Italian equipment manufacturer CAM has released a video showing its Lead Shaver processing a complete lead ingot at ambient temperature in 40 seconds, producing feed material for a lead oxide ball mill without first melting the metal.
The demonstration shows an ingot being loaded into the machine and progressively cut into lead shavings. CAM said the process provides a continuous and consistent supply of feedstock while avoiding the energy use, emissions and operational risks associated with handling molten lead.
The Fossacesia-based manufacturer developed the Lead Shaver as an alternative to casting cylinders or slugs for use in ball mill lead oxide production. The system comprises an ingot conveyor, the shaving machine and a conveyor that transfers the processed material towards the mill.
CAM technical sales manager Francesco Marfisi said the latest demonstration represented the result of 20 years of development.
“The technological stability of the Lead Shaver did not just fall from the sky: it is the hard-earned result of twenty years of industrial development, of failures faced openly, and of doors slammed in our faces by those who preferred the easier path, choosing Chinese machinery or falling back on obsolete technologies,” he said.
“Yet, after twenty years, we are still here. Perseverance has triumphed over scepticism.”
40 seconds to process an entire ingot cold
CAM said the machine takes exactly 40 seconds to process an entire ingot cold. The company describes the Lead Shaver as capable of producing 2.5–3 tonnes of feed material per hour.
By cutting the ingot directly, the process removes the requirement for melting and holding pots, burners, lead pumps and transfer pipes. CAM said it also eliminates the dross generated during conventional melting and reduces maintenance and waste-management requirements.
The company claims that cold shaving can reduce energy consumption by 90% compared with traditional lead melting. It also said removing molten lead from the process can improve working conditions by reducing exposure to fumes and the risk of burns.
The geometry and surface condition of the shavings are intended to assist oxidation inside the ball mill. CAM said the mechanical action of the cutting tool hardens and roughens the shaving surface, while its shape allows air to circulate around and through the material.
Marfisi argued that investment decisions in the lead battery industry were sometimes constrained by a tendency to confuse caution with avoiding change.
“The only immutable certainty in the market is competition, which is constantly operating around the corner with aggressive pricing,” he said.
“Faced with this scenario, the only real defence for a forward-thinking manager is the adoption of innovative systems capable of cutting operational costs drastically and structurally, thereby securing long-term profitability.”
CAM said it was continuing to develop the technology and was finalising what it described as a machine capable of producing the definitive feed material for lead oxide ball mills.
The original Lead Shaving System was patented in 2004–05. CAM said the underlying concept was devised by Armando and Fernando Marfisi after seeing cheese grated over a plate of pasta during a business trip in 2006.
