Southwest Aluminium (SWA) of Chongqing, China, placed an order with Ebner for a continuous HICON® floater furnace to solution heat treat 1xxx- to 8xxx-grade aluminum-alloy strip. The facility is designed for a maximum strip width of 94.4 inches and a strip thickness between 0.03 and 0.23 inches. The scope of supply includes five gas-fired furnace zones, HICON high-performance fans and jet headers, combined air/water quench and the entire control center and visualization systems. The facility will go into operation at the end of 2010.
The heat-treatment facility fulfills all requirements for achieving aerospace-grade material (optimum strip shape and surface characteristics, high-temperature uniformity throughout the heating and soaking phases, and high cooling gradients) according to the technological requirements during quenching in the downstream high-performance cooler. Totally contact-free strip transport during the entire heat-treatment process ensures the best possible surface quality.