Feature Article, Vol. 66, Issue 4 June 2008

SECO/WARWICK (Tianjin) Industrial furnace Co. Ltd. completes installation of a traveling homogenizing furnace at Miluo Longzhou Aluminium Co., Ltd. in Hunan, China.

SECO/WARWICK (Tianjin) Industrial furnace Co. Ltd. has recently completed the installation of a traveling homogenizing furnace at Miluo Longzhou Aluminium Co., Ltd., a specialty aluminium alloy billets manufacturer in Miluo Industrial Park, Hunan, China. The company operates a  50kt/a recycling aluminium alloy billet production line, which can produce 6000 series, 7000series and 2000 series of 152mm, 178mm, 254mm diameter extrusion aluminium alloy billets. 

Traveling Furnace Advantages

Efficient Utilization of Floor Space - The Traveling furnace design provides twice the loading area in half the floor space, since the furnace moves from one loading area laterally to the second loading area.

Loading and Unloading Bases - A Traveling furnace load base is floor level and the load base can be loaded or stacked with a fork truck. The loading base is designed with steel cover plates to withstand not only the billet load, but also the weight of the fork truck. Fork trucks can be used because overhead cranes are not needed.  The potential of a billet rolling off an above floor level load car is reduced. The loading and unloading of the billet bases is accomplished in less time. Placing thermocouples in the load is made easier since the load is at floor level.

Energy Savings - With the conventional car bottom type of furnaces, the load car is removed from the furnace, unloaded and then reloaded, and is then driven back into the furnace. During this time, the furnace interior can lose a significant amount of heat, so to bring the furnace back up to temperature will take additional time and heat input.

Cycle Time Reduction - When the new Traveling furnace completes the cycle, the furnace doors open and the furnace travels from one loading base to the next. The first base can be cooled then re-loaded while the other load is under heat. The result is a faster load change with a reduced heat loss from the furnace. Once the furnace has moved into position on the adjacent load base, the heating cycle begins.  With the Traveling furnace design, a reduction in overall heating time and input can be accomplished, compared with car furnace designs.

Billet Material Specifications: 

• Batch Load Capacity: 60,000 kg (132, 277 lbs) Maximum
• Billet Diameters:  152 mm  6 inches), 178 mm (7 inches), 254 mm (10 inches)
• Billet Length: 6800 mm (267 inches – 22 ft. 3 inches)

Furnace Specifications

• Furnace Design Temperature: 650 deg C (1,200 deg F)
• Furnace Operating Temperature: 570 – 580 deg C (approx. 1,000 – 1,100 deg F)
• Load Temperature Uniformity:  +/- 5 deg C