Anode Butts Automated Visual Inspection System

Anodes consumed in the smelting process for the production of primary aluminium need to be replaced regularly. Inspecting anode butts after they have been removed from the cells can be useful to optimize the electrolysis process, reduce the anode cycle and optimize anode fabrication. In most aluminium smelters, some manual measurements are taken on a few anode butts in order to obtain some feedback on anode performance. STAS-Alcoa's R&D learn has been working to develop an automated inspection system, with the objective of designing a low cost solution to automatically record a series of measures on all the anode butts processed at the rod shop. A plant prototype was implemented at "Alcoa, Aluminerie de Deschambault", Canada, on May 2006. The inspection system. based on artificial vision, is integrated within the existing conveying system of the rod plant. All anode butts are inspected in line while they are transported on the conveyor. This paper presents some of the results obtained.