Technology News
32
N
ovember
2014
A solution for small and medium
capacities
AS with the UPCAST
®
rod production
lines, UPCAST
®
-SGTube lines are
also of modular design. Both single-
and double-furnace configurations
are possible. With a double-furnace
configuration – having separate melting
and casting furnaces – it is possible to
reach 12,000 tpa output while 9,000
tpa is possible for a single-furnace
configuration. If scrap – clean and
dry – will form a significant part of the
input material then a double-furnace
configuration should be the preferred
choice.
Sizes of tube with outer diameters
from 38mm to 60mm have been cast,
with wall thicknesses of 2mm/3mm
respectively. Different tube sizes can
be cast even simultaneously when
the casting machine is equipped with
more than one servo-drive system. The
smaller the final tube size, the smaller
the cast tube size. With respect to coil
weight UPCAST
®
-SGTube is extremely
flexible with an upper limit of about 1.5
tons. The final weight limit is more likely
to be determined by the downstream
process equipment.
The main usage of UPCAST
®
-
SGTube is in the casting of phosphor
deoxidised (DHP) copper tube for the
production of sanitary, industrial and
ACR tubing. The process is not limited
only to DHP copper but is suitable also
for other copper grades/copper alloys.
Oxygen-free copper as well as copper
nickel alloys have all been successfully
cast.
Having
the
UPCAST
®
-SGTube
process as the first step of a tube
production line can mean savings to
the lifecycle costs. As the cast tube is
already close to final product sizes the
UPCAST
®
-SGTube process gets there
in just one step compared with existing
tube mills requiring several shorter
but costly steps. Further savings can
be gained through the smaller space
requirement of the line, being just a
fraction of the floor area required by
the conventional equipment, which can
be replaced by the UPCAST
®
-SGTube
line.
UPCAST OY and Asmag GmbH have
joined forces to supply customers with
a more complete solution – a process
delivering semi-finished C&D copper
tubes for applications such as sanitary
and certain ACR tubing. By combining
their respective know-howand expertise
the two partners can offer proven cost
savings for copper tube producers.
This compact process requires a much
smaller space and has lower energy
consumption than a conventional
copper tube manufacturing process.
UPCAST
®
-Hybrid technology is
based on using the same equipment
for casting both rod and tube products.
This was achieved by modifying certain
product-specific parts of the UPCAST
®
-
SGTube casting machine and coilers to
facilitate easy changeover.
The flexibility of the product mix
makes the hybrid system a cost-
effective solution for companies with
a diverse product portfolio who have
a certain capacity requirement for
both rod and tube – no need to have
two separate lines and in worst case
neither one being fully utilised all the
year round. With the UPCAST
®
-Hybrid
line one can optimise the full capacity
between both products or sometimes
for only the other product.
UPCAST
®
R&D work is carried out by
experts at the company’s own pilot plant.
The company is determined to stay on
top of the development in its field and is
continuously looking for improvements,
new products and applications to meet
the changing requirements of the
customers and markets.
UPCAST
®
continuous casting lines
are reliably and fully operating every day
of the week. This would not be possible
without a fast, reliable and continuous
UPCAST
®
customer service and support
for consumables, spare parts and
technical support – online and on-site.
UPCAST OY
– Finland
Website:
