Eishin Takahashi, President of Zmag America, leads Zmag’s international activities and steers the strategic direction of its magnetic engineering technology. With a strong background in software and business development, including leadership roles at Preview Systems and Aladdin Knowledge Systems, Eishin brings global expertise in technology transfer and innovation. He holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, along with degrees in Economics and Mechanical Engineering.

In an interview for “American Aluminium Industry: The Path Forward” e-Magazine, Eishin Takahashi stated that the future of aluminium recycling hinges on advanced magnetic engineering solutions that enhance efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and support a sustainable supply chain.

AL Circle: Zmag’s MagStir™, Typhoon™, and MagPump™ technologies are used in aluminium casthouses globally. How have US aluminium producers responded to magnet-based stirring versus traditional mechanical methods? \

Eishin Takahashi: The majority of US aluminium producers still use mechanical pumps in their sidewall furnaces. Some use EMS (Electro Magnetic stirrer) and EMP (Electro Magnetic pump). Zmag’s solutions are fundamentally very different from mechanical pumps, EMS, and EMP, because Zmag solutions are powered by zPMC™ (Zmag PERMANENT Magnetic Circuit) technology. The Permanent magnetic stirrer for molten aluminium was not available until Zmag invented this technology. Although many Zmag solutions are now in operation around the globe, the biggest hurdle continues to be (1) US aluminium producers are not familiar with Zmag, and (2) Globally, aluminium producers tend to be conservative and feel more comfortable with equipment and processes they are already familiar with. However, once US aluminium producers install a Zmag solution, they quickly see the benefits and become confident in Zmag’s magnetic engineering. This explains why most of Zmag customers run multiple number of Zmag products. 

AL Circle: As the US industry deploys advanced scrap and billet remelting, what role does your technology play in enabling higher scrap content and cleaner melt quality in US aluminium supply chains? 

Eishin Takahashi: In order to increase melt efficiency of scrap, billets, etc., promoting heat exchange between charged materials and molten aluminium becomes very important. The larger the flow rate/volume is, the higher the heat exchange is. Zmag’s solutions are designed to quietly and gently move a lot of molten aluminium and minimise dross generation. 

Traditional stirring technologies such as mechanical pumps and EMP move molten aluminium in a relatively small cross-section/ area at high velocity, which will often break the surface of molten metal, leading to dross generation. Zmag’s solutions (e.g., MagStir, MagPump), on the other hand, are intentionally designed to move a large cross-section/area of molten metal at a relatively slow velocity. Typical large mechanical pumps and EMP can move about 15T (33,000LB) to 20T (44,000LB) of molten aluminium per minute, whereas Zmag’s MagStir can move over 90T (198,000LB) per minute with 10kW per hour of electricity. 

Typhoon chip melter/scrap submerger/ alloyer offers a recovery rate of over 99 per cent with no consumable parts and downtime. Good heat exchange is critical as aluminium producers increase recycling contents, and if so, it is ideal to achieve that goal while minimising dross generation. By doing so, higher recycling and molten aluminium quality can be achieved.

AL Circle: With emissions regulations tightening, how are American aluminium operators valuing electrified and contactless furnace solutions, especially when weighed against installation costs and retrofit challenges? 

Eishin Takahashi: The majority of US furnaces are equipped with traditional gas burners and mechanical pumps (which contact molten aluminium), and we feel that the change in approach towards new technologies is yet to come. One area Zmag has been recently working on is the opportunity to combine Zmag’s molten aluminium solutions and immersion heaters. Immersion heaters are highly efficient and effective in conducting heat in the melt, and when they are combined with Zmag’s solutions, the melting efficiency and precise temperature controls throughout the bath become possible. This combination minimises the chance of breaking the aluminium surface and dross generation while CO2 emissions from gas burners are eliminated. This is still a new area; however, we believe that the US aluminium industry will quickly start realising its benefits, and Zmag is trying to come up with a design that the combined solution will be able to be retrofitted to existing furnaces with a minimum amount of modification and costs. 

To explore the full interview and gain deeper insights into the aluminium innovation, click here.