Originally installed at the former Alcan Aluminium Valais - Steg smelter in Switzerland in 2004, VHE's anode hole reamer is a pneumatically driven system. The anode is moved to a vertical aspect and the holes are cleaned, the reaming heads automatically locating the holes.
The anode is then translated horizontally and pushed through the anode face cleaner by a hydraulic ram where fixed diagonal hardened steel scraper blades clean the major faces. Concurrently, a series of brushes clean the vertical ends and all chamfers.
As the cleaned anode exits the scraper area, it is blasted with air to remove all loose coke, before finally exiting the machine on a roller conveyor. Waste coke is discharged to a screw conveyor below the machine.
Picture: Anode cleaner