Thursday 23 October 2008
Australian ingot casting machines see global demand
DANDENONG-based
o.d.t. Engineering will provide six Australian-developed and manufactured ingot casting machines to a large overseas aluminium producer.
The machines can produce 26t of aluminium ingots per hour, and incorporate two patented innovations developed in Australia.
The first technology is a pouring system called CASTfill, while the second is the CASTmould high performance mould design. These were developed by the manufacturer in collaboration with the
CAST Cooperative Research Centre,
CSIRO and the Pacific Technology Centre of
Rio Tinto Alcan.
CASTfill aims to increase ingot quality by reducing dross and aluminium oxide generated when molten aluminium fills the ingot moulds. CASTmould is said to provide a 20% boost to the productivity of the ingot casting process.
According to the researchers who developed the technologies, o.d.t. donated a fully operational ingot casting machine to support the research. The machine allowed scientists to identify strengths and weaknesses in the process.
Factory testing of the first machine to be shipped overseas was completed in October, and it will be disassembled for freight while the second machine is tested. According to the company, the global market has responded positively ot the new technology.
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