Effective Insulation Control Monitoring System: The CANDITM Solution for a Safer Production

The key to the chemical reaction necessary to convert alumina to metallic aluminium is the running of an electrical current through the cryolite/alumina mixture. The process requires the use of direct current. In the meantime, various interventions performed by the PTM, electrically connected to the ground, are required on the electrolysis cells to complete the smelting process. Thus, contact with electricity while performing on the potlines may result in hazardous situation and serious injuries for the operator (electrocution due to overvoltage up to 2000 volts). Hence the importance of insulating electrically the driver's cabin, the tool trolley and the tools themselves to avoid often irreparable situations. To prevent such risks and above all to make the work environment safer, ECLTM designed an efficient device capable of monitoring the insulation level to earth and giving an audible and visual indication of abnormally low insulation values: the CANDI solution.