CONTEXT

Aluminium, a metal with exceptional properties, plays an essential role in industrial development. It combines lightness, durability and malleability, making it a preferred choice in many industries. From aerospace to automotive, packaging to construction, aluminium is everywhere.

The industrialisation of aluminium involves a whole series of complex transformations, starting with the extraction of bauxite, the main ore from which aluminium is made. After a series of chemical processes, the bauxite is modified into alumina, which is then electrolytically reduced to produce aluminium ingots. These aluminium ingots then undergo various stages such as rolling and extrusion, where they take shape in different sizes and thicknesses, adapted to the specific needs of industries. This flexibility makes aluminium a material of choice for a wide range of applications.

One of the stages in the industrialisation of aluminium is the sealing of anodes. Anodes are crucial in the electrolysis process that transforms alumina into aluminium. They act as electrical conductors, facilitating the chemical reaction needed to produce pure aluminium.

OUR SCOPE

This is the anode sealing workshop that our customer wanted to highlight with a sales aid tool. This tool was to enable him to show an ARS workshop in order to present anode manufacture to an informed public. This is where our Virtual Reality specialists came in.

Based on workshop and machine plans, our team of graphic designers and VR engineers developed a virtual tour using a 3D simulator. They integrated the existing CAD and reproduced the ARS workshop, adding realistic colours and textures. Users of the simulator thus benefit from a better experience thanks to greater immersion.

The aim of the VR simulator was to provide a realistic and immersive presentation of the Anode Sealing process at ARABAL 2023. This three-day show attracts more than 500 aluminium industry professionals and is positioned as the must-attend event in this market. Fives was able to make a number of presentations thanks to this VR simulator embedded in a demonstration case.

To see an extract from the visit, click HERE.

CONCLUSION

We would like to thank our loyal client Fives for their continued confidence in us by awarding us this project. We are delighted to have achieved the expected objective for this project and to have delivered the deliverable on time.

THE KEY ELEMENTS

• Use of cutting-edge tools such as Casting, Bath finishing, Stub drying, Stub coating and Unity
• Delivery of a virtual tour useful for the pre-project phase
• A scalable, immersive and realistic simulator

Very short lead times to meet expectations