Aleazin S.A. de C.V. chose Inductotherm Corp. to supply a new, 60-metric ton cathode melting furnace for its plant in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. The new furnace will replace a smaller-capacity unit that will be retired.
Aleazin is an operating division of a division of Industrias Peñoles S.A.B. de C.V., one of Mexico’s largest mining companies, and its largest producer of gold, zinc, lead, and silver. Aleazin processes of specialty alloys.
Inductotherm will supply two VIP®-I™ power supplies, five inductors, a water-cooling system, bus and water lead connections. The contractor will perform start-up services, too.
Aleazin S.A. de C.V. plans to retain two VIP-I units already in place and powering its existing furnace.
Among the numerous melting systems that Inductotherm Corp. supplies are cathode melting furnaces, which are used in zinc and zinc alloy melting. It is one of 40 companies in the Inductotherm Group, which manufactures a range of thermal processing products and supplies related engineering and service.
Zinc ore is refined by a process called electrowinning, in which current is passed through a solution containing the unrefined metal. This initiates an electroplating process, with the primary zinc attaching to a cathode in an electroplating action. Then, the cathodes can be melted to produce zinc ingots.
At Aleazin, the new Inductotherm cathode furnace will start operation during the third quarter of this year.