About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2027 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Aluminum Cast Shop Technology Symposium and Supplier Forum
|
| Presentation Title |
The Impact of Automation on Safety in Vertical DC-Casting |
| Author(s) |
Arild Hakonsen, Edvard Nordvik, Vegard Innerdal |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Arild Hakonsen |
| Abstract Scope |
Approximately 60% of global aluminium production is cast as rolling slabs and extrusion billets through the direct chill (DC) casting process, where ingots are cooled directly by water. DC casting is typically a semi-continuous process performed vertically into a casting pit. Over the past decades, hands-free casting has become the industry standard, removing the need for operators to manually control casting parameters such as metal flow. However, despite the high level of automation, several activities in a conventional vertical DC casting line still require human intervention near molten aluminium and the casting pit. Such exposure represents a potential safety hazard. This paper examines the role of automation in reducing hazards in vertical DC casting, discusses the tasks that remain to be automated, and presents recent technological developments aimed at further improving safety and minimizing operator exposure to hazardous environments. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: Light Metals |
| Keywords |
Other, |