Technical design of aluminium scrap processing machines by utilizing direct exhaust air using conveyor drying system

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to technically design an aluminium scrap processing machine by utilizing the direct exhaust hot air using a conveyor drying system. The automotive parts manufacturing industries use aluminium, a material that requires large amounts of energy for processing. As a result waste heat energy and scrap aluminium are produced – both could be used for savings and efficiencies. One option is utilizing exhaust hot air for the drying process of scrap material for reprocessing. The technical design of the machine follows four steps: analysing the production flow; calculating the potential energy of utilizing the exhaust hot air; designing the exhaust air utilization system for the washing and drying system; analysing the energy savings and the additional techno-economic value added from the system to reprocess the scrap aluminium chips and powder. Our analysis suggests the core melting process still uses 50% of raw material from ingot, but the other 50% from scrap (20% dry scrap briquettes and 30% dry scrap solids). The added value of the design is the material cost savings from the difference between the selling price of unprocessed scrap material and the price of the raw material purchased.

Keywords

• energy efficiency
• energy conservation
• waste heat
• flue gas utilization
• material cost savings
• automotive parts industry.