Two iron 'pig' casters serve entire output

In a Western Australian demonstration plant, two 127 tonne/h pig casting machines are able to handle the entire output of the 900,000 tonne/year reduction process.

In a demonstration plant in West Australia, Economy Industrial has installed two 127 tonne/h pig casting machines to handle the entire output of the 900,000 tonnes/year reduction process.

Each machine is fully independent, providing redundancy of capacity.

The plant is expected to reach full capacity operation by mid-2006.

The new pig machines cast 10 lb (4.5kg) piglets, each approximately 6in x 5in x 2.1/2in deep, and utilize Economy's proprietary automatic control system.

The highly automated machines reduce manpower requirements by controlling operation of the mould cooling and mould coating systems by the local PLC control, linked to the ladle tilters and the plant's distributed control system.

Numerous interlocks provide a high level of safety and security.

As more Direct Reduction Iron plants are installed in 'mini-mills' to provide a hot metal charge for the electric arc furnaces, the use of pig casting machines allows production of a salable merchant iron product when hot metal is not needed for the steel plant.

By keeping the iron plant running on a continuous basis, maintenance costs are reduced, and a desirable commodity can be produced for profitable sale.

Economy's development programme, based on its patented technology, custom designs the mould mass ratio, cooling time cycle, and water cooling application rate and method to minimize the steady-state peak temperatures of the moulds.

Since allowing mould temperatures to reach high levels shortens their life, this process design results in longer mould life, with lower operating costs.

In addition to its pig iron, ferroalloy, and nickel matte casting machine installations, Economy Industrial has supplied a number of machines to cast stainless and alloy steel for certified alloy producers, brass and aluminum casters for primary ingot production, and zinc slab casters.

A smaller 60 tonne/h machine was commissioned at a mineral sands plant in early 2003, at Ticor S-A, in Empangeni, KZN, South Africa in 2004, and a 70 metric ton per hour nickel matte caster in Polokwane, Limpopo, South Africa in 2005.

Economy expects a growing market from future direct reduction iron plant installations, and additional mineral sands plants scheduled for construction in the coming years.

In the mineral sands plants, the Ilmenite ore is converted into titanium dioxide, with high-quality pig iron as an important and profitable by-product.

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