ONE OF KERRICK'S MORE UNIQUE CUSTOM JETTER BUILDS...
Kerrick was recently commissioned by New Zealand’s Aluminium Smelter (NZAS) to build a high pressure pumping system to remove the crust build up from the aluminium processing potshells, as the system they had commissioned in 1993 was due for retirement.
Using alumina, electricity and carbon NZAS turns alumina into aluminium in what is commonly known as the Hall-Heroult process. Shipping alumina from Australia to their smelter at Tiwai Point in Southland for processing, they use an electro-chemical reaction to reduce the alumina into aluminium and oxygen, which are then separated.
The Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter produces the highest purity aluminium in the world used for critical applications in many sectors, including electronics, IT, aerospace, and bright-finish sectors, in diverse applications such as Airbus A380, to window frames, ladders and alloy wheels.
The pots used to refine and separate the aluminium from the oxygen have an average life span of between 1980 to 2500 days, after which they are removed from production and refurbished. NZAS has 672 pots, with around 610 currently in operation. The Potshells are arranged into 4 lines, Potlines 1, 2 and 3 have 208 pots on each line, while Line 4 has 48.
During the refining process a thick crust builds up on the inside of the pot. This crust is removed during the refurbishment process using a specialist high pressure cleaning system. The system Kerrick provided runs a Hughes HPS1000 pump operating at a powerful 8700 psi with a flow of 64 l/min and is coupled to a 165 HP Perkins engine. The pump system is connected to a digger which is lifted into a potshell for cleaning. The digger has a hydraulic boom fitted with a two jet Barracuda nozzle from StoneAge which is ideal for surface preparation work of this nature.
The pressure cleaner is fitted with a larger 400L fuel tank that allows the machine to run for longer, without having to be removed from the cleaning area and taken to a fuel station. The entire system is also encapsulated in a protective steel skid/frame that has been galvanized and the powder coated to provide extra protection for the corrosive, salty winds common around the smelter due to its coastal location.
Kerrick are the sole agents for Hughes Pumps in New Zealand and have the ability to design, fabricate and install units to meet various industry standards, from aviation through to hazardous materials. For more information on this Hughes Pump build for the smelter or to discuss a custom project of your own contact us via the website or call us on 0800 253 774 (0800 2 KERRICK).
Watch a demonstration of the high pressure system quickly and effectively blasting crust from the walls of a potshell in the video below.
The customised ultra high pressure digger inside a potshell blasting away the crust.
The Hughes HPS1000 Pump built into a custom ultra high pressure jetter.