| At ACIPCO, iron for pipe production is melted in one of the world's largest cupolas, which is over 3800mm in diameter and can melt up to 90 metric tons of iron per hour. This 35m-tall furnace is completely water cooled. A computer is used to control the operation by monitoring the various operating conditions and charge components.
The latest pollution control equipment has been incorporated into this cupola. The effluent gases are cleaned in an elaborate system consisting of a high-energy wet scrubber and a waste gas burner that removes 99.5% of the particulate matter with no visible discharge. Combustion air is preheated to 642° Celsius in a recuperative-type heater which burns and further cleans the effluent gases and utilizes the waste energy available.
Iron is desulfurized to less than .01% and held in either the 1180-metric-ton or 907-metric-ton holding ladle. Iron is then transferred to five 11-metric-ton coreless electric induction furnaces where the temperature and composition are adjusted and controlled to fit the various production center demands.
To produce nodular graphite structure for ductile iron, magnesium is immersed in the iron in pressurized ladles. The pressure-ladle stations contain the smoke and ensure a controlled residual of magnesium.
The entire melting process is monitored by melting engineers who supervise methods and improvements.
Stream of molten iron flowing continuously from the cupola into 45-metric-ton-capacity collecting ladles. |
Five 11-metric-ton coreless electric induction furnaces provide final adjustments in chemical analysis and temperature.
Molten iron being poured into a pressure ladle where it will be treated with magnesium to produce ductile iron. |
