Aluminum recycling with continuous homogenizing plant
Exlabesa, a global leader in the extrusion of bespoke industrial components for extremely demanding market segments, is expanding production at its aluminum recycling plant in the province of A Coruña, Spain, and once again relying on technology supplied by Hertwich Engineering, an SMS group company. Hertwich will deliver a continuous homogenizing furnace, featuring an air cooling station, long-billet stacker, and semi-automatic PET strapping system, which complements the second melting furnace already installed and is specially dedicated to producing recycled aluminum made from post-consumer scrap.
Exlabesa had already commissioned a second continuous homogenizing plant at the site back in 2018 and later also a multi-chamber melting furnace, both of which were supplied by Hertwich. With the expansion now agreed, the capacity for continuous homogenization at the plant in northwest Spain will increase by 30,000 to around 80,000 tons per year.
The state-of-the-art melting furnace, which was recently put into operation, is specifically focused on producing recycled billets sourced from post-consumer aluminum scrap that has reached the end of its lifecycle. The subsequent expansion of the casthouse with the new and important continuous homogenizing facility from Hertwich will once again significantly increase the capacity for processing production scrap. This enables Exlabesa to be less dependent on buying in primary aluminum and so help it to conserve resources. These investments not only demonstrate Exlabesa’s commitment to sustainability and CO2 reduction by promoting a cleaner and more efficient industry based on the principles of the circular economy, but also consolidate Exlabesa’s position to meet the increasing demand for this type of product with one of the most advanced foundries in the world.
The new system is designed for aluminum billets with a diameter of 178 to 406 millimeters and a length of 7.0 meters as well as for all alloys included in Exlabesa’s extensive portfolio. A major advantage of Hertwich’s continuous system compared to chamber homogenization is the uniform treatment of the billets: In the homogenizing furnace, billets cast from melted aluminum scrap undergo continuous heat treatment at temperatures of up to 590 degrees Celsius. The precise temperature control when heating and retaining the heat in the furnace ensures that the billets have a uniform microstructure before they enter the air cooling station. This process guarantees high billet quality with optimal metallurgical properties, while at the same time reducing the energy required for billet homogenization. At the end of the production line, the billets are stacked and strapped with plastic straps. Hertwich Engineering GmbH in Braunau am Inn is active worldwide in the engineering, design, manufacture, erection, and commissioning of special machinery and equipment for the aluminum industry. The product range includes continuous and batch homogenizing plants, sawing lines, horizontal and vertical casting machines, ultrasonic and visual inspection stations, and melting and casting furnaces. With a market share of around 90 percent, Hertwich is the global market leader when it comes to the continuous homogenization of aluminum extrusion billets.
