Logan Aluminum Inc. installed a new heating and homogenizing furnace for aluminum ingots for its aluminum rolling facility in Russellville, Kentucky. The installation allows the company to expand its production of heat treated aluminum ingot for its rolling facility.
Established in 1985, Logan Aluminum is currently owned by Novelis and Tri-Arrows Aluminum. With 40+ acres under roof, the company houses recycling and casting operations, hot mills, cold mills, and coating lines — producing over 2 billion lbs of aluminum annually. The company has the largest single can sheet facility in North America, supplying over 45% of the North American can market.
The new gas-fired pusher furnace from Otto Junker GmbH is able to simultaneously hold 32 ingots weighing up to 32 tonnes per piece, resulting in a charge weight of over 1,000 tonnes. The heating and homogenizing furnace is designed to provide highly efficient temperature distribution, energy consumption, and automation. High convection technology ensures fast heating and cooling with short cycle times and low energy consumption. In addition, it features an active cooling system for further temperature control.
The scope of order also included machinery for charging and discharging the ingots, as well as a gantry crane and a mobile roller table as a connection to the existing rolling mill feed table. The skid system integrated into this furnace has been tried and tested over many years and is virtually maintenance-free. Used to transport the ingots one by one through the furnace, it is designed to ensure reliable smooth slab transport.