EW September 2016

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Greener casting with 100
per cent recycled copper
▲ ▲ The OF-Cu rod process from Upcast
Utilising recycled copper in the process
of casting OF-Cu rod is the target for
many manufacturers. The reason is simple
and obvious: cost efficiency.
Upcast already has a solution in meeting
the requirements for using 100 per cent
recycled material – or scrap, as many
operators call it – in the OF-Cu rod
process, all based on the original Upcast
continuous casting technology and
machinery.
Using recycled material in the Cu rod
casting process has been very challenging
with regard to both 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,
it was recommended to charge only
small quantities of recycled material
together with the pure copper cathodes.
This required extra manual work from
operators, increasing the need for
workforce.
With consistent development work and
understanding the importance for the
customers, Upcast was able to change the
situation. The first OF-Cu rod continuous
casting line utilising 100 per cent recycled
material from the other internal processes
was successfully delivered some years
ago.
The automatic charging technology of the
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. When
using scrap from other processes of the
same manufacturer the customer can be
certain that the material is exactly the
kind needed for the casting process.
The material feeding and melting process
of recycled material also for smaller pieces
is well taken care of by pre-handling of
the material and assured by a hydraulic
press forcing all the pieces into the melt.
The automated processes together with
the advanced control system have added
to the production efficiency remarkably. 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 a
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 the customers to have all
the possible process data, enabling them
to make adjustments in order to improve
the efficiency.
Upcast OY – Finland
Website:
Corporatenews
September 2016 9