As aluminium producers and auto component manufacturers grapple with the economics of in-house scrap recycling, the weakest link in many casting operations continues to be chip drying. Thermal dryers remain the default, despite well-known drawbacks such as high operating costs, heavy emissions, and increasing regulatory scrutiny. A recent installation by Retech Systems, part of SECO/WARWICK Group, offers a technical counterpoint. More importantly, a bottom-line recalibration.
Image source: https://www.retechsystemsllc.com/
The shift revolves around a patented chip dryer system known as Thermofuge, which is being deployed inside the casting house of one of the company’s auto parts manufacturing sites. The system is not new to the market, wherein 18 units are already operational globally. But what makes this installation noteworthy is the use case of a high-throughput machining setup, with substantial chip volume, and an energy-sensitive cost structure.
Where the traditional thermal dryers apply high heat to eliminate both moisture and residual cutting oils, triggering volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, environmental compliance costs, and often permitting delays, Thermofuge stops short. Moisture is removed, but oil is left on the chip surface, allowing it to combust in the side-well of the melting furnace. The upshot is a deoxygenated melting environment, which, by design, yields higher aluminium recovery and sidesteps the emissions-intensive drying step.
This selective drying is also what places Thermofuge in a lower regulatory risk category, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Its built-in thermal oxidiser handles any incidental emissions, and the waste heat recovery preheats incoming chips.
Financially, the divergence is stark. A traditional chip drying system operating at similar capacity, carries an annual running cost close to USD 150,000, factoring in energy, maintenance, and regulatory controls. Thermofuge, in contrast, operates at around USD 45,000 per year — a roughly 70 per cent reduction. These savings are not just from energy efficiency but also from reduced waste handling, lower labour input, and smaller regulatory footprints.
Many casting houses, particularly those without in-house drying systems, resort to third-party toll melting. That introduces another layer of cost: chip transport, contamination risk, yield loss, and often delayed metal recovery. In that light, integrated systems like Thermofuge offer not a silver bullet, but a more controlled, auditable recovery model.
Still, this is not a plug-and-play solution. For this particular project, the system is being custom-engineered to connect with the plant’s legacy chip conveyor and coolant filtration infrastructure. Retech’s approach appears to favour integration over overhaul, but the scale of customisation required raises questions about capex variability and deployment timelines across different industrial contexts.
That said, for greenfield operations, the ReMelt system is designed as a closed-loop, from chip drying to underfloor conveyors and filtration systems.
Thermofuge may not be the final word on chip recycling, but its operational logic raises a pertinent question: is the industry prepared to rethink drying as a high-leverage process rather than an afterthought?
Also read: For eco-savvy adventurers: JFA Yachts’ aluminium hybrid explorer set to make waves soon
Responses
