Aluminium World Journal 2025-1 pdf edition

Aluminium World Journal is distributed both online and print to aluminium producers, processors and manufacturers of raw materials and end products with aluminium components as well as suppliers of technologies and accessories for aluminium production, processing and refinement. The publication is shared at related aluminium industry exhibitions/ conferences.
This edition will provide editorial coverage of topics relating to:
- Lubricant Types, Uses, and Functions within aluminium smelters
- Advancements in aluminium processing lubricants present and future challenges
- Improving Hot and Cold Rolling Mill Lubrication Oil Performance
- Fire Resistant Hydraulic Fluids
- Efficient Use of lubricants and Emulsions During Hot rolling of Aluminium
- Treatment Options of Exhaust Air Loaded with Oil Mist From Cold Rolling Mills Producing Aluminum Foil

1. TotalEnergies 552 006 454 RCS Nanterre - France. Photos: 123RF - Design:
Aluminum 
processing fluids
Hot & cold rolling mills
Expertise and technical support
for all applications
[email protected]
lubricants.totalenergies.com TotalEnergies Industry Solutions
Aluminium World Journal

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3. Welcome to another edition
of Aluminium World Journal.
This edition of Aluminium
World Journal contains editorial
covering some of the most recent
advancements in current production
methods, management strategies
and advanced technology developed
for the aluminium industry.
Aluminium World Journal content
is produced and sponsored by
companies, independant experts
and associations operating within
the aluminium industry.
I would like to take this opportunity
to thank everyone who has taken
time to develop the content included
within this edition.
If you are interested in discussing
contributing material, or have any
questions about this edition or future
editions of Aluminium World Journal
feel free to get in touch using
the email:
[email protected]
Hope you enjoy the read.
Christopher F Harris
Managing Director
Global Media Communications Ltd
Aluminium World Journal
2025 - 1

4. Global Media
Communication Ltd
Managing Director
Christopher Fitcher Harris
Project Manager
Peter Jones
Finance Director
Ted Garner
Published by
Global Media Communication Ltd
85 Great Portland Street
First Floor
London
W1W 7LT
United Kingdom
Email
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Design
AcuteNorth.com

5. INDEX
PROCESSING FLUIDS
Quaker Houghton 6
PRIMARY SMELTING AND PROCESSES
Tokai Cobex 11
CAST HOUSE
Pyrotek 14
Hycast 18
EPIQ 22
ALUMINIUM WORLD JOURNAL 5

7. ALUMINIUM WORLD JOURNAL 7
QH EVEROLL™ A 5000:
New Hot Rolling Fluid Technology
for Superior Mill Cleanliness
Background to the Development
The output from a hot rolling process depends
on the interactions between the mill hardware,
the process parameters including the type of
alloys rolled, and the rolling fluid. Optimising the
equilibrium between these influencing factors
is critical to achieve good surface quality, meet
rolled material specification, and to maintain high
productivity levels and minimise operating costs.
Selecting a rolling fluid technology and customising
the formulation for specific mill requirements
is therefore crucial for performance.
Today, both soap-based and soap-free rolling fluid
technologies are widely used in the aluminium
hot rolling industry. Soap-based products provide
the highest level of lubricity and surface quality of
rolled material, especially for hard alloys. However,
soap-based chemistries form metallic soaps that
build up over time and can change or contaminate
the emulsion if not carefully managed, making it
unstable. Soap-free products are easier to maintain
and show lower oil consumption compared to
soap-based chemistry. However, existing soap-free
chemistries are known to produce extremely fine
aluminium particles that may deposit, often causing
sludge buildup both at the mill and in the tanks.
In 2019 Quaker Houghton launched a development
programme to bring together the strengths of
both soap-based and soap-free technologies
while minimising the drawbacks. The programme
concluded in 2024, with an unprecedentedly
successful industry trial of QH EVEROLL™ A 5000
that delivered superior mill cleanliness and a 30%
reduction in oil consumption.
A Unique Approach to Innovation
As with any form of change, the adoption of
new technologies can carry associated risks. It’s
imperative that mills have confidence in trialling
and implementing solutions: new products must
be proven, as well as innovative. For that reason,
Quaker Houghton takes a unique and rigorous
approach to rolling fluid development (Fig.1).
A thorough understanding of the specific rolling
process is foundational. From there, raw materials
are screened accordingly using an extensive
database to arrive at a formulation. The formulation
is then tested in the laboratory using custom-
designed equipment such as roll bite mimicking
to simulate the rolling process, which provides
proof of concept. But lab test methods alone
cannot give a full picture of lubricant performance.
Quaker Houghton trials products on its 4-high pilot
mill in Qingpu, China, a unique capability within the
rolling fluid manufacturing industry. By developing
hot mill protocols to replicate customer rolling
conditions on the pilot mill, rolling fluid behaviour
is evaluated in real-world conditions and
formulations are fine-tuned before reaching the
customer’s mill. This approach to innovation not
only accelerates the development process but also
de-risks fluid upgrades for aluminium producers.
Fig. 1. Quaker Houghton takes a unique approach to innovation, which includes the use of a pilot mill to optimise
formulations before they are trialled by the customer.

8. 8 PROCESSING FLUIDS
Case Study: Superior Mill Cleanliness
with 30% Reduction in Oil Consumption
Speira Holmestrand, Norway is a fully integrated
production site with major recycling capacities, a
hot rolling line consisting of a breakdown mill and
a 2-stand, 4-high tandem mill, two cold mills, a
finishing department, and a separate lacquering
line. Production ranges from 1xxx-3xxx-5xxx to
8xxx alloys, going into various industries such as
construction and packaging. The hot mill produces
ca. 120 kiloton of rolled sheet annually.
Having been in operation for many years, the hot
mill in Holmestrand has much experience working
with both soap-based and soap-free emulsion
technologies on its breakdown and tandem mills.
The site required an easy-to-maintain emulsion that
would reduce oil consumption, but also provide a
high level of mill cleanliness.
Before introducing the QH EVEROLL™ A 5000
technology into Speira Holmestrand, Quaker
Houghton conducted a full mill survey to understand
the specific rolling conditions and develop a tailored
formulation. Lab test methods were adapted to
reflect the application conditions and a custom-
made hot rolling protocol for the pilot mill was
developed to investigate the following
performance criteria:
• Work roll coating under hot rolling conditions
• Anodising quality of hot rolled material
• Fines dispersion and dirt buildup on the mill
The QH EVEROLL™ A 5000 formulation was tested
alongside the incumbent soap-based product, as
well as existing soap-free chemistry. After very
promising results in the lab (Fig. 2) and on the pilot
mill, Speira Holmestrand proceeded to a field trial
of QH EVEROLL™ A 5000.
QH EVEROLL™ A 5000 was introduced to the
tandem mill at Speira Holmestrand during the
winter shut down 2023-2024. In cooperation with
the customer, a cleaning procedure was developed
and executed before the introduction to ensure best
possible starting conditions. On-site and
off-site technical support from Quaker Houghton
was available at all times during the trial.
Fig. 2. Fines dispersion lab results one minute after
shaking. Left: soap-based emulsion, centre: QH
EVEROLL™ A 5000, right: existing soap-free emulsion.
QH EVEROLL™ A 5000 keeps aluminium fines in
dispersion, enabling easy filtration to prevent deposition
and sludge formation.
From the first coil on, excellent surface quality was
observed for all alloys. To date, no emulsion related
surface quality issues have been reported. Besides
a single ester addition during the very early stages
of the product introduction, no additional tanks-side
additives were used during the first five months
of full operation.
Aluminium fines were well dispersed, resulting in
superior mill and emulsion cleanliness. This was
especially observed on the work roll chocks and
adjacent mill equipment (Fig. 3) that was historically
prone to dirt buildup. The work roll coating was
found uniform with no indication of pick up, verifying
the results already seen at the pilot mill.
The emulsion parameters were recorded daily
during the trial period. Because of high consistency
the analysis was reduced to twice weekly
measurements, reducing the necessary manpower
for on-site laboratory work. Additionally, weekly
off-site measurements at the Quaker Houghton
laboratories were executed free of charge to
ensure sufficient data coverage. The introduction
of QH EVEROLL™ A 5000 led to a 30% reduction
in oil consumption compared to the soap-based
chemistry previously in use.

9. ALUMINIUM WORLD JOURNAL 9
The Results
• Excellent mill and emulsion cleanliness.
• Reduced consumption by 30% in
comparison to soap-based chemistry.
• No emulsion related surface defects
reported.
• No tank-side additives required*
• High consistency of emulsion parameters.
*With the exception of a single ester addition
during very early stages of product introduction.
Customer Testimonial
“Our goal was to improve mill cleanliness and
reduce our oil consumption by upgrading to
an emulsion that’s as robust as possible. The
introduction of QH EVEROLL™ A 5000 was
seamless, with no issues from day one. After five
months in operation, we’ve seen no surface defects,
and our oil consumption has reduced by 30%. After
years of using both soap-based and soap-free
products we’ve never seen better mill cleanliness
or so little fluid maintenance required for our
emulsion system.
”
Runar Lundhaug
Production Manager Hot Mill at Speira Holmestrand
Conclusion and Outlook
With this successful trial and implementation of the
QH EVEROLL™ A 5000 series, Quaker Houghton
has introduced a superior non-soap emulsion
technology to the aluminium hot rolling market.
The QH EVEROLL™ A 5000 series reduces oil
consumption and supports a high level of mill
cleanliness, while providing excellent lubrication
to ensure best-in-class surface quality.
The use of a pilot mill in the development of an
aluminium hot rolling fluid was an industry first,
and a unique capability of Quaker Houghton. With
the successful transfer of QH EVEROLL™ A 5000
technology from laboratory to pilot mill, to full-scale
industrial tandem mill at Speira Holmestrand, this
unique development approach has been verified
and proven to de-risk fluid upgrades for rolling mills.
About the Author
Peter De Bruyne, Global Business Director Non-
Ferrous, is responsible for strategy development
for the non-ferrous industry at Quaker Houghton.
Peter was awarded a PhD in analytical chemistry
before joining the aluminium industry in 1993. He
gained hands-on experience as laboratory manager
and lubrication engineer in the aluminium rolling
industry. In his 18 years at Quaker Houghton, Peter
has worked in both technical and commercial roles,
before taking up his current position in 2016.
Fig. 3. The introduction of QH EVEROLL™ A 5000 has resolved issues with dirt buildup on the work roll chocks
and adjacent mill equipment.

10. 10 PROCESSING FLUIDS
About Quaker Houghton
Quaker Houghton (NYSE: KWR) is the global
leader in industrial process fluids. With a
robust presence around the world, including
operations in over 25 countries, our customers
include thousands of the world’s most
advanced and specialised steel, aluminium,
automotive, aerospace, offshore, can,
mining, and metalworking companies.
Our high-performing, innovative and
sustainable solutions are backed by
best-in-class technology, deep process
knowledge and customised services.
With approximately 4,700 employees,
including chemists, engineers and industry
experts, we partner with our customers to
improve their operations so they can run
even more efficiently, even more effectively,
whatever comes next. Quaker Houghton
is headquartered in Conshohocken,
Pennsylvania, located near Philadelphia
in the United States.
Visit:
www.quakerhoughton.com
to learn more.

11. ALUMINIUM WORLD JOURNAL 11
Tokai COBEX
Contribute to a sustainable
society through advanced
materials and solutions.
Tristan Carrere, Oscar Vera Garcia
and Nicolas Gros – Tokai COBEX
The efforts to decarbonize the aluminium
industry continue as smelters around the
world implement initiatives to reduce their
CO
2 footprint in the production of primary
aluminium. Tokai COBEX´s commitment in
fulfilling customer needs and supporting these
initiatives has been reinforced
in recent years and integrated into our ESG
strategy to become carbon neutral by 2050.
In the past few years, we have demonstrated
our strength in supplying the best cathodic
solutions by combining graphitized materials
with copper-only conductors.
Even though the demand for cathode blocks for
aluminium electrolysis pots is only around 5 kg/t
Al produced, the production of graphite cathodes
is energy intensive. Therefore, it was essential for
Tokai COBEX to evaluate their
products carbon footprint and
launched in 2023, the assessment
of graphitized cathode blocks
based on French & Polish
operation. Since 2022, in-house
life cycle assessment (LCA)
expertise has been developed,
specialized in carbon and
graphite products.
A complete LCA methodology has been performed,
following the ISO 14 040, 14 044 and 14 067
standards, with focus on the impact on climate
change, i.e. greenhouse gases emissions (GHG).
A cradle-to-gate system boundary has been
selected in order to consider all impacts related to
the production of the product, from the raw material
extraction until the product leaves the factory.
In the plants, the four main production steps are
considered, namely green block production, baking,
graphitization, and machining. Also the internally
calcined petroleum coke raw material is considered.
All important contributors to the GHG emissions
are inventories and taken into account, including
the process emissions, the waste treatment and
the delivery of materials and energies to the plant.
The modelling is performed using the well-known
Sphera
®
MLC database and software.
This life cycle assessment (LCA) confirmed that,
thanks to its specific production processes and
energy mix, Tokai COBEX succeeded to reach a
carbon footprint as low as 3.3 t CO
2eq. per ton of
graphitized material. Such low value is obtained
thanks to the use of highly efficient processes. This
study being a first of its kind, other references are
yet not publicly available to allow for a comparison.
Nevertheless, the assessment highlighted the
strong impact of the energy consumption on
the product carbon footprint, and especially the
electricity involved during the graphitization process.
To tackle this challenge, Tokai COBEX is constantly
reducing its energy consumptions and purchases
green electricity in all of its plants. For instance,
recently secured corporate power purchase
agreement (CPPA) of photovoltaic electricity for
the French plants has been publicly disclosed.
Finally, Tokai COBEX is taking advantage of these
studies to compare its processes and further reduce
the carbon emissions.
This graphitized material is fully integrated into our
patented solution Ready-to-Use Cathodes (RuC
®
),
for the aluminum industry.
The Ready-to-use cathode (RuC
®
) was developed
as a copper cathodic solution with the aim of
eliminating the high-temperature casting process
or sealing ramming paste operation needed to join
the cathode block with the steel collector bars. By
skipping this intermediate step, the overall safety
of the shop floor workers is improved, enabling the
smelter to concentrate on its primary objective of
producing aluminium. The assembly at of the RuC
®

cathode in combination with the avoidance of any
intermediate layer such as sealing paste or cast
iron, enables the implementation of more detailed
designs in a reliable manner.
When replacing the steel collector bars with copper
bars, the overall cathodic resistance of the assembly
is reduced. Using modelling tools, a more insulating
lining for RuC® can be designed to accommodate

12. 12 PRIMARY SMELTING AND PROCESSES
the higher heat losses from copper, resulting in a
lower pot voltage and lower energy consumption
in the pot.
Because the Cu cross-section is smaller compared
to steel bars, additional cathode material remains
on top of the conductors, aimed at extending the
lifetime of the pot. Additionally, an improved current
density distribution in the metal pad enhances
the pot stability, enabling anode-cathode distance
(ACD) optimization and improving current efficiency.
Finally, at the end of the lifetime, the recyclability
of RuC
®
copper collector bars is much easier and
therefore much more feasible than the currently
own copper insert solutions.
To prevent the copper alloying process due to early
metal leakages or bath and Na diffusion, a barrier
was designed to protect the copper in the new
RuC
®
design. Intermediate autopsies conducted
after 28 months of operation showed that the
barrier effectively protected the copper. With this
knowledge, the RuC
®
design was improved to
create a more robust system.
This technology designed for energy savings and
CO
2 reduction is now mature with more than 120
pots are successfully in operation, with many of
them having already surpassed 1900 days in
operation. Case studies have shown that RuC
®

can reduce specific energy consumption by up
to 0.3 kWh per kilogram of aluminum produced.
As an example, a smelter producing 500 000 kt
of aluminium per year using electricity from a coal
power plant, could potentially reduce 180 kt of CO
2
emissions annually.
With over 100 years of experience in carbon
manufacturing, Tokai COBEX is strongly committed
to reducing emissions to Net Zero for both us and
our business partners, involving everyone who
shares our commitment.
Follow us TOKAI CARBON GROUP
RuC
kt
2
Less spent pot lining
(SPL) materials with
extended cell life.
300 kt less SPL p. a.
worldwide.
300
Less anode carbon
consumption & less PFC
emissions through
improved cell stability.
5 million t CO less
emissions p. a. worldwide.
mio t5
mio t 7
Energy saving increases
smelters operational
benefit leading to
lower CO emissions.
7 million t CO less
emissions p. a. worldwide.*
2
2
*with a ~50% conversion to RuC
of existing production capacities.
READY-TO-USE CATHODES
RuC offers energy savings, extended equipment life,
enhanced safety, and enables rapid implementation to
smelters – all contributing to more sustainable operations.

13. Follow us TOKAI CARBON GROUP
RuC
kt
2
Less spent pot lining
(SPL) materials with
extended cell life.
300 kt less SPL p. a.
worldwide.
300
Less anode carbon
consumption & less PFC
emissions through
improved cell stability.
5 million t CO less
emissions p. a. worldwide.
mio t5
mio t 7
Energy saving increases
smelters operational
benefit leading to
lower CO emissions.
7 million t CO less
emissions p. a. worldwide.*
2
2
*with a ~50% conversion to RuC of
existing production capacities.
READY-TO-USE CATHODES
RuC offers energy savings, extended equipment life,
enhanced safety, and enables rapid implementation to
smelters – all contributing to more sustainable operations.

14. 14 CAST HOUSE
Pyrotek MCR Group’s EMDF:
The solution for versatile deep
filtration of aluminium
Most industries are rightly becoming more
waste-conscious due to the environmental and
financial benefits. Pyrotek’s MCR Group has
been successfully developing solutions that
assist this goal and has a product portfolio
that can support aluminium casthouses and
foundries across the entire production process;
from scrap treatment, melt handling in and out
of the furnace and downstream processes to the
casting pit. All Pyrotek solutions have one goal
in mind; improve the quality and recovery of
each customer’s metal as efficiently and safely
as possible.
This article describes the Electromagnetic Deep
Filtration (EMDF) system and how customers
can realise the benefits associated with the
new technology.
EMDF:
A versatile, high-efficiency filtration solution
The EMDF is a filtration product that uses novel
electromagnetic technology to prime a stack of
up to three ceramic foam filters (CFFs) to achieve
excellent filtration in the casting line.
Compared to alternative filtration products, the
EMDF offers the versatility of changing the filter
stack grades each time to accommodate alloy
changes whilst maintaining very high filtration
efficiency, achieved through exceptional priming
of a deep stack of filters. This allows it to rival
the filtration efficiency of a deep bed filter, without
the need for long preheat times, long downtimes
for maintenance that slow down production
and inflexibility for customers that frequently
change alloys.

15. ALUMINIUM WORLD JOURNAL 15
Electromagnetism:
A controlled filter priming process
Full priming of a stack of CFFs is achieved through
energisation of a surrounding electromagnetic coil.
This induces electromotive forces into the molten
metal, assisting with priming the metal through the
filter(s). The electromagnetic field is only applied for
a short duration, until full priming is achieved.
Typically, to attempt to prime multiple filters of
high grade, a high metal head height is required,
which many filter box and launder systems are not
designed to handle. The electromagnetic priming
system creates an artificial metal head, reducing
the amount of actual metal head required to
achieve excellent priming.
Consistent priming of multiple CFFs allows
a customer to trust that the system will have
consistent filtration efficiency, assuming other cast
variables such as flow rate, metal temperature,
grain refiner additions and inclusion levels are
kept consistent. If inclusion levels vary between
casts from the same furnace, the EMDF filter stack
grade can be tailored to account for a decrease
or increase in inclusion content. This allows it to
reliably prime and reduce the risk of blinding or
releasing entrapped inclusions.
Patented filter handling tool:
Easy insertion and removal of CFFs
The filter stack can be safely loaded and unloaded
from the filter box using Pyrotek’s patented filter
handling tool.
When designing the tool, considerations were made
to reduce the amount of human interaction required.
Since the filters are removed as a single piece,
the amount of filter debris and loose material in
the bottom of the filter box at the end of the cast
is greatly reduced, compared to a filter having to
be broken into pieces to enable removal from a
standard filter box.

16. 16 CAST HOUSE
The lifting tool is delivered with a lifting table for
assembly of the new filter stack. The hot, used
CFFs can cool on top of the table until they are
cold enough to handle.
Prioritising safety
A primary goal was to create the safest filter box
on the market, taking a ‘hands-off’ approach to
filtration. The operator’s contact with molten metal is
reduced to a minimum by; automatic priming of the
filter(s), automatic draining, using a filter handling
tool and removing any need to interact with the filter.
Small footprint
The EMDF has been designed to have a similar
footprint to a standard SIVEX CFF filter box so is
retrofittable in most applications. It has also been
designed to have modular inlet and outlet sections
to align with a customer’s launders.
Cost
The financial cost of the system is typically
considerably lower than competitive systems such
as the DBF, both in terms of capital expenditure
upfront and ongoing costs such as energy usage
and maintenance, while offering comparable
filtration efficiency. A financial assessment can be
made for each customer to determine the benefit
an EMDF would bring.
Metal recovery
The coils can be energised at the end of the cast
to assist draining of entrapped metal if required.
It must be noted that entrapped inclusions may
also be released from the CFF, so any metal
released ought to be treated as scrap and
requires further treatment.
Automation
Many aspects of the process can be automated,
from the laser-controlled coil energisation to the
tap-out process. Further product development
includes semi-automated filter insertion and
removal process using a robotic arm.
Easy operation and maintenance
Pyrotek has proven repeated operation in a
production environment with the EMDF, with
customers using the system for several
hundred casts.
Due to the priming process and the use of
expandable gaskets around the CFF stack and
the tool, there is less risk of failed casts caused
by floating or unprimed filters.
Customers have expressed that the system is
easy to operate as well as the benefit of low
maintenance. The amount of work required to use
the system is very similar to a standard filter box.
Summary of the benefits
• Easy to operate and low maintenance.
• Able to prime multiple CFFs of different grades.
• Reduced metal head requirements.
• Lower running costs and greater flexibility than
a typical DBF system.
• Able to drain a portion of the entrapped metal
from the CFFs upon completion of the cast.
• Able to provide high degree of automation.
• Proven repeated operation in a production
environment.
• Less risk of failed casts due to floating/unprimed
CFFs.
Animation for more EMDF information
Further information can be provided
upon request.
For technical enquiries
Please contact Joseph Whitworth
([email protected])
For commercial enquiries:
Please contact Jason Midgley
([email protected])

17. www.pyrotek.com
MCR Group:
Melt, Circulation &
Recovery Systems
EM-DF: The latest advancement in CFF technology
The EM-DF (Electromagnetic Deep Filtration) is the new and innovative
ceramic foam filter (CFF) design for the efficient priming of a 3-filter stack
combination of CFFs. The EM-DF achieves maximal priming of the full
surface area of the filters via an electromagnetic field. Using a combination
of up to 3 CFF filters of identical or varying grades, high inclusion removal
efficiency and consistency is attained from the additional filtration depth
of the filter stack. The filter stack can be safely loaded and unloaded from
the filter box using Pyrotek’s patented filter handling tool.
EM-DF Animation

Compact Jet Dryer (JD):
Chip drying technology
The Pyrotek compact Jet Dryer is a stand-
alone chip dryer with an integrated thermal
oxidizer, designed for efficient in-house chip
processing with optimised thermal energy
recovery of throughputs ranging between 2
and 6 tonnes per hour. The dryer can achieve
contaminant/moisture removal to levels as
low as 0.1% through the use of hot air jets and
a heat exchanger to control and maintain
optimal temperatures for contaminant
removal.
ELECTROMAGNETIC
PRIMING

PATENTED CFF LIFTING TOOL
PRIME STACK OF UP TO THREE
(3) CFFs

Pyrotek's Next-Gen
Aluminium Solutions
Jet Dryer Animation

18. 18 CAST HOUSE
Press Productivity through Enhanced
Billet Production
Shaun Hamer, Arild Hakonsen, Ola Furu, Hycast AS
Productivity at the extrusion press is dictated
in large part by the incoming feedstock; namely
the extrusion billet. Quality of billet is important
and numerous factors of the billet affect how
a press performs. This list can be extensive,
but several key factors include:
1. Uniform and repeatable alloy composition
which dictates press speed and is also critical
in the final product, with uniform and consistent
anodizing color being just one of these
characteristics.
2. Physical impurities include solid inclusions
(TiBAl clusters, oxides, refractory inclusions
etc.) and chemical impurities such as dissolved
hydrogen that might reduce the mechanical
properties and give porosity. Such impurities
may lead to several issues including tears,
die damage, blisters, and other surface and
mechanical property issues in the extrusion.
3. Billet surface quality including inverse
segregation zone thickness, homogenizing
spacer bar dents and iron introduction through
damaged or rusty spacer bars. These factors will
limit how much of a billet will be presses and the
length of slug rejected after the press in order
to prevent surface defects being drawn into the
extrusion and creating defects in the product.
All of these factors will typically cause plant SOPs
to run the presses in a safe comfort level rather than
optimize press performance. Furthermore, press
operators will tend to reduce these parameters
further based on the repeatability of billet quality
they receive from their suppliers. For example, an
8 inch press running 6063 alloy has a SOP where
it is scheduled to run 10% slower than the optimum
speed for that alloy and then the press operator
turns that speed down a few more points based
on his own experience and comfort level.
Considering a standard production rate of 1200 Kg/
hr on an 8 inch press running 6000 series extrusion,
even a 5% increase in regular production speeds
would lead to an increase in almost $400 per
hour based on a typical premium of $6.60 per Kg.
Multiplying this over several presses and annual
production, it can be seen that plant profitability can
be significantly improved when pressing consistent,
high-quality billet.
Additionally at the end of a push, if the optimum butt
length in the SOP is 75 mm from a 750 mm long
billet this simply equates to a 10% scrap loss just in
the billet butt rejected from the cassette. If the press
has the capacity to reduce the butt to 60 mm and
there is no risk of introducing billet surface defects
into the extrusion, then around 1.3 Kg of aluminum
can be recovered from each billet. Therefore there
is a saving of one 6 m long cast extrusion billet
every 400 presses equating to approximately
22 tons of metal optimization per press per year.
The above illustration shows the potential flow of billet surface non conformances into the extrusion as the billet is
pressed from 65 to 90% of completion. (Source: Impact on billet quality on extrudability: R. Dickson, Hydro Aluminum).

19. ALUMINIUM WORLD JOURNAL 19
The repeatability of quality billet supply can
therefore have a significant effect on press
profitability and final extrusion quality, not to mention
savings on indirect costs due to downtime, die repair
and scrap production. Hycast as a global actor in
casthouse technology has spent countless hours
in developing the technologies needed by billet
producers to provide the highest quality product
to the extruder on a consistent basis. Based on
extensive industry knowledge, focused R&D and
hands-on experience, Hycast understands the
challenges of billet production from primary smelter
plants to in-house remelt operations to the growth
of producing billet from high recycled aluminum
content similar to the Hydro Circal® products.
Each of these process routes pose their own
challenges in billet production:
Primary plants need to reduce alkali metals
(sodium, lithium, calcium) from the pot lines
through environmentally sustainable processes
and eliminating chlorine and chlorine salts from
the operation. The addition of the Hycast RAM
technology between the pot lines and the receiving
furnace is a critical step in allowing primary
producers to achieve this goal.
To reduce the cabon footprint and to increase
casthouse profitability, remelters often use various
post-consumer scrap sources in order to optimize
their recycled aluminum content and provide a
cost-effective source of alloying elements. Despite
providing economic advantages, these scrap
sources typically have a negative impact on melt
quality; products of combustion from dirty, oily or
contaminated scrap can often raise hydrogen levels
in the molten aluminum and inclusion rates can
be significantly increased when introducing cast
wheels, copper scrap and other post-consumer
products intended to achieve chemistry conformity.
In addition to good furnace practices, the Hycast
SIR melt refining technology effectively reduces
these unwanted properties to acceptable levels
ahead of casting at an industry leading cost
of operation.
The growing focus on increasing fractions recycled
aluminum in billet production has similar challenges
to the more traditional remelt plant, but the raised
focus on sustainability and carbon footprint is a
primary driver for these operations. In the traditional
billet casting production route, up to 2 tons of
molten aluminum is drained from the system at the
end of each cast. Furthermore casting lines using
traditional box type degassing units must cast out
a scrap composition when changing alloys resulting
in production losses and up to 10 tons of out-of-
chemistry billet that needs to be reintroduced into
the melting cycle at a later time. Utilizing the Hycast
drain free capabilities of the SIR melt refining
system and the recently introduced DFF filtration
system, the amount of metal that either has to
be drained form the system or retained within the
system between casts is dramatically reduced.
Based on the US spot cost of natural gas from July
2024 of $2.07 per million BTU and considering a
melting furnace that averages 70Nm3/T aluminum,
it will cost approximately $5.30 to remelt a ton of
aluminum. Therefore a casting line that drains
2 tons of metal from the line at each drop, runs
10 drops per day and operates 330 days per year,
the cost to remelt this drain metal is $17,500. Now
considering a remelter that changes alloys three
times per week and needs subsequent washes, this
cost can raise to around $26,000 per year without
considering direct production losses.
Billet surface quality, as identified previously, can
have a large influence on press productivity with
product. Over the decades, the ability for producers
to supply extruders with billet with improved surface
quality has advanced relatively slowly. The first
systems used a "float and spout" or "steady eddy"
technology where metal was supplied from above
the mold through a downtube with mechanical
modulation of the flow rate into the mold. The mold
itself was an externally cooled, solid mold without
continuous lubrication and required grease, oil
or lard priming before each cast. During this era,
extrusion technology was also less advanced,
so billet surface quality had less of a critical
impact on overall press productivity.
The next generation of tooling was the traditional
hot top mold. Rather than supply metal from above,
the mold receives metal through a refractory header
at the same level as the rest of the casting system.
This provided a more laminar metal flow of metal
into the mold compared to the turbulent flow pattern

20. 20 CAST HOUSE
from a downspout, resulting in a minimized risk
of oxide inclusions into the billet and providing a
more stable solidification of the metal in the mold.
In conjunction with the hot top design came a
segmented mold which incorporated a porous
graphite ring. This ring, located at the solidification
point of the billet surface led to a lower friction
zone for solidification. Coupled with continuous oil
injection through the porous graphite, the frictionless
contact at the solidification point was further
enhanced and the life of the graphite ring extended.
The billet inverse segregation zone was a significant
improvement over the previous float and spout
systems and, considering an 8 inch, 6000 series
billet, typical shell zone depths were reduced
to a range of approximately 400 to 600 µm.
The next generation of mold technology arrived
in the 1980's. To further reduce the friction
between the solidifying billet and the mold, gas
was introduced into the mold in addition to the
lubricating oil, effectively producing an air bearing
and separating the aluminum from the graphite
resulting in a much enhanced billet surface quality.
The Hycast GC billet casting technology utilizes
this concept to great effect and billet produced
on Hycast GC casting lines are recognized globally
as the highest quality extrusion billet available.
Compared to traditional; hot top molds, the typical
shell zone for an 8 inch, 6000 series billet is in the
region of 70 - 150 µm.
Despite the advancements through air cushion
molds, the technology still faces limitations. The
gas introduced into the mold releases through the
molten aluminum in the header in a pulsing manner,
which gives a characteristic surface finish to the
billet with characteristic concentric rings around the
billet as the trapped gas is released in a regular
"burping" manner. Additionally, the parameters
required to achieve a stable air cushion condition
are relatively tight. Outside of these conditions (out-
of-gas-cushion), a more traditional hot top regime
occurs, reducing the billet surface quality and having
a harmful effect on graphite ring life as the higher
temperature without the air gap tends to cause the
lubrication oil to burn and varnish the graphite and
reduce its porosity. These characteristics mean that
a well-trained casting crew is required to operate the
systems effectively and air cushion systems
are more limited in the range of alloys and size
of billet that can be produced.
Recognizing these limitations and to further
improve the surface qualtiy, Hycast together with
Hydro spent several years in R&D development
to overcome these challenges. The result was the
Hycast LPC system which is the next generation
of extrusion billet casting technology. The primary
focus for the technology was to enhance the surface
quality and to overcome the sensitivity of the air
cushion systems to operate under a narrow range
of conditions and be casting speed critical. The
challenge identified was to reduce the metallostatic
pressure in the casting mold . Through an innovative
use of siphon metal feeding to the moulds and
venting the moulds during casting, the metallostatic
pressure inside the mould cavity was reduced to
zero. In the LPC concept of casting the metal level
inside all the mould in the casting table is controlled
by controlling the metal level in the distribution
launder. This allows for using different mould
Figure 1. The design of the Hycast GC mould concept.

21. ALUMINIUM WORLD JOURNAL 21
heights for different alloys and thus optimizing the
surface quality further. By applying these casting
conditions the LPC system is able to produce
an enhanced billet surface finish, eliminating the
characteristic air casting rings and almost eliminate
the inverse segregation zone completely. In addition
out-of-gas-cushion condition was eliminated. This
step forward in casting technology allows 8 inch,
6000 series billets to be cast today with a shell
zone of only30-80 µm with a much lower degree
of segregation (chemistry difference) compared
to conventional cast billets.
The elimination of out-of-gas-cushion situations, and
the possibility of using different mould heights in the
same mould was the main reason why LPC allowing
a larger range of alloys and diameters to be cast.
Today alloy systems and diameters ranging from
90 mm to 520 mm are in regular production. It
has also been shown that, due to the reduction
in surface segregation, the extrusion speed may
be increased for many profiles, and the butt end
cut off may be reduced up to 40% compared to
conventional cast billets.
In conclusion, Hycast technology continues to
push the boundaries of casting capabilities resulting
not only in benefits to the casting operations
but providing the tools necessary for extruders
to improve their press profitability through the
availability of the highest quality, repeatable
standard billet available on the market today.
Figure 2. LPC casting line. The casting unit lids will be closed during casting.

22. 22 CAST HOUSE
Automation of Billet Handling:
From Casting to Shipping
By Marty DeGoey
Senior Application Engineer, EPIQ Machinery
Automation is gaining territory in all sectors
of an aluminium plant. In today’s modern billet
production facilities, the handling from the
casting machine through to packaged billets
is fully automated.
At EPIQ Machinery, our team master the flow
from casting end to either shipping of packaged
products or downstream to the extrusion process.
Material handling for extrusion billets, including
homogenizing and sawing operations. Our designs
show a highly efficient automatic aluminium batch
homogenizing build and break down system.
Over time, our team has circled down the industry's
best practices and is sharing some insights.
The billet handling systems must be designed
for optimal product flow, and they must not
bottleneck the processing operations of casting
or homogenizing. The analysis must consider
these aspects:
• •
type of inspection required
• •
whether or not billets should be cropped prior
to homogenizing;
• •
batch or continuous homogenizing;
• •
band saw or circular saw;
• •
type of marking system;
• •
type of stacking system;
• •
type of strapping material.
Figure 2
Friendly-user HMI controlling each step of the process.
The product flow is as follows:
1. Pit stripping, billet laydown and accumulation
2. Optional inline UT inspection
3. Optional head and tail cropping before
homogenization
4. Processing of the billets through the
homogenizing process (batch or continuous
type)
5. Sawing of the billets to crop length only
or cut-to-length
6. Swarf collection and optional compacting
7. Billet marking – pin or laser
8. Billet stacking, strapping and packing
Figure 1 - Complete automated Homogenizing Billet Handling system.

23. ALUMINIUM WORLD JOURNAL 23
Each step has its own challenge and needs to
be perfectly synchronized with casting area.
The process starts with laying down the billets
on a receiving table. After the operator releases
the billets from the crane, they push a button
to release them to the automatic system. All
downstream operations are then completely
un-manned and fully automatic.
The billets on the receiving table are gathered
and “squared” with a squaring pusher. It maximizes
handling and load building. The receiving table
and squaring pusher are lined with ultra-high
molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW) to
prevent product marking.
Once the row of billets is squared, they are lowered
onto the tail section of the accumulation conveyor
and then advanced forward to clear the lay-down
station. The squaring and accumulation are faster
than the pit stripping, so the pit stripping operator
never waits for the material handling system. This
is an important part of the handling system strategy
as the removal of billets from the casting machine
is in the critical path of the casting machines
throughput capabilities.
Cracks and Inclusions Detection
In the case where billets have to be inspected
for cracks and inclusions, the use of Ultrasonic
(UT) inspection is used. There are two choices
for automatic system:
• •
Type 1: Inline type which inspects for center
cracks and inclusions along the full length of
the billet. This is the most common for general
purpose extrusion as most cracks or inclusions
are found in the center of a billet;
• •
Type 2: Inline or offline type which inspects
100% of the billet volume. It can be done with
either conventional or phased array type probes.
This type of inspection requires that the billets
are rotated while the sensors are translated
which results in a helical scan. Inspection time
can be much longer, these types of units are
often located offline and reserved for special
orders which require a high level of examination,
such as aerospace or other safety
critical applications.
Figure 4 - Type 2 / UT volumetric inspection system.
While the UT sensors maintain contact with
the billet, the conveyors move the billet through
the station.
If at any point during the inspection process there
is a significant reflection of UT signal between the
front and back wall, a flaw is detected, and the
information is sent to the control system.
Figure 3 - Laydown sequence.

24. 24 CAST HOUSE
Crop or not to crop
Rule of thumb dictates that typically, crop cuts for
billets include one diameter cut from the “butt”
(beginning of cast) and one half a diameter cut
from the end of the cast. Since there is a significant
amount of scrap produced at cropping, the trend
for billet handling systems is to remove the crops
before homogenizing in order to save the cost of
energy needed to heat up this metal which is to be
scrapped anyway.
There are two scenarios to be considered:
A. Shipping full length cropped billets
The cropping of the billets before homogenizing
would be considered best practice.
B. Cutting billets to length for the extrusion
presses
A study of energy saved versus extra capital
cost investment must be done and the decision
to crop before homogenizing is to be taken
based on the outcome of this study.
Continuous or Batch Homogenizing process
In a nutshell, here are the main differences.
Continuous homogenizing billet handling
In the case of billet handling in a continuous
homogenizing system, the operation is always fully
automatic. Billets are delivered one at a time to the
homogenizing system and the handling through the
furnace sections and cooler is achieved by way of
walking beam and shuttle pick and places.
Batch Homogenizing billet handling
Billets are conveyed to a layer forming station which
builds a layer on top of stainless-steel spacers per
pre-programmed recipes. They are automatically
positioned and removed from the loads by the same
automatic crane that handles the layers.
The layer forming machine staggers the logs such
that they fill the airflow path in the homogenizing
furnace. This optimizes the heat flow distribution for
a more uniform load temperature. The charge car
automatically processes the complete load through
the homogenizing process by first placing it in a
batch homo furnace and initiating the furnace cycle.
Sawing tailored to all sizes
Billets coming from the homogenizing process are
accumulated on a conveyor which acts as a buffer
between the homogenizing process and the sawing
operations. In cases where billets have not been
cropped before homogenizing, they are cropped
at the saw and the crop cuts are delivered to
a scrap bin.
The best choice of saw type depends on the diameter
of billets being cut and productivity requirements. It
is either a circular type or a band saw type. Typically,
it is preferred to use a circular saw where there are
small diameters, and the saw has to produce a very
high quantity of billets per hour.
When the diameters get larger and the number of
cuts per day allows, a band saw is preferable as the
chip production (scrap) is much less. Other factors
such as squareness of cut and surface finish often
come into the discussion.
Saw chips (swarf) collection and optional
compacting
Saw chips coming from the sawing operation are
collected using vacuum conveying through cyclone
separator. At the base of the cyclone, a rotary
airlock delivers the chips either to a scrap bin
or to an optional briquetting machine.
Figure 5 - Type of Homogenizing process. Figure 6 - Homo load transfer car for
automatically processing the complere load.

25. ALUMINIUM WORLD JOURNAL 25
In a casthouse where a melt furnace has a side well
charging port and an electromagnetic stirrer, loose
chips can be directly loaded and re-melted with
a very high recovery rate.
Otherwise, the chips must be compacted to be
able to achieve a good re-melt recovery. Saw chips
(swarf) loaded loose directly into a conventional
reverb type melt furnace will burn up resulting in
poor metal recovery.
Marking for Traceability and Quality control
For quality control and product traceability purposes,
each cut billet which is destined for customer or
downstream extrusion process is usually marked
with the cast number and alloy number as a
minimum.
Pneumatic punch / impact hammer type
This type has die set characters which are
positioned in a die face manually. It is up to the
saw operator to replace these characters with
each change of cast number or alloy number.
The marking devices are mounted in the billet
length gauge such that the marking operation
happens during the cutting cycle. Low cost and
simple solution, it relies on the rigor and discipline
of the operator.
Programmable pin stamper
This one is completely automatic and communicates
directly with the billet handling control system.
It removes probabilities of operator error. It does
need frequent maintenance and replacement
of parts so there is normally a back-up
stamper required.
Programable laser marking
This operates similar to the pin marking type but
rather than using little pins for engraving a laser
with etch the surface of the cut face. The advantage
to this type of marking is that it allows for more
traceability. A QR code can be generated, and this
data can be given to the end user for re-reading
of the product. Depending on the data given it can
go back to the casting data of the aluminium. The
producer can also etch their company logo on the
material if they choose to.
Figure 7 - Typical process flow and photo illustration of saw chip collection.
Figure 8 - Laser marking device and results.

26. 26 CAST HOUSE
Stack. Strap. Pack.
Cut billets are then conveyed to the stacking and
packing part of the handling system. Billet handling
systems can be configured to perform one, two
or all three of the following tasks depending upon
the requirements of the production facility:
1. Stack cut to length billets into racks which are
used to store billets for in-house extrusion use;
2. Stack and strap cut to length billets for storage
or shipment to customers; and
3. Form layers and strap long (end cropped) billets.
For cut to length billets, billets are picked and placed
using either a robot or dedicated pick and place
machine. Once a complete package is formed, it is
weighed and then moved into position for strapping.
In the case of cropped (long) billets, a ‘pick and
place’ device collects them from underneath and
places them on a row forming table and weigh
scale. Once a complete row is formed, a row
transfer cart moves the completed bundle
to the strapping station.
The final step in the billet handling system is
the strapping and wood runner insertion. Once
a package of cut to length or cropped billets is
transferred to the strapping station, the automatic
strapper inserts wood runners and straps at pre-
programmed positions. Strapping systems are
available with either plastic or steel strapping.
The choice of strapping material depends upon
distance, type of transportation and customer
preferences.
Figure 9 - Automatic Billet Strapping station
In conclusion, one advantage EPIQ Machinery
has over competition is the gantry system for the
homogenizing load build and break down area that
does not touch the aluminium billets, we handle the
product by the spacers. Plus, all motions during the
transfer of the extrusion billets are made in linear
motions, which improves the reliably and positioning
of the billet at the transfer point.
Down the line, the selected solution should ensure:
• •
Uniform load growth during the homogenizing
cycles
• •
Linear motions for aluminum billet transfer
- no log rolling
• •
Robust billet homogenizing furnace spacers
to prevent loads from shifting
Making the proper choices and using the latest
technologies in extrusion billet handling will
ensure a highly productive, safe and reliable
production facility.
Marty DeGoey
Senior Application Engineer
EPIQ Machinery
Don’t play Mikado
with your billets.
[phone]
[email protected]
For an organized billet handling, trust 
branded EPIQ AD’s Billet batch 
homogenizing system that offers:
A touchless aluminium billets gantry system.
A fully automated homogenizing sequence
on to sawing and batching operations.
Only linear motions for increased reliability
and better positioning.
epiqmachinery.com
See the difference,
this is
202309_Mikado_AD_billet_homo_syst_FULLPAGE_Final-HRES.pdf 1 2023-09-06 11:12:55

27. Don’t play Mikado
with your billets.
[phone]
[email protected]
For an organized billet handling, trust 
branded EPIQ AD’s Billet batch 
homogenizing system that offers:
A touchless aluminium billets gantry system.
A fully automated homogenizing sequence
on to sawing and batching operations.
Only linear motions for increased reliability
and better positioning.
epiqmachinery.com
See the difference,
this is
202309_Mikado_AD_billet_homo_syst_FULLPAGE_Final-HRES.pdf 1 2023-09-06 11:12:55

28. Sustainable casting solutions with state of the art technology.
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