Mechatherm has been supplying VDC aluminium casting machines for many years now.In today’s ever evolving aluminium cast houses, innovative solutions are being sought to offer the safest possible operation in what is a very hazardous environment.
One area of concern related to slab (rolling ingot) casting in particular, is the actual safe operation of mould metal level control. In order to maintain safe and trouble free casting, operators have traditionally supervised the moulds at the table location to quickly recognise and respond to any cast abort situations from events such as “bleed-outs” and “hang-ups”. In these events operators must act quickly to abort the casting process before potentially catastrophic events occur, such as mould cooling water coming into contact with the molten aluminium.
With a new evolution of automation and control gear arriving, especially in laser measurement devices, detection cameras and accurate pin positioning actuation, Mechatherm has invested significant time and development to come up with new ways to ultimately keep operators away from the casting table during a cast. Our ultimate goal was to achieve a full push button start “hands-free cast”.
Mechatherm has worked on solutions and has designed, manufactured and implemented an automated SafeCAST® mould metal level control (MMLC) system which accurately measures, controls and monitors the level and flow of aluminium into each casting mould. The system ultimately replaces the traditional “Steddy Eddy” type float and stopper pin control allowing the operators to remain in the casting control room and out of potential harm’s way.
Mechatherm’s automated SafeCAST® MMLC units are ultimately designed to control metal levels in the moulds to +/- 1mm – with the exception of the very start of a cast - through to a steady state condition. Some of our main features are as follows:
- Replace the traditional “Steddy Eddy” float system.
- Bespoke designed to existing casting pits or on our own casting machines.
- Option of measurement using twin lasers or inductive sensors
- Automated combo bag shaking devices and skim dam lifts
- Integrated closed circuit viewing and detection cameras
- Large HMI/LCD viewing and control screens in the control room
- HMI/PLC/SCADA integration into existing systems as well as our own.
