Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Analysis on Aluminium Alloy
Manufacturing Unit
30.05.2016
Avinash Biju
ID No:2016A1PS512G
BITS Pilani, K.K. Birla Goa Campus
Goa, India
1
Contents
1. Acknowledgement
2. Introduction:BAMCO
3. List of Alloys produced
4. Alloying plant classification
5. General Layout of BAMCO factory
6. The foundry process
a. Furnace
b. Launders
c. Degassing unit
d. Casting
e. Cooling unit
f. Extraction
7. Master alloy process
a. Furnace
b. Casting
c. cooling
8. Raw Material procurement
9. Production scheduling
10. Maintenance and safety
11.Quality Control.
2
Acknowledgement
This report on analysis of an Aluminium smelting unit has been prepared for academic
purposes. I express gratitude to BAMCO and its employees for the guidance and support
for preparation of this report. Special thanks to Mr. Padmanabhan Pillai for arranging this
internship and taking time from busy schedule to help me with this report. I also express
my sincerest gratitude to Mr.David Williams (General Manager of BAMCO), Mr.Jerin
Parukunnil (shipping supervisor), Mr. Johnson Joy (Maintenance in-charge), Mr. Vijayan
(Supervisor of Master plant and Mr.Yasir (Foundry supervisor).
3
Introduction: BAMCO
The Bahrain Alloy Manufacturing Company (BAMCO) was established in 1996 in response
to industrial demand for alloyed Aluminium for usage in various products, ranging from car
silencers and Electric-Iron bases to Large scale devices used in major production plants and
automobile manufacturing. With a total production capacity of 30,000 metric tonnes a year
divided between a Foundry production plant (25,000 mt) and a Master production plant
(5,000 mt), BAMCO supplies Aluminium alloys of various specifications and compositions to
its customers. BAMCO’s production quality and plant safety has been certified by an ISO
9001 registration.
Raw Aluminium Classification
Based on the grade of the raw material, Aluminium is classified as Primary and
Secondary Aluminium. Primary Alloys are those manufactured from Aluminium which has
been extracted from ore. Secondary Alloys are those manufactured from Scrap Aluminium,
i.e., Aluminium is re-used.
Why Aluminium?
Aluminum caught attention as a possessor of good metallic
properties in the early 1900’s. It was lighter than Iron and
possessed greater electrical conductivity. However, Aluminium
was not as strong as cast Iron and therefore couldn’t always be
used in industries where this was an important factor. Therefore,
the process of alloying Aluminum became important to allow the
ascent of Aluminium into the Industrial fray. Various grades and
proportions of metals were mixed with Aluminium to produce
alloys of different specifications in tensile strength, conductivity,
e.t.c.
4
List of Alloys produced by BAMCO
1. CC401
2. A356.2
3. Al Si II Mg0.5
4. Al Si II/LM6
5. Al Si 3
6. LM13/LM28
7. Al Si 50
8. Al Si 30
9. Al Si 20
10. Al Cu 50
11. Al Mn 20/ Al Mn 25
12. AC2B
13. AC4B
14. AlFe10
15. AlCr10
Aside from these standard alloys, BAMCO also produces customized alloys according the
customer specifications.
Alloying Plant Classifications
I. Foundry Alloy
In the Foundry Alloy process, Aluminium is heated to around 800 oC and the alloying
materials are mixed with the liquid aluminium at high temperatures in a Diesel
powered furnace.
II. Master Alloy
In the master plant, Aluminium is melted using an induction furnace to attain higher
temperatures than the foundry plant (around 1200 oC). The alloys produced in the
master plant have higher percentages of alloying materials like Si.
The BAMCO Foundry Alloy unit has a production capacity of 25,000 metric tonnes a
year and the Master Alloy unit has a capacity of 5,000 metric tonnes a year.
5
General Layout of an Alloying Unit
For both the foundry plant and the master plant the general process is the same. Molten
aluminium at temperatures of at least 800 oC in the furnace is mixed with other alloying
metals like Beryllium, Iron, Copper, Magnesium, Manganese, Chromium, e.t.c. The red hot
alloy is then removed from the furnace (usually a hydraulic tipping mechanism is used) by a
process called tapping. Tapped alloy which is it fluid at high temperature is directed into
channels known as launders. The launder directs the alloy through an in-line production
chain, which usually includes a degassing unit, a cooling unit and an extraction point at the
end. The alloy cools down and solidifies at the end of the chain and is extracted from the
conveyor belt, usually in the form of solid ingots. The ingots are collected via collection
chutes and moved towards a separate location in the plant for the purpose of packaging.
Ingots are sorted according to constituent alloy, weight and customer code. The packaged
product is then sent to the transportation section. Transportation is done via Trucks for
roadways and Shipping for overseas requirements.
6
Foundry Alloy Process
The foundry process is advantageous in that the machinery required in its case is relatively
less complex and expensive. However, the foundry process relies on molten Aluminium’s
ability to dissolve the alloying metals. This can occur only for small quantities of alloying
metals (like Si). Large amounts of alloying materials are often not soluble in the aluminium
in foundry process because of larger melting temperatures. Therefore, Alloys with large
proportions of alloying metals (e.g.:AlSi50) cannot be produced by the foundry process.
The Furnace
The furnace for the foundry process is a Diesel powered
furnace. A machinery for combusting diesel and injecting the
burning diesel into the furnace exists. This heats the furnace
to high temperatures required for melting the Aluminium
and raising it to the temperatures required for alloying
(~800oC). Aluminium is added to the furnace either as solid
aluminium ingots manually through an inlet, or via a second
inlet as molten aluminium. The alloying metal is also added
through the former inlet into the molten/melting aluminium.
A hydraulic tilting machinery is installed under the furnace to enable tapping of the
alloy. The furnace and associated parts of the plant must be made so as to withstand the
high temperatures of the alloying process. Therefore, in addition to the usage of thermally
resilient materials for making the furnace (and adjoining sections of machinery), a reusable
coating of Al93 material is used as inner lining o
f the furnace to a) ensure the resistance of
the furnace to high temperature and b) make allowance of reusability of lining.
The foundry unit in BAMCO has two identical furnaces, one for standby. In the
absence of maintenance or damage issues, both furnaces are used alternately to enable
faster pace of production.
Launders
Launders are channels made for the flow of
molten alloy to the casting and cooling units. In
BAMCO, the launders from both furnaces meet
and merge into a single pathway which leads to
subsequent sections. A removable plate made of
a special fibre is placed at the meeting point to
7
prevent backflow of molten alloy into the furnace which is not at that point of time being
tapped. This material is thermally resilient at these temperatures and does not combust. As
the launders are exposed to the molten alloy, it is important that they too are
manufactured from thermally resilient material and lined appropriately. Lids made of
similar materials (with handles to move manually) are placed above the launders to reduce
heat loss from the molten alloy into surrounding environment. The constitution of the
launders are important in ensuring that the temperature of the molten alloy is retained to
some extent until casting.
Degassing Unit
The degassing unit is strategically placed between the point at which the alloy is
tapped and the casting unit.
Degassing process is required to
remove the trapped gases (trapped
hydrogen and traces of water and
other gases) which set in as pores in
the cast alloys if not removed. These
pores affect the quality and
structure of the cast alloys.
Degassing can only be employed in
the molten state as it is impossible
to remove gases from the interior of
solidified masses.
A Hoesche degassing machine
with three rotors encompass the
degassing unit in the BAMCO
foundry plant. The rotors have a
graphite tip and a mechanism to
inject gaseous nitrogen into the bulk
of the molten alloy. The nitrogen
captures trapped gases and escapes
the alloy. The rotating mechanism
works as a centrifugal removal
technique for separation of a wide
variety of solid impurities, commonly
grouped under the name dross. Dross, being of lower density than the alloy, separates out
and appears as a top layer, which is then mechanically removed from the alloy. The
purified alloy then proceeds to casting.
8
Casting
Launders from the degassing unit direct the purified liquid alloy to the casting unit. The
casting unit consists of a rotating wheel with appropriately spaced spokes which point
outwards and away from the centre. The spokes are hollow with a hole at the edge to pour
alloy into the mould below it. The mechanism is set to pour out exact quantities of alloy to
fill out the moulds passing below it. The wheel rotates with an angular speed ω given by
ω = υ /r
Where υ is the speed of the conveyor belt and r is the radius of the wheel (including the
spoke). Synchronization between the wheel and the belt is of utmost importance to avoid
spilling of alloy. This is achieved by linkage of conveyor belt to a large, appropriately sized
gear attached to the rotating wheel.
The moulds are arranged linearly in a chain which constitutes a conveyor belt
mechanism (powered by an electric motor source), which passes right underneath the
wheel and collects the molten alloy in the shape of ingots. The conveyor belt traces the
route of the remainder of the foundry process. The conveyor belt is deliberately arranged
to be of the appropriate length so that at the extraction point, the alloy is collected at the
right temperature. The mould from the casting unit then proceeds to the cooling unit.
Cooling Unit
Alloy poured into the mould is at a
temperature of about 600 oC and must be cooled to
temperatures of about 400 oC before extraction. A
portion of the cooling happens in the space between
the casting and the cooling unit, but a majority of the
process happens in the cooling unit.
The cooling unit consists of an air blown cooler
and a water-coolant cooler.
The air blown cooler, as the name suggests, makes use of air at NTP from the
atmosphere, forces it through fans at high velocity onto the alloy to cool it down.
The water-coolant unit showers cool water onto the alloy. Water absorbs some of the heat
of the alloy and escapes from the mould, partly as steam and partly as liquid water to be
cooled externally and used again.
9
Extraction
The conveyor belt proceeds at an angle inclined to the ground within the cooling
unit, as a result of which the cooled alloy in the mould comes out at a height above the
ground at the end of the process. The direction of motion of the belt then changes such
that the mould is now tilted downwards, with the solid alloy in it facing downside. Gravity
results in the ingot dropping out of the conveyor belt and into a collecting chute placed
below it. Sometimes, adhesion between the mould and the ingot necessitates an impacting
force (for which a worker with a metal rod is employed) to be applied to the belt to force
the ingot out of the mould. This adhesion is generally a result of either a worn out coating
in the mould or cracks in the mould into which the metal seeps. These cracks are born out
of rigorous expansion and compression of the mould in the casting and cooling process.
The ingots are collected in a vessel which is carried using a forklift to the
transportation section
10
A flowchart of the foundry process is shown below:
The foundry process is a continuous inline process which is ideal for a large scale
production of alloys. Presence of a large number of mechanical parts and the fact that they
are continually exposed to high temperatures and steep temperature gradients requires
that the foundry production chain needs constant care and repair. Therefore maintenance
associated with the foundry plant is considerably higher than the Master plant. (See section
Maintenance for more)
11
Master Alloy process
Master alloys have higher percentages of alloying metals. A different kind of furnace is
required for Master alloy manufacturing because the temperatures required for mixing
large quantities of alloying metal with Aluminium(~1200 oC) is much higher than the
melting temperature of the Foundry furnace(~800 oC). These temperatures cannot be
achieved by a diesel powered furnace. Therefore, an induction furnace which employs
magnetic induction technique to raise the temperature of the metal is used in this process.
Due to power constraints and structure of equipment, the capacity of the master alloy
plant is considerably smaller than that of the foundry plant in BAMCO. However, like the
foundry plant, the furnaces for the master alloy process are two in number, one acting as a
standby.
Furnace
The furnace used for the master alloy process is a magnetic induction furnace. It employs
the principle of magnetic induction, i.e., passing alternating magnetic fields through the
bulk of the metal to heat it up.
The structure of the furnace is as shown here.
The crucible, which is the vessel for
containment of the molten mass, is lined with
appropriate lining material (Al93) which is heat
resistant and protects the furnace
components. A magnetic coil is arranged in the
shape of a solenoid around the crucible. The
magnetic coil carries the current which
magnetically induces the metal. A water
cooling pipeline travels around the copper coils
to cool down the magnet and prevent it from
melting. The water pipeline travels outside into a district cooling tower and the cooled
water is directed back towards to furnace to continue the cycle. A remotely operated lid is
also present on the furnace to preserve heat when the melting takes place.
Like the foundry furnace, tapping in the case of the induction furnace is also done
by means of hydraulic lifting mechanism, which tips the furnace and directs the molten
alloy through channels for further processing.
The BAMCO induction furnace setup has a capacity of 2 tonnes and a power source
that is capable of delivering a total power of 1000 kW. However, maximum power is rarely
employed as the required temperatures can be attained using a mere 500 kW. Therefore
12
the power distribution between the two simultaneously functioning induction furnaces is
usually 50-50. Moreover, when one is not in use, 1000 kW is delivered to the other to speed
the process up. At full power, the operation time for a standard load is 2 hours.
There are multiple advantages associated with the induction furnace. One is that
once fluid, the melt need not be stirred to be mixed. The magnetic forces make the melt
travel in cyclical paths within its bulk, thereby causing a stirring effect (the geometry of
motion is much like that of water under the influence of convection heating). Another
advantage is that since power delivered is higher, the time taken is also less (this is, of
course, dependent on the power delivered).
Since the opening of the induction furnace is on top of the furnace, An overhead
crane is often used to move the input load (in large quantities) to the furnace.
One disadvantage of the induction furnace is that since the magnets cannot
function continuously without being damaged, the induction furnace cannot function as a
holding furnace. This means that once the metals are molten and mixed to make the alloy,
it cannot be kept for much longer in the furnace without solidifying. Therefore it must be
cast immediately. Another disadvantage is that the process of melting in an induction
furnace produces lots of gases. This necessitates the presence of a setup for evacuation of
these gases from the factory. Therefore, the
induction furnace in BAMCO also contains an
exhaust system for the same. Dross is
removed manually from the furnace after
tapping.
Casting
The casting in the Master alloy plant occurs
close to the furnace. Launders and the
conveyor belt system carrying the moulds are
placed close to the furnace so that the melt is cast easily. The mechanism for pouring alloy
into mould is much different from the foundry process. Machinery that resembles a
periodically tilting spoon is present to measure out and pour exact quantities of alloy into
moulds. This mechanism is synchronized to the motion of conveyor belts as in the case of
the foundry plant to avoid spillage. The conveyor belt travels in an inclined path into the
cooling system.
Cooling
A cooling unit which resembles the one in the foundry process is present in the master
alloy unit. The first step is an air blown cooler which forces air onto the hot alloy in mould
to cool it down. The second step is a water cooler which cools the solid alloy down further
13
to a temperature where it can be extracted from the mould. As in the case of the foundry
plant, rigorous heating and cooling can lead to cracks in the mould, into which the molten
alloy seeps. This leads to an adhesion between the alloy and the mould. A knocking
mechanism is employed at the end of the cooling chain to allow easy extraction of alloy
ingot.
Raw Material procurement
The Aluminium requirement of BAMCO is supplied entirely by ALBA, the production unit of
which is located close to the BAMCO factory. Given the geographical advantage, BAMCO
does not need and hence does not possess a storage unit for raw aluminium. Aluminium is
supplied on a daily basis by roadways according to BAMCO’s requirements based on their
production schedule.
Aluminium is supplied by ALBA in two forms - solid and liquid. The solid aluminium
is in the shape of ingots and is added manually to either the foundry or master furnace.
Liquid molten Aluminium which is evidently at high temperatures is poured into (solely) the
foundry plant. The usage of liquid aluminium is advantageous in that a certain temperature
is retained by the aluminium from the smelting units at ALBA and the amount of heat
further required for the alloying process is thereby substantially reduced. Liquid aluminium
is transported from ALBA in large Crucibles of 10-11 tonnes capacity. Overhead cranes are
used to move the crucible and tip its contents into the furnace.
A weighbridge is located at the beginning of the plant to check the weight of the
procured raw materials. In the case of liquid aluminium, the weight of the crucible is
checked before and after tipping to confirm the weight of the procured aluminium.
Production Scheduling process
As mentioned earlier, BAMCO does not possess a storage facility and procures all raw
material from ALBA on a daily requirement basis. Therefore it is necessary to plan in
advance the input, output and product to be transported for every day. This and many
other factors require that production is scheduled properly for every day.
A production schedule is drawn up well in advance for any given day. This schedule
contains in it information about how much alloy is to be produced for the given day to
meet customer requirements, which furnace (note the availability of a standby) is used and
for how long, what type of alloy is to be produced, and so on. The production schedule also
14
takes into account the other aspects such as maintenance (based on the maintenance
schedule).
The schedule must meet the following criteria:
1. Production must be completed well in advance to account for transportation to
client
2. Produced alloy must not remain in the factory for long, i.e., it must be transported
immediately. Much accumulation must not take place.
3. Regular breaks for standard maintenance procedures must be put into place.
Usually, the standby is used in case one is under repair.
4. The production schedule must be in agreement with the transportation schedule as
well.
15
Maintenance and Safety
In a factory with the capacity of BAMCO’s alloying unit, and in which hazardous materials
and temperatures are common, the aspect of maintenance and safety becomes important.
A large part of the plant uses mechanical parts and materials exposed to high
temperatures and constant motion. This naturally poses the requirement of the
Maintenance unit.
As in the case of any factory that employs machinery, constant care and repair is
required to prevent breakdown of the unit. Multiple moving parts mean continual wear
and tear of constituent elements of the factory, therefore standard maintenance
procedures such as tightening of bolts, greasing, noise checking, e.t.c are regularly done.
Aside from trivial machinery repair to account for mechanical damage and loss,
maintenance is also required to account for the thermal losses and damages. Materials
(like the mould) which are continuously put through alternating hot and cold faces often
develop cracks. The inner lining of the furnace also goes through similar conditions and
requires replacement regularly. All these maintenance procedures and categorized and
planned under a maintenance schedule. A maintenance schedule contains in it
information about the maintenance procedures to be executed at regular intervals, what
intervals they must be executed in, and the history of executed maintenance procedures.
For example, The section for maintenance of the foundry plant would contain the
subsections: conveyor lubrication and roller movement checking, water nozzle cleaning,
cooling fan greasing and cleaning, and gearbox oil changing to name a few. The schedule
would also contain information regarding the periodicity of execution of the above tests. In
this case, the section on conveyor belt maintenance is to be done daily, water nozzle test is
to be done once a week, cooling fan cleaning and greasing every 2 months and gearbox oil
changing every 6 months. The schedule would also of course contain information regarding
history of completed tests. As mentioned earlier, the maintenance schedule must not clash
with the production schedule, therefore appropriate precautions are taken and planning is
done before drawing up both.
Safety is important in any working environment, and all the more so in a factory
with high temperature material manufacturing. Therefore it’s important that employees
continually exposed to this environment are aware of the risks and are equipped with the
safety implements and the knowledge required to handle the machinery in the factory.
16
Quality Control
In a company like BAMCO with years of of working experience in the industry and a large
number of important and regular customers, the constancy of product quality is quite
important. Therefore, appropriate measures are put into place to ensure good quality of
the products.
ISO certification
An ISO certification is not only recognized as a quality standard in today’s industrial
scenario, but also serves as something of a pre-requisite to function. Most companies only
trade with companies that have the latest ISO certification. BAMCO is certified with the
mark of ISO 9001:2015. The certificate is provided post inspection by an external officer
from the Organization of International Standards. This certification translates to the fact
that BAMCO’s product is in proper condition and that its factories processing machinery
and safety mechanisms are in place and functional.
Regular quality control
The ISO certification gives a nod to the general condition of the factory and product, but a
regular quality control procedure must be put into place. BAMCO therefore has a quality
control lab where samples from the processing unit are taken from time to time to check
for defects and resilience.
The quality control procedure is quite simple. A sample from a furnace containing
mixed alloy constituents is taken at an appropriate time and solidified. The solidified
sample (a disc-like structure) is put through a metal lathe and then a grinding machine to
acquire a smooth polished sample which is sent to the quality control lab.
The quality control lab has two Mass spectrometers. Both have different spectra of
detection and can confirm the presence and quantity of various elements. The disc-like
sample of alloy is put through the correct spectrometer (depending on whether it’s a
foundry or master alloy) and tested to obtain the percentage constitution of the alloy. A
purchase order from a customer usually contains percentage of a given constituent
element in a percentage range. This allows for a minor error in the constitution without
making much difference to the finished alloy’s properties. (e.g. Mg in 4.5 - 5.0 percent
means the alloy sample contains Magnesium in the following range).
17
Spectrometer
The spectrometer is capable of analyzing 26 different elements. The functioning of the
spectrometer begins with a sparking action at the surface of the metal. This causes a tiny
portion of the sample to flash and melt. In this process, various radiations are emitted by
the sample. The type and intensity of radiation emitted is dependent on the constitution of
the alloy. Various instruments capable of detecting the above information in high degrees
of accuracy are placed inside the spectrometer for determination of the same. A software
designed to transmit information to and from the spectrometer captures and displays the
information for further inspection.
Compound Microscope
A second test for quality check is the test for presence of gas pores in the bulk of the
sample. If degassing does not occur properly, the gas is trapped inside the ingots in the
form of pores in the solid. These affect the strength and other physical properties of the
alloy. Therefore, a regular check of the same is necessary to ensure degassing occurs
properly. A sample comprising of a sliced portion of an ingot is placed under a compound
microscope to observe presence/absence of porous structures. Dross residues can also be
observed if product is not of proper quality.
In addition to the above mentioned test, a test for checking of lattice structure is
also done via compound microscope. The physical properties of the alloy are courtesy its
atomic composition. If an alloy is to be made properly, then the constituent elements have
to set at the right condition so as to form the required lattice structure. A quick check
under the microscope reveals whether the lattice patterns in the sample are as required.
The continuous and rigorous mechanism existing in the BAMCO factory ensure that
BAMCO’s product stays top notch and meets the requirements of the customers.