Indalco Alloys is a division of Lincoln Electric Company that produces aluminum weld wire and redraw rod. The company operates a melting furnace and two holding furnaces that feed a continuous-casting machine through a trough system.

In the past, the company experienced problems with spinel growth that reduced the working volume of its furnaces and made them difficult to clean when switching alloys. Other problems in the furnaces included refractory wear on hearths and cracking in walls.

Les Thoms, rod mill manager for Indalco Alloys, tried Stellar’s Thermbond refractory to repair a few areas of the melting-furnace walls. Thoms noted that the spinel growth and difficulty in cleaning disappeared in the area where the new refractory was used. Over a few years, he replaced the walls and hearths of all three furnaces with Thermbond.