Talum expands aluminum extrusion billet production

Talum d.d. based in the Slovenian town of Kidričevo has ordered a continuous homogenizing furnace and a helical ultrasonic testing station from Hertwich.

The new plant will start operation in July 2018 and will almost double the homogenizing capacity of the group.

Founded in 1942, Talum started operating a newly built electrolysis in 1954, which was expanded continuously in the following years. The production has since been modernized and the product range expanded. One of the most important – and expanding – product lines of the Group are aluminum extrusion billets.

The semi-finished product range includes standard AlMgSi alloys. For the homogenization of these materials, the continuous homogenizing furnace, developed by Hertwich, offers a number of advantages. Compared to the conventional batch furnace, one of the salient features of the continuous process is the fact that each individual billet is heated uniformly and identically. Quality fluctuations within a batch or even across the billet cross-section are thereby excluded. From the economic point of view, the continuous process has the advantage of a completely automated work-flow.

Talum had already installed an aluminum continuous homogenizing and sawing line from Hertwich in 1996. When an expansion of the homogenizing capacity became necessary, the contract was awarded to Hertwich again.

The new furnace with a capacity of 40,000 tons per year will be integrated in the existing plant. One of the benefits of this is that the already existing saw can be used. Furthermore, a helical ultrasonic testing station as well as the additionally required handling equipment, magazines and safety devices are included in the scope of supply.

Today the Talum Group ranks among the most important European aluminum companies. In 2016, the company had an annual turnover of around 300 million Euros with 1,300 employees and the annual production volume totalled to approx. 147,000 tons.

source: SMS group