Work at the Chuquicamata smelter, from the dryer to the casting wheel.
Ten projects for Codelco’s Chuquicamata Division, across different stages of the smelting process: dryer, Flash Furnace, boiler, acid plant, casting wheels, building cranes and oxygen lines.
Codelco’s largest smelter, project by project. From the dryer that removes moisture from the concentrate to the wheel that casts the anodes, LTF has worked on different stages of the process.
The Chuquicamata smelter, in Calama, is Codelco’s largest: around the middle of the last decade it had a smelting capacity of 1.4 million tonnes per year, with one flash furnace, two Teniente converters and three Peirce-Smith converters. LTF has carried out ten published projects there for the Chuquicamata Division.
The work covers different stages of the process: the dryer 6 coils, which remove moisture from the concentrate; the Flash Furnace, with its cooling circuits and ancillary works; the boiler that recovers heat from the off-gases; the acid plant, which converts sulfur dioxide into sulfuric acid; casting wheels 3 and 4, where copper solidifies into anodes; and the crane rails and oxygen lines.
Service: Mechanical worksWhat we deliver.
Every point comes from a real LTF project: each project sheet is linked below.
Flash Furnace and boiler
Cooling circuits with silver brazing and 316L steel manifolds, an 18 inch cooling line with about 10,000 diameter inches, and tube banks and panels for the boiler.
Acid plant
ZeCor-Z welding from 2 to 16 inches, catalyst replacement, repair of FRP equipment, and fabrication and installation of ZeCor and FRP piping.
Casting, drying and building
Dismantling and installation of casting wheels 3 and 4, five super duplex coil sections for dryer 6, crane rail replacement and oxygen lines of up to 24 inches.
The projects behind it.
Flash Furnace cooling system
Fabrication and installation of the cooling circuits of the Chuquicamata Flash Furnace, with silver brazing, 316L stainless steel supply manifolds and 6, 8 and 10 inch lines. Workforce of 200 on rotating shifts.
View the project sheet
Flash Furnace and boiler cooling, 18 inch line
Removal of the old circuits and fabrication and installation of the new cooling piping system for the Flash Furnace and its boiler, with an 18 inch line and about 10,000 diameter inches, supports, painting, booster pumps and hydrostatic testing. Workforce of 250.
View the project sheet
Boiler banks, wall panels and boiler maintenance
Fabrication of convection and radiant banks, wall panels and bends for the boilers of the Chuquicamata Division, with their installation, steam drum maintenance, and hydrostatic tests and non-destructive testing of every system. Workforce of 200.
View the project sheet
ZeCor-Z welding and acid plant maintenance
ZeCor-Z welding from 2 to 16 inches, catalyst replacement, repair of FRP equipment, and fabrication and installation of ZeCor and FRP piping at the acid plant of the Chuquicamata smelter. Workforce of 150 on double shifts.
View the project sheet
Replacement of casting wheels 3 and 4
Complete dismantling and installation of casting wheels 3 and 4 at the Chuquicamata smelter, from the spokes, rollers and racks to the hydraulic system, take-off and weighing scales, with commissioning and calibration. Workforce of 150 on double shifts.
View the project sheet
Fabrication and maintenance of dryer 6 coils
Fabrication of five coil sections in super duplex steel for dryer 6 of the Chuquicamata smelter, with their installation, repair of the dryer shell, and replacement of the piping and electrically actuated valves. Workforce of 140 on rotating shifts.
View the project sheetFrequently asked questions.
Answers based on the published projects. For your case, write to us: we reply within one business day.
Request a proposal →What work has LTF done at the Chuquicamata smelter?
Ten published projects: boiler tube banks; boiler banks, wall panels and boiler maintenance; the Flash Furnace cooling system; Flash Furnace and boiler cooling with an 18 inch line; Flash Furnace ancillary works; replacement of casting wheels 3 and 4; ZeCor-Z welding and acid plant maintenance; dryer 6 coils; crane rail replacement; and 16, 20 and 24 inch oxygen lines.
What workforce does LTF bring to the smelter?
It depends on the contract. The published projects were carried out with workforces of 50 to about 250 people, on double shifts or rotating shifts: for example, 150 workers on double shifts for the casting wheel replacement and about 250 people on double shifts for the Flash Furnace ancillary works.
Where is the equipment for the smelter fabricated?
At the LTF fabrication shops: the 2025 boiler tube banks were fabricated at the Concón shop and the dryer 6 coils between China and the Calama shop.
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Regions and sites
Offices, fabrication shops and smelters where LTF has carried out its projects.
All solutionsLet’s talk about your next project.
Tell us the scope, the site and the schedule. We reply within one business day with a proposal.