Aluminizing Lines

QED Aluminizing Lines are built to coat continuous in-line steel wire strands with aluminum. After pickling the wires are immersed in a special aluminizing flux and then dried/pre-heated prior to entry into the aluminum. The wires then dip into a longitudinal bath of molten metal, pass under a ceramic sinker and exit the bath through a special floating flux.

Aluminizing Flux Tank and Drying Oven

Of critical importance to any aluminizing system is the flux tank and drying oven, since aluminizing flux requires special handling and processing to obtain good results. The QED Flux tanks and drying oven will consistently and reliably make high quality wire.

Flux Tank

The flux tank is made of stainless steel and insulated for better energy efficiency. The wires are dipped into the tank using a set of special dipper rolls to avoid the problems associated with pumping the flux. The tank is headed by hot gasses from a burner fired into a corrosion resistant “W” tube position under the surface of the flux.

Drying Oven

The flux drying oven is made using a long angled insulated steel duct. The duct is heated using a flat flame burner and the exhaust gasses from the burner run counter flow to the wires, giving good heating efficiency and wire temperature uniformity.

Immersion Burner Aluminizing Furnace

The QED Immersion Burner Aluminizing Furnace is heated by the latest generation gas fired Immersion Burners using recuperative technology that maintains a high thermal efficiency.

Furnace Construction

The aluminizing shell is solidly constructed of rolled steel plate and structural steel sections, and is ideally located in a pit to provide a comfortable working height. A platform spans the length of the aluminizer supporting the Immersion Burners. The burner platform is constructed of mild steel plate and structural steel sections and includes a safety handrail.

Immersion Burners – BICR 40/80

QED Wire lines uses high temperature Kromschroder BICR 40/80 burners mounted to fully insulated stainless steel recuperator. This latest generation burner offers high thermal efficiency by using the recuperative burner head with a ceramic immersion tube. The burner head heats the incoming combustion air by channeling it past hot exhaust gases passing the opposite side of the heat exchange surfaces. Included with the tubes are internal baffle inserts that ensure a re-circulating pattern to the combustion gases. The maximum burner firing rate is conservatively set to permit longer immersion tube life. Each immersion burner assembly also includes; spark ignition probe, flame detection probe, viewing port, lifting lug and air and gas connections

Refractory

The refractory lining is two layers of the latest generation of castable refractory. The layers are impervious to the liquid aluminum and designed to excellent thermal efficiency with an extremely long life. The ceramic lining incorporates a “freeze plane” design to guaranty aluminum containment, even in the unlikely event of a hot-face lining crack. QED provides the installation of the refractory as part of the equipment price.

Roll Shaft

A roll shaft is provided at the entry end of the furnace. The rolls are fabricated of hardened 4340 alloy steel with “U” grooves. Each roll is mounted on an individual bearing and the assembly has a common adjustable height shaft.

Control System

The furnace is controlled from a custom designed electrical control panel that contains all the necessary controllers, transformers, fuses, relays, lights, switches, buttons, alarm horn and wiring. The panel is fully tested prior to shipment and is build to international standards. The furnace is divided laterally into separate zones each of which is controlled by a digital temperature/pressure control instrument and thermocouple.