Conventional Transfer Can be found in these KRC sites: Aluminium - Furnaces, Metal Transfer (Melting

Furnace to Holding Furnace)

Pumps Foundry - Melting Furnace, Metal Transfer
Content Owner(s): Dennis E. Been
Paul Campbell

Overview

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Transfer pumps are used to move molten metal in vertical directions for :
 Removing metal from a furnace
 Filling ladles/crucibles
 Pump from one furnace to another
 Pump to a mould or casting machine
 Emergency pump-outs

Pyrotek's Tensor transfer pumps combine ceramic and steel with an improved design to
increase reliability of molten metal pumps. Traditional graphite pumps must be rebuilt
about three times per year when the graphite posts become oxidized or broken . Replacing
the posts with a stronger material that won’t oxidize extends the life of the pump. Fewer
rebuilds mean lower costs and less labor to maintain pumps. T-25T Transfer Pump in Side Well of Furnace

BENEFITS
 Ceramic posts reinforced by high temperature alloy steel rod PRODUCT FILES
 Posts are stronger than graphite and will not oxidize
 Data Sheet - Tensor Pumps: Circulation,
 Pump is bolted together and can be used almost right after assembly
Transfer and Gas Injection Pumps

RELATED PRODUCTS  Data Sheet - Melt Circulation & Recovery

 Overflow Transfer System (OTS) - Designed for transfer and delivery of molten metal  Brochure - Metaullics Systems
from a melting furnace, at significantly lower transfer costs when compared to
traditional transfer pumps and tapping-out.  Manual - T-Series Pumps (Conventional)

 Circulation Pumps -Used for moving molten metal in horizontal directions for circulation  Manual - T-Series Pumps (High Lift)
of aluminium and light gauge scrap melting systems.  Technical Paper - Tensor Series Pumps for the
Aluminium Industry by Jim Grayson (2002)
TRANSFER PUMP MODELS
T-10T, T-18T, T-25T, T-35T  Presentation - Transfer & Overflow Transfer
(OTS) Pumps by Jason Tetkoskie (2015)
FLOW RANGE  CPT Page
Flow from 400–4000 kg/min (882–8818 lb/min)

KEY TECHNOLOGIES

Transfer Pump Components

Pumps now last considerable longer than conventional full

Tensor Technology graphite pumps without rebuilding because of the use of ceramic
posts that are non oxidizing. Unique pro-rata warranty system.

Continuous flow of metal over the life of the Impeller. Using a

bladed impeller results in a decrease performance over the life of
the impeller when it is wearing outdown. This can only be
Ceramic Top Plate
compensated by increasing pump speed. So by using the Ceramic
top plate the pump can run at a continuous speed and maximum
performance. Assured Performance.

Quad Coupling Solid fit and Easy exchange of Shaft/Impeller. Operator Friendly.

The pump is engineered in such a way that the Impeller and base
 Engineered System are a perfect fit for each other resulting in high efficiency.
Highest flow with lowest RPM.

Selec on Guide

Pumps are offered in a variety of sizes in order to meet flow rate and pressure requirements . Typical pump sizes and flow rates for aluminium
are as follows:

METAULLICS TRANSFER PUMP MODEL

T-10T T-18T T-25T T-35T

430 kg/min 1360 kg/min 2270 kg/min 3630 kg/min

Rated Flow
(948 lb/min) (2998 lb/min) (5004 lb/min) (8002 lb/min)

Photo
(Click on photo to
open full size image)

T-10T T-18T T-25T T-35T

 Replace graphite posts with ceramic and steel

 The most cost-effective way to circulate or transfer molten aluminum in most applications
 Uses a low cost ceramic
 Reinforced by high temperature alloy steel rod
Advantages
 Holds ceramic in compression for maximum strength
  Posts won’t oxidize
 Tensor posts are stronger than graphite
 Base is stronger than a conventional base

T-SERIES TRANSFER PUMP HEAD AND FLOW RATES

Design

Drawings and Product Specifications for T-Series Molten Metal Pumps

TENSOR PUMP CONSTRUCTION

Applica on Notes

INSTALLATION, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE MANUALS

 Manual - T-Series Transfer Pumps
 Manual - T-Series Transfer Pump, High Lift

GENERAL INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS

Mechanical transfer pumps are installed in the side well of a furnace. Pumps are installed in the metal and pump the metal up through a riser and out
by way of refractory lined pipe. (They cannot suck the metal out of a furnace.) The following requirements are generally necessary for a successful
installation.
1. There must be a side well on the furnace. The well must be large enough to accommodate the pump with about 4 to 6 inches of clearance on each
side.
2. A heel must be maintained in the furnace. The lowest metal level during normal operations should be at least 50mm above the top of the pump
base.
3. The openings between the side well and heated chamber should be no higher than the minimum metal level , and preferably at least 50mm below
the minimum metal level.
4. Refractory lined pipe longer than 4 feet (1.2 m) attached to the pump must be rigidly supported by something other than the pump.

ELECTRICAL DRIVE SYSTEMS

Diagram of Electrical Drive System:
Compe on

Molten Metal Equipment Innovations (MMEI) is the largest competitor with roughly a 30% market share. High Temperature Systems (HTS) is a smaller
competitor with 5 to 10% market share, with most of that coming from the zinc industry. Both MMEI and HTS offer a full line of pumps including
circulation, gas injection, and transfer pumps. Both companies offer lower technology pumps at lower prices than the similar sized Metaullics pumps .
Internal Product Notes

The Metaullics Systems Division offers a range of molten metal Transfer Pumps. Metaullics pumps are centrifugal pumps that utilize an impeller
rotating in a volute. Materials of construction include graphite, ceramics, and steel. The pumps are designed to be used in a side well attached to the
furnace. Transfer pumps are offered in various sizes and flow rates.
Transfer pumps can be driven by an electric motor or an air motor. This choice is generally determined by the sensitivity of control required, the
discharge volume needed or the metal head to be achieved. Several sizes are available depending on the required flow rates and lift. Liquid metal is
pumped above the liquid metal line of the furnace for discharge to the end use point. The pump remains in a furnace well and is activated whenever
metal delivery is required. Transfer pumps are used in the aluminium and zinc industries for furnace to furnace transfers, furnace to ladle transfers,
furnace to casting machine transfers, and to pour sows or large castings. Flow rates for aluminium transfer can range from 88 lbs/minute (40 kg/minute)
to 11,023 lbs/minute (5000 kg/minute). Most applications simply lift metal over the edge of the furnace. However, the high pressure capabilities of
these pumps have allowed some users to pump metal as high as 26 feet (~8 meters) with the consideration of proper safety.
Metaullics six-barrel impellers are standard on all Metaullics transfer pumps. These impellers are designed to prevent rock damage while eliminating the
need for an inlet grate or baffle plate. A ceramic wear plate on the top of the impeller protects against abrasion from rocks and other solids in the
metal. The openings in the top of the impeller serve as the inlet and keep large solids out of the pump . The "windows" of the impeller increase in size as
the metal flows through to minimize the risk of blockage or jams. As with all Metaullics pumps the threadless design provides the strongest shaft to
impeller connection in the industry.
In 2010 Pyrotek introduced a new concept in molten metal transfer known as the Overflow Transfer System . This system eliminates most of the
consumable items found in conventional pumps, and uses a launder instead of refractory lined pipe. (Overflow Transfer Systems are described in their
own section.)

Transfer pumps provide the following benefits.

 Safety
 Operators can control metal flow from a distance so there is much less potential for molten metal burns
 Metal flow is easily started by activating a switch
 Metal flow is easily stopped with no tap holes to be plugged
 No pits are necessary
 Flexibility
 Can pump distances of up to 25 meters with refractory lined pipe, and longer distances with a combination of pipe and launder
  Can pump to higher elevations, 1 to 2 meters is common, but some pumps routinely lift metal 7 meters
 Flow rate is easily controlled
 Increased Productivity
 Metal transfers can be made faster than with other methods
 There is less heat loss during the transfer due to the increased speed and refractory lined pipe so less superheat of the metal prior to transfer is
required
 Less dross is generated during the transfer
 Metal flow rate is controlled and can easily be held constant throughout the transfer

T-10 Filter Pump 6-Barrel Pump Impeller

Metaullics pumps were first introduced to the industry in 1950. Pumps have evolved over the years as new materials became available and better
designs were developed. Tensor Technology has become the standard for mechanical molten metal pumps since its introduction at Aluminum Essen in
2000. Current pump offerings include D-series, M-series, and Tensor series pumps. M-series pumps are graphite based and are primarily used in the
zinc primary industry. Tensor series pumps use a combination of graphite, ceramic, and steel and are used primarily in the aluminum industry. D-series
pumps are usually metal pumps and are used for lead and zinc alloys. The largest market for these pumps in recent years has been the galvanizing
industry.
Pumps are offered in various sizes and flow rates depending on how they will be used. Aluminum flow rates for the T-18T are shown below.
 T-18T Transfer Pump Curve

One feature of transfer pumps is they can be fitted with a filter so the metal is cleaned before it is pumped . Metaullics Bonded Particle Filter (BPF)
material is used and is typically cemented over the inlet of the pump. BPF filters are much stronger than ceramic foam filters, and are not attacked by
molten aluminum.

Case Studies

Transfer System at Aleris Duffel Click here for actual Case Study

Sales Engineer- Renee Harms Customer Profile for Aleris Duffel

Presentation Event - Mallorca, 2012
Process - Billet Casting, Slab/Rolling Ingot, T-Bar VDC
Production: rolled products, extrusion recycling.
Products: plate, foil, ingots, billets, and special alloys
Furnace Information: 2 Chamber Furnace, 90 tonnes capacity,
6XXX series alloy- 110 tonnes of aluminum per day filling 4, 5
tonnes crucible. EMP Pump for circulation.

Before:
 No transfer pump-
 Dangerous
 Slow Operation
 Minimal production
 Could not fully empty Furnace
Click Here for CMD account
After: Future Solution:
 Started using T-25 Transfer Pump Overflow Transfer System (OTS)
 Safer (no more pulling a plug)  Ceramic bowl
 Faster (1 tonne per minute)  Shaft/Impeller
 More production  Electric motor
 Completely empties furnace
Especially designed for transfer application
whereby the customer does not need to
transfer high.
OTS Benefits:
 Less parts
 Easy to change out shaft/ Impeller
 No Heavy Piping
 Less Dross Formation

Flow rate: up to 1.5 kg/min

T-25T Transfer Pump

Perfect solution for Aleris
Obstacles: OTS already used by Aleris - USA
 Small pumpwell - difficult to clean
 Very little working space - take out
pump
 Piping heavy - by not supporting it
correctly, breakage riser

Overflow Transfer System

Media
Media

CLICK ON AN IMAGE BELOW TO VIEW FULL SIZE PHOTO :

Library

TOOLS
 Opportunities Template - An Excel spread sheet that can be imported in to a specific Metaullics and/or EMP Opportunity for a specific customer.

PRESENTATIONS
 Transfer & Overflow Transfer (OTS) Pumps by Jason Tetkoskie (2015)
 FGSC 2015 Metal Transfer Presentation - Jim Bintz, David Tetkoskie - (2015)
 Comparison Between OTS and T-25T at Nemak Monterrey - Clemente Rodriguez - (2015)
 MCR Update - by Jim Grayson (2015) - America's Aluminium Sales Meeting
 Internal Intelligence - John Rebolj, Rob Grodeck - (2015)
 MRC Update - by Nigel Clear - European Sales Conference (2015)
 Pump Systems for Molten Metal - MCR Group Europe by Dennis Been (2011)
Topics Include: Pumps in General, Circulation Features, Pump Applications, Transfer Features, Pumps and LOTUSS, Recovery Importance, and
Integrated Melting Systems.
 Molten Metal Transfer Pumps by Paul Campbell (2011)
Topics Include: Topics Include: Why use a transfer pump, transfer pump applications, flow capabilities in aluminium, refractory lined pipe, typical
 pump and pipe installation, the Overflow Transfer System (OTS), OTS sizes available.
VIDEOS
 Small Transfer Pump
 T-10 Assembly

Product Literature

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