work order for each anode rod The ASIS30 that requires repair. Online stub A fleet of anode rods of poor qual repair equipment can be auto- The ASIS30 inspection system is ity can easily consume an addi matically fed with precise info- built around proven technologies. tional 50-70 mV over its designed rmation. Capacity of building a It is installed on the path of the voltage drop, which could result in database that records the con- overhead conveyer, after the anmillions of dollars annually in addi ode butt/cast iron thimble removal dition the entire fleet of rods. tional direct energy costs for an avstation. The anode rod assemblies erage size smelter [1] [2] [3]. Also, circulate freely inside the ASIS30 When used in parallel with other costs such as rodding line w unique rod IDs, ability to follow namely without any mechanical stoppage, offline anode handling, each rod individually and mon- interferences, and this even during greater probability of anode-relatthe scanning process. itor its evolution in time. ed problems in the cells, etc., are associated to less-than-perfect inspection. Manual inspection, performed using gauges and visual standards, is somewhat limited when more com plex measurements have to be taken. With manual inspection, records of the rod fleet condition are not kept. MoreoveG such inspection can be highly subjective and influenced by external factors such as workload of repair shop, frequency of defects observed in a given period of time, budgets, etc. Automatic inspection, on the other hand, is not subjective, for all mea surements are taken in the same manner,using the same references, and the system never gets “tired”,
Figure 2 presents a plan view of a typical arrangement of the ASIS30.
STAS | AWJ 2016
67
The system is installed in line with the rod conveyor, usually in the area where measurements are taken manually. To ensure the proper positioning of the rods to be inspected, a set of sensors and stoppers, interfaced with the conveyor control system, are used. In summary, in order to control access inside the equipment, one Stop (Stop 1) has to be installed at the entrance. A second one (Stop 2) is necessary in the scanning area, corresponding to the middle of the equipment. A third Stop (Stop 3) at the exit is necessary if a labeling station is chosen as an option. The operation sequences are divided into 3 steps, A, B and C, as illustrated in Figure 3.
from the sensors are assembled w
Length of stubs.
together; the point cloud is then w filtered, organized and formatted.
Minimum diameter of stubs (minimum section of each stub, usually just above the sealing area.
Then, during Step C, measurements on the point cloud file are performed using a world-class metrology softward with algorithms developed by STAS. After the measurements, fail or pass status is given for each measurement. A report is generated and transmitted to the database. Specific information is transmitted to the level 1 control network, and optionally a label is stuck onto the anode rod (in case of failed measurement) at Stop 3.
Right after the first step, Stop 2 can release the anode rod assembly just being scanned, and the next The first step is the scan ning pro- one waiting at Stop 1 can take place cess. The 3D sensors, installed on in the scanning area. The complete a shuttle assembly, scan the lower measurement cycle time (parts to part of the anode rod assembly parts) takes about 40 seconds and (the stubs, the yoke, the clad and can be reduced if necessary. the bottom part of the anode rodL and about 1 million points (x, y, The measurement accuracy is of z) are recorded by the computer. the order of ± 1mm. Inspection Step B consists in the creation of includes the following measurethe digital model. All data coming ments:
68
AWJ 2016 | STAS
w Virtual rodding (min/max
distances between the stubs and the walls of a virtual anode).
w Angles of stub. Angles of rod. w Distances between stubs. w Erosion of stubs (erosion of
stubs in the sealing zone; the measured volume is compared to the volume of a new stub).
The system uses class 3 lasers installed in a fully opaque enclosure. Access to the scanning area is restricted by inter locked doors that prevent the operators from entering the machine while it is in operation. With all the security systems in operation, the equipment becomes a class 1 laser product, which means it is safe under all conditions.
Conclusion The fleet of anode rods is a very important asset for any smelter. The direct maintenance costs associated with such a fleet represent several million dollars a year [1] [2] [3]. An automated inspection system can supply all the necessary data to allow a rodding shop to pinpoint the most critical repairs on each rod and perform only the required maintenance. After a few months of opera tion, the information stored in the database will allow the planners to forecast the workload of the rod repair shop.
make the refining process more efficient, the need to lower the power loss from the rods, stubs and anodes has become a necessity. Thanks to a STAS ASIS30, the data necessary for a plant to evaluate the mV penalty at plant level can be supplied to help determine the repairs that represent the best return on investment.
References [1] D. Molenaar; B.A. Sadler; Anode rodding basics; Light Metals 2014;1263 1268 [2] H. Fortin et al; Thermo-electro mechanical characterization of anode interfaces at operating conditions; Light Metals 2013;1335 1340
The function of the STAS ASIS30 [3] D. Molenaar et al; Experimental /Automated Stub Inspection System investi gation of factors affecting is more than replacing manual in- the electrical performance of the spection. It is a very powerful tool stub to carbon connec tion; Light for planning the operations and Metals 2013; 1359 1363 With ever increasing energy costs forecasting the needs of a rodding and the efforts of the industry to plant.
STAS | AWJ 2016
69
OUTOTEC ARTSâ&#x201E;˘ A new Tool for Optimization of Anode Performance What is ARTS and why should you The system provides permanent use it? identification of rods and identification of anode blocks, thus enabling ARTS is a combination of an Anode the control of anode performance and Anode Rod identification and in the smelter and rodding shop Tracking System, including a cus- operations. Through the analysis of tomized database and analytical anode data recorded by the system and action taken based on this, imsoftware. proved anode quality and efficienARTS has been installed and is cy of operations can be achieved. now successfully in operation at ALUMINIJ d.d. in Mostar, Bosnia The key to success is to select and & Herzegowina (hereinafter shown combine the following suitable methods and components to enas AM). sure that desired targets are met:
w
Permanent & reliable identification
w
Easy retrofitting
w
No adverse effects to process and operations
w
Cost-efficiency
w
Easy maintenance & trouble shooting
w Clear structure of data tables
Anode Rod Identification The application of RFID-tags (Radio-Frequency Identification) was explored and chosen (fig.1) as the use of bar code or data-matrix identification as well as OCR coding had proven vulnerable in the harsh environment of an aluminum smelter.
Figure 1: RFID-tag on anode rod
70
AWJ 2016 | OUTOTEC
Rod Reading stations
flyâ&#x20AC;?. The moderate speed of the stations, information may also be overhead conveyors does not ne- written (or erased) to the RW type Reading the RFID tags of the anode cessitate a complex set-up. tags. rods is done by antennas connected to a reading device installed in As the orientation of symmetrical The number and location of the the field (fig. 2). rod assemblies in the conveyor is reading stations depends on the random, two antennas were in- functionality envisaged with the The equipment chosen withstands stalled at each station to allow rec- system, as well as on the rodshop the harsh environment of the rod- ognition regardless of the tag pass- layout and arrangement of the mashop and allows reading â&#x20AC;&#x153;on the ing by near or off-side. At these chinery.
Figure 2: Reading station for rods
Anode Block Identification The task of marking and tracking of the carbon anode block from the molding machine (vibrocompactor), through anode baking and up to the rodding of the baked anode block to the rod assembly in the rodshop was conceptualized and developed. Residues of packing coke from the baking furnace were the major obstacle experienced at this point. A robust marking method, less sensitive to such disturbances, in the form of an automatic dotcode matrix printer was developed (fig.3). This automatic dot-matrix Figure 3: Dot Code Stamping unit at AM printer has been successfully in use at AM since April 2012. It was in- anode block, and the system auto- anode weight, anode height, calstalled to replace the existing anode matically correlates the green an- culated green apparent density) stamping device with digits. ode production data to this code and any other available production number, including the output data data of the paste plant operation, Thus, each anode molded at the of the vibrocompactor control sys- such as pitch content, mixer power, vibrocompactor is imprinted with tem (such as: dot-code, date and dry aggregate recipe, type of cara unique dot-code for this particular time of forming, vibrating duration, bon raw materials, etc. OUTOTEC | AWJ 2016
71
Anode Block Reading Station A visualisation system (fig.4) is used to recognize the dot-code imprints of the baked anode block. Fig. 4 shows the installation with the camera and special light source, which makes the unit insensitive to daylight, artificial plant lighting and flashing from the casting process.
Figure 4: Camera & IR light source at mating station, capturing the baked Anode
The anode mating station is the key installation of the system, as the access to the anode data is via the Rod ID (fig.5) from here on up to stripping off the spent anode; the Anode ID is surrendered as it is no longer required.
Figure 5: ARTS Flow chart
72
AWJ 2016 | OUTOTEC
The rodded anode is transferred to the potrooms. Reading stations (of the rod tag) at the PTM (Pot Tending Machines) allow access to the data needed for setting the assemblies at the desired height into the pots and to register the pot number and place in pot where the
anode is placed. Customer specific data acquisition of the electrolysis process adds valuable information to the database. Analytical software accessing all the available data help improve efficiency and process optimization.
Upgrading the Carbon Plant with the ARTS System It is mandatory to each smelter w Installing a vision camera (fig. 4) for reading the dot–code and carbon plant that production of the anodes installed at the schedules are to be met and any mating station in the rodshop. disturbances or shutdowns are undesirable. Upgrading the Carbon Plant with ARTS does not neces- w Adding an operator station in sarily mean having to shutdown the rodshop and a second the carbon plant production as it operator station in the plant can be adopted during normal opengineering office for analytieration quite easily by: cal and statistical tasks. w Replacing the existing stamping device or adding a new dotcode matrix imprinter (fig.3) at the vibrocompactor and establishing an interface to the existing control systems.
The above list outlines the basic requirements for running ARTS in a carbon plant. More add-ons as shown in the ARTS Flow chart (fig.5) are easily adopted at a later stage or if a budget is available.
Fitting RFID-tags to anode rods in the rodshop using a drill kit (fig.6).
Figure 6: Drill Kit, installed on a platform under the overhead conveyor by-pass loop, for drilling the recess for the RFID tag into the anode rod.
w
Figure 6
About Outotec Outotec is a worldwide technology leader providing innovative and environmentally sound solutions for a wide variety of customers in minerals and metals processing, as well as related process industries. Outotec Oyj is listed on the OMX Nordic Exchange Helsinki.
These solutions are based upon the conventional Bayer Process, which is used for Bauxite ores as well as other processes for non-bauxitic ores like nepheline/alunite.
For the primary aluminium smelting area, Outotec offers solutions for the carbon plant, covering Outotec offers full lifecycle process green anode plant and carbon solutions and equipment for the scrap recycling, anode handling, alumina refinery area as well as for baked anode cleaning and slot cutthe primary aluminium smelters. ting in the anode baking plant, the In the alumina refinery area, Out- anode rodshop, hot bath cooling otec’s portfolio covers the produc- and bath processing plant, as well tion of Smelter Grade, Special or as special equipment in the metal High Purity Alumina. casthouse.
In March 2015, Outotec acquired Kempe Engineering, a specialist engineering company providing technology, projects, maintenance, manufacturing and process equipment to aluminum smelters. Through this acquisition, Outotec strengthened its aluminium smelter product range and services portfolio. Kempe’s technologies and service products were focused on the anode rodshop and bath processing facilities, and thus further complement Outotec’s product range.
Outotec GmbH & Co.KG Albin-Koebis-Straße 8 51147 Cologne,Germany marco.coopmann@outotec.com OUTOTEC | AWJ 2016
73
StressometerÂŽ Systems. From hot to cold.
The long standing problem of flatness measurement and control in aluminum hot rolling mills is now solved by ABB. Achievements in the field show yield improvements of 2 % and rolling speed improvements of 10%. Altogether this corresponds to millions of dollars on the bottom line. One reason for this is, as one of our customers put it, â&#x20AC;?Good tail-out from the hot rolling mill results in high quality head-in to the cold rolling millâ&#x20AC;?. The range of applications where the Stressometer system sustainably improves your business includes all kinds of cold rolling mills; and now also aluminium hot rolling mills. www.abb.com/pressductor
ABB AB Force Measurement Phone: +46 21 32 50 00
ROLLING MILLS ABB
_______60-61
Making your Processes Measure Up
_______ 76-77
REDEX Latest REDEX innovations offer the most advanced Tension leveler for Aluminium rolling
_______ 78-81
ROLLING MILL | AWJ 2016
75
MAKING YOUR PROCESSES MEASURE UP
We are helping thousands of clients all over the world to boost their productivity
Stressometer Flatness Control System installed in an aluminium rolling mill
ABB Measurement and Analytics Vasteras, Sweden
Challenge the hidden potential withAt the heart of ABB technology is in your application with the leading the understanding that flatness, measurement technologies: tension, pressure, position and dimension can be sensed accurately, Pressductor® Technology reliably and repeatedly on a continuous basis. The data generated ABB’s well-known Pressductor® by such sensing devices can then Technology is a measurement prinbe used to control external equip- ciple based on the magneto-elastic ment in such a way that process effect – the magnetic properties parameters are kept to desired lev- of a metal are influenced by the el. And as a result, operators can mechanical force applied to it. Beincrease productivity and achieve cause the signals produced are not higher levels of consistency in reliant upon physical movement or deformation, the load cells comproduct quality. bine sensitivity with extraordinary Our products not only measure tolerance to overloads and virtualthe quantities within a process, ly no built-in limit to the number of they help make sure that produc- load cycles. tion measures up to expectations. Using state-of-the-art technology, ABB’s Pressductor® transducer ABB provides purpose built solu- stands for unbeatable load cell tions for your force and dimen- performance, thanks to its unique sion measurement needs. Making combination of accuracy, overload it possible for your production to capacity and ability to withstand accurately match the most vary- harsh environments. By using this ing and demanding requirements. technology you will achieve higher 76
AWJ 2016 | ABB
quality and reliability, especially under demanding conditions. Pulsed Eddy Current Technology ABB has developed a unique way of performing measurements with eddy current technology. It is a method that makes it possible to measure, in real time and in line, dimensions and other attributes with exceptional accuracy. The ABB patented technology is based on measurements of the voltage pulse induced in the coil when the current is suddenly interrupted. By measuring this value at three different times three parameters can be derived; the distance, the electrical resistivity and the thickness. The method is a non-contact technology completely insensitive to cooling agents, temperature variations and other environmental factors common in a aluminium rolling mill.
ABB’s Millmate Thickness Gauging System installed in an aluminium rolling mill.
Flatness Measurement & Control
ABB’s Millmate Strip Scanner System installed in a rolling mill.
Improved yield out of each coil Improved strip quality Shorter production cycles Reduction of number of strip breaks w Reduction of cost for process development w Reduction of cost for maintenance
w w Based upon our experience from w more than 1200 installations of w flatness measurements and flatness control systems worldwide we continuously develop the market leading flatness system – the Stressometer® System FSA.
This system will not only make your mill more competitive today, it will also provide you with tools and meth- ods to ensure that you keep in front of your competition in the future. Internet technology gives you a non-proprietary platform independent way of expanding system functionality and CPU power when your needs are growing.
Lab accuracy in the mill
A non-contact, non-optical measurement system The Millmate Strip Scanner System determines the edge position of a metal strip in a rolling mill down to millimeter resolution. High, consistent quality is always the aim when producing steel, aluminum or copper strip. This is equally true in rolling mills and process lines.
The Millmate Thickness Gauging Modern rolling mills often use a variSystems (MTG), utilizing the Pulsed ety of measurement and control faEddy Current Technology, open up cilities. One of the most important a new dimension in non-ferrous parameters is the position of the Figure 2. Fire configuration strip. If this is not correctly meagauging with superior features: sured, there is a great risk of rolling w Contact-free and yet material the strip under incorrect presumptions. This leads to poor flatness, independent Gauging for especially at the edges, and to a non-ferrous metals final product of inferior quality or Advanced control methods, such w Robust and completely insensias the Extended Singular Value Detive for conditions in the mea- even strip breakage. In addition to this, the strip width must be kept composition (ESVD), bring rewards suring gap, such as oil, water, within the specified tolerances – to the users exceeding 100,000 coolants, steam, etc. essential for good economy of proUSD per year. w Accuracy to a level 0.5% w Poses none of the risks associat- duction. Some of the benefits with the ed with X-ray or isotope gauges Stressometer® System are: w Measures as accurately in production as in the laboratory
ABB | AWJ 2016
77
ex
redex
Latest REDEX innovations offer the most advanced Tension leveler for Aluminium rolling
REDEX Tension Leveling Lines guarantee the best flatness, a perfect surface quality, the highest availability, while keeping the running and maintenance costs at lowest level. REDEX solution relies on a unique design providing high level of energy efficiency, easy maintenance and long line life cycle. Renowned builder of innovative & high performances equipment and mechatronic sub-assemblies, REDEX is the supplier of reference for the most demanding precision strip producers (more than 200 references worldwide). REDEX, the integrated machine builder
therefore became the companion of three generations of engineers...
REDEX makes the difference by its in-house manufacturing for all critical components (such as the Multiroll leveler and their special cassettes), with its internal standards of quality at the machine-tool’s highest level of standards.
REDEX group is an integrated equipment builder which manufactures all critical parts of its machines. This unique organization gives to REDEX specific added values: full control of lines design, ability to manufacture 100% of their critical parts within the company at “machine tool” quality level, and complete assembly of the equipments in REDEX workshop, under supervision of commissioning engineers.
REDEX was created in 1949 from a patented process invented by the awesome engineer Paul Defontenay, based on the thermoplastic clamping of the central parts of a gearbox system able to dramatically increase the torque/volume ratio. The famous “REDEX pulley” 78
AWJ 2016 | REDEX
With more than 20 million Euros invested in the last generation of
machine-tools and CAD software during the last 5 years, a team of international strip processing experts and a worldwide network of subsidiaries and service centers (Europe, USA, China), REDEX is offering the highest level of lead time respect as well as superior service. Outstanding performance and service in Tension Leveling production process have established the confidence and trust of the major Aluminium producers. For over 40 years REDEX has delivered dozens of Tension Levelers and Stand Alone Lines, successfully used by producers of Aluminum, Special Alloys, Blacksteel, Tin Plate, Silicon Steel, and Stainless Steel.
c
REDEX inside! The Multiroll Leveler to optimize alternate bending
easier set-up.
w MULTIROLL Leveler technology leads to high flexibility, REDEX makes the difference with allowing processing of a very its exclusive Multiroll Leveler design which combines, easy setting, wide range of strip strength smooth bending, low friction, high and thickness. stiffness, and the highest quality of REDEX Inside ! The exclusive manufacturing. Differential Drive system to offer REDEXâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; exclusive Multiroll Leveler unbeatable speed variation design applies an alternate bend- precision ing to the strip, in order to bring all the stripâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fibers in their plastic de- High precision + sustainable design formation zone while the stretch- = optimized TCO (total cost of ownership) ing tension is applied to the strip. The Multiroll Leveler technology provides a very progressive bending action, allows 1 entry and 1 exit intermesh setting, and offers both very high stiffness and much
speed, which means that this variation of speed can be applied with a precision of 0.005%. w REDEX solution leads to very high precision achieved whatever the electric motor type (quality and stability), and whatever the quality of the electrical network and supply w REDEX solution leads to high energy efficiency: lower installed power and lower electricity consumption whatever the speed of the line.
REDEX solution is 40 times better than the pure electrical solution. w Sustainable design leads to continuous reliable operation The exit bridle speed variation cowith low running and efficient is as low as 1 to 1.02 in maintenance costs. comparison to the entry bridle
REDEX | AWJ 2016
79
REDEX innovation, with the REFLAT, an exclusive Up-downstream flatness control One step further: REDEX recently introduced a brand new concept in automatic flatness control: REFLAT is an exclusive Up-down-stream flatness control, using a predictive measurement of the entry flatness defect by the combination of stereoscopic gauge, laser source and backlight ramp. w
A huge yield improvement, which leads to offer perfect flatness from the first meter of coil!
w
A contactless new design which does not require any rotating electronic parts, thus offering lower maintenance.
Guaranteed performances from REDEX technology keep the strip producersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ROI at its highest level in a highly demanding market, especially in terms of high quality flatness.
80
AWJ 2016 | REDEX
Redex Group - European Leader in Strip Processing Equipment With a consolidated turnover of 50 Mâ&#x201A;Ź, 7 subsidiaries across the world, 300 employees worldwide and an export rate of 90%, REDEX
is an European leader in Strip Processing Equipment and Mechatronics sub-assemblies, providing critical systems and components for ultra-high precision machines around the world.
High quality parts, sub-assemblies, or production equipments for planes, cars or boats, as well as wind mills or power plants are manufactured on the most modern & Process Lines Stand Alone machines with REDEX embedded technology inside, justifying the Huge Yield Improvement company’s motto: “Great Achievewith the REFLAT upstream Flatness Control, > us”. ments start with to get perfect flatness from the first meter of coil !
REDEX in numbers
Tension leveling
50 M€ of consolidated turnover 90% of the turnover made out ex
of France usive cl usive cl
320 employees
REDEX products are 100% built in Perfect stripand flatness its European facilities (France surface aspect Germany) and&demonstrate the combination of the best Mechatronic strength of European > by theEngineering.
more than 30 engineers
3 Manufacturing plants
Elongation Control and the ultimate Leveler technology
3 technical offices usive cl
x
rede
7 subsidiaries abroad 100% made in Europe
ex
usive cl
Contact Pascal VIEUGUE the optimal balance of the braking energy into the Deputy Managingmechanical Director loop REDEX | Zone industrielle F-45210 Ferrières info@redex-group.com T. +33 T. +33 2 38 94 42 002 38 94 42 00 │ F. +33 2 38 94 42 www.strip-processing.com E. info@redex-group.com
ex
www.strip-processing.com
Huge Energy Savings > through the Differential drive system, to provide
ex
x Customers rede coming from more than 50 countries
redex REDEX | AWJ 2016
81
Tension leveling
ex
Stand Alone & Process Lines Huge Yield Improvement > with the REFLAT upstream Flatness Control,
usive cl
x
usive cl
to get perfect flatness from the first meter of coil !
ex
rede
Perfect strip flatness & surface aspect > by the combination of the best Mechatronic
info@redex-group.com T. +33 2 38 94 42 00 â&#x201D;&#x201A; F. +33 2 38 94 42
www.strip-processing.com
x
rede
ex
the optimal balance of the braking energy into the mechanical loop
usive cl
usive cl
Huge Energy Savings > through the Differential drive system, to provide
ex
Elongation Control and the ultimate Leveler technology
redex
FURNACES
ABB Metallurgy _______ 85-86
Electromagnetic Stirring Solutions from ABB Advancements in Electromagnetic Stirring for Aluminum Furnaces
_______ 87-88
FURNACES | AWJ 2016
83
Customized stirring solutions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; guaranteed performance and payback within a year
We understand that you are looking for performance solutions that give you a return on your investment. That is why our products consist, not only of electromagnetic stirring (EMS) equipment, but include an all-important performance warranty. Our job is done when we have delivered a full range of process improvements for your business. Without compromising on the quality of your product, you can achieve optimized performance and typically benefit from payback within 12 months. With the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most comprehensive range of EMS products we provide energy efficient, tailored solutions for melting and holding furnaces up to over 200 tons, side and bottom mounted, and air and liquid cooled systems for all process steps. For more information visit abb.com/metallurgy
ABB AB Metallurgy Products Phone: +46 21 32 50 00 Fax: +46 21 14 83 27 E-mail: info.metallurgy@se.abb.com (products) E-mail: service.metallurgy@se.abb.com (service)
Al-EMS installed under a 40 ton melting furnace
ELECTROMAGNETIC STIRRING SOLUTIONS FROM ABB ABB is a global leader in providing solutions that improve the efficiency, productivity and quality of our customers’ operations. As part of the Process Automation division, ABB Metallurgy’s specialty is the optimization of processes within the metals industry by providing electromagnetic stirrers (EMS) and breaks for casters and furnaces, and even stabilizers for galvanizing lines. Our mission is to offer the most effective and energy efficient range of tailor-made stirring solutions for a broad spectrum of applications. In order to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations, a comprehensive and flexible range of EMS products is a prerequisite, together with the ongoing evaluation and development of our of-
EMS for aluminium offers the following benefits:
w Increased productivity w Lower energy consumption w Reduced dross formation w Higher alloy yield w Homogeneous aluminium bath temperature
w Homogeneous chemical w Payback typically within one year
w Energy efficient product range
ferings. For aluminium stirring, we are continually broadening our already wide selection of products. In doing so, we can guarantee even more benefits as part of our performance warranty. For more than 70 years ABB Metallurgy has consistently delivered a full range of metallurgical benefits that improve quality, productivity and cost-efficiency for our customers. With over 1713 installations worldwide for arc and ladle furnace, stirrers and breaks for thick slab casters, stirrers for billet and bloom casters, electromagnetic breaks for thin slab casters, and of course stirrers for aluminium furnaces, we have unrivalled experience of electromagnetic stirring for both the steel and aluminium industries.
ABB METALLURGY | AWJ 2016
85
ABB Metallurgy has an impressive 232 Al-EMS installations worldwide, including both liquid and air-cooled, and side and bottommounted systems with an unparalleled 1600 accumulated years of operation. Our stirring solutions cater for all production capacities and can be tailored to any kind of furnace. In fact, we have the by far the most comprehensive range of electromagnetic stirrers for aluminium available on the market to fit all of our customers’ needs. Our wealth of experience has provided our research and development team with invaluable knowledge which is used to continually evaluate and improve the performance of our existing
products. It has even provided a unique level of insight which we have utilized in the development of new products and patents. ABB Metallurgy has a long-standing tradition of developing new products on-site in partnership with the world’s leading steel and aluminium producers. As a result, we can be confident that our innovation is 100% customer-focused.
workshop teams.
Our newly formed operations team, together with our in-house metallurgists and commissioning engineers, ensure that we deliver on time and on quality, every time. Our modest organization is complemented by a global network of colleagues within ABB Process Automation’s Process Industries business unit. In this way, our customers The majority of our 80 employees can benefit from both global sales are based at ABB Metallurgy’s main and local service organizations, headquarters in Västerås, Sweden while our tight-knit team focuses with a few choice representatives on our particular area of expertise: in key locations around the globe. customized stirring solutions. There, our products are developed, customized and hand-crafted with Find out more or contact us at the help of our engineering and www.abb.com/metallurgy.
Figure 2. Fire configuration
Bottom-mounted Al-EMS from ABB
ABB AB Metallurgy Terminalvägen 24 SE-721 59 Västerås, Sweden Phone: +46 21 32 50 00 E-Mail: info.metallurgy@se.abb.com (products) service.metallurgy@se.abb.com (service) www.abb.com/metallurgy
86
AWJ 2016 | ABB METALLURGY
Author: Karen Hildebrandt, Marketing Communications Manager
ADVANCEMENTS IN ELECTROMAGNETIC STIRRING FOR ALUMINIUM FURNACES
Smart container solution for auxiliary equipment
Producing profitable, high quality products continues to be a challenge, and the industry needs technological solutions that do more than ever to improve production economy. Here at ABB, we work hard to continuously develop and improve our electromagnetic products. We are, for example, in the process of making some significant improvements to our EMS offerings for aluminium furnaces. Very soon, an even broader range of products will be available, enabling us to maintain our position as a market-leading supplier of EMS performance solutions. With an EMS from ABB improvements in productivity, energy efficiency and dross formation reduction come as standard. Using our
With an ABB EMS system for aluminium, we can provide enhanced performance as follows:
w Faster melt rate (cycle time), increased productivity
w Reduced dross formation,
increased aluminium yield
w Lower energy consumption w Faster alloying times w Increased alloy yield w
Thermal homogeneity
w Chemical homogeneity
extensive process experience, we are able to analyse your existing or planned production and accurately predict and maximize the benefits of an EMS installation. As part of our performance warranty we can, depending on current process conditions, guarantee a number of metallurgical improvements. With more installations than any other EMS provider, we understand that every furnace is different. Choosing the correct EMS is therefore decisive in achieving maximum performance. An EMS solution needs to be flexible enough to adapt to each customer case without compromising on performance. For these reasons, we offer the broadest range of flexible EMS products on the
ABB METALLURGY | AWJ 2016
87
market. Our product catalogue covers the entire spectrum from EMS for small die-casting furnaces to over 200-ton furnaces, and our ongoing development in partnership with leading metals companies, means that we continually introduce new and improved products to meet our customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; needs. With the widest range of efficient stirrers, and the imminent release of new products that do even more for furnace performance and energy efficiency, we can offer sustainable solutions for every kind of furnace in any kind of environment. Through the years, we have learned to master both air and liquid cooled EMS systems, and the environments in which they operate. We have also learned that in order to provide optimum, energy efficient solutions we must continue to offer products with both types of cooling. Air is a less efficient cooling media compared to liquids. In practice, a more powerful aircooled system would be physically large and bulky and less energy efficient than its liquid-cooled counterpart. This makes air-cooling well suited for smaller, less demanding EMS installations and not as appropriate for use on furnaces with larger production capacities and greater demand for cooling. With a higher heat transfer than air, liquid cooling is the preferred choice for packing more stirring force into a smaller footprint. For larger furnaces, liquid-cooled coils give maximum stirring strength without being impractically large. From the earliest stages of prod-
1 88
uct development, our focus is on maximizing both performance and energy efficiency. By offering EMS solutions with the cooling system most suited to the furnace in question, we are able to supply products with low energy consumption per ton of aluminium.
bath height early in the cycle, a side-mounted EMS system can be used to provide roughly the same performance improvements as a bottom-mounted system.
We still, therefore, recommend the use of a bottom-mounted EMS for melting furnaces wherever possible.
Equipping the furnace with the correct EMS system will significantly improve the quality and economy of your furnace operation.
For a holding or two-chamber furnace, where there is a substantial
Author: Ph.D. Kristofer Malmberg, Metallurgist
The EMS offers practical flexibility, not only in the form of mounting position, but also in the placement In real terms, our products are all and storage of auxiliary equipment. equally energy efficient, whether If available, such equipment can be they are fitted on a furnace with a 1 placed in local electrical rooms. ton or 200 ton production capacity. ABB are able to offer smart container solutions where no approABBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s EMS systems, whether air priate storage is available on-site. or liquid-cooled, are operated in the same manner and offer the The EMS, whether mounted on the same flexible solutions for the var- side or bottom of the furnace, is a ious production steps. The EMS virtually maintenance-free tool. program is automated to stir the molten aluminium optimally for Having no contact with either the every step of the melting, holding molten aluminium nor the furnace and mixing part of the production. bottom or side, the EMS is not exWith the support of ABB, the stir- posed to stress from higher temring profiles can even be adapt- peratures. Furthermore, a stainless ed to optimize the entire melting steel window in front or above the process together with stirring pro- EMS means that the furnace shell is grams, scrap types, alloying ele- not affected by the EMS in any way. ments and so on. The EMS will homogenize the therEMS has traditionally been fitted mal difference between the surface to the bottom of the aluminium temperature and the bottom temfurnace. There are, however, situ- perature with the introduction of ations where this is not an option. forced convection. The forced convection will act as a physical heat This is why we developed, and hold transfer for the molten aluminium, the patent for, side-mounted EMS, carrying the hot surface aluminium making the benefits of EMS avail- to the bottom. This, in turn, will inable to stationary furnaces that sit crease productivity and save eneron the foundation. It is preferable gy, and lower the amount of dross to utilize stirring force as early as generation as a direct result of the possible in the process. lower surface temperature.
AWJ 2016 | ABB METALLURGY
COMPANY PROFILE STAS More than 25 years in Molten Metal Treatment
_______ 90-93
STAS COMPANY PROFILE | AWJ 2016
89
More than 25 Years in Molten Metal Treatment
Brief Company History STAS Inc. is a Canadian based company specialized in the devel opment, fabrication and commer cialisation of process equipment for the aluminium industry. STAS is a world leader in providing various equipment to improve productivity and the quality of molten aluminium. Aluminium producers that can benefit from such technologies are found throughout the spectrum of aluminium producers, from primary smelter plants down to secondary smelters and includ ing rolling mills and aluminium extruders as well. The company has been in business for more than 25 years and has clients on all continents. Most of STAS’ sales activities are managed from STAS’ head office in Canada, 1. Smelter technologies, which with a network of well-known include the STARProbe, the Pot agents around the globe. Ramming Machine, fume hoods to reduce HF emissions, anode poSTAS employs more than 125 per- sitioning systems, anode stub insons, including a technical team - spection systems and anode butt made up of more than 70 engi- inspection systems. neers and technicians - with a broad expertise in processes and 2. Molten metal handling tech engineering. nologies, which include crucible cleaners, siphon tube cleaners and STAS’ Areas of Expertise crucible preheating systems.
Flux Injector), the IGDC (Inert Gas Dross Cooler), the TAC (Treatment of Aluminium in Crucible), the ACS (Automatic Crucible Skimmer) as well as molten metal filtration systems.
4. Automation, which includes programming (levels 0 to 5), process control, plant support, training and secondment of staff. The team is made up of about twenty professionals with a recognized expertise The equipment offered by STAS is 3. Casthouse technologies, which in many fields from the start-up of intended for five main segments of include the ACD (Aluminium Com single machines to the programthe aluminium industry. pact Degasser), the RFI (Rotary ming standards in major projects.
90 AWJ 2016 | HIGH TECH EQUIPMENT SPECIALISTS FOR THE ALUMINIUM INDUSTRY
MOLTEN METAL TREATMENT I Technology
AIR / Aluminium Inline Refiner
More than 70 units have been installed since its introduction in the The AIR/Aluminium In-line Refiner 80’s. The benefits of using an AIR is a conventional box that process- are as follows: es molten aluminium between the furnace and the casting pit. w Reduces dissolved hydrogen and improves quality of cast The AIR results from the technolproducts. Our engineering personnel ranks ogy transfer of the A622™ develamongst the most experienced in oped by Alcoa and modernized w Eliminates metal hold-ups at alloy changes. all fields (mechanical, electrical, afterwards in particular with the introduction of a tilting unit. automation, industrial). w Very low operating costs. Its unique design comprises sepa ACD / Aluminium Compact rate processing chambers (one w Minimum footprint required Degasser per rotor), an additional flotation for installation. The ACD is a multi-stage, in-line chamber, a sealed roof, an airlock degassing equipment that pro- system at the box inlet and outlet w Chlorine-free technology with argon only or with argon salt cesses molten aluminium directly and specifically designed spinning (using the FFD / Flux Feeding in the casting trough between the nozzles. Device). furnace and the casting pit. The ACD is available with 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 rotors depending on the application and metal flow rate. 5. Engineering, which includes feasibility studies, design/detail/installation engineering, project manage ment, safety and ergonomic reviews, design of custom made equipment, R&D in new technologies, etc.
With more than 225 units sold over the world, the benefits of using an ACD are as follows:
w Reduces dissolved hydrogen and improves quality of cast products.
w Eliminates metal hold-ups at alloy changes.
w Very low operating costs. w Minimum footprint required for installation.
w Chlorine-free technology with argon only or with argon salt (using the FFD / Flux Feeding Device).
STAS COMPANY PROFILE | AWJ 2016
91
MOLTEN METAL TREATMENT I Technology
RFI/RGI/ Rotary Gas/Flux Injector
w Reduces dross generation
(compared with lances). STAS’ rotary injectors using chlo rine gas (RGI) or salt mixtures (RFI) w Eliminates use of liquid have significantly improved the chlorine (RFI). efficiency of the fluxing process in the furnace compared to tradi Reduces emissions from tional methods (salt spreading or w furnace fluxing operations. with a lance). TAC I Treatment of Fixed or mobile units are available Aluminium in Crucible depending on customer prefer ence. More than 100 units have The TAC equipment injects alubeen sold worldwide. minium fluoride directly into the molten aluminium to effectively The benefits of using an RGI/RFI remove sodium and other alkalis are: from molten aluminium without the use of chlorine gas. Homogenises alloy produced w in furnace.
w Reduces alkalis (metallurgical defects) in molten metal.
w Improves molten metal cleanliness.
With more than 40 units installed worldwide, the benefits of using a TAC with an automatic skimming machine are:
w No chlorine used. w Pot room crucible used. w High productivity. w Low operation and
maintenance costs.
DBF / Deep Bed Filter
Aluminium alloys need to meet ever more stringent quality requirements, particularly for foil, Prior to the TAC operation, the bath can stock and litho sheets. material has to be removed which can be done with an automatic The DBF, designed and commer skimming machine integrated to cialised by STAS, is placed between the TAC station. The same skim- the furnace and the casting opera mer can be used to remove dross tion. It consists of an insulated box after the TAC operation. containing layers of carefully sized alumina balls through which molten aluminium flows from top to bottom. DBFs are available in various sizes to accommodate various metal flow rates. With more than 40 units installed all over the world, the proven benefits of the DBF technology are:
w Low filtering cost. w Different ball sizes for custom quality requirements.
w High and consistent filtering efficiency.
92
AWJ 2016 | STAS COMPANY PROFILE
MOLTEN METAL TREATMENT I Technology
IGDC /Inert Gas Dross Cooler Aluminium drosses oxidise readily above 400°C, causing the loss of valuable metallic aluminium. The dross needs to be cooled rapidly, safely and cheaply. Mechanical methods involve equipment with moving parts, which are expensive to maintain and/or are unreliable, while some cannot cool all types of drosses under all conditions, in particular drosses with high magnesium content.
The IGDC consists of a sealed hood, under which a dedicated dross pan is placed. Once closed, the hood is filled with argon gas to remove any trace of oxygen and thus stopping the oxidation process. As a result, the aluminium recovery is optimised. With more than 500 units sold worldwide, the benefits of using the IGDC are:
w Improved metal recovery by
reduction of oxidation.
w Low operating and mainte-
nance costs (no moving part, no cooling water).
w Very safe process, minimum dust generation.
w Treats all types of drosses (reactive or not).
Contact information: Florent Gougerot, Eng. - Marketing Manager Telephone Office: +1-418-696-0074, ext. 2426 E-mail: gougerot.florent@stas.com Web: www.stas.com
STAS COMPANY PROFILE | AWJ 2016
93
GMC
ADVERTISERS AND WEB INDEX
COMPANY
WEB ADDRESS
ABB Switzerland Ltd.
www.abb.com
6
ABB Measurement and Analytics
http://new.abb.com/products/measurement-products
62
ABB Metallurgy
www.abb.com/metallurgy
68
Borgestad FaErikker
www.borgestadfabrikker.com
53
Fives
www.fivesgroup.com
2 / 30
FLSmidth
www.flsmidth.com
39 / 90
Hencon
www.hencon.com
48
Innovatherm
www.innovatherm.com
34
.DQ 1DN
ZZZ NDQQDN FK
Rio Tinto
www.ap-technology.com
14
Reel Alesa
www.reel-alesa.com
20
Siwertell
Huge Yield Improvement > with the REFLAT upstream Flatness Control,
ex
Redex
www.outotec.com Tension leveling Stand Alone & Process Lines www.redex-group.com
64 76
usive cl
www.siwertell.comredex
to get perfect flatness from the first meter of coil !
STAS
53
ex
usive cl
Outotec
PAGE NO.
www.stas.com
46 / 54 / 84
Perfect strip flatness & surface aspect > by the combination of the best Mechatronic
Elongation Control and the ultimate Leveler technology
slfadlsjflsjlsjflkaj;djlkjslfkja;lfkjsdkjasHuge Energy Savings usive cl sld;fdslj;fldlkas;lakto provide > through the Differential drive system,fjlakjf;lksaf;lkdsfldx
lflajfldks;jfdlk;fjdlsja;fsdlfjd;slafd-
info@redex-group.com slfadlsjflsjlsjflkaj;dT. +33 2 38 94 42 00 â&#x201D;&#x201A; F. +33 2 38 94 42 www.strip-processing.com sld;fdslj;fldlkas;lak-
ex
lflajfldks;jfdlk;fjdlsja;fsdlfjd;slafd-
rede
jd;lkja;lfkja;sldkfj;sdlfaaksjfd;lsjdf;lka-
kjsslfj;lkfj;lsdkflsdkjflskdjfksdj;lasjf;las-
jd;lkja;lfkja;sldkfj;sdlfaaksjfd;lsjdf;lka-
ex
usive cl
the optimal balance of the braking energy into the mechanical loop
kjsslfj;lkfj;lsdkflsdkjflskdjfksdj;lasjf;las-
jlkjslfkja;lfkjsdkjasfjlakjf;lksaf;lkdsfld-
redex
ADVERTISERS AND WEB INDEX | AWJ 2016
94
www.kannak.ch Your partner for maximizing the shareholder value of smelters
EXTENDED CATHODE LIFE ENERGY SAVINGS INCREASED CURRENT EFFICIENCY INCREASED PRODUCTION LOWER PRODUCTION COST MANY REFERENCES
KAN-NAK IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE A MAJOR STEP IN CATHODE TECHNOLOGY:
RuC™ « Ready to use Cathode » Produced by CONTACT
www.novalum.ch "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" Léonardo Da Vinci
Through MÖLLER® technology, FLSmidth® specializes in design, engineering, procurement, erection and commissioning of pneumatic material handling systems for turnkey projects and components for the alumina industry. For more than 75 years the MÖLLER brand has stood for high quality standard systems with more than 5.000 references world wide. MÖLLER Alumina handling systems - High performance, high efficiency. For further information please contact us at: FLSmidth Hamburg GmbH Haderslebener Str. 7 • 25421 Pinneberg • Germany Tel: +49 4101 788-0 • Fax: +49 4101 788-140 hamburg@flsmidth.com www.flsmidth.com/moeller
© DUBAL
MÖLLER Alumina handling systems deliver higher performance ®