EuroWire January 2016

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January 2016 42 EuroWire – January 2012 42
New line using 100 per
cent recycled copper
Technologynews
Using recycled copper in the process
of casting OF-Cu rod has long been the
target for manufacturers. The reason
is simple and obvious: cost efficiency.
Upcast Oy has developed the continuous
casting technology and machinery to
meet the requirements for using 100
per cent recycled material – or scrap as
many operators call it – in the OF-Cu rod
process.
Using recycled material in the Cu rod
casting process has been very challenging
with regard to both the quality control
and the mechanical processing of the
material. The casting process itself does
not remove the possible metallurgical
impurities of the raw material. Therefore,
earlier it was recommended to charge
only small quantities of recycled material
together with the pure copper cathodes.
This required extra manual work from
operators.
With consistent development work
and understanding the importance
for customers Upcast has been able to
change the situation. The first Upcast®
OF-Cu rod continuous casting line
utilising 100 per cent recycled material
from the other internal processes was
delivered a year ago and has been in
operation ever since.
The automatic charging technology
of the new line is designed specifically
for recycled material. The final product
determines the criteria and limit values
for the raw material. Thus, the purity of
the recycled material is crucial for the
process. Using scrap from other processes
of the same manufacturer assures that the
material is exactly the kind needed for the
casting process.
In the past the charcoal covering the
melt in the furnace has caused some
problems in the material feeding and
melting process of recycled material
by preventing smaller pieces from fully
sinking into the melt. Pre-handling of the
material can prevent this, and the new
line is also equipped with a hydraulic
press forcing all the pieces into the melt.
The automated processes together with
the new advanced control system have
also added to the production efficiency.
For example, the automatic transfer of
the melt results in less manual work, and
this way the probability of human error is
minimised.
The remote access system allows for very
quick fault detection followed by fast
repair actions. This is extremely important
in order to avoid any longer disturbances
or breaks in the process. Furthermore,
the system allows customers to have
all the possible process data enabling
them to make adjustments for efficiency
optimisation.
Upcast Oy – Finland
Website:
▲ ▲ Cost efficient continuous casting technology from Upcast
ry 2016