NEWS
20.02.2013
UAE: Batch Homogenizing plant commissioned at Dubal
Hertwich Engineering has commissioned a batch homogenizing furnace and a cooling station at Dubal (United Arab Emirates), the homogenizing plant being the third of its kind to be commissioned by Hertwich within the aluminium smelter complex.
Such batch homogenizing furnaces are designed for extra-fast heating of logs. A reversing air concept and regulation by flaps accelerates the heating by an estimated 20%, and achieves improved temperature uniformity. Optimized heating is fully automated and is regulated over measured air- and metal temperatures. The same enhancement is included in the cooling station for more efficient cooling.
30.10.2012
ICELAND: Homogenizing Line start-up at Rio Tinto Alcan
Hertwich Engineering, Austria, has handed over phase 1 of a Homogenizing and sawing line to Aluminium producer Rio Tinto Alcan Iceland on schedule in February 2012, following installation and commissioning.
The nameplate billet production is 157.000 tons per year of standard alloy billet. The scope comprises a linear ultrasonic inspection station (UT), provision for retrofitting of a helical UT, a billet saw with scrap exit, an electric heated continuous homogenizing furnace and associated cooling station, as well as a packing station. A special feature of the strapping machine is the unique manipulator robot for provision of the wooden runners. These are stored in dedicated containers, to last an entire shift, whereby wooden runners are automatically introduced to the strapping machine. Strapping is carried out in automatic operation throughout a shift.
The furnace is of special design for best flexibility and optimum throughput while switching between alloys with different holding times. Besides meeting Rio Tinto Alcans environmental friendly operation policy the plant sets new standards of safety and energy efficiency. With this investment Rio Tinto Alcan Iceland is set to supply the best available billet quality on the European market.
Step 2 of the expansion project is scheduled to be operational in 2014.
17.01.2013
ITALY: Ecomelt PS at Novelis under commissioning
In January 2013 commissioning of the new melting furnace supplied by Hertwich, Austria, a company of the SMS group, was well in progress at Novelis Italia SpA in Pieve, Italy.
This Ecomelt PS-80 multi chamber furnace is aimed to recycle clean and contaminated aluminium scrap for a new casting line at Pieve, as part ov Novelis effort to raise the recycling content in its various rolling operations around the world from 34 to 80% by 2020. The Ecomelt PS-80 is designed for processing 80 tons per day.
Hertwich Ecomelt furnaces operate particularly economical with aluminium scrap containing organic substances, thereby reducing gas consumption down to 400 kWh/ton, which is considerably lower than with conventional melting furnaces. While saving on energy costs the furnace also achieves reduced CO2 emission. Due to the submerge melting process metal losses achieved are as low as 3% and less. Hertwich Ecomelt furnaces combine high flexibility in terms of scrap types with low metal loss and low environmental impact.