Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), an international aluminium smelter, recently commissioned the state-of-the-art batch homogeniser from Hertwich Engineering, a company of the SMS group, in Casthouse 3 for specialised billet requirements.

This new generation batch homogeniser is the best-suited technology for the heat treatment of various 6xxx, 1xxx and 3xxx billet alloys for special applications such as automotive and precision tubing, said a statement from Alba.

The advanced technology of reverse air circulation, fully automated controls for step heating and controlled cooling enhances the existing capabilities of Alba’s Casthouse 3 to achieve outstanding metallurgical aspects in its products as well as improved productivity of billets, it said.

Alba’s chief executive officer Tim Murray said: “We are pleased to partner, once again, with Hertwich with whom we share a long-standing relation spanning over two decades.”

“The commissioning of the new batch homogeniser underlines our commitment to sustainability and higher product quality whilst meeting the customers’ demands in the worldwide automotive segments especially as we secured the IATF 16949:2016 Automotive Quality Certification,” he said.

It is noteworthy that Alba Casthouse 3 Batch Homogenising Extension Project, which took place from February 2017 to May 2018, achieved 120,000 hours without any lost time injury, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service