Advanced equipment for

the aluminium industry

UNIVERSAL ROTARY
TILTING FURNANCE URTF

Universal Rotary Tilting Furnace

The Universal Rotary Tilting Furnace

The URTF is the most versatile Rotary
Tilting Furnace on the market, as it has been
designed for:
Salt-free ALUREC process for dross
and scrap
Calcium aluminate process
Low salt process for dross and scrap
ALUREC
The ALUREC process has been developed
and patented (license is available through
Hertwich Engineering) by AGA (now Linde
Gas) and CORUS for salt-free processing of
aluminium dross and scrap. The salt-free
ALUREC process is applied in the
Universal Rotary Tilting Furnace built to
Hertwich Engineerings high engineering
standard. The three-way joint venture
effectively combines the expertise of Linde
Gas in oxy-fuel combustion systems, the
engineering expertise of HE in the
Aluminium industry as well as CORUS in
environmentally sound aluminium recovery.
The NMP contains very little chlorine, so that
it can be used as a raw material in the cement
industry. The advantage of the ALUREC
process can be summarised as follows:
Salt-free processing
NMP can be sold to the cement industry
No landfill or further processing of salt
cake
Lowest specific energy consumption

calcium aluminate is tapped at a temperature

of approx. 1500C into buckets. The so
produced calcium aluminate is of very high
quality, since it has been molten and not only
sintered. It is sold to steel smelters as a cover
flux for a very attractive price.
Low salt
Stena Aluminium is a major supplier of
foundry ingots in Europe. The company
operates two plants, one in Kolding \
Denmark and one in lmhult \ Sweden. At
both plants aluminium scrap is recycled by
means of remelting, refining, alloying and
casting. At the lmhult plant one of the two
Rotary Salt Furnaces was replaced by an
Universal Rotary Tilting Furnace from
Hertwich Engineering. The new furnace was
commissioned in August 2001. The URTF
utilises combustion and process technologies
from Linde Gas and it ensures a more cost
effective and even environmentally sounder
production. It uses only one third of the salt
charge required for the conventional Rotary
Salt Furnace. This reduces the operating costs
and minimizes salt cake disposal as well as
flue gas emissions.
Stena Aluminium is operating a URTF 14
(figure 1), which is a Rotary Tilting Furnace
with 14 cubic meter useful furnace volume. It
can accommodate up to 23 mt. of scrap per
furnace cycle.

Calcium Aluminate
The calcium aluminate process has been
developed and patented by CORUS. This
process is carried out in the Universal Rotary
Tilting Furnace built by Hertwich
Engineering. The calcium aluminate process
uses white dross, which is charged into the
furnace without any salt. The dross is molten
down and the metal is tapped. NMP is left in
the furnace and the required quantity of lime
is charged. The residual aluminium and
aluminium nitride in the NMP is burnt
exothermic and hence very little fuel is
required to melt the calcium aluminate. The

Fig. 1 The Universal Rotary Tilting Furnace

Universal Rotary Tilting Furnace

The furnace offers a tilting range from -20 to
+40. As an unique feature the URTF can be
operated in various tilting angles in the range
of -20 to -10. This enhances quick charging
at -20 and flexible operating angles during
melting.
Two drive units are rotating the furnace drum
via spray lubricated chain. One drive is a
built-in redundancy.

The furnace is charged 4 times per cycle with

up to 23 mt. of scrap, when fully charged.
The URTF 14 achieves a melt rate of 6 mt.
per hour. Approximately 120 to 140 mt. of
scrap are recycled per day.
Stena Aluminium employ the low salt
process, with a salt factor of approx 0,5 based
on non-metallics. The furnace achieves very

Figure 2 Metal tapping of the URTF

A 4 MW oxy-fuel burner system from Linde

Gas generates the heat to quickly melt the
scrap. Additionally, a WASTOX post
combustion system has been included, which
combusts contaminants in the furnace. This
lowers the energy consumption and allows a
higher ratio of contaminants in the scrap. The
flue gases are guided into the furnace hood
and are efficiently chilled with ambient air to
avoid any recombination of dioxins.
Besides the Universal Rotary Tilting
Furnace, Hertwich Engineering also supplied
charging equipment. A charging machine and
cross feeder by Hertwich Engineering were
incorporated into the existing conveyer belt
and loading chute. The entire charging
system allows a very high charging rate of up
to 10 m/min.

low specific energy consumption. Figures

between 250 to 330 kWh per metric ton of
scrap are achieved. The yield is also
improved significantly by approx. 2%
compared to the RSF process, which is
operated in parallel
The plant is operated by 1,5 operators per
shift. All functions are automatic, so that
remote operation is possible from the control
room. This even applies for tapping of metal
and salt cake. For metal tapping (figure 2 ),
the launder is moved in front of the furnace.
The metal is delivered to a holding furnace
for refining and alloying before it is cast into
pigs on a conveyor belt. For salt tapping a
slag train is employed to manoeuvre the slag
bins to the furnace and back.

Universal Rotary Tilting Furnace

Besides controlling mechanical movements
of the equipment the control system is an
essential tool to monitor the melting process
inside the furnace. Especially with dry
melting methods, like the low salt - and no
salt process it is important to control the
melting process to avoid overheating of the
charge, in order to achieve maximum
recovery.

Operator menu system. Production data

is entered via a customized menu system
in local language or English.

Incorporation of existing or related

equipment, like in this case conveyor belt
and loading chute (figure 5).

The PLC type control system employed by

Hertwich Engineering enables enhanced
monitoring of the melting process. The
process is displayed on two 15 colour
screens. The control system offers the
following main features:

Process visualization. All digital I/Os are

displayed in graphical form (figure 3).
Figure 5 Incorporation of other equipment

Figure 3 Process visualization

Process data acquisition and recording.

Burner power, rotation speed, flue gas air
temperature, and torque for rotation of
the furnace drum are continuously
measured, recorded and displayed as
trends (figure 4).

Fig. 4 Trend display of furnace data

Recipe management. Recipes

different charges can be stored.

Alarm system. An alarm message is

displayed together with a help text for the
possible causes. To assist the operator or
maintenance personnel device locations
are displayed in electrical drawings and
process screens.

Automatic restart. Brings the plant back

to operation without any necessary
manual interaction by the operator.

for

It has been shown at Stena Aluminium, that

the Universal Rotary Tilting Furnace is the
ideal equipment for cost effective and
environmentally sound scrap recycling. The
excellent performance figures, the low
maintenance and operational costs as well as
the high availability of the furnace have led
STENA ALUMINIUM to the decision to
also replace the remaining RSF furnace by
another URTF from Hertwich Engineering.

Universal Rotary Tilting Furnace

FURNACE DATA:
URTF 3
Useful furnace volume [m]
Useful furnace weight [tons]
Furnace door opening diameter [mm]
Vessel outside diameter [mm]
Vessel length [mm]
Refractory thickness [mm]
Tilting range
Vessel Rotating Speed [rpm]
Selectable Melting Angle [10,12,14]
2 drive units (one redundancy)
Optional organic control + afterburner
Burner power [MW]
Electric connected load [KW]
(400V, 50Hz)
Natural Gas

URTF 5

URTF 10

URTF 14

3
5
1200
3200
4300
370
-22 / +38
0,5 - 7

5
7,5
1600
3200
5000
370
-22 / +38
0,5 - 7
x

10
15
1600
3600
5000
330
-20 / +40
0,4 - 6
x
x
x

14
23
1600
3600
5700
330
-20 / +40
0,4 - 6
x
x
x

2
60

3
80

4
100

4
120

200

or LPG [Nm/h] (1 bar)

300
80

400
120

400
160

160

Oxygen [Nm/h] (10-15 bar)

400

600

800

800

Scrap *1)
Total tonnage scrap [t] ( =0,8t/m)
Cycle time [h]
Melt rate [t/h]
Cycles per day [t]
Throughput per day [t]

4,5
2,2
2
10,9
48

7,5
2,5
3
9,6
72

15
3,2
4,7
7,5
113

25
4-5
5 - 5,6
4,8 - 6
120 - 134

4
0,2 - 0,5
2
2
12
48

7,5
0,2 - 0,5
2,5
3
9,6
72

15
0,2 - 0,5
3,5
4,3
6,8
102

21
0,2 - 0,5
4
5,2
6
125

4
2
2
12
48

7,5
2,5
3
9,6
72

15
3,5
4,3
6,8
102

21
4
5,2
6
125

Dross *2)
Low salt process
Total tonnage dross [t] ( =1,4t/m)
Salt factor
Cycle time [h]
Melt rate [t/h]
Cycles per day [t]
Throughput per day [t]
No salt process
Total tonnage dross [t] ( =1,4t/m)
Cycle time [h] (incl. cleaning)
Melt rate [t/h]
Cycles per day [t]
Throughput per day [t]

Specific Energy consumption / Yield:

Scrap, clean
Scrap, organic contaminated
Dross

KWh/t
320 420
250 300
250 - 400

Yield %
90 97
85 90
45 65

Notes:
*1) Data depending on Scrap condition, organic and non-metallic contamination
*2) Data depending on dross/aluminium ratio

Hertwich Engineering:
leading technology in the aluminium casthouse

Universal Rotary Tilting Furnace

Universal Rotary Tilting Furnace

The universal solution for processing
dross and low grade scrap
Three different process options:
1) Low Salt Melting Process
2) No Salt ALUREC Process
3) Caliciumaluminate
Melting Process
R

Highest aluminium yield

Very low specific energy consumption
Scrap, clean
350 kWh/ton
Scrap, contaminated 250 - 320 kWh/ton
Dross
250 - 320 kWh/ton
Minimum environmental impact

Scrap charging
HE highest Engineering standard
Furnace size 3 to 14 m
Melting rate 1,5 to 6 tons/hour
Sophisticated post combustion
for contaminated scrap
Co-operation with specialists
from LINDE GAS and CORUS
in process optimisation
HERTWICH ENGINEERING
Weinbergerstrasse 6
A-5280 BRAUNAU
AUSTRIA

Phone: +43 7722 806-0

Fax: +43 7722 806-122
E-mail: info@hertwich.com
Internet: www.hertwich.com

LIEFERPROGRAMM

PRODUCT RANGE

Durchlaufhomogenisierungsanlage
Kapazitt: 1.000 kg/h 23.000 kg/h

Continuous Homogenizing Plant

Capacity: 1.000 kg/h 23.000 kg/h

Kammerhomogenisierungsofen

Batch Homogenizing Furnace

Ultraschall Prfeinrichtung
a) Kernrisse und Einschlsse
b) fr 100 % Prfung: Multi Kopf System

Ultrasonic Testing Equipment

a) Centre cracks and random inclusions
b) For 100 % testing: multi head system

Sge- und Verpackungsanlagen,

Stapel- und Transportmaschinen

Sawing and Packing Plants,

Stackers and Handling Equipment

Brikettierpresse

Briquetting Press

Horizontale und Vertikale StranggieAnlage fr Rundbarren, Stromschienen,

T-Bars, Massel und Walzbarren

Horizontal and Vertical Casting Plant for

Billet, Busbar, T-Bar, Foundry Ingot and
Rolling Ingot

Kompakt Umschmelzanlage
Kapazitt: 4.000 30.000 T/Jahr

Compact Type Remelt Plant

Capacity: 4.000 30.000 tpy

Chargiermaschinen

Charging Machines

Schmelzeentgasungseinheiten

Inline Degassing Units

Spezialmaschinen

Customized Machinery

NEU:
Schmelz- und Giefen der neuesten
Technologie, fr beschichtete Schrotte etc.
Schmelzleistung:1.000 10.000 kg/h

NEW:
Melting and Casting Furnaces of
Advanced Technology for
contaminated scrap etc.
Melting Capacity: 1.000 10.000 kg/hour

Dreh-Kippofen, URTF 3 14
Universell einsetzbar + Alurec

Rotary Tilting Furnace, URTF 3 14

The Universal Furnace + Alurec

Horizontalstranggieanlagen fr
Schmiede- und SSM Barren und
Magnesium Massel
Durchmesser 25 bis 150 mm

Horizontal DC Casting Plants for

Forging, SSM Feedstock and
Magnesium-Ingot
Diameter range 1 6

Masselgieband
!Khlung ausschlielich mit Luft!

Ingot Casting Belt

!Cooling exclusively with air!

Elektromagnetische Pumpen und Rhrer

Electromagnetic Pumps and Stirrers

Vorrichtung zum Einschmelzen von

Spnen

Facilities for Remelting of Swarf

HERTWICH ENGINEERING
Weinbergerstrasse 6
A 5280 BRAUNAU AUSTRIA
Phone : +43 (0) 7722 / 806-0
Fax :
+43 (0) 7722 / 806-122
E-mail : info@hertwich.com
Internet : www.hertwich.com