Rautomead Limited

Rautomead Technology for Continuous Casting of Oxygen-free Copper, Copper-magnesium and

Copper Conductor Alloys

Rautomead Limited

Introduction to Rautomead

Rautomead Limited

Rautomead LimitedDundee Scotland

Founded 1978

Sir Michael NairnChairman

Brian Frame Managing Director

Employees = 50

Number of Machines Sold = 350First 1978

Of these :-

No Vertical Upwards = 80First 1995

Rautomead Limited

Rautomead – Head Office & R&D

Rautomead Limited

Rautomead R & D Facility

Sample manufacture for customer evaluation.

Experiments to examine feasibility of processing new and particular alloys by continuous casting.

Development and testing of new designs of tooling materials.

Development and testing of equipment upgrades and modifications.

Training capability for Staff and clients engineers.

Rautomead Limited

Main Manufacturing Factory FacilityPre shipment assembly of all machines Option forFunctionality (cold) testing orHot metal casting

Rautomead Limited

ApplicationsRautomead specialise in continuous casting technology & offer a range of different equipment

designs for different applications

– Oxygen-free copper & Brass & bronze engineering alloysCopper conductor alloys

– Gold & silver alloys Zinc and zinc alloys, lead & lead alloys

Rautomead Limited

This Presentation

• Oxygen-free Copper: RS Graphite or RDG Channel Induction

– Graphite furnace Technology

– Feedstock

– Rod for Conform

• Copper Conductor Alloys

• Copper-magnesium RS Graphite

Rautomead Limited

Customer reference, Rautomead for oxygen free rod include:

Freeport McMoran (Phelps Dodge) USA wire & conform

Essex GmbH Germany wire & conform

Er Bakir Turkey wire

Elsan Turkey conform

Dovina Vietnam wire & conform

NGO Han Vietnam wire & conform

Cablecommerce (Sevlievo ) Bulgaria wire

Elkabel (Burgas) Bulgaria wire

Racer Wire Thailand wire & conform Tusco Trafo Thailand conform

Aurubis Belgium wire & conform

Doowell China wire

Grand d Ingineering Serbia wire & conform

Rautomead Limited

CuOF rod for Conform Feedstock Clean bright rod surface 12.5mm, 16mm, 20mm & 25mm

Flash created from CuOF rod so itcan be compacted & re-melted, in the Rautomead caster, blended with cathode. Cast Rod 101% IACS

Rautomead Limited

Rautomead CuOF Rod Production: IDEAL for Rotary extrusion feedstock:

• Infeed rod will have Clean bright surface, no wax or oxidation

• CuOF rod is “Soft” “as cast” • High productivity with minimal defects after extrusion

- ETP feedstock rod can lead to oxide related defects of rotary extruded rod eg: surface defects along length of extruded shape blisters on surface of extruded shape during annealing

• “Flash” minimised & can be compacted and re-melted in RS

casting machine

Rautomead Limited

Oxygen Free Copper Production requires CATHODE FEEDSTOCK

Rautomead Limited

Product Quality & Consistency : Rod from cathode

• Typical properties of Rautomead 8.0mm Cu-OF continuous cast wire rod

- Diameter : 7.98 mm

- Elongation : 39 - 41%

- UTS : 170 – 175 N/mm²

- Density : 8.89 kg/dm3

- Conductivity : 101% IACS

- Oxygen content : less than 5ppm

- Surface oxide : less than 15 Angstroms

- Carbon content : less than 3 ppm

Rautomead Limited

Implications of using “scrap” as feedstock

Recycled sudronic needles & clean copper granules

Reduced melt rate by 50%Rod conductivity: less than 95% IACSInferior rod surface quality need to cast at large diaLabour intensive feeding

Recycled SCR cropped billets

Reduced melt rate by 20-30%Rod conductivity less than 100%IACS - even when billets mixed with cathodeInferior rod surface quality need to cast at large diaLabour intensive feeding

Rautomead Limited

Rautomead Technology for CuOF Rod Production:

Key Parameters• Upwards vertical Casting

• Graphite lined supercooler tooling

• PLC controlled servo drive for accurate rod speed & pulse motion

• Integrated Melting, Holding & Casting,

• Single furnace, No Liquid Metal Transfer

• Automated cathode feed & depth control of coolers for steady state

operation.

• PLC controlled coil formation

Rautomead Limited

Melting Furnace Options

Unit Production Unit Production 6,000 tpyr 10,000 tpyr

RS Graphite Furnace Channel Induction furnace Flexible production Dedicated to CuOF Suitable for CuOF and conductor alloys Oxygen reduction by contact with 3 tonne capacity crucible melt cover. Can change between alloys 10 tonne capacity for 6 hr retention

Necessary for CuMg production

Rautomead Limited

Continuous casting technology: Tooling, withdrawal, feeding & coiling The same for both RDG & RS furnace types

Rautomead Limited

Single furnace, integrated melting & casting

Compact design, minimise metal surface area.

No liquid metal transfer

Graphite pellets for charging sideGraphite flake for rod casting side For oxygen removal.

Rautomead Limited

for cooler depth immersion control and emergency lift out (in the event of power cut)

Vertical movement of withdrawal carriage on linear slides

Carriage Drive steel frame Screw Jack

Rautomead Limited

MOLTENCOPPER

Water Cooling Services

Supercooler Tooling Assembly

Constant Immersion Zone

Optic Sensors

Immersion Thermocouple

Float Assembly

Graphite Flake

Immersion depth control by optical sensors on float

Rautomead Limited

Depth control, Tooling design, Withdrawal technology

Level Control Float

Float Optics

Rautomead Limited

WATERINLET

WATEROUTLET

Supercooler design

Supercooler: lined with graphite packer inserts full length for secondary cooling

Thermal Insulation

Supercooler cap

Graphite Casting Insert “taper fit”

One of the MAIN JOBS for machine operator is supercooler preparation.Removing worn die inserts and replacing with new ones.-expect 2 hrs/cooler

Rautomead Limited

Supercooler preparation

Graphite Casting Die Insert

Refractory Paper

Refractory Washers

Packing Insert

Supercooler Cap

Rautomead Limited

Automated Cathode Feeddelivery of cathodes to machine

once per shift

Rautomead Limited

Automated coiling

Coil weight : up to 4 tonnes

Coil Size OD up to 2m (78”)

Removal of coils

Once every 15-30 hours depending on rod dia & coil weight desired

Rautomead Limited

Space required 2 x RDG 150 = 20,000 tpyr: 42 x 26m No Special foundation construction

Rautomead Limited

OTHER APPLICATIONS CuMg for railway & automotive

Rautomead Limited

RS Graphite furnace technology

Cathode feeding side

Graphite filter to enhance oxygen removal

Rotating valve for metal emptying

Rautomead Limited

RS graphite furnace, electric resistance technology:

suitable for high quality CuOF upto 6,000 tpyr/machine

essential for the manufacture of Copper Magnesium alloys (no inductor)

RS Furnace Electric Resistance Heating

Rautomead Limited

ALLOY COMPOSITION CONTOL Copper Conductor Alloys

Automated cathode PLUS Grain Feeder (CuAg or CuSn) or Cored Wire Feed (CuMg) weighing

Rautomead Limited

Equipment specification options Production output : RDG 150 10,000 tpyr or RS 3000 6,000 tpyr

Rod diameter capability: 8.0mm – 30mm or 12.5mm – 30mm

Rautomead LimitedSERVICES Customer supply

Back up generatorRecirculating cooling water

Emergency water supply

Dust extraction Tooling preparation & simple laboratory

Rautomead Limited

Thank You

www.rautomead.com

Rautomead LimitedPO Box 100, Dundee DD1 9QYScotland U.K.