Increased Quality

1. By having a consistently reliable crucible to produce the weld metal, we drastically increase the reliability of the weld, mainly thanks to the fact that the thermal balance of the aluminothermic reaction is always the same. We can then insure consistent tapping temperatures, which is one of the quality parameters for aluminothermic welding as for any steel production process. Tapping times at different temperatures due to the thimble having to be set in a reusable crucible also disappear.
2. By decreasing the height between the bottom of the crucible and the upper surface of the diverter plug, we have greatly reduced the erosion of this diverter plug and therefore enhanced the cleanliness of the weld.
3. By suppressing any mechanical movement on the top of the well pre-aligned rails, we facilitate the achievement of a narrow range of results on the finished welds for vertical alignment. This has been verified on the TGV lines, were 100% of the welds are now done using this process.