Up to 20% in lubricant costs saved
To produce aluminium products, manufacturers use special equipment with unique maintenance requirements. Regular control and use of appropriate lubricants are therefore top priorities at Alcoa-Köfém’s Székesfehérvár plant. The emulsion used for hot rolling is not a standard lubricant; it was specifically developed for the unique requirements of this particular rolling mill. MOL Lubricants Division (MOL-LUB Ltd) has supplied this rolling emulsion since 1997 and regular technical cooperation and fine tuning of the lubricant’s formula to meet changing requirements has ensured continued optimum performance.
„In cooperation with experts from MOL-LUB Ltd, we now use a special rolling emulsion which enables us to fulfil our customers’ diverse requirements from our wide range of products in a cost-efficient manner. In this way, we are also assured of cost-efficient operations in the future.”
Zoltán Gedő, Head of Rolling Process Development,
Alcoa-Köfém Ltd.
Alcoa, the world leader in raw and processed aluminium production owns a light metal production plant located in Székesfehérvár, Hungary. Since the company’s main activity is aluminium hot rolling, using the right emulsion, i.e. oil in water type two phase fluid, is vitally important. During the rolling process it is the emulsion that controls temperature, protects working and back-up rolls from overheating and ensures the optimum temperature required for aluminium rolling, that is to say above recrystallization temperature of a minimum 350°C.
The emulsion has a considerable effect on friction-lubrication formed between the rolls’ surface and the rolled material. This ensures optimum conditions for both gripping and continuous rolling. To perform perfectly, this multi-purpose two-phase fluid system has been developed to meet very specific requirements.
In the company’s Székesfehérvár plant, the minimum quantity of rolling emulsion required by the production process is 140,000 litres. The liquid additive concentrate for this huge quantity of emulsion is supplied by MOL-LUB Ltd. All product development necessary has been carried out in close cooperation with the rolling mill’s experts. Technological requirements have become stricter year by year, and the formula of the hot rolling emulsion has been successfully adjusted accordingly. The result of years of meticulous research and development is the MOL Emroll AHR 50/135 formula used today, which is the improved version of previously used products and provides improved lubrication with lower ash content.
This development has resulted in cleaner emulsion and improved surface finish of the rolled aluminium. With its improved lubrication characteristics, this formula permits savings of approximately 20% of the amount of lubricant required.
Data sheet
COMPANY:
Alcoa-Köfém Kft
INDUSTRY:
aluminium industry
APPLICATION:
aluminium hot rolling
PRODUCT:
MOL Emroll AHR 50/135
SERVICE:
tailor-made lubricant development
