Metal Transfer from Furnace to Furnace—A Case Study

Siphoning is a well known method to transfer metal from a container to another while minimizing dross generation. It is often used to transfer the metal from crucibles to furnaces or from furnace to furnace. Many existing systems suffer from siphon blocking or slow cycle times. A system was recently designed and supplied to transfer metal from a melting furnace to a casting furnace. Fully automated operation allows for the transfer of a full load at the touch of a button. The unit is totally autonomous, featuring a preheating system and a positioning mechanism that detects the condition of the siphon during transfer. A full scale prototype was designed and built to test the control system with water prior to the commissioning. The purpose of this paper is to describe the application, its challenges and the solutions applied, to ensure above expectation performance.