Cti e-News - Castings Technology International

December 2006
e-News
Keeping you aware of activities for Members ......
HRH The Duke of York KG KCVO opens Cti's Headquarters on the AMP
On Friday, September 22nd, 2006, HRH The Duke of York KG KCVO officially opened Cti's
Headquarters on the Advanced Manufacturing Park in South Yorkshire. In attendance were the Lord-
Lieutenant and the High Sheriff of South Yorkshire, the Master Cutler, the Mayor of Rotherham and
the Executive Director of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council.
Mike Ashton, Cti's Chief Executive, escorted The Duke on a tour of Cti's new facilities, introducing
him to staff engaged in 3D solid modelling and stress analysis; simulation of mould filling and
solidification; and rapid prototyping techniques, patternmaking and model-making. The Duke was
familiarised with several projects on which Cti is engaged that aim to capture business for UK
foundries, and learned of Cti's ambitions for further development on the Advanced Manufacturing
Park.
The Duke was introduced to the Chairman and Councillors, with whom he discussed matters of
relevance to Cti’s future and the benefits the organisation delivers to Members and casting supply
chains. Following an address to the staff and guests, The Duke unveiled a plaque commemorating
his visit and signed the guest book.
Focus on a Member
A 2.9 tonne control valve body in Inconel ® 625,
produced by Norton Cast Products from
polystyrene patterns and core boxes produced
on the high-speed machining facilities at Cti
Norton Cast Products Ltd in Sheffield are well aware of
relevant capabilities at Cti through their involvement in a
demonstrator project, e-Valve, that was designed to embed
3D Solid Modelling in valve casting supply chains to optimise
casting design and enhance manufacturing technology. This
project enabled them to exploit the Patternless ® Process – the
direct machining of sand moulds and cores directly from 3D
CAD data – to produce large, one-off valve castings for
Severn Glocon. These short-lead time ‘specials’ weighed up
to 1.4 tonnes. This background experience served Norton
Cast Products well in bidding for a contract to produce small
numbers of low alloy, stainless steel and nickel-based valve
castings weighing up to 2.9 tonnes. Managing Director,
Simon Alexander, learned that the certainty of a short delivery
time would be critical to secure the order during a visit to the
customer, CCI Valve Technology GmbH – a global leader in
severe-service control valves in Vienna, Austria. The
potential of using Cti’s large-scale, high-speed, 5-axis
machining capabilities to produce short lead-time, low-cost
patterns and core boxes from extruded polystyrene was in
Simon’s mind when he arranged for 3D CAD files to be e-
mailed to Cti. A quotation was provided by return that
clinched the order, worth more than £700k, against strong
European competition. All the castings have now been
Copyright © 2006. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this document, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited without the
written permission of Castings Technology International.
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December 2006
produced to the required quality standard and within the contracted lead-time. Almost end-on to this
recently concluded project, Norton Cast Products has become engaged in producing customised cast
steel housings for a wide range of electro-magnets for Rotary Engineering UK Ltd, also in Sheffield.
The Patternless ® Process has again circumvented the cost and lead-time associated with pattern
equipment to a degree that has enhanced business opportunities for both companies.
New Members 2006
UK
Anchor Refractories Ltd
Batley Foundry Ltd
Charles H. Coward Ltd
Delta Fluid Products Ltd
Gilbert, Gilkes & Gordon Ltd
Kohler Mira Ltd
Quality Castings (Slough) Ltd
Rhodes Nicholson Ltd
Weir Valves & Controls UK Ltd
William Cook Defence Ltd
Overseas
Doretrup Feuerfesteprodukte GmbH, Germany
Electro Aco Altona SA, Brazil
JSC Balashika Casting Mechanical Plant, Russia
Magotteaux International, Belgium
Activity Level During September and October
• 185 visitors were received, of which 53 were Members.
• 35 visits were made to Members in the UK and overseas.
• 16 metallurgical enquiries were received from 12 Member companies relating principally to
physical properties and identification of defects in iron castings (including ADI and Ni-resist),
steels (including duplex, stainless and alloy steels) and aluminium alloys.
• 22 new castings and 17 methods (gating and feeding systems) were designed for Members all
over the world.
• 16 QuickCast ® stereolithography models and 10 'printed' sand cores were made for Members to
produce prototypes or small volumes of precision sand castings.
• Prototype castings were made for Members from 63 QuickCast ® stereolithography models, 30
'printed' sand moulds and cores, 22 machined polystyrene patterns and 3 very large Patternless ®
sand moulds.
• 65 enquiries, 16 of which were from Overseas Members, were received by Information Services –
a record number in a two month period. 50% of these enquiries were for assistance with
specifications and standards.
• 12 surveys for occupational hygiene were conducted for 6 Members and 28 surveys for emissions
conducted for 12 Members.
Patternless ® Process Finds Applications Overseas
The direct machining of moulds and cores from pre-formed blocks of bonded sand continues to find
interest from companies around the world. A large system has recently been commissioned in a
steel foundry Member foundry in Casablanca – Mafoder Fonderie. A new engineering subsidiary,
Formafrica, has been set up to exploit the technology. Following on-site training by Cti staff in
September, sand moulds for pump casings, a connecting rod and a jaw crusher have been produced,
as well as wood patterns and core boxes of the standard necessary to meet the requirements of
Mafoder’s newly installed IMF Fast Loop moulding line.
Two further systems have been specified for an aerospace company in Russia and a leading valve
manufacturer in the Ukraine.
Copyright © 2006. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this document, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited without the
written permission of Castings Technology International.
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December 2006
Technology Partner and Sponsor
ALD Vacuum Technologies GmbH, of Hanau, Germany, and Cti are cooperating in an R&D activity
aimed at reducing the cost and easing the production logistics of large-scale, thin-wall structural
castings from vacuum melted steels and nickel-based super-alloys. Dimensional accuracy and
mechanical property improvements are also being targeted. A 500kg vacuum induction melting unit,
manufactured by ALD, will be installed in 2007 to provide a realistic platform on which to improve
manufacturing technologies and materials, and to provide a practical ‘technology demonstrator’.
‘Members Only’ Area of Cti’s Web-Site
• More than 80% of the membership has now registered to gain access to the ‘Members Only’ area
of the web-site. If you haven’t already done so and you need assistance, contact Alison Ford.
• The ‘Members Only’ area holds a huge store of Cti technical documents in read-only format. Click
on the "technical documents" menu for access to the information.
• The latest Broadsheets - “High Silicon Ductile Irons” and “Ceramic Beads for Moulding and
Coremaking” have recently been added.
• Past conference proceedings are currently being scanned and will be loaded onto the web-site
very soon.
Working Groups and Focus Group Meetings
All Members are invited to attend any Working Group meeting to discuss any matter that they care to
raise. The dates of meetings will be notified in future issues of e-News. Members can also contact
the Chairmen to raise any issue they feel ought to be discussed if they cannot themselves attend:
Steel Working Group – Chairman, David Furniss, Furniss & White (Foundries) Ltd.
Cti Contact: Anthony Rowett
Iron Working Group – Chairman, Malcolm Macnaughton, Precision Disc Castings Ltd.
Cti Contact: Martin Fallon
Non-Ferrous Working Group – Chairman, Alan Scarfe, LEW Castings Ltd.
Cti Contact: Peter Thompson
• In the past year, meetings have been held for the Non-ferrous, Iron and Steel Working Groups
involving representatives from over 20 Members.
• Over 40 personnel, representing 30 companies, attended Focus Group meetings prompted by the
Working Groups – covering Environmental Legislation and Compliance, Hand-Arm Vibration, and
Chemically Bonded Sand Processes.
• Twenty four people from 12 Member companies attended the Sand Focus Group meeting held at
Alvechurch on 26 th September and benefited from updates on the latest developments in the use
of chemically bonded sand systems and associated technologies.
• Future focus meetings are planned in the first quarter of 2007 on Hand-Arm Vibration
(Alvechurch), Environmental Management Systems (Sheffield) and, later in the year, Casting
Finishing Practices (Sheffield).
• Members interested in taking part in any of the Working Group or Focus Group meetings should
contact Peter M. Haigh for further details.
Copyright © 2006. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this document, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited without the
written permission of Castings Technology International.
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December 2006
Health, Safety and Environmental Services
• Defra have recently issued proposals for consultation on the Environmental Permitting
Programme. This will make application simpler for companies applying for a permit. It will
eventually replace PPC and transition will be automatic. Members should not be overly
concerned about the effects of this.
• The HSE are making the control of hand-arm vibration in foundries a priority for 2007. Cti have
circulated to Members a briefing note. Members should ensure they are working to requirements
of The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005.
• There is a new workplace exposure limit for respirable silica of 0.1 mg.m -3 . If exposure cannot be
controlled to 0.1 mg.m -3 (8-hour TWA) or below by elimination, process change or engineering
controls, then exposure must be controlled by provision and use of suitable respiratory protective
equipment. It must be remembered that the use of suitable respiratory protection must only be
used as a last resort. A briefing note has been circulated to all Members.
• Waste companies are increasingly asking for testing of waste streams to ensure compliance with
the waste acceptance criteria introduced last year.
Climate Change
• The casting sector Climate Change Agreement has now reached its third milestone target period
and the 200 signatories are having to report upon their energy performance over the period 1st
October 2005 to 30th September 2006, which is then compared against the energy efficiency
targets that they agreed with the Secretary of State in return for 80% levy relief.
• Target 2010 Ltd has the responsibility for administering the collection of data and reporting
individual performance to Defra, including the resolution of any compliance issues, via the UK
Emissions Trading Scheme. Those foundries that are re-certified will receive the levy relief for a
further two years, i.e. to the fourth milestone in 2008, worth on average £50k/annum.
• On 12th September, at the Alvechurch Offices of Cti, Target 2010 Ltd repeated its popular half
day briefing "Climate Change Agreements - back to basics", providing both a useful refresher for
those with some prior knowledge and valuable information for the many who have had
responsibility thrust on them without any previous training.
Casting Skills Centre
• Victoria Sindaco of Aeromet International Plc, Worcester, has successfully completed the Casting
Skills Centre’s first Full Technician Advanced Apprenticeship. Vicky specialised in Engineering
Technical Services, such as determining customer requirements and conducting complex
monitoring of the company’s investment cast products. As part of her Apprenticeship, she
achieved NVQs at level 2 and 3, Key Skills qualifications and a BTEC National Certificate in
Mechanical Production Engineering and Higher National Certificate in Mechanical Engineering.
Vicky started her apprenticeship in February 2004 and completed it in September 2006 – 11
months ahead of time!
• 19 personnel attended in-company Casting Design courses held in September and October at
Hendrickson Europe Ltd, Northampton.
• 53 personnel in 4 Member companies have received bespoke, on-site training in the past
year on Grey and Ductile Iron Production, Iron Melting Technology, Greensand
Operations and Identification of Defects
Further details on training are available from the Casting Skills Centre’s Training Calendar.
Copyright © 2006. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this document, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited without the
written permission of Castings Technology International.
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December 2006
Calendar 2007
Date Event Venue Further details
Tue 16 th Jan Environmental Committee Cti Alvechurch Jon Donohoe
Wed 31 st Jan Titanium Castings (UK) Ltd Board Meeting Cti Rotherham Barry Jackson
Thu 15 th Feb* Hand-Arm Vibration Focus Group Meeting Cti Alvechurch Jon Donohoe
Wed 14 th Mar Cti Council Meeting Cti Alvechurch Barry Jackson
Thu 29 th Mar* Environmental Management Systems
Cti Rotherham Jon Donohoe
Focus Group Meeting
Wed 13 th Jun Research Committee Cti Rotherham Peter Haigh
Thu 14 th Jun Cti Council Meeting Cti Rotherham Barry Jackson
Wed 26 th Sept Cti Council Meeting Cti Alvechurch Barry Jackson
Thu 25 th Oct* Casting Finishing Practices Focus Group Meeting Cti Sheffield Peter Haigh
Thu 13 th Dec Cti Council Meeting Cti Rotherham Barry Jackson
* Provisional dates
Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP)
Launched on 1st April 2006, Phase One of the DTI’s low carbon buildings programme will run over
three years. Open to householders, public, not-for-profit and commercial organisations across the
UK, the programme will demonstrate how energy efficiency and micro-generation can work together
to create low carbon buildings. Two streams of grants are available under Phase One of the
programme: Stream One - for householders and community organisations; Stream Two - for medium
and large micro-generation projects by public, not-for-profit and commercial organisations.
Further information is available from http://www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk/about/.
PTC Industries Gain Award for Replicast ®
PTC Industries Ltd was presented with an Indian Government National Award for R&D Efforts in
Industry at the 20 th National Conference on In-House R&D held in New Delhi on 16 th -17 th November,
2006. The award recognised PTC’s impressive record in introducing Replicast ® to manufacture
critical parts for gas turbines, power plant, railroad and flow control devices. The small, privately
owned, technologically advanced company has built up an output approaching 60 tonnes per month
of Replicast ® parts in less than 2 years by focussing on quality-sensitive, precision components. Cti
is working with PTC on plant, equipment and process developments required to accommodate
additional, secured business that will in take their output to 100 tonnes per month in 2007.
Additional Information and Copies of e-News
Members can contact individuals with relevant expertise by e-mail addresses provided in the Who’s
Who.
If you have any enquiries regarding any of the information in this edition of e-News, or would like any
of your colleagues to be added to our e-News mailing list, please contact Karen Stott.
Castings Technology International
Advanced Manufacturing Park,
Brunel Way, Rotherham, S60 5WG, England.
t. +44 (0)114 2541144 f. +44 (0)114 2541155
e. m.ashton@castingstechnology.com
w. www.castingstechnology.com
Copyright © 2006. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this document, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited without the
written permission of Castings Technology International.
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