2025 Schedule
March 10, 2025 – March 14, 2025
Course 1 of 4 in the Certificate in Aluminum Metallurgy program
Secat’s Certificate in Aluminum Metallurgy Class of 2025 will kick-off in March. Course 1, Aluminum Casting, will cover melting and casting of aluminum alloys and is segmented to provide detailed instruction related to both shape casting and ingot casting. In addition to instruction from Secat’s experienced staff, three experts will provide additional instruction related to their specific fields. Dr. Alan Luo of The Ohio State University will discuss high pressure die casting and integrated computational materials engineering (ICME). David Weiss of Vision Materials will present on sand and permanent mold casting. And Dr. Fazleena Badurdeen of the University of Kentucky will provide information on recycling and sustainability.
This course is applicable for process engineers, process technicians, supervisors, quality technicians, quality managers, metallurgists, and lab managers. The lessons will be delivered first in lecture format and then with hands-on demonstrations using laboratory scale equipment. The course will be held at Secat’s Lexington, KY and Nicholasville, KY facilities (30 minutes apart).
Course Objectives:
- Understand cast and wrought aluminum alloy systems
- Overview of melting including charging, filtration, and de-gassing
- Exposure to common methods of shape casting including, sand, permanent mold and die casting
- Learn about the direct chill ingot/billet casting
- Demonstrate the effects of cooling rate and grain refiners on casting microstructures and properties
- Hands-on exposure to common test methods for measuring hydrogen and inclusions in the melt
- Brief exposure to recycling, emissions, sustainability, and tools for computational simulations
Registration fee includes course materials and lunch each day
February 19, 2025
Aluminum 101
The purpose of this training course is to introduce participants to aluminum, its characteristics, alloys, processes, forms, and applications. Participants gain a broad understanding of the manufacturing processes from bauxite mining to secondary melting and recycling. Participants will also learn basic alloys, tempers, designations and commercial factors.
The course instructor has a wide variety of experiences and will address day-to-day issues that are commonly faced in the aluminum industry.
This course is for: Technicians, Quality Engineers, Management, Purchasing, Sales & Marketing, and customer service professionals
In particular, the course is ideal for employees with careers in other industries who are transitioning into the aluminum industry.
The class will be taught in-person with an option for virtual attendance.
Fees include course materials and lunch for each day.
April 10 – 11, 2025
Aluminum Billet & Ingot Casting
This two-day training course is designed for aluminum casthouse operators focusing on both ingot and billet production. The course equips participants with essential knowledge and tools to enhance the quality and efficiency of aluminum ingot and billet operations. Topics include best practices in melting operations, metal transport systems, degassing systems, grain refining processes, filtration and inclusion removal systems, DC casting operations (for both ingots and billets), quality inspections, homogenization processes, and more.
With reference materials provided, this course serves as a valuable resource for professionals in the aluminum industry. Our experienced instructor, who brings extensive practical knowledge, will address common industry challenges and solutions.
Ideal for Technicians, Quality Engineers, Management, Plant Operators, and Maintenance Personnel.
Course fees include all course materials and lunch each day.