Eurometal S.A. placed an order with Hertwich Engineering for the supply of a multi-chamber melting furnace for the expansion of its aluminum casthouse in Klomnice, Poland. The plant, which has a capacity of 30,000 tons per year, is scheduled to start operation in spring 2021. Hertwich Engineering, based in Austria, is a company of SMS group. The furnace, which is designed for a capacity of 100 tons per day, will be integrated into the existing production chain. It will mainly process clean and painted extrusion and sheet scrap as well as smaller amounts of briquetted sawing and machining chips. The scrap will be preheated for around 30 minutes to a temperature of approximately 932°F (500°C) by an intense hot-gas flow.

Cromodora Wheels SPA installed a chip melting furnace for wheel production in Ghedi, Italy. The furnace, which has a capacity of 10,000 tons per year, was supplied and commissioned by Hertwich Engineering, a company of SMS group. Cromodora Wheels produces cast magnesium and aluminum wheels used for competition. Currently, the wheels are manufactured in a low-pressure casting process. The company is modernizing the recycling of its processing scrap with the new melting furnace.

Hertwich Engineering received an order from Exlabesa, an independent extruder based in Europe, for a multi-chamber melting furnace that will increase the capacity of its casthouse in Padrón (Spain) to 60,000 tons per year. The furnace, which has a capacity of 130 tons per day, will be designed to process a relatively wide range of scrap. To remelt the loose and moderately contaminated scrap, an Ecomelt-PR furnace with preheat ramp, melting chamber and main chamber will be installed. Commissioning of the furnace is scheduled for mid-2020.

Kobe Steel Ltd.’s U.S. subsidiary, Kobelco Aluminum Products & Extrusions Inc. (KPEX), held an opening ceremony Sept. 18 in Bowling Green, Ky., for an expansion project. KPEX, which manufactures and sells aluminum extrusions and fabricated products, will add an additional melting furnace and extrusion press. After the expansion is complete, KPEX will have two melting furnaces and two extrusion presses. Production capacity will increase to 1,000 tons per month from the current 500 tons per month. Plans call for mass production using the new equipment to begin in 2021.

SECO/WARWICK received an order from a U.S. manufacturer of flat-rolled aluminum sheet for a sow and T-bar preheat furnace system to achieve maximum product quality, energy savings and melt safety. The furnace offers optimum airflow management and a heating system that promotes efficient heat transfer throughout the work. It includes a patented movable baffle system and fixed base airflow spacers for maximum heat transfer to varying height loads. The system is PLC-controlled with remote I/O and dual operator-interface control stations.

Tenova LOI Thermprocess received an order from Fonderie Pandolfo for the delivery and installation of a twin-chamber melting furnace (TCF). This order will double the Italian company’s production rate. The TCF, with a capacity of 65,000 tons/year, is designed for aluminum scrap recycling. In order to cover a broad range of scrap, it combines pre-treatment and melting in one furnace.

Chinese automotive aluminum wheel manufacturer CITIC Dicastal placed an order with StrikoWestofen Asia (Taicang) for three melting furnaces.