Melting Plant

Three electric induction melting furnaces are used to melt up to 950 t/d of zinc cathode sheets. The molten zinc is then discharged through four small alloying furnaces in which alloying metals are added to adjust the chemical specifications to match customers' orders.

Seven casting facilities are available to produce 25-kg slabs, 1000-kg jumbos, 11-kg die cast slabs and C-cast jumbos, which are unique to Cominco. The C-cast jumbo casting machine consists of two small molds that make two void-free six-metre long logs that can be sawn into lengths to meet a customer-required weight. Close weight to length tolerance and unique shape for ease of handling are maintained with the C-cast blocks.

In the picture below, an operator casts refined zinc into 1000-kg jumbo ingots at the jumbo casting line.