Applied Soil Water Technologies ASW is the exclusive supplier of the Gran-Tech Molten Metal Granulation System to the Ferro Nickel, Nickel Pig Iron, Blast Iron and Ferro Chrome producers located in the Peoples Republic of China. Alloying materials like ferronickel, ferrochrome and blast furnace iron have traditionally been casted in blocks, pigs or ingots in casting machines. Large pieces of alloying materials were required because earlier furnaces lacked automatic material handling and charging systems.

The ASWT Gran-Tech Granulation System is a state of the art method of solidifying liquid metal into pellets or granules that resemble marbles that are squeezed flat into irregular shapes. The granules are between 2-50 mm in size. The customer’s material handling systems generally requires granules that are flat and irregular in shape. The Gran-Tech granulation system solidifies cools, dries, sorts and stores the granules for immediate packaging and shipment to your customers.

The Gran-tech Granulation System designed by ASWT is an effective granulation machine: it takes about three minutes for the liquid metal (1630 C) in the ladle to reach the storage bins at the end of the system, dried and ready to be packaged.

There are many areas where granules can be used, mainly steel-works and foundries. Stainless steel-making converters are in need of strict temperature control during the production process. Materials that are used to cool the liquid metal have to be added to the converter during the decarburizing stage of the process. Granules are particularly well suited to allow for a continuous addition. During such addition, the blowing stage can continue undisturbed and this will increase the productivity of stainless steel-making converters. As a result, the refractory wear is reduced, the chromium yield is increased and ideal temperatures can be achieved.

Exact quantities of granules containing the alloying material can also be added to electric arc furnaces during the production process. This will reduce the production costs when making tool steels and special steels.

Since the melting time of granules are shorter, the production costs are generally reduced when granules are used within most melting processes in the metallurgical industry. Granules also reduce the handling costs. The granulated product is easy to handle, transport and store. Granules are suited for most types of material handling feeders.

ASWT is currently building the first Ferro nickel granulator capable of granulating 1.5 ton per minute for Shongbao Ferro-Nickel Co., Ltd., Chagzhou City, Hebei Province, China.

The ASWT process controls in the operator control room are state of the art. There is a Human Machine Interface (HMI) screen that the operator will use to control all operations of the granulation system. The HMI screen will also display all real time data and alarms.

If are located in the Peoples Republic of China and you would like to discuss your granulation requirements in greater detail please contact W. Kevin Morrow or Steven Morrow by using our Contact Us form.