VHE of Iceland has developed and installed an automatic Stem Index Marking System for Rodded Anodes.
The marking system is installed after the rodded anode storage area at the delivery point to the pot rooms and has replaced an earlier VHE / Stimir-supplied marking system used in the Rodding Plant.
The process is initiated by the potrooms requesting an anode for a specific cell.
Using VHE's powder chalk marking technology, two lines are marked on the anode stem. The first line is a fixed index line, always marked at the same height from the top of the anode, and provides a manual stand-by option. The second line is marked at the correct position for the pot stall in which it is to be inserted, this data being available in realtime from an Oracle database. Concurrently, a bar code and six-digit numeric code identifying the potroom, cell, and stall is laser-engraved marked onto a coated area of the stem.
Immediately following line and barcode marking a check-system reads the lines and barcode to ensure correct placement and readability. The marked rodded anode is then automatically delivered to the correct potroom.