An auxiliary heat exchanger that is used in conjunction with thermoplastic melter kettles. The auxiliary heat exchanger receives molten thermoplastic material from the bottom of a melter kettle, transports the molten thermoplastic material though the auxiliary heat exchanger and feeds the molten thermoplastic material into the top of the melter kettle thereby mixing hotter molten thermoplastic material from the bottom of the melter kettle into cooler thermoplastic material near the top of the melter kettle. The auxiliary heat exchanger includes an oil bath chamber and parallel heat transfer tubes that are arranged in a serpentine configuration and include motor drive augers to transport molten thermoplastic material through the auxiliary heat exchanger.

A thermoplastic melter kettle having a heat dome chamber from which combustion gases are exhausted through a conduit that connects between a top of the heat dome chamber and the top of the melter kettle. An adjustable venting arrangement coupled to the conduit allows for adjustment of the flow of exhaust gases through the conduit.

A thermoplastic melter kettle having a heat dome chamber from which combustion gases are exhausted through a conduit that connects between a top of the heat dome chamber and the top of the melter kettle. An adjustable venting arrangement coupled to the conduit allows for adjustment of the flow of exhaust gases through the conduit.

Apparatus and methods for stirring a molten metal are provided. The apparatus comprising: an electromagnetic stirrer, the electromagnetic stirrer including a core, the core being provided with two or more teeth, the core being provided with two or more electrically conducting coils; connections for applying a current to the electrically conducting coils; wherein the two or more teeth have an end proximal the core and an end distal the core, the end distal the core defining a tooth end face, the tooth end face for at least one of the teeth not being aligned with the tooth end face for at least one of the other teeth. In this way the air gap between the teeth and the container in which molten metal is to be stirrer can be kept small, even with curved walls or bases to the container.

Apparatus and methods for stirring a molten metal are provided. The apparatus comprising: an electromagnetic stirrer, the electromagnetic stirrer including a core, the core being provided with two or more teeth, the core being provided with two or more electrically conducting coils; connections for applying a current to the electrically conducting coils; wherein the two or more teeth have an end proximal the core and an end distal the core, the end distal the core defining a tooth end face, the tooth end face for at least one of the teeth not being aligned with the tooth end face for at least one of the other teeth. In this way the air gap between the teeth and the container in which molten metal is to be stirrer can be kept small, even with curved walls or bases to the container.

Disclosed is a flux injector assembly and method for refining a molten material, wherein at least a portion of the material is aluminum, as it flows through a trough. A dispensing rod having a hollow body and a dispensing rim is configured to allow a flux and/or inert gas to travel through the hollow body and be injected into the molten material through the dispensing rim as the molten material flows through the trough. A baffle plate is configured to be positioned within the molten material in the associated trough to allow the molten material to flow passed the baffle plate. The elongated dispensing rod is positioned at a downstream location relative to the baffle plate. The rate of flow of molten material is increased as it passes the dispensing rim of the elongated dispensing rod to inject and mix the flux within the molten aluminum alloy.

A high shear liquid metal treatment device for treating metal includes a barrel, a rotor shaft, rotor fans, and stator plates. The barrel has a longitudinal axis that extends between an upper end and a lower end, and an opening at its upper and lower ends. The rotor shaft is mounted centrally through, and parallel to the longitudinal axis. The rotor fans are mounted along an axial length of the shaft. The stator plates are formed on an inner surface of the barrel and are located between adjacent rotor fans. Each stator plate has at least one passage formed therethrough to allow fluid to pass through the plate; and upper and lower surfaces of each stator plate are formed to be within the minimum distance of an adjacent rotor fan. The minimum distance is between 10 μm and 10 mm. The device allows improved treatment of liquid and semi-liquid metals during processing.

A high shear liquid metal treatment device for treating metal includes a barrel, a rotor shaft, rotor fans, and stator plates. The barrel has a longitudinal axis that extends between an upper end and a lower end, and an opening at its upper and lower ends. The rotor shaft is mounted centrally through, and parallel to the longitudinal axis. The rotor fans are mounted along an axial length of the shaft. The stator plates are formed on an inner surface of the barrel and are located between adjacent rotor fans. Each stator plate has at least one passage formed therethrough to allow fluid to pass through the plate; and upper and lower surfaces of each stator plate are formed to be within the minimum distance of an adjacent rotor fan. The minimum distance is between 10 μm and 10 mm. The device allows improved treatment of liquid and semi-liquid metals during processing.

A system of obtaining an aluminium melt including SiC particles for use when moulding vehicle parts, e.g. brake disks, the system comprises a pre-processing tank (2), configured to receive SiC particles and to apply a pre-processing procedure to pre-process the SiC particles; a SiC particle transport member (4) configured to transport the pre-processed SiC particles from the pre-processing tank (2) to a crucible (6) of a melting furnace device (8), and the melting furnace device (8) is configured to receive and melt solid aluminium, e.g. aluminium slabs, and to hold an aluminium melt (10) and to receive said pre-processed SiC particles (12). The system also comprises a tube-like SiC particle mixing arrangement (14) defining and enclosing an elongated mixing chamber (16), the mixing arrangement (14) is configured to be mounted in said crucible (6) and structured to receive into said mixing chamber (16) said pre-processed SiC particles (12) via a first inlet (18) and said aluminium melt (10) via at least one second inlet (20), and to apply a mixing procedure by rotating a rotatable mixing member (22) arranged in said mixing chamber (16) about said longitudinal axis A, wherein said pre-processed SiC particles are mixed together with the aluminium melt in said mixing chamber. The mixing arrangement (14) is provided with at least one outlet (26) to feed out the mixture from said mixing chamber into said crucible.

A system of obtaining an aluminium melt including SiC particles for use when moulding vehicle parts, e.g. brake disks, the system comprises a pre-processing tank (2), configured to receive SiC particles and to apply a pre-processing procedure to pre-process the SiC particles; a SiC particle transport member (4) configured to transport the pre-processed SiC particles from the pre-processing tank (2) to a crucible (6) of a melting furnace device (8), and the melting furnace device (8) is configured to receive and melt solid aluminium, e.g. aluminium slabs, and to hold an aluminium melt (10) and to receive said pre-processed SiC particles (12). The system also comprises a tube-like SiC particle mixing arrangement (14) defining and enclosing an elongated mixing chamber (16), the mixing arrangement (14) is configured to be mounted in said crucible (6) and structured to receive into said mixing chamber (16) said pre-processed SiC particles (12) via a first inlet (18) and said aluminium melt (10) via at least one second inlet (20), and to apply a mixing procedure by rotating a rotatable mixing member (22) arranged in said mixing chamber (16) about said longitudinal axis A, wherein said pre-processed SiC particles are mixed together with the aluminium melt in said mixing chamber. The mixing arrangement (14) is provided with at least one outlet (26) to feed out the mixture from said mixing chamber into said crucible.