Innovative Vacuum Solution Cuts Energy use by up to 90 Percent

Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum's (Germany) vacuum solution has recently received a steel degassing order. JAILAXMI CASTING & ALLOYS, an Indian steel producer, have been persuaded by the innovative systems and redundant components. "The new system offers the right parameters to significantly reduce energy costs while at the same time being designed to guarantee a stable production process," explains Inamdar Shrikant, Regional Sales Manager for India.

Dissolved gases can be absorbed in molten metals and potentially have a harmful effect on metal during the process. To help remove these gases and purify the metal, secondary metallurgic treatment is undertaken using a vacuum. Recently Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum created a vacuum solution for this reason and has resulted in successful installations around the world within the steel treatment industry. Leybold's vacuum system has been developed to reach the tough demands placed on steelworks. Using a modern vacuum system for this process step instead of relying on traditional steam-jet techniques can reduce energy consumption by up to 90 percent.

The order received from JAILAXMI CASTING & ALLOYS is for a compact mechanical vacuum system for a 35-ton tank degasser. This will include the series of RUVAC WH7000 pumps and the dry screw pump DRYVAC DV1200. These pumps have been chosen as they are perfect for areas that create high levels of dust an steam and also require very little maintenance.

The large majority of dry compressing pumps with this pumping speed require almost 20 kW during normal operation. In contrast, the DRYVAC DV1200 uses only 14 kW. Because it only uses two different standard pumps, users benefit from shorter delivery times and greater availability of replacement pumps when service is required. Moreover, because the pumps work in parallel, operations continue and output remains largely unchanged in the event that one individual pump fails - unlike with traditional mechanical systems using one large roots pump.

The new order has increased Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum's market share in strategically important areas. The company's systems are already in use in steelworks in Germany, Italy and China, where batches of up to 120 tons are treated. "This order from India is a positive sign that Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum's vacuum systems are considered efficient and sustainable by the steel market. It also demonstrates the company's successful entry into a strategically important growth market," said Dr. Martin Füllenbach, CEO of Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum.

For VIM (vacuum induction melting) and VID processes (vacuum induction degassing), Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum provides compact and robust fore-vacuum systems which incorporate modern dry compressing screw pumps and roots pumps as well as fuel pumps such as oil steam jet pumps and diffusion pumps. These pumps have been optimized in terms of output, size and cost and are equipped with the latest control systems.

An Austrian customer who has just installed Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum oil steam ejector pumps into the company's VIDP system and exchanged two oil-sealed rotary piston pumps for dry runners expresses his all-round satisfaction: "We have never achieved such a good working vacuum so quickly and are therefore very happy with the output of the new OB pump system. The new dry runners have made an excellent impression too. They save a lot of space, reduce maintenance costs and are more robust in general. They also create a cleaner working environment. Over time we intend to replace all our rotary piston pumps with DRYVAC pumps."