Die shop
AGP operates its own in-house die-making facility. Dies are made to precision, taking into account nominal bar size, tolerance, and metal shrinkage on solidification.
How we work
Raw materials & the continuous casting process
Raw material intake, pre-alloying, casting, chemical analysis, die-making and bar finishing all take place on site in Boksburg.
Step one
Sourcing & pre-alloying
Our process begins with the purchase of raw material in the form of scrap metal, which is fed into our production furnaces.
Because material availability and pricing drive our output, we sell forward and manage our furnace loading accordingly.
Our plant operates multiple copper- and aluminium-based furnaces, allowing us to run copper alloy and aluminium alloy production in parallel.
Casting
The continuous casting process
Cast from molten metal
The bar is cast directly from the molten metal state.
Drawn in strokes
Molten metal runs into the die, and the bar is pulled in strokes, with a pause between each withdrawal stroke to allow solidification.
Cut by PLC
The withdrawal system and saw are computer-controlled via a programmed logic controller (PLC), which cuts the bar to a standard length of three metres.
Vertical casting
As a vertical continuous caster, the plant achieves a homogeneous metal composition along the cross-section of the bar, with concentricity consistently within, and often at, allowed tolerance.
Standards & finishing
Quality control: chemical analysis
Chemical analysis is carried out at regular intervals during the melting and casting process, as well as on the cast bar. Mechanical properties are checked on a continuous basis.
Our laboratory is equipped with modern analytical equipment, capable of carrying out a full chemical analysis within 30 seconds, simultaneously measuring 15 elements.
Quality control is also responsible for checking size and tolerance, as well as machining test pieces to check for the absence of porosity.
Bar finishing
Once cast and air-cooled, each bar is passed through a set of heavy rollers, which ensures straightness of the bar and smoothens the surface, ready for despatch.
In-house from start to finish: raw material intake, pre-alloying, casting, chemical analysis, die-making and bar finishing all take place on site in Boksburg.
Scrap purchasing
Have non-ferrous scrap to sell?
Scrap metal is the raw material for everything we cast. Every load that comes onto our yard is graded by hand before it is charged into a pre-alloy.
If you have scrap to sell, get in touch with the team.
Quality you can measure, bar you can rely on
Ask for sizes, alloys and lead times.