“We understand that each country within the MENA region has its unique characteristics, challenges, and opportunities. Therefore, we will tailor our offerings to meet the specific needs of each market we operate in,” EPIQ Machinery

We are honoured to have the participation of three stalwarts from EPIQ Machinery in our e-Magazine - "Aluminium Middle East: Focus 2024". Vivek Kumar, Regional Director, Middle East and North Africa Region; Yannick Beaulé, Chief Revenue Officer; and Naji Elabiad, Chief Operation Officer. Mr. Kumar manages EPIQ Machinery activities in the MENA region and will be in charge of the new office in Bahrain.

Mr. Beaulé, as a Chief Revenue Officer, works to define EPIQ Machinery growth plan and oversees its implementation. He will participate in mergers and acquisitions as well as partnerships. Mr. Elabiad, as a CEO, manages overall operations at EPIQ's locations. He makes sure that EPIQ delivers advanced technology on time, every time.

AL Circle: How has your equipment helped aluminium companies in the Middle East enhance production and improve operations? Can you share a case study?

EPIQ Machinery: There have been incremental changes to the primary aluminium production Hall and Héroult process invented more than 100 years ago. Even though the process remains the same today, producers have evolved their practices by increasing efficiency, reducing waste, and developing more sustainable options. At EPIQ, we offer equipment solutions that provide the best operational practices for aluminium smelters around the world, as well as for the secondary producers.

Our specialisations are in following fields:

• Heavy Duty Material Handling Systems, which provides state-of-the-art anode handling and cleaning systems, is at the heart of our carbon plant solutions. EPIQ Machinery has been providing simple, reliable, and safe solutions to complex heavy material handling requirements since 1965. These solutions have allowed our clients to increase production capacity, reduce manufacturing costs, and provide their employees with a safer working environment. In addition, our team has the capacity to supply a complete Rodding Shop under the BROCHOT brand that integrates with the EPIQ AD Material Handling System. Mecfor designs and provides an Anode Slot Cutting Machine (ASCM) on a Turn-Key basis. The MECFOR ASCM is world-renowned in this segment, and the equipment is heavy and robust enough to cater to various anode shapes and sizes.
• In the casthouse, more and more MECFOR Smart Castshouse mobile equipment are seen for many types of furnace operations: loading, stirring, skimming, and cleaning. At the finish line, AD equipment comes into play by designing and building highly efficient automatic and or semi-automated material handling of finished products for Casthouse (i.e. Extrusion Billet Batch Homogenizing, Sawing and Packaging Systems). Taking note of plant operational activities, EPIQ team provides solutions for improving the reliability and position of the casthouse products, which tends to reduce operational time, make more efficient use of tools, and thus reduce running costs.
• EPIQ Machinery, in partnership with DTA International, has created the EPIQ DTA brand: ready to market specialised/custom-made heavy-duty Auto Guided Vehicles and/or Autonomous Mobile Robots (AGV/AMR). Under EPIQ DTA, there is availability of a wide range of autonomous and semi-autonomous solutions crafted to fully respond to customer needs. Integration of industrial type robots into a global handling system requiring perfect synchronism is also provided.
• Finally, support of the comprehensive set of services and solutions designed to suite all customers with unprecedented value and cost savings throughout the life span of equipment and systems are available.
• Many of these equipment are tailor-made, which are specialised and designed for operating in harsh environments (e.g.: strong magnetic fields, dust, and broad range of temperatures).

With wide array of equipment and services rendered to primary aluminium smelters, EPIQ stands high as a supplier of choice.

Anode Slot Cutting Machine (ASCM) – case study

A basic case study to support the operation improving the working principles as well as minimising related cost with safety features is provided below.

Contextual information

EPIQ MECFOR is pioneer in designing and suppling of ASCM for use at Primary Aluminium Smelters. Here is a brief description and timeline of making slots onto anodes:

In 1980s, demand of ever uprating amperage and corresponding increasing anode size, noticing anode cracking due to thermal shock as well as anode effect (perfluorocarbon gasses trapped underneath the anode) which reduced cell efficiency, the generation of slots into anodes started.

A decade later, many Aluminium Smelters tried to form slotted anodes and observe their positive results. With good outcome, initially slots were formed in paste plant during anode forming process.

But only in early 2000s, the slot cutting machine was designed to cut the slots into full anodes. Over a period, this equipment is being continually re-tuned and refined and accepted by many technical authorities as the best practice for manufacturing anodes for aluminium production.

Cutting technologies

The initial phase of ASCM works in conventional methodology, where the cutting tool rotates in the opposite direction to the feed motion. The tool ‘’bites’’ into the material, thus gradually removing the material, and the cutting force pushes the workpiece against the table, which maintains stability.

With the change in technology and studying the physics part of cutting methodology, the new version of ASCMs are provided with Climb Technology, where cutting tool rotates in the same direction as the feed motion. The cutting edge engages the material and removes the material before being pushed away and the tool tends to pull itself into the material.

The main advantage of climb against conventional is to cut narrower slots with more depth.

As observed from various users, the economic benefits of slots in anodes have been proven, and slots which are deep enough to be present through the complete anode cycle present an incremental part of that same benefit, with which the Return on Investment (ROI) is observed to be less than two years.

To give a situation at any operating smelters, the following looks viable:

• Energy Savings
• Potential Revenue Increase
• Narrower Slot – Less carbon Loss
• Less Anode Changes

Below is an illustration:

AL Circle: The Middle East is emerging as a significant global hub for aluminium production. Recently, Saudi Arabia announced that it would double its investments to become one of the top ten aluminium producers in the world. How do you plan to tap this opportunity?

EPIQ Machinery: EPIQ has been providing key material handling equipment to all primary aluminium smelters in the Middle East region for a long period of time. In fact, EPIQ has a strong presence in Ma’aden, where a variety of equipment is in successful operation both in their aluminium and alumina plants.

Due to the recent increase in production through major expansions of existing aluminium smelters and setting up new aluminium smelters in this region, EPIQ management team wisely decided to set up a local nodal point, with key people to deploy its ‘close to customer approach’ to Aluminium Smelters in MENA region by opening offices under EPIQ Machinery Services WLL.

From upgrading old equipment to developing new ones, we are excited to bring our expertise and solutions to this dynamic and rapidly growing market.

EPIQ’s commitment to the MENA region is to deliver exceptional products/services and build long-lasting partnerships with local businesses and organisations. We understand that each country within the MENA region has its unique characteristics, challenges, and opportunities. Therefore, we will tailor our offerings to meet the specific needs of each market we operate in.

To be more aggressive on providing sales and after-sales services, the EPIQ Machinery Services WLL team based in Bahrain shall be closely positioned to meet the clients' requirements.

AL Circle: How do you foresee your auto-guided vehicle technology to perform in the aluminium industry? How is your vehicle unique from the rest in the market?

EPIQ Machinery: There is tremendous demand for driverless vehicle in aluminium smelters, mainly in Hot Metal Zone, due to potential hazard of metal splashing, explosion, and other related safety issues. Recently, under our EPIQ DTA brand, we delivered semi-automatic guided Electrical Crucible Hauler, model e-CTV 18T, to an aluminium smelter in Iceland. Start-up and commissioning are promising; equipment operation to date is meeting or exceeding the end user’s needs. This model is the perfect design to transition from manual steered driven to fully automated haulers (AGV).

There have been requests from aluminium smelters in the Middle East to provide survey for operation of similar vehicles. The auto-guided vehicles are good solutions, considering that Hot Metal Vehicles move in a predetermined path and carry out repetitive actions all day.

EPIQ DTA’s AGV/AMR equipment is mainly looking to adopt aluminium producers towards the shift to Industry 4.0 by extending global material handling system integration into plants. This equipment moves the loads more safely and smartly by carefully selecting the guidance technology (e.g., magnetic guiding line, optical tracking, rail guidance, laser triangulation with reflector or use of GPS system). Continuously improving the AGV/AMR vehicles by adding artificial intelligence will provide customers with state-of-the-art solutions for any Hot Metal Transfer from point-to-point movement.

The EPIQ DTA equipment is a technological innovation that supplies reliable and productive solutions around the industry. They are robust and manufactured for heavy industrial uses in harsh environments. The main structural body is designed to take the loading and unloading of material numerous times without failing. The programming is done in an easily conceptualised way, and the alarms and defects are notified so the user can understand them and carry out necessary rectification work. The safety features of EPIQ DTA provide all sorts of sensors and instrumentation devices that take note of the entire operational surroundings to ensure that the equipment is moved in a safe manner. Any untoward interpretation or interference is immediately noticed, and corrective action is taken.

EPIQ DTA is a forefront runner providing industry AGV/AMR solutions.

AL Circle:  Do you foresee a booming market for AGV technology in the Middle East when aluminium producers largely aim to reduce carbon emissions across their operations?

EPIQ Machinery: In recent years, all aluminium smelters have been associated with the objectives laid down by the United Nations. To reduce carbon emissions around plant and to adhere to the country’s national charter, each smelter has adapted to its own program and plans to come to zero carbon emissions format. There are many green transitioning measures that can be put in place by aluminium producers, one being the use of electric vehicles.

In any aluminium smelter, there are various types of operational and non-operational vehicles, which produce quite a good amount of particles in the atmosphere. Aiming at zero carbon emission also means transforming all these vehicles into electrically operated, encouraging more AGV/AMR vehicles inside aluminium smelters.

AL Circle: Which of your equipment has been most popular in the Middle East aluminium industry? How do you plan to promote your machines in the Middle East region in 2024?

EPIQ Machinery: Even though we provide various types of machinery for aluminium smelters, it is a fact that one of our most popular one is the MECFOR Anode Slot Cutting Machine. Its design has cutting-edge features against all other competitors in same frame. For over 15 years, we have proven our stand and almost all aluminium smelters in this MENA region have opted for our ASCM.

The year 2024 is exceptional for us, where we are gearing up with zero-point auditing of machines at clients’ premises to understand the machine and its behaviour as of now and advice for their upgrade to ensure they perform based on user change in anodes’ specifications. We are also arranging to store spares for these machines in Bahrain, so that they can be readily shipped to site reducing delivery time.

AL Circle: How do you think the Middle East aluminium market growth will benefit the technology providers?

EPIQ Machinery: The growth of the Middle East aluminium market presents significant opportunities for technology providers such as EPIQ. By addressing the increasing demand for advanced technologies, fostering collaborations, supporting sustainable practices, and capitalising on enhanced market penetration, EPIQ is positioning itself to contribute to the continued advancement of the region’s aluminium industry.

AL Circle:  Top Middle East aluminium companies like Emirates Global Aluminium, Ma’aden, and Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. are committed to maintaining a safe working environment. Do you think your machines fit perfectly to the need?

EPIQ Machinery: At EPIQ, we take safety seriously and rank it as our prime task. While designing and engineering any equipment, EPIQ has a culture of discussing safety added to its equipment so that it follows International Safety Standards. All our equipment is ensured to have required safety features for operators and maintenance crew. Ergonomics is also an important aspect taken into consideration in our designs.

Our motto: Safety first in our equipment and in all our workshops and facilities.