Aluminum Extrusion Die Cleaning
Customer: Hydro Aluminum of North America
Machine: Extrusion Die Cleaning System
Work completed
The aluminum extrusion process often leaves extrusion dies filled with aluminum, making disassembly and preparation for re-use difficult. To remove the aluminum, the industry has relied for years on a die cleaning method where the dies are loaded into tanks filled with a hot solution of sodium hydroxide (caustic) and water to soak. This die cleaning process is potentially hazardous, inefficient and labor intensive.
Kredit Automation & Controls has developed a process that results in a safer environment for the die cleaning operator because the dies are loaded into clean and empty tanks, not tanks full of hot, high pH caustic. Hot caustic solution is then pumped into closed and locked tanks during the die cleaning process. The result is:
- Increased operator safety
- Accurate pH control
- Up to a 50% reduction in die cleaning time
- Increased useful chemical life
- Increased temperature control
- Automatic neutralization of spent caustic
- Elimination of water treatment facilities
- Elimination of filter presses and filter cake disposal
- Elimination of hazardous waste removal costs
- Chemical savings of tens of thousands of dollars per year
- Reduced labor costs
Our design utilizes the Allen-Bradley CompactLogix PLC and a PanelView Plus touchscreen to ensure long term reliability and support.
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