Noranda Aluminum Holding Corporation are leading North American integrated producers of primary aluminium products. The smelter located in New Madrid, Missouri produces approximately 263,000 metric tonnes of primary aluminium annually. This includes a fabrication facility that converts molten aluminium into rod, extrusion billet and foundry ingot.
Mechatherm International has recently completed the design and installation of two 100T tilting holding furnac- es with a 15T/Hr production capacity, in collaboration with Continuus Properzi for Noranda’s New Madrid plant in Missouri, USA. The new facility allows for an annual capacity of 131,400 metric tonnes per year of Aluminium to be produced into rod.
The equipment supplied to Noranda consisted of two 100T tilting holding furnaces, specifically designed to allow for one furnace to feed the continuous rod casting machine whilst the other furnace is preparing to take over.
Mechatherm worked in collaboration with Continuus Properzi to deliver a continuous casting furnace to improve production times of the rod mill castings.
The THF’s are fired using two natural gas cold air burners, which allows the aluminium to remain molten. Both furnaces utilise the Pyrotek SNFI-HD-2000 to allow for the aluminium to be refined efficiently ensuring that the final product is as pure as possible.
The furnace with the molten aluminium will feed the metal into the rod casting machine, allowing the metal to be formed on the continuous casting rolling line into rods. Whilst the molten aluminium in the first furnace is feeding the rod casting line, the second furnace will prepare to take over.
The tilting holding furnace cycle times are programmed so that after the first furnace has finished pouring molten aluminium the furnaces will switch places, allowing the flow of molten aluminium to remain continuous throughout the entire casting process.
BENEFITS OF THIS SOLUTION:
• Safe & quick furnace charging
• Faster production times
• Continuous casting