Pneumatic Systems

for the Primary

Aluminum Industry
Bulletin AU03-ALUM/NA

Parker Hannifin
The No.1 Supplier of Pneumatics to the
Worlds Aluminum Smelters
Parker Hannifin has more then 80,000 cylinders in operation in the worlds leading smelters. Our experience in the
aluminum industry goes back to 1968.
Parker equips machinery in all phases of aluminum
production, including smelters, casters and extruders,
grinders, rolling mills, processing lines, and a broad array of
fabrication equipment.
We understand the special demands of the primary aluminum
industryhigh temperatures, strong magnetic fields, electrical
arcing, abrasive environmentsand we have the answers.
Our pneumatic and electromechanical technologies deliver
repeatability, accuracy, and rugged dependability for high
volume production requirements.

Worldwide Organization of
Application Specialists

Wherever you are, youre close to a Parker Application Specialist with a technical background
not only in pneumatics but also in the specific demands of the Aluminum Industry, ready to
assist you in finding the optimal solution.

Specialized Product Development

Our product development is matched to the harsh environment
found in reduction cells.
Special attention has been paid to:
High-temperature environments
Heavy, dust-laden atmospheres
Abrasive environments
Strong magnetic fields
Mechanical damage

Parker Fulfills the Demands

of the Market
With our continuous development in close cooperation with
the worlds leading technology suppliers, we offer the
market the most up-to-date, specially designed products
with the following basic features:
Standard High Temperatures
- Continuously +150 C (300 F)
- Intermittent
+200 C (390 F)
No additional lubrication
Effectively sealed against dust (alumina)
Maintenance free operation > five years
Service life of 20 years

One-Stop Shopping
Parker Hannifin is the worlds leading manufacturer of
motion and control components and systems such as
pneumatic cylinders, valves, air-preparation units,
pneumatic fittings, and hoses. Parker Pneumatic also
provides unrivalled expertise and experience in the
design, manufacture and supply of high quality
products to the Primary Aluminum Industry.
Operating from over 210 locations worldwide and with
800 product lines for pneumatic, hydraulic, and
electro-mechanical applications, Parker serves more
than 1200 markets. No single competitor presents as
broad a product range, or offers such a diversity of
application experience.

Crust Breaker Cylinder

The C40 Crust Breaker cylinder is designed to meet the harsh environment in an aluminum reduction
pot, with normal working temperatures up to +150C (300F) and intermittent temperatures up to
+200C (390F) that may occur by anode effects or during the start up of a pot.
Options available for Breaker Cylinder:
Built-on valves
Mechanical latch
End position indication
- Pneumatic
- Electrical
Electrical sensing of the bath
Electrical insulation
Energy-saving function

Bearings on the piston rod and the piston are made of

self-lubricating PTFE reinforced material with graphite
(piston) and bronze (piston rod) for side-load performance.
All bearing materials are electrically non-conductive.
Special attention was given to the scraper ring function.
Two different options are available:
1. A higher temperature-resistant, self-lubricating
PTFE scraper ring provides the optimum solution for
the crustbreaking cylinders.
2. For applications where the cylinder is exposed to
extreme temperatures or heavy polluted air, the
cylinder can be equipped with a metallic rod wiper in
combination with a PTFE scraper ring.

Specification for materials

End cover:
Cylinder barrel:
Piston:
Tie rod:
Piston rod:
Bearings
Piston:
Piston rod:
Seals:
Scraper ring:

Aluminum, black anodized

Aluminum, anodized
Aluminum, anodized
Steel, zinc-plated
Steel, hard-chromium plated
PTFE reinforced with graphite
PTFE reinforced with bronze
Fluorocarbon
PTFE combined with Fluorocarbon, or metallic-rod
wiper combined with a PTFE scraper ring.

Performance Data
Double-acting cylinder according to ISO 6431 with adjustable
cushioning at both ends.
Bore mm:
100
125
160
200
Piston-rod diameter mm:
32
32/40
40/50
40/50/70
Stroke:
According to requirement from the client
Connection ports BSP or NPT:
"
"
"
"
Maximum working pressure:
10 Bar (145 PSI)
Temperature range
Working temperature:
+150C (+300F)
Max. intermittent temperature: +200C (+390F)

The cylinders are designed to operate in a

point feeder on an aluminum reduction cell
for five years without repair or maintenance.

Intelligent Crust Breaker

Our Intelligent Crustbreaker cylinder saves up to

70% in compressed air based on proven
technology from the C40 series. A complete
working unit determines:
If the crust is broken
If the chisel has left the bath
If the cylinder is fully retracted
If there is air leakage
The maintenance-free service life of an Intelligent
Crustbreaker cylinder corresponds to life of the
cathode.
More than 10,000 cylinders have been in operation
since 1997.

What does this mean for a smelter

with 1000 crustbreaker cylinders?

Bore:
200 mm / 8 inches
Stroke:
500 mm / 20 inches
Pressure: 7 bar / 100 psi

Breaking every 2 minutes.

The normal annual air consumption is
66 million m3 / 2.3 billion ft3

Air consumption diagram

With an air saving of 65 - 70%, approx.

45 million m3 / 1.6 billion ft3

can be saved.
What is the potential saving in
YOUR smelter?

Check YOUR annual savings at www.parker.com/euro_pneumatic

Click on Applications/Primary Aluminum

Feeder Cylinder
The C40 Feeder cylinder is designed to
operate in a point feeder on an aluminum
reduction cell for five years without repair
or maintenance.
Special attention is given to the function of
Viton scraper ring.

Specification for materials

End cover:
Cylinder barrel:
Piston:
Tie rod:
Piston rod:
Bearings:
Seals:
Scraper ring:

Aluminum, black-anodized
Aluminum, anodized
Aluminum, anodized
Integrated
Steel, hard-chromium plated
PTFE reinforced with graphite
Fluorocarbon
Fluorocarbon

Performance Data
Double-acting cylinder according to ISO 6431 with adjustable
cushioning at both ends.
Bore mm:
40
50
63
80
Piston rod diameter mm:
16
20
20
25
Stroke:
According to requirement from the client
3
3
/8"
/8"
Connection ports BSP or NPT:
"
"
Maximum working pressure:
10 Bar (145 PSI)
Temperature range
Working temperature:
+150C (+300F)
Max. intermittent temperature:
+200C (+390F)

Control Valve VF45

The VF45 valve is specially design for
applications in the aluminum industry.
Resistant to high temperatures and sealed
against dust, the valve design is of a poppetseat type for non-lube operation. All materials
are non-magnetic to avoid jeopardizing
function under the influence of strong
magnetic fields.

Specification for materials

Control valve
Valve body:
End caps:
Internal parts:
Seals:
Bearings, Glide rings:
Spring:
Lubricant:

Aluminum
Aluminum
Aluminum
Fluorocarbon
Dynamic O-Rings with Glide rings
PTFE reinforced with graphite
Stainless steel
Graphite powder with silicon oil

Solenoid valve
Valve body:
Coil:
Plunge:
Cable connector:
Base:

Duroplastic epoxy resin, non-organic reinforcement

Copper wire coated with W200 acc. to DIN 46416
Stainless steel, low magnetic
Polyamid plastics
Brass

Subbase, interface ISO 5599/1 size 4

Subbase
Aluminum

Performance Data
Control valve
Directional control valve 5-port, 2-way valve of poppet type.
Maximum working pressure:
10 Bar (145 PSI)
Minimum signal pressure:
3,5 Bar (50 PSI).
For el. actuated valves minimum
working pressure:
3,5 Bar (50 PSI)
Temperature range (air actuated valve)
Working temperature:
+150C (300F)
Max. Intermittent temperature:
+200C (390F)
Temperature range (el. actuated valve)
Working temperature:
+120C (250F)
Max. Intermittent temperature:
+160C (320F)
Flow capacity:
3.000 Lit. / min. at 6 Bar (87 PSI) and
1 Bar (14.5 PSI) pressure drop
Medium:
Air, non lubricated 15
Operating environment:
Heavy alumina dust atmosphere
Strong magnetic fields
Solenoid valve
Protection class:
Voltage:

IP 65
Available in all common AC and DC voltages

Subbase, interface ISO 5599/1 size 4

Connection ports:

BSP or NPT ", BSP or NPT "

The control valve may be simply removed

from the ISO Size 4 subbase without
disconnecting any pipework to cylinder, air
supply or exhaust. The valve is available with
air or electrical actuation and spring return.
VF45 valves are designed to operate for five
years without additional lubrication or
maintenance with an operating frequency for
each control valve of a maximum 600 cycles
during a 24-hour period.

Air Preparation
Air-preparation plays a central role in pneumatic
installations. In fact, it is the key factor for trouble-free
operation. Air-preparation units filter out all damaging
particles down to the smallest contaminants. Dust,
rust particles, and condensation residue are examples of contaminants that might otherwise wear
out moving parts prematurely, shortening service life.
The air preparation system also ensures correctly
regulated air pressure and downstream lubrication
when necessary.
The Prep-Air II FRL family of air preparation offers a
wide selection of products, port sizes, combinations,
and accessories for the efficient control of
compressed air. Whether its units for personal
breathing sets, standard combos for machine
builders, or sophisticated factory-ring mains, these
product ranges can provide the designer or machine
builder with the ideal solution to virtually any airpreparation application.

Fluid Connectors & Hoses

The leaders in dry technology for the fluid power
industry, the Parker Fluid Connectors Group is your
single source for high-quality tube fittings, pressure
hose and hose fittings, thermoplastic tubing, brass
fittings and valves, quick-disconnect couplings, and
assembly tools. Products are available for shipment
24 hours a day, and are supported by 49 manufacturing facilities throughout the world, a global
distribution network, and 25 company-owned
stocking service centers.
We offer a wide range of fittings and non-conductive
hoses used in all the major aluminum smelters all
over the world.

References in the
Aluminum Industry

Parker Hannifin
Sales Offices

Alcan

Argentina - Buenos Aires

Tel: +54 11 4752
Fax: +54 11 4752

UAE - Abu Dhabi

Tel: +971 2 678 8587
Fax: +971 2 679 3812

Australia - Castle Hill

Tel: +61 2 9634 7777
Fax: +61 2 9899 6184

New Zealand - Auckland

Tel: +64 9 574 1744
Fax: +64 9 573 0475

Brazil - Jacarei
Tel: +55 12 355 1000
Fax: +55 12 355 1010

Netherlands - Oldenzaal
Tel: +31 541 585000
Fax: +31 541 585459

Canada - Montreal
Tel: +1 514 684 3000
Fax: +1 514 684 4191

Norway - Langhus
Tel: +47 64 911000
Fax: +47 64 911090

China - Beijing
Tel: +86 10 6561 0520
Fax: +86 10 6561 0256

Poland - Warsaw
Tel: +48 22 863 49 42
Fax: +48 22 863 49 44

England - Cannock
Tel: +44 1543 456000
Fax: +44 1543 456001

Russia - Moscow
Tel: +7 095 234 0054
Fax: +7 095 234 0528

Finland - Vantaa
Tel: +358 9 476 731
Fax: +358 9 4767 3200

South Africa - Kempton Park

Tel: +27 11 961 0700
Fax: +27 11 392 7213

France - Evreux
Tel: +33 820 825 239
Fax: +33 820 029 870

Spain - Madrid
Tel: +34 91 675 73 00
Fax: +34 91 675 77 11

Germany - Mettmann
Tel: +49 2104 137-0
Fax: +49 2104 137-500

Sweden - Ulricehamn
Tel: +46 321 675700
Fax: +46 321 675604

Hungary - Budapest
Tel: +36 1 220 4155
Fax: +36 1 422 1525

Switzerland
Tel: +41 32 365 37 11
Fax: +41 32 365 37 30

India - Mumbai
Tel: +91 22 577 1671
Fax: +91 22 629 0009

Venezuela - Puerto Ordaz

Tel: +58 86 511236 / 512687
Fax: +58 86 510870

Alcoa
Alesa
Alusuisse
Comalco
Dubal
Egyptalum
Elkem
Hydro Aluminum
Kaiser
Pechiney
Reynolds
Sumitomo
VAMI
VAW

Italy - Milan
Tel: +39 02 451921
Fax: +39 02 4479340

Parker Hannifin Corporation

Actuator Division
135 Quadral Drive
Wadsworth, OH 44281
Tel: (330) 336-3511
Fax: (330) 334-3335
www.parker.com/actuator
e-mail: [email protected]

Bulletin AU03-ALUM/NA
200 12/04 GL