Hydraulic ladle tilting mechanism (cylinder-driven pouring unit)

01

Set the tilt range, pouring rate and control

Jinan Hydeb's transfer ladle tilting unit pours molten aluminium from a transfer ladle into a furnace. It consists of a base, a turning frame and a lifting mechanism, takes ladles of 5 to 14.5 t, tilts through 0–70° with the angle displayed, and pours at 0 to 4 t/min. Control is by buttons on the hydraulic station cabinet or a remote hand controller on a trailing cable, and the ladle can be held at any position within the stroke. [1]

Hydeb says the hydraulic tilter removes the need to keep the ladle hanging from a crane during pouring, along with the uncontrolled turning and splashing that can come with it, and lets the operator pour from a distance; tilting speed and angle are adjustable and the unit needs no special foundation. [1] Editorial calculation: at the maximum 4 t/min, a full 14.5 t ladle takes at least 14.5 / 4 ≈ 3.6 minutes to empty. [1]

Editorial note: the pouring rate depends on the lip geometry and tilt speed together; ask how the control relates tilt speed to pour rate as the ladle empties and the centre of gravity moves, and whether the unit can stop and reverse instantly.

Give the supplier the metal and pouring temperature, ladle type, full and empty mass and centre of gravity, trunnion or pivot position, required tilt angle and pour rate, receiving furnace or mould height, control location and mode (local, remote, automatic), power supply, the hydraulic fluid required by the plant and the safety functions for power or hose failure.

02

Hold the load with counterbalance valves on the cylinders

Danfoss's motion control valve catalogue describes counterbalance (overcenter) valves as pilot-assisted relief valves with an integral bypass check that stop a load running away, hold it in position and, mounted on or in the actuator, protect against hose failure. It states that the relief function should be set at 1.3 times the maximum load-induced pressure so the load is held if a hose fails, and that the pilot pressure needed to open the valve is the relief setting minus the induced load pressure, divided by the pilot ratio. [2]

The same catalogue lists pilot ratios such as 3:1, 4.5:1 and 8:1 for its overcenter valves and notes that back pressure in the valve port adds to the relief setting by a factor of the pilot ratio plus 1. [2] Editorial calculation: if a tilted ladle produces 120 bar in the cylinder, the valve is set to at least 1.3 × 120 = 156 bar; opening it then needs about (156 − 120) / 3 = 12 bar of pilot pressure at a 3:1 ratio, or (156 − 120) / 8 ≈ 4.5 bar at 8:1. [2]

Editorial note: the load-induced pressure changes through the tilt as the ladle's centre of gravity moves relative to the pivot; ask the supplier for the cylinder force curve over the full angle and the highest pressure it reaches.

03

Choose a fire-resistant hydraulic fluid near molten metal

Repsol's Telex HFC is a water-glycol fire-resistant hydraulic fluid for replacing mineral oil in systems with high fire risk, designed for the metallurgy industry. It contains about 37% water, is meant for systems where the fluid does not exceed 60 °C, and meets ISO 6743/4 HFC, ISO 12922 HFC and the 7th Luxembourg Protocol, passing the ISO 15029-1 spray ignition and ISO 14935 flame spread tests. [3]

Repsol warns that loss of water raises viscosity and that deionised water has to be added to recover the fluid's properties; its typical values are ISO grade 46, 46 cSt at 40 °C, density 1.080 g/cm³ and pour point −48 °C. [3] Editorial note: a water-glycol fluid changes the choice of pump, seals and filters compared with mineral oil, so state the fluid at enquiry stage and ask the supplier to confirm the power unit is rated for it and that the reservoir stays below the fluid's temperature limit.

04

A casthouse maker's aluminium transfer-ladle tilter, and the data to ask for

The linked listing is a casthouse equipment maker offering a tilting unit for molten-aluminium transfer ladles. Ask for the ladle range, tilt angle, pour rate, cylinder and valve arrangement, hydraulic fluid and control mode.

05

Tilting frame, cylinders, counterbalance valves, power unit, fire-resistant fluid and pendant

06

Ladle mass, tilt angle, pour rate and relief setting for a hydraulic ladle tilter

Give the full ladle mass with metal: the counterbalance relief setting is derived from the load-induced pressure, at 1.3 times its maximum. [2]

07

Send the ladle, pour and safety needs together

Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.

Ladle: [type; full and empty mass; centre of gravity; pivot]
Pour: [metal; temperature; tilt angle; pour rate]
Hydraulics: [pressure; counterbalance valves; fluid class]
Control: [local; remote; automatic; angle display]
Safety: [hose failure; power failure; emergency stop]
Site: [power supply; space; foundation]
Documents: [cylinder force curve; hydraulic circuit]

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