Aluminium Cast House Technology conference a success despite financial crisis

CAST CRC has reported on the 2009 Aluminium Cast House Technology conference, which ran from 13 to 16 September. The organisers say the global financial crisis impacted heavily on the aluminium industry, and they were forced to consider whether to postpone the event. However, it decided to push ahead and rally support for the aluminium industry. The conference saw 144 delegates from 22 countries. Twenty exhibitors participated including suppliers of strapping and packaging equipment, safety clothing, cast iron components, casting and furnace equipment, crucible treatment systems and dross processing technology. Attendees came from smelters, major engineering companies, research groups, and recyclers. On the Sunday prior to the conference, there was a short course on wheel and belt casting. The course covered topics such as the latest in safety clothing, direct chill casting, open mould ingot casting, the new Properzi track and belt casting process, furnace and refractories. There was a focus on furnace energy efficiency and cost reduction through good practice and new technology such as melt stirring technology. Melt quality topics including rising nickel levels, inclusions coming from alloy additions, and new filtration technology. On 15 September, the CSIRO Light Metals flagship launched a new research cluster, the 'breakthrough technologies for primary aluminium' cluster. On 17 September, after the conference, Boyne Smelters hosted a plant tour of their smelter. Reports about the smelter tour were overwhelmingly positive. According to CAST CRC, initial conference feedback has been very positive and most delegates are keen to return in 2011.