“The aluminium industry, and indeed the global economy, has had a turbulent few years, which have continued to this present day”, Michael Rockstroh, Managing Director at RiA Cast House Engineering GmbH and Fioscope GmbH

Michael Rockstroh is a seasoned professional with a diverse skill set spanning project management, equipment design, engineering services, and business development. Specialising in cast house machinery for the aluminium industry, Michael excels in designing and implementing innovative solutions, particularly in furnace charging and skimming machines. His expertise extends to cast house processes and furnace operations, and he is proficient in furnace design, manufacturing, and installation/commissioning. With a proven track record of success, Michael brings knowledge and experience to every project he undertakes.

AL Circle: Before we discuss RiA in more detail, how do you envision the global aluminium industry in 2024? Could you offer insights into its long-term outlook beyond 2024?

Michael Rockstroh: The aluminium industry, and indeed the global economy, has had a turbulent few years, which have continued to this present day. Naturally, this has affected the demand for aluminium globally across various industries. However, I believe the long-term outlook remains positive, and the use of aluminium will increase, specifically recycled aluminium and the increased recycling of post-consumer scrap.

AL Circle: Could you give us a brief history of RiA?

Michael Rockstroh: RiA is a company that provides precision rail-mounted Cast House proven Charging and Skimming equipment for Aluminium Cast Houses worldwide. The design and development of all RiA Machines take reliability, durability, maintenance and occupational safety into account. RiA has supplied over seventy Furnace Charging and Skimming Machines, all rail-mounted and capable of Charging up to 30 Metric Tonnes in less than 90 seconds or Skimming a Furnace faster than a traditional Forklift Truck or wheeled Furnace Tending Vehicle, but with more repeatable results and without damaging the refractory lining. Key customers include Hydro, Constellium, Kaiser, Matalco and many others. Several clients have multiple Machines in the same Cast House or across multiple sites and territories. One client alone has implemented over thirty RiA Machines in ten countries.

AL Circle: What changes have there been at RiA from 1997 (the company's beginning) to 2024? How has the company grown?

Michael Rockstroh: RiA was originally founded as Rackwitz Industrieanlagen GmbH, formed by my father, Gerald Rockstroh, who was formerly the technical director of an Aluminium producer called VEB Leichtmetallwerk Rackwitz, which is today Hydro Aluminium Rackwitz. In 2018, I took over from my father, who retired after many years in the industry. I had worked in the business for some time by this point, and I decided to rebrand the business to RIA Cast House Engineering GmbH, focusing solely on autonomous furnace charging and autonomous furnace skimming. With a renewed focus, this has enabled RiA to establish itself as the industry-leading supplier of rail-mounted furnace tending equipment, building a reputation for robust and reliable technology.

The following year, we established RIA Cast House Engineering LLC. We saw the need to have a permanent presence in the USA to better serve the needs of our growing customer base and provide the highest level of service possible. This is the most obvious way in which we have grown the business, both in terms of the number of employees and our global presence.

AL Circle: What inspired RiA Cast House Engineering to focus on developing autonomous furnace tending equipment for the aluminium industry?

Michael Rockstroh: We believe that efficient furnace practices with low-cost production standards start with automated charging and skimming. Using the right technology enables a significant reduction of energy consumption, minimum cycle times, reduced furnace maintenance and, most importantly, a safer environment for the operators. RiA has been focusing on developing and manufacturing charging and skimming equipment since 1997 and, in particular, is now focused on innovative automation and process optimization solutions and the safest and most efficient systems possible.

AL Circle: How does RiA ensure the safety of its autonomous furnace charging and skimming machines, especially in hazardous Cast House environments?

Michael Rockstroh: Firstly, all of our furnace charging and skimming machines are rail-mounted, meaning they can only move in fixed directions. This is a safer practice for operators working in the cast house as the machine's movements are known; this is not the case for forklift trucks or wheel-driven vehicles. In the design of our machines, we also use safety laser scanners in each direction of travel, as well as sirens to alert of movement to those in proximity. Operator safety is always at the forefront of our thinking when designing our rail-mounted charging and skimming machines, so much so that all our charging machines and some of our skimming machines are supplied with no operator cabin. Operators can observe the operation of the machines and drive them, if required, from the safety of the operator cabin.

AL Circle: Could you elaborate on the role of artificial intelligence and smart camera technology in RiA's autonomous furnace tending solutions?

Michael Rockstroh: RiA is a great supporter of the trends towards automation and data exchange across the industry, and I believe this shows in the evolution of our product. There is no escaping the fact that Cast Houses have the potential to be dangerous places to work. Our philosophy has been to remove the operator from potentially dangerous tasks by having autonomous and, at a minimum, automatic solutions. For example, in 1999, when we supplied our first rail-mounted charging machine, an operator cabin was on board the machine, meaning the operator would drive the machine from the loading position to the furnace to charge the scrap. Fast forward to today, and we now utilise Fioscope Smart Camera Technology to automate this process. RiA's Intelligent Camera monitor the progress of the scrap pile as it melts. The Camera determines the earliest possible moment in which the Charging Machine can deliver the next charge. Through this, Autonomous operation is possible. In fact, we haven't installed an operator cabin on board our Charging Machines since 2015!

We use the same Fioscope smart camera systems in our autonomous Furnace Skimming operation, too. Cameras replace operators on board the machine, and they have the ability to set the depth of the skim blade and locate dross on the melt surface. Automating charging and skimming practices in the Cast House not only maximises safety but can also help to reduce labour requirements.

AL Circle: What are the key benefits of implementing RiA's autonomous furnace tending equipment regarding energy efficiency, CO2 reduction, and waste minimisation?

Michael Rockstroh: RiA's rail-mounted charging machines allow for high tonnage charges, up to 30T, to be charged into the furnace in less than 90 seconds. Due to the high volume of containers, large amounts of scrap material can be added to the furnace extremely quickly and safely. This ensures that the furnace door open time is significantly reduced, ensuring that heat remains in the furnace, which reduces the amount of fuel required and shortens the furnace cycle time—helping to lower energy consumption and reduce the C0₂ impact of the remelting process. When using a RiA Charging Machine, scrap material is evenly distributed across the furnace hearth, leading to a shallow scrap pile and therefore increasing the efficiency of the furnace combustion system, again leading to faster melt rates, reduced cycle times and more energy-efficient process.

Similarly, with Skimming, our Autonomous Skimming Machines enable faster, safer skimming cycles, reducing door openings and shortening overall furnace cycle times. Add to this our patented IFDP, In-Furnace Dross Processing technology, and you have a Furnace Skimming practice that enables an energy-efficient and highly productive operation.

AL Circle: Can you explain how RiA's In-Furnace Dross Processing (IFDP) technology works and its advantages over traditional Dross processing methods?

Michael Rockstroh: RiA's patented IFDP technology is a modular addition to our Skimming Machine, in which we position a cold plate on the furnace sill and press the dross between the cold plate and the skimming blade. This enables dross to be pressed on the sill in its hottest form, with no other dross processing technology and actions by operators required. From the pressing action and force, aluminium within the dross drains back into the furnace, leading to a reduction in the dross weight skimmed from the furnace and sending more alloyed aluminium to the casting table. Robust cast steel skim blade and cold plate also act as a heat sink to rapidly cool the dross, leading to reduced thermiting and higher secondary recovery yields.

We will shortly install our 5th unit for a repeat customer in the United States, and this year, we look forward to publishing a paper documenting the successful recovery results of our in-furnace dross processing technology.

You asked earlier about energy efficiency and CO2 reduction, IFDP technology fits well within this theme as not only are we reducing waste from the process, we are reducing the amount of dross that needs to be recycled, taking trucks off the road, and reducing the volume of hazardous salt slag that is produced during the recycling process.

AL Circle: How does RiA ensure the reliability, durability, and maintenance-friendliness of its autonomous furnace tending equipment?

Michael Rockstroh: We installed our first charging machine over 24 years ago, which is still operational today. Now, we have over 80 machines installed around the world, from Texas to Taiwan. So, we have learned a lot during this time, and we engineer our machines to be as durable and maintenance-friendly as possible for our valued customers. For example, our charging machines are fully electrically driven, and there are no hydraulics on the machines to minimise downtime. We also ensure that routine maintenance requirements are kept to a minimum and make preventative maintenance as easy as possible to complete by making parts accessible and easily interchangeable.

AL Circle: How does RiA provide customised solutions to meet different aluminium cast houses' specific needs and challenges worldwide?

Michael Rockstroh: All of our rail mounted Charging and Skimming Machines are bespoke and engineered to suit our customer's cast house layouts, furnaces and needs. For example, when we design our charging machine, there is no off-the-shelf solution. We look at the furnace door, or doors, if there are multiple furnaces, and we design the charging machine to fit the door widths and height, and we penetrate two-thirds of the way into the furnace to allow for high tonnage and fast charging cycles.

As no two cast houses are the same in layout or operation, we have implemented many different shapes and sizes of Charging Machines. Some even have bi-direction and swivelling charge containers to suit the cast houses they serve.

AL Circle: What prospects and developments do RiA envision in the aluminium industry?

Michael Rockstroh: We see three trends, the first being that furnaces are getting bigger in terms of capacity, and secondly, that companies are looking to melt more post-consumer scrap to lower the CO2 footprint of their finished product, which, of course we fully support!

The third trend we see is a move towards autonomous and automated processes, which we have been at the forefront of for some time. We expect these trends to continue and even accelerate, meaning it is even more critical to have reliable, safe, and efficient Furnace Charging and Skimming practices. As our customers want to charge higher scrap volumes in to larger furnaces, we will continue our growth to support them in this journey as the industry moves towards a more sustainable future together.

AL Circle: What sets RiA apart from other suppliers, and why should aluminium industry professionals choose RiA for their furnace tending equipment needs?

Michael Rockstroh: RiA manufactures only Furnace Charging and Furnace Skimming Machines and has done so for 25 years now. It is our only focus, our passion, and our speciality. Where other suppliers often make furnaces, too, and furnace tending equipment is an afterthought, it really is our only thought and focus, and I believe this is the main reason we have been successful over recent years, from the unique, robust, maintenance friendly electrically driven design, to pioneering new technology such as IFDP and the use of smart cameras to replace operators. At RiA, we are always looking to improve our product, which already has a good reputation in the global aluminium market. So, in summary, choose RiA as we will engineer a trusted, robust solution specific to your cast house and furnace operation, with the safety of your operators at the forefront of our design.