Copper

Rod Lines
 Over the years Continuus-Properzi, starting from the
seed planted by Mr. Ilario Properzi, has developed
an extensive portfolio of CCR Line configurations to
satisfy all market requirements in terms of capacity
(from 5 tph to 35 tph and even more) and copper rod
diameters and qualities.
For more than 30 years, Continuus-Properzi has
designed, engineered, and commissioned Complete
Plants for both ETP and FRHC Cu rod worldwide.
The CCR Line sketched here below represents a
typical line configuration that can be combined with
a Shaft Furnace, to continuously melt cathodes and
clean copper scrap, and/or a Refining Furnace or set
of Furnaces, to melt and refine copper scrap (even of
low quality) in batch mode or continuously.
The lay-out of the selected Furnace set and CCR Line is
designed according to specific customer requirements
tailor made for each need.

T
he first Continuous Casting and Rolling Line (CCR
Line) for Cu rod production, born from Mr. Ilario Starting from the left side of the sketch, we have the
Properzi’s experiments in the 1950s, still remains following main equipment:
the essence and basis of the modern CCR Line. At that
time the traditional production process, based on the “1” Refining Furnace (set):
hot rolling of wire-bars through the so-called Belgian Continuus-Properzi can supply Reverberatory Furnaces
Looping Mills, was very low with less repeatable rod (to operate in batch) and/or a set of Furnaces (to
quality. This new system led the world of copper rod operate continuously) to melt and refine copper scrap.
production to a major breakthrough. Different solutions can be provided according to the

QUALITY OF PROPERZI ROD:

• Highest worldwide percentage of premium quality
• Highest rod quality, both for ETP (Electrolytic Tough
Pitch) and FRHC (Fire-Refined High-Conductivity),
exceeding the reference standards
• Rod quality repeatable and constant
• Widest range of commercial Cu rod diameters
• Maximum flexibility in processing Cu cathodes
and/or copper scrap, even of low quality,
continuously or in campaign
• Increased mechanical properties using the 2-roll
rolling process in the roughing mill
• Best geometrical quality using the 3-roll rolling
process in the finishing mill
EXAMPLE OF PROPERZI ROD • Perfect coil shape in both concentric and orbital types

1 Refining Furnace
Continuous Casting & Rolling
Copper Line layout
copper scrap available, with the objective to maximize “3” Casting Machine:
savings in operational costs while minimizing raw a wide range of Casting Machine models, differing
material expenditures, in order to grant constant and mainly in the casting wheel diameter and cross section
homogeneous quality of the FRHC copper rod. These of the cast bar, can be provided in accordance with
furnaces can be combined, if required, with the Shaft the production rate and the environmental conditions.
Furnace described here below in order to give the system
maximum production flexibility to alternatively produce “4” Automatic Bar Shear:
ETP and FRHC rod on a daily basis or on a campaign to cut the bar automatically during the start-up and in
basis according to the availability of scrap and cathodes. the unlucky event of an emergency downstream.

“2” Shaft Furnace and Holding Furnace: “5” Bar Preparation Unit:
this Furnace set is designed to continuously melt this unit straightens the cast bar, removes the top
cathodes and clean scrap; the melting capacity is corners of the cast bar, and facilitates descaling of the
defined in accordance with the capacity of the CCR cast bar before it enters the rolling mill train.
Line. The Shaft Furnace uses a uniform scattering
of the cathodes inside the furnace, optimizing the “6” Rolling Mill:
thermal efficiency and reducing the gas consumption we have twelve Rolling Mill models, with 2-roll and
to the lowest level. The Holding Furnace has the main 3-roll rolling stands, that can be combined in several
purpose to continuously receive the liquid copper from rolling train combinations defined by considering the
the Shaft Furnace and homogenize the liquid metal cast bar section (linked to the production rate) and
bath which feeds the Casting Machine. the rod diameters to be produced. The Properzi unique

PLANT
• 100% engineered internally, tailor made, from lay-out
to software
• Our equipment is manufactured and assembled at
our headquarters in Italy
• Only the highest quality and safety in our equipment
• Lowest operational costs in the industry
• Lowest consumption of utilities
• Incomparable longevity of our plants ENGINEERING TAILOR MADE
• Overall equipment efficency above 85%
• Several models of casting machines, rolling mills and
coilers to satisfy all possible customer requirements
• Rod can be coiled in concentric or orbital type coils
• Complete technical assistance for training,
commissioning and start-up
• Continuous customer service: remote and on-site
• Longest availability of spare parts even several
decades after equipment supply
• Prompt and precise Spare Parts service
• Latest available technologies and automation, ready
for Industry 4.0 ORIGINAL SPARE PARTS

2 Shaft Furnace
3 Casting Machine

2 Holding Furnace
 combination of a Roughing Mill with 2-roll rolling stands
that provide the necessary high reduction rate and a
Finishing Mill with the legendary 3-roll rolling stands
ensures rod diameter tolerance and quality surpassing
the ASTM B49 specs.

“7” Pickling Unit:

designed to minimize the thickness of the oxide layer
of the rod.

“8” Cooling Unit:

suitable to cool the rod before being coiled.

“9” Waxing Unit:

a uniform quantity of wax is sprayed on to the rod in
order to protect the rod from dust, dirt and oxidation
during storage and shipment.

“10” Coiler:
the Coiler model is defined according to the preferred “11” Control Room & Electrical Control Cabinets:
coil type (concentric and/or orbital coils) and the the widest range of the most common electrical/
production rate. The Coiler is provided with all the automation components can be incorporated in
devices to palletize, strap, and unload the coils. These our design according to customer requirements/
operations can be manual or automatic according to preference, including the latest market developments in
customer preference. automation and compatibility with Industry 4.0.

COMPANY
• Inventor of the continuous casting & rolling system
for non-ferrous metals
• More than 70 years of experience with numerous
casting and rolling lines designed, manufactured
and commissioned
• Widest knowledge of non-ferrous metals global
market having operated in more than 60 countries
• Unique group of experts in terms of knowledge and
experience
• Transfer of refining know-how
• Always innovator of our innovation without
comparison
• Our goal is customer satisfaction
CONTINUUS-PROPERZI MACHINE TOOL

9 Waxing Unit

6 Rolling Mill Train

5 Bar Preparation Unit 8 Cooling Unit 10 Coiler

4 Automatic Bar Shear 7 Pickling Unit

 MORE AND MORE ON…
CONTINUUS-PROPERZI CCR COPPER ROD LINES

CCR COPPER ETP (Electrolytic Tough Pitch) ROD LINES –

SMALL OUTPUT RATE
CATHODS
• Production rate: from 5 tph to 10 tph
• Expected yearly output: from 25,000 t to 58,000 t

MEDIUM OUTPUT RATE

• Production rate: from 12.5 tph to 20 tph
• Expected yearly output: from 61,000 t to 115,000 t

LARGE OUTPUT RATE

• Production rate: from 25 tph to 40 tph
• Expected yearly output: from 125,000 t to 250,000 t

Parameter Reference Value

Chemical composition Cu+Ag % >99.95
Oxygen Ppm 150 ÷ 250
Elongation A200 % 42 ÷ 46
Tensile strength Kg/mm 2
22 ÷ 24
Conductivity IACS % 101.0 ÷ 102.0
Twist test to failure No 54 ÷ 60
Best drawability mm 0.05
POPS test – surface oxides Ångstrom 100 – 200

PERFECT OUTPUT - PROPERZI ROD Re-crystallization temperature °C 180

CCR COPPER FRHC (Fire-Refined High-Conductivity) ROD LINES –

There are three types of Continuus-Properzi process for the
1st CLASS 2nd CLASS 3rd CLASS
(Cu › 99%) (Cu › 96%) (Cu › 93%) production of FRHC copper:
PROCESS No. 1 is based on one reverberatory furnace usually feeding
a rod line or a slab caster during approximately one shift per day (1st –
2nd – 3rd Class).
PROCESS No. 2 is based on a vertical (shaft) furnace and two holding
refining furnaces feeding a rod line 24 hour/day (1st – 2nd Class).
PROCESS No. 3 is based on a reverberatory furnace usually feeding an
ingot line during approximately one shift per day. Ingots are then diluted
with cathodes in a shaft furnace for ETP rod production (1st – 2nd Class).

No. 1 No. 2 No. 3

Batch Process with Continuous Process Batch Process with
maximum refining with limited refining limited refining
Copper scrap mix ≥93% Copper scrap ≥97% Copper scrap mix ≥96%
Expected yearly output: Expected yearly output: Expected yearly output:
from 12,000 t to 75,000 t from 25,000 t to 100,000 t from 12,000 t to 24,000 t

Parameter Reference Value

Chemical composition Cu+Ag % >99.90
Oxygen Ppm 150 ÷ 250
Elongation A200 % 38 ÷ 43
Tensile strength Kg/mm2 22.8 ÷ 23.5
Conductivity IACS % 100.5 ÷ 101.3
Twist test to failure No 43 ÷ 50
Best drawability mm 0.25
POPS test – surface oxides Ångstrom 100 – 200

PERFECT OUTPUT - PROPERZI ROD Re-crystallization temperature °C 280

 A Family Passion!

And much more...

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