Anode Stub 3D Inspection System

Abstract

In the production of aluminum from conventional prebaked Hall-Héroult electrolysis cells, anodes have to be replaced on a regular basis. The anode rod assemblies, which are submitted to multiple heating/cooling cycles, tend to deform over time, and attacks from HF gas and liquid bath erode the stabs to a different extent at each cycle. Following the anode butt recycling stage, the stubs have to be inspected to determine if the anode rod assemblies are still suitable for another run in the pot or if they require repairs. STAS has recently completed the development of a 3D measuring system allowing the measurement of hexapods and the likes. The proposed system allows multiple measurements to be taken at once. Stab lengths, erosion profiles, diameters, straightness and others can all be monitored. In addition to anode rod fitness for sealing, the system allows to keep statistics on the rod population.