Thin Strip Casting for Aluminum Sheet Applications Developed by Pechiney at Neuf-Brisach

摘要

Having had the opportunity to observe the Jumbo 3CM caster in operation at Neuf-Brisach and to question key personnel of Pechiney Aluminium Engineering and Pechiney Rhenalu on technical and economic issues of thin strip casting, some conclusions are warranted. First, the experience gained since 1958 with R&D and initial commercialization and licensing of the Jumbo 3C caster have served Pechiney well in establishing and commercializing the 3CM technology, now industrially proven. As stressed at Neuf-Brisach, the management of quality, productivity, and downstream processing of the thin gauge strip is of paramount importance, since the building of the roll casters to specifications is quite well understood and developed there. Thus, Pechiney Aluminium Engineering is concentrating more on technology development, from as cast strip to end product, to improve quality and productivity for existing 3C and 3CM casters. The awarding in 1999 of multimillion dollar turnkey installation contracts for Phase I and Phase II of Norandal's Quantum Leap Project in Huntingdon, Tennessee, where the new casthouse will be equipped with four Jumbo 3CM casting lines with Alpur in-line degassers and PDBF filtration units, is one of the larger of several recent contracts granted to Pechiney Aluminium Engineering that attest to the worldwide interest in their strip casting expertise and technology.