As part of an extensive investment program for 2004, the Corus Group has placed an order with Austrian heat treatment specialist Ebner Industrieofenbau for the supply, installation and commissioning of a HICON® batch-type furnace facility. The furnace will be used to homogenize aluminum ingots at the company’s Koblenz Works.

The facility is designed for charges up to 190 tonnes (209 US tons). The highest possible heating-up rates and narrowest possible temperature tolerances, along with the extremely low fuel gas expenditures provided by the central recuperator, are the hallmarks of this furnace concept.

A second order was also placed for an electrically-heated Hicon batch-type furnace facility, to age and anneal-to-temper aluminum plates with lengths up to 26 meters (85 feet, 4 inches). The new design will allow for subsequent extension of the facility with three heating zones. Special design features will allow temperature tolerances of ± 1°K to be achieved at the end of the heating-up time.

In both cases the scope of supply includes an electrical control system for facility operation and process visualization, as well as a charger for shifting production material to and from the furnace facility and holding areas.

The two facilities will go into operation in September 2004 and March 2005, respectively.