Method and system for the production of semi-finished copper products as well as method and apparatus for application of a wash

Abstract

In a method for the production of semi-finished copper products, first copper is melted and cast to produce copper anodes, in one casting procedure, within multiple ingot molds, subsequently copper cathodes are formed by electrolysis, using at least one of the copper anodes, and then these copper cathodes are processed further to produce semi-finished copper products. A long-term coating is applied to at least one of the ingot molds as a wash, a sulfur-free wash is applied to the ingot mold and/or part of the work pieces cast in the ingot molds is directly processed further to produce semi-finished copper products. A method and an apparatus applies a wash to an ingot mold and a system produces semi-finished copper products.

Claims

1. A system for producing semi-finished copper products comprising: (a) a refining furnace; (b) ingot molds disposed behind and fillable from the refining furnace; (c) an electrolysis bath; (d) an anode transport for transport of anodes cast in the ingot molds to the electrolysis bath; (e) a processing device disposed after the electrolysis bath for further processing of work pieces cast in the ingot molds, to produce semi-finished copper products; (f) a cathode transport for transport of cathodes from the electrolysis bath to the processing device; and (g) a bypass transport between the ingot molds and said processing device for transporting the work pieces cast in the ingot molds to said processing device; wherein the work pieces bypass the electrolysis bath; wherein the anode transport and the bypass transport have a common conveying device; wherein the common conveying device transports work pieces from the ingot molds to the electrolysis bath as anodes, in a direction of a further anode transport, and work pieces from the ingot molds in a direction of a further bypass transport different than the direction of the further anode transport.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the ingot molds are disposed on a common ingot mold support.

3. The system according to claim 2, further comprising an application apparatus for application of a wash, wherein the application apparatus comprises a working region disposed in a region of the ingot mold support.

4. A system for producing semi-finished copper products comprising: (a) a refining furnace; (b) ingot molds disposed behind and fillable from the refining furnace; (c) an electrolysis bath; (d) an anode transport for transport of anodes cast in the ingot molds to the electrolysis bath; (e) a processing device disposed after the electrolysis bath for further processing of work pieces cast in the ingot molds, to produce semi-finished copper products; (f) a cathode transport for transport of cathodes from the electrolysis bath to the processing device; and (g) a bypass transport between the ingot molds and said processing device for transporting the work pieces cast in the ingot molds to said processing device; wherein the work pieces bypass the electrolysis bath; and wherein said further processing device comprises a furnace, a press, a casting device and/or a rolling mill.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the ingot molds are disposed on a common ingot mold support.

6. The system according to claim 5, further comprising an application apparatus for application of a wash, wherein the application apparatus comprises a working region disposed in a region of the ingot mold support.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages, goals, and properties of the present invention will be explained using the following description of exemplary embodiments, which are particularly shown also in the attached drawing. The drawing shows:

(2) FIG. 1 a schematic top view of a part of a system for the production of semi-finished copper products;

(3) FIG. 2 the application apparatus according to FIG. 1 in a top view;

(4) FIG. 3 the application apparatus according to FIGS. 1 and 2 in a front view;

(5) FIG. 4 the application apparatus according to FIGS. 1 to 3 in a side view; and

(6) FIG. 5 a schematic view of the remaining part of the system for the production of semi-finished copper products shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(7) The system 26 for the production of semi-finished copper products 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 (see also, in this regard, particularly FIG. 5) comprises a refining furnace 28, ingot molds 12 that follow the refining furnace 28, which can be filled from the refining furnace 28 with the interposition of a casting vat 22 and a portioning vat 24, and an electrolysis bath 30. The casting vat 22 and the portioning vat 24 are vats of a casting apparatus 20 for pouring molten metal into the ingot molds 12 or for filling the ingot molds 12 with molten metal.

(8) The production system 26 furthermore comprises an anode transport 31 for transport of the anodes 14 cast in the ingot molds 12 to the electrolysis bath 30, a further processing device 32 that follows the electrolysis bath 30 (see FIG. 5), and a cathode transport 34 (see FIG. 1) for transport of cathodes 16 from the electrolysis bath 30 to the further processing device 32.

(9) Furthermore, a bypass transport 36 is provided between the ingot molds 12 and the further processing device 32. This bypass transport 36 can transport work pieces 15 cast in the ingot molds 12 to the further processing device 32 (see FIG. 5), bypassing the electrolysis bath 30.

(10) The anode transport 31 and the bypass transport 36 have a common conveying device 38, which optionally transports work pieces 14, 15 from the ingot molds 12 to the electrolysis bath as anodes 14, in the direction of the further anode transport 31, on the one hand, and work pieces 14, 15 from the ingot molds 12 in the direction of the further bypass transport 36, on the other hand.

(11) The ingot molds 12 are disposed on a common ingot mold support 54 that can be rotated about a vertical axis 84.

(12) The production system 26 furthermore has an application device 40 (see FIG. 1) for application of a wash 18 (see FIG. 4) to an ingot mold 12. The working region of this apparatus is disposed in the region of the ingot mold support 54 (see FIG.

(13) The application apparatus 40 has an arm 42 (see FIG. 4), which comprises an application device 44 having a nozzle 86 and can be moved sequentially over the ingot mold 12, in each instance. The arm 42 furthermore comprises two linearly independent drives 50, 52, in order to make two-dimensional mobility of the arm 42 over the ingot mold 12, in each instance, available (see also FIG. 2, there also in connection with the two double arrows).

(14) The drive 52 is set up for making available straight-line mobility of the arm 42 in a direction at a right angle to the longitudinal expanse of the arm 42 or at a right angle to the longitudinal expanse of the application apparatus 40, using a carriage 60, which is affixed to a base 58 so as to move longitudinally, in the movement direction.

(15) The drive 50 is set up for making available straight-line mobility of the arm 42 in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the arm 42 or parallel to the longitudinal expanse of the application apparatus 40. The drive 50 includes a linear actuator 88 for this purpose (see FIG. 2), which is connected with the carriage 60.

(16) The application apparatus 40 is furthermore provided with an ingot mold tempering unit in the form of an ingot mold heating unit 46 as well as with an ingot mold thermometer 48 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

(17) The further processing device 32 that follows the electrolysis bath 30 (see FIG. 5) comprises a loading apparatus 62 and a furnace 64. Copper cathodes 16, which have been formed in the electrolysis bath 30, by means of electrolysis, using copper anodes 14, can be introduced into the furnace 64 by way of the loading apparatus 62. Furthermore, copper anodes 14 or work pieces 15 can also be introduced into the furnace 64 by way of the loading apparatus 62; these copper anodes or work pieces can particularly be work pieces cast in the ingot molds 12 that are not suitable for transport to the electrolysis bath 30 as the result of non-uniform removal from the ingot molds 12, for example, or as the result of a non-uniform casting process, for example because the anode ears 100 provided for transport were not formed in the required shape. The molten metal made available by heating in the furnace 64 is passed to a casting and holding furnace 66 for further processing.

(18) The molten metal is passed to further apparatuses of the further processing device 32 by way of the casting and holding furnace 66, specifically, in detail, to a casting channel 68, a caster 70, an ingot processing unit 78 having a guide 72 and a parting mechanism 74, a rolling mill 76, a cooling section 80, and a helical collector 82, for collecting the semi-finished copper products 10 in the form of a wire.

(19) In a method for the production of semi-finished copper products 10 using the production system 26, first copper is melted in the refining furnace 28 and cast in one casting procedure, within multiple ingot molds 12, to produce copper anodes. To implement the casting procedure, the ingot molds 12 are filled from the refining furnace 28, specifically with the interposition of the casting vat 22 and the portioning vat 24. The ingot molds 12 are filled one after the other, in terms of time, whereby the ingot molds 12 are brought into the filling position defined by the refining furnace 28, in each instance, by means of rotating the ingot mold support 54 about the vertical axis 84.

(20) By way of an inflow channel 29 connected with the refining furnace 28, the casting vat 22 and the portioning vat 24 can be filled with molten copper from the refining furnace, to be passed on to the ingot mold 12, in each instance. After the copper anodes 14 are cast, copper cathodes 16 are formed in the electrolysis bath 30 by electrolysis, using at least one of the copper anodes 14. These copper cathodes 16 are then processed further to produce the semi-finished copper products 10 in the form of a wire, using the further processing device 32 (see FIG. 5).

(21) The above method is now characterized in that part of the work pieces 14, 15 cast in the ingot molds 12, which are removed from the ingot molds 12 after having been cast into the ingot molds 12 and after having reached a certain shape consistency, by means of the removal apparatus or device 56, are directly processed further to produce the semi-finished copper products 10, whereby at least part of the work pieces 15 to be directly processed further to produce semi-finished copper products 10 is processed further together with the copper cathodes 16, to produce the semi-finished copper products 10 (see also FIG. 5).

(22) The work pieces that are processed further directlyin other words bypassing electrolysis in the electrolysis bath 30to produce the semi-finished products 10 areas has been explained aboveparticularly work pieces 15 that are not suitable for introduction into the electrolysis bath 30 by the anode transport 31, as the result of a non-uniform filling process or as the result of non-uniform removal from the ingot molds and any accompanying deformation. Likewise, of course, work pieces suitable as anodes can be processed further directly, analogously.

(23) In order to process the work pieces 15 directly, bypassing electrolysis, to produce the semi-finished copper products 10, the work pieces 15 are transferred to a first interim storage unit 94 by means of a transfer device 96 of the conveying device 38. Proceeding from this position in the first interim storage unit 94, the work pieces 15 are brought to a second interim storage unit 98 by way of a gripper 90, in the direction of the further anode transport 31 and furthermore in the direction of the further bypass transport 36, bypassing the electrolysis bath 30. A further gripper 92, which is also provided for implementing the bypass transport 36, removes the work pieces 15 from the second interim storage unit 98 for the purpose of transport to the further processing device 32 (see FIG. 5).

(24) Of course, the further processing in the further processing apparatus 32, bypassing electrolysis in the electrolysis bath 30, is not restricted only to the work pieces 15 that are not suitableas was already explained abovefor transport to or introduction into the electrolysis bath 30. Cast copper anodes 14 or cast products made available, in general, by casting in the ingot molds 12, in each instance, can also be processed further directly in the further processing device 32, to produce the semi-finished copper products 10, using the bypass transport 36, bypassing electrolysis.

(25) If electrolysis is to be performed, the first gripper 90 serves for transferring the copper anode 14, in each instance, from the first interim storage unit 94 to the electrolysis bath 30. The second gripper 92 also servesif bypassing is not intendedfor removal of the copper cathode 16 made available by means of electrolysis in the electrolysis bath 30 from the electrolysis bath 30, and for the subsequent transport of the copper cathode 16 to the further processing device 32 (see FIG. 5).

(26) In the further processing device 32, part of the work pieces 15 to be processed further directly to produce the semi-finished copper products 10 are processed further together with copper cathodes 16, to produce the semi-finished copper products 10, specifically in such a manner that the work pieces 14 and the copper cathodes 16 are introduced into the furnace 64 by means of the loading apparatus 62, and there are heated to produce a molten semi-finished product material. The molten semi-finished product material is passed to the casting and holding furnace 66 and from there passed, by way of the casting channel 68 and the caster 70, to ingot processing unit 78, from where further processing takes place in the rolling mill 76. The semi-finished product material 10, which has been processed to produce wire, is collected in a helical collector 82 after it passes through a cooling section 80.

(27) During a casting procedure, the ingot molds 12 are passed to the casting apparatus 20 in cycled manner, with rotation of the ingot mold support 54. Outside of this cyclein other words, in particular, during breaks in operation, for example, during which no filling of the ingot molds 12 with molten copper takes place, a long-term coating is applied to each of the ingot molds 12, as a wash, whereby the long-term coating is configured in two layers and comprises a base layer and a working layer.

(28) The working layer is applied to the base layer after the base layer has been applied.

(29) Application takes place using the application apparatus 40, whereby for this purpose, the arm 42 having the application device 44 is sequentially moved over the ingot mold 12, in each instance, in order to sequentially spray the wash 18 onto the ingot mold 12, in each instance, by way of the nozzle 86. In this connection, the layer thickness of the wash is controlled by means of controlling the movement speed during sequential application, among other things. Supplementally, the control of the layer thickness of the wash is improved or refined in that control of the volume stream and of the pressure of the wash 18 is also undertaken, which exits from the application device 44 by way of the nozzle 86 (see FIG. 4).

(30) During application of the wash to the ingot molds 12 to form the long-term coating, the ingot molds 12 are tempered, in each instance. Tempering of the ingot molds 12 takes place using the ingot mold tempering unit of the application apparatus 40, in the form of the ingot mold heating unit 46. In this way, very precise temperature management is possible, particularly because the ingot mold tempering unit has a regulation device, not shown in any detail, for regulating the temperature that can be measured by the ingot mold thermometer 48.

(31) To achieve a very durable and operationally reliable long-term coating, each of the ingot molds 12 is tempered in such a manner that the base layer is applied with tempering of the ingot molds 12 to between 105 C. and 115 C., and that the working layer is applied with tempering of the ingot molds 12 to below 180 C.

(32) Although only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing form the spirit and scope of the invention.