Improving the Aluminium Rolling Ingot Recovery using Tqm Technique

To improve productivity and profitability in Aluminium continuous casting industry the main action is to reduce losses due to defects resulting into revenue losses. Improving Rolling Ingot Recovery is possible by reducing the rejections & using the resources effectively (resources MAN, MACHINE, MATERIAL & CAPITAL) by applying TQM technique. This study presents a case about minimizing defects in aluminium continuous casting using Total Quality Management (TQM) techniques in which why-why analysis, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs),and Cause and Effect analysis is used. It can be concluded from study that rejections, shell zone & inclusion can be reduced by, Continuous monitoring the health of the moulds, quality & quantity of water, the metal casting temperature, metal head in mould, water impingement angle, use of Ceramic foam filter plates, awareness & the adherence towards the guidelines

Rheological Properties and Substantiation of Hot Rolling Regimes of Low- and Medium Carbon Structural Steels

In this paper the authors present the results of a study of plasticity and deformation resistance of the number of structural steels at temperatures of hot rolling. The patterns of changes in the studied characteristics of steels in the range of rolling temperatures are determined. In order to improve the quality of rolled products, we developed and substantiated recommendations for optimizing temperature of rolling ingot of the studied steels. The proposed recommendations have been verified by computer simulation of rolling high billets in flat rolls after heating up to 1100 and 1200 °C. For example, we showed the distribution of strains and stresses throughout the volume of the rolled product from steel grade 38KhS (State Standard GOST 4543-71).

Automatic Control of Molten Metal Flow for Improving Casting Performance

The ways to gain better quality and higher casting performance is an urgent topic among aluminium producers today. This issue is also often on the agenda at conferences like this and the subjects and technologies to achieve this varies. Controlling the molten metal flow by maintaining predefined levels or level patterns is one of many powerful tools to reach this goal. Precimeter Control specializes in applications for non-ferrous molten metal level measurement and molten metal flow control. By integration, or retrofitting, any new or existing casting line can easily be automatically controlled and gain improved casting performance in a cost efficient way. This paper will focus on the main benefits from automatic level control and how some plants have achieved improvements in their casting process of DC (Direct Chill) slab (or rolling ingot) casting after implementing such technology.

Aluminum Ingot Thermal Stress Development Modeling of the Wagstaff® EpsilonTM Rolling Ingot DC Casting System during the Start-up Phase

Based on sequentially coupled CFD and FEM models, aluminum alloy rolling ingot thermal stress simulations have been conducted in order to understand start-up phase cold cracking phenomena and optimize tooling designs for 520×2120 mm rolling ingot casting on Wagstaff® Epsilon™ Ingot Tooling. In the CFD model, ingot surface temperature dependant and water flow rate dependant water boiling curves are applied. Thermal boundary conditions for the complex water intrusion phenomena under the ingot butt have been attempted. Temperature dependant elastic-plastic materials constitutive relationship has been employed in the transient thermal stress FEM model. Results of thermal stress development at ingot surface and inside the ingot are presented; Connection of cold cracking (ingot butt quarter and center cracks) with near surface stress development at the ingot butt is shown and the effect of water intrusion under the ingot butt on the butt stress development is also discussed. The predicted temperatures are validated against temperatures measured from cast-in thermocouples at strategic locations in field ingots in order to obtain realistic thermal boundary conditions. The predicted butt curl is also verified through field observation and measurement.