Ironically, while our respective headquarters are a few hundred kilometers away, GAP Engineering SA and Atherm started to collaborate upon an encounter in the USA. We built on our complementary expertise in Aluminum and matching excellence and client-oriented working ethos. Together, we developed an innovative solution for continuous slabs and billets casting. While securing the process for the machines and the operators, that solution also provides a decarbonization option. We chatted with Julien Valloton , co-owner, CEO, and sales officer of GAP Engineering SA about this long-standing collaboration that started in 2015 and its outcomes.
With its wide expertise in industrial systems, GAP Engineering SA offers its customers an extensive range of products and services. Aluminum casting and energy management are among the company’s core specializations, allowing you to supply tailored, yet turnkey installations. You share with Atherm the aluminum expertise. Tell us more about the beginning of your collaboration. How did it start?
We met Atherm in 2015, during the first Aluminium USA congress in Detroit, Michigan, 6,800 km from our headquarters in Valais. From the very start, it was clear that we shared the same global entrepreneurial vision and the intention to resolve problems that industrials deal with. So, we decided to work together since we had quickly identified a specific topic where Atherm’s expertise completed ours to solve a problem. That’s how our collaboration started, targeting a preheating system for Aluminium vertical slabs and billets casting machines and offering a decarbonization lever for this industry.
How has your collaboration evolved?
Atherm’s team’s know-how and competencies were instrumental in finding a solution that meets the needs of our clients, aluminum producers from around the globe. Our collaboration went through several phases, starting with the initial design, through the development phase, up to the industrial phase, and the necessary following continuous improvement. Despite the challenges, our partnership was and still is a true asset for GAP Engineering SA and our clients. Today, we efficiently address the Aluminum industry needs with reliable products, compliant with the strictest industrial standards.
Let’s go a step further. Can we detail an example of your collaboration?
Vertical continuous casting is a risky operation for both the equipment and the operators. Securing the safety of the latter is an absolute priority. Distancing the operators from the danger is the first thing to be done. To achieve this, the casting machine should be equipped with precise sensors, reactive actuators, and starting tools. All these need to be able to manage the process without human intervention as part of an automated process. This sets the way for the hand-free-casting. However, difficult starts are often due to inadequate thermal management, the metal on the far end of the dispatcher becoming solid because of a low starting flow. Controlling the preheating –of the launder, the heating pins, and the spout– is thus essential to guarantee continuous casting. Together, we developed a specific pre-heating system for the spout that guarantees a homogenous, over 300°C temperature, in the system and thus lowers the risk of metal freezing. Combined with the furnace for pins preheating, this system provides easy-to-set and efficient thermal conditions. Our solution combines several advantages while being reliable, cost-effective, low-maintenance, and requiring few and affordable spare parts.
How would you describe your decades-long collaboration?
GAP Engineering’s collaboration with Atherm for the Aluminum industry sector is rewarding. We appreciate a lot Atherm’s dedication and constant commitment to excellence. We look forward to working together again on new challenges that would bring innovations to our clients.
Image by GAP Engineering SA