Alcoa Wenatchee Works, a smelting plant established in 1952, was a response to the Office of Defense Mobilization’s call for increased domestic aluminum production. As the first post-WWII smelter in the Pacific Northwest, it initially produced 85,000 tons of primary aluminum annually. Subsequent expansions in the 1960s boosted capacity to over 210,000 tons. Today, the facility supplies high-purity and commodity-grade aluminum to various industries, including aerospace and automotive.
VFD Upgrade Need
To meet stringent environmental regulations, including clean air and water standards, Alcoa Wenatchee Works required significant upgrades to its operations. One critical area was the anode production process, particularly the handling of petroleum coke (p-coke), a key ingredient.
VFD Upgrade Solution
To address these challenges, Alcoa partnered with Z-Engineers and ControlFreek Inc. Z-Engineers provided comprehensive electrical and control systems engineering, while ControlFreek implemented Allen-Bradley Powerflex 700 VFD technology to control ten bunker feeders. These VFDs, renowned for their torque production and regulation, were ideal for the demanding application of moving p-coke from bunkers to mixers.