e-News - Castings Technology International

March 2007e-NewsKeeping you aware of activities for Members ......In order to maintain the range of services required by Members, to finance R&D and to maintain a lowsubscription, Cti has to generate income itself. Under Council’s guidance, we continue to deviseways of building new income streams to underpin our underlying obligations to Members. Theinvestment in the technologies now embedded in our new headquarters on the AdvancedManufacturing Park is a major commitment to that objective. Compelling evidence is emerging thatthis investment was well targeted in terms of its potential to generate significant income through theprovision of services that are of direct and indirect benefit to Members. This income will enable us tomaintain the low subscription base that ensures Cti is accessible and affordable for small companies.Invoices will be sent out shortly for the 2007/8 subscriptions, which have again been maintained atthe levels set in 2001 – a reduction in real terms of 15%Annual subscription income is now £382k, or 5% of our total income.Focus on Two MembersTesting of the 760 kg ductile ironCentre CaseLong-standing Members Incanite Foundries Ltd based in the West Midlands andSiemens Industrial Turbomachinery Ltd based in Lincoln, used Cti’s design andprototyping capabilities to assist in the conversion of a fabricated steel CentreCase for a small, low emission gas turbine to two ductile iron castings, eachweighing 380kg. The Centre Case houses the gas turbine combustion system,acting also as a pressure vessel for the compressed air being delivered to thecombustion system and providing structural support for the high-speed turbinerotor assembly. The objective was to reduce product and processing costs andeliminate joints in the design – the potential being that the multi-piece fabricationcould be replaced with just two castings to reduce machining and assembly time,and improve reliability. Cti’s Patternless ® Process appealed to the design team’sgoal of producing a prototype Centre Case at minimum risk, time and cost. Ctiworked very closely with Siemens and Incanite to optimise the casting design bothfor cost minimisation and process optimisation. Rapid production of the prototypecastings was key to the viability of the project as a whole, so Cti produced thecore-boxes and the moulds simultaneously to save time. The core-boxes weremachined from polystyrene and the cores produced at Incanite under thesupervision of one of Cti’s Process Engineers. The Patternless ® Process wasused to machine the moulds from furan-bonded sand blocks supplied by Incanite.This approach ensured that the prototype castings would be faithfullyrepresentative of production castings. The moulds were poured at Incanite andcastings supplied to Siemens in a total elapsed time of 6 weeks. Eric Richards,General Manager of Incanite, remarked: “It was extremely pleasing for Incanite, a traditional jobbing iron foundry,to exploit leading edge technology to secure work from a key customer”.Machining and testing of the prototype casting was successful, leading to approval for the manufacture ofproduction patterns. The success of the project is evident from the production release of the gas turbine with anew, ductile iron Centre Case that is indistinguishable from the prototype.Jim Togher, Siemens’ Supplier Development Manager, observed: “The collaboration of Incanite and Cti enabledSiemens to validate fully the use of a high-integrity, ductile iron substitute without the risk of investing in patterns,and at the same time allowed the design to be concurrently developed for maximum procurement cost reductionand minimised processing costs. The dimensional accuracy of the castings exceeded our expectations and thethinner walls provided a lower weight part without impairing engine performance. Siemens have achieved theirtarget aims of achieving a stiffer structure, reducing part count and assembly time, improving ease of assembly,eliminating leak testing and reducing costs”.Copyright © 2007. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this document, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited without thewritten permission of Castings Technology International.Page 1

March 2007Cti ChairmanBrian Higgins of Vanguard Foundry Ltd has retired as Chairman of Cti following 5 years of unstinting efforts onbehalf of the organisation and its Members. Brian committed a considerable amount of time to ensuring that thedecisions of Council were implemented fully and effectively. During his term of office, he oversaw growth of 60% inthe organisation’s income from £4,953k in 2001/2 to £7,900k in 2006/7, ensuring that Cti maintained its global preeminencein the development of casting technology, materials, products and markets, and services to Members.The organisation’s new headquarters on the Advanced Manufacturing Park in South Yorkshire crystallises theachievements of Brian’s tenure, and that a project of such magnitude can be accomplished so successfully istestament to his able stewardship.Tom Westley, Chairman and co-owner of Westley Group Ltd replaces Brian. Tom has been a Member of Councilsince 1998. He was educated at Dudley Grammar School and Imperial College, University of London, where hegraduated as a metallurgist in 1973. He worked at a copper mine in Zambia before returning to join the familybusiness. This has grown to a substantial foundry group, with a turnover of around £20m, through organic growthand acquisition aimed at consolidation in the static and centrifugal casting of copper-based alloys in the UK.Changes to CouncilAt the Annual General Meeting in September 2006 three new members of Council were appointed: Ian Gerard ofSheffield Forgemasters International Group; Olivier Bluche of Saint-Gobain Pipelines; and Danie Slabbert of SteloyCastings.Ian Gerard is a Chartered Accountant who worked in the profession before gaining wide experience in a variety offinance roles in manufacturing industry. He joined William Cook group in 1990 and over 13 years he worked asFinance Director, a Managing Director, and Environmental/Energy Director within the group, managing foundryoperations with an output of more than 350 tonnes per week.After a period working as an advisor with Business Link South Yorkshire, in 2006 Ian joined start-up companyVulcan SFM, part of the Sheffield Forgemasters International Group, as Chief Executive, with a remit to grow thebusiness on the back of SFI’s acknowledged expertise in off-shore casting manufacture and develop business innew markets such as wind turbines, project management, and engineering services and procurement.Olivier Bluche graduated from the Ecole Nationale d'Arts et Metiers, Paris. He joined the Pipe Division of Saint-Gobain in 1984 and worked in a variety of engineering and manufacturing roles in one of the French plantsbefore joining in 1990 the UK operations of Saint-Gobain (known then as Stanton plc ). Saint-Gobain Pipelinesdevelop, manufacture and supply complete ductile iron solutions for the water industries and other utilities such aspipes, fittings, valves and access cover and gratings. Over the past 17 years, Olivier has held operational roles inall the plants of Saint-Gobain Pipelines and has been Operations Director since June 2005.During these 17 years, Olivier has been closely associated with the development of the Lost Foam process,acquisition of foundries, significant investment in productivity and process as well as restructuring the foundries.Danie Slabbert is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Steloy Castings (Pty) Ltd, South Africa, three foundriesproducing static castings and centrifugally spun tube for the pump and valve, petrochemical, pulp and paper, steeland cement sectors. After working as a trainee engineer at Iscor, a major steelworks company in South Africa, hejoined an Industrial Engineering Consulting company before establishing Steloy Castings as a co-founder in 1984.He is a member of the South African Institute of Industrial Engineers and a Professional Engineer.Research CommitteeIan Furniss, Managing Director of the South Yorkshire specialist steel casting producer Furniss and White(Foundries) Ltd, has been appointed Chairman of Cti’s Research Committee. Ian has worked in the casting sectorfor over 20 years since gaining a BSc in Metallurgy at Sheffield Polytechnic in 1987. He has had experience in allareas of casting production – including melting of stainless steels and nickel base alloys, non-destructive testingand chemical analysis techniques. He has held the position of Quality Assurance Manager, Works Director andmore recently Managing Director of the family business.Copyright © 2007. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this document, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited without thewritten permission of Castings Technology International.Page 2

March 2007He takes over the Chairmanship from Malcolm Macnaughtan of Precision Disc Castings Ltd. Malcolm has ablyand enthusiastically steered the activities of the Research Committee for three years. We are very grateful for histime and unstinting efforts on behalf of all Members and the Cti staff with whom he worked so closely.Titanium Castings (UK) LtdTitanium Castings (UK) Ltd was established on the 7 th August, 2006, as a wholly-owned subsidiary company of Cti,operating currently within the new facilities on the Advanced Manufacturing Park in South Yorkshire. The companyoperates independently, with its own Board of Directors: Richard Newby (Chairman) of Newby Foundries Ltd, TomWestley of Westley Ltd, Ian Furniss of Furniss & White (Foundries) Ltd, Anthony Village of Noel Village (SteelFounder) Ltd, Mike Ashton (Managing Director), Steve Oxley (Operations Director) and Barry Jackson (CompanySecretary). There is no indigenous manufacturer of titanium castings and the company has been set up to meetstrategic development needs in the UK, particularly in the defence sector where local supply is essential to protectintellectual property and security.New MembersWe have received applications for membership from: Carpenter Certech (UK); Sri Akila Castings (India); T3 EnergyServices (USA) and Tycon Alloys (China).Service Activity During November and DecemberIn the past 5 years, the number of direct, external metallurgical enquiries handled by the laboratory each year hasmore than doubled, while an increase in the complexity of the enquiries has led to a fourfold increase in activitylevel. Tim Gould, a Forensic Engineering graduate of Sheffield Hallam University has joined the team now headedup by Giles German, an Honours Graduate in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Liverpool.Matt Cawood, the former manager of the laboratory and an honours graduate in Metallurgy from the University ofManchester has taken over responsibility for all vacuum melting developments and operations.During November and December:• 17 metallurgical enquiries were received from 15 Member companies relating principally to physical propertiesand identification of defects in iron, aluminium and steel castings. Work was also carried out on differentmoulding materials for 2 Member foundries.• 195 visitors were received, of which 54 were Members• 68 enquiries, 17 of which were from Overseas Members, were handled by Information Services• 16 surveys for occupational hygiene were conducted for 10 Members and 20 surveys for emissions conductedfor 12 Members• 20 new castings and 21 methods (gating and feeding systems) were designed for Members all over the world• 6 QuickCast ® Stereolithography models and 10 ‘printed’ sand moulds and cores were made for Members toproduce prototypes or small volumes of investment or precision sand castings respectively• Prototype castings were made for Members from 128 QuickCast ® Stereolithography models, 53 ‘printed’ sandmoulds and cores, 31 machined polystyrene patterns and 4 very large Patternless ® sand moulds• More than 70 visits were made to Members in the UK and overseas.Visit CampaignA concerted effort is underway to visit Members to understand their changing needs and to show what benefits Ctican bring to them, especially by assisting them with the development of new products and markets. In the lastcouple of months or so of 2006, visits were made to more than half the UK casting manufacturers in membership.It became evident that, while Members are using our traditional services to a greater extent, we have tocommunicate better how new services can help to improve their business. We propose to do this by holding OpenDays at which we will demonstrate how the capital facilities at the AMP can be exploited to provide a competitiveedge; by holding seminars and workshops on relevant subjects; and through e-News and the web-site, with CaseStudies illustrating how some Members are making very effective use of our capabilities.Copyright © 2007. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this document, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited without thewritten permission of Castings Technology International.Page 3

March 2007While many Members emphasised the value of the Information and Metallurgical services, it was not uncommon tofind some that were unaware of the environmental and workplace monitoring services – the very area where mostreported that they most needed assistance. Several were struggling with legislation, local Councils or theEnvironment Agency on matters where we can and now will provide considerable assistance. In response tocomments made, we are increasing the range of environmental services to cover assessment of noise,measurement of odours, and waste and water analysis.As a consequence of the visits, 16 Members are obtaining a range of Health, Safety and Environmental services, 4Members are seeking training for employees, 7 Members will receive consultancy support on plant layout, newmoulding lines, bottom-pour ladle practice, etc., and 3 required assistance with the prototyping of new productsand related manufacturing process development.If you would like a visit, free of charge, to discuss any aspect of service you require, or would like to visit Cti to seefirst-hand how the investments made in technology can assist your business, please contact Colin Blackburn.‘Members Only’ Area of Cti’s Web-Site• Members who have not yet registered on Cti’s web-site, should click on this link to access details on how toproceed.• Minutes of the meetings of Cti’s Research Committee and Environmental Committee are now available on theMembers Only section of the web-site. After logging-in, click on Technical Documents and Cti ResearchMinutes or Environmental Committee Minutes.• A Members’ Bulletin Board is being developed to enable Members to post critiques, ask questions, suggestimprovements, recommend R&D projects, new services, topics for workshops, etc.• The possibility of developing an advanced document search facility is being investigated.Working GroupsWorking Groups, which any Member can attend, review and comment on Cti’s research activities. They alsoprovide a discussion forum for technical issues relevant to steel and nickel alloy, iron, and non-ferrous alloycastings, and a mechanism by which Members propose and discuss new topics for R&D and awareness activities.• The Iron Castings Working Group met at Cti Alvechurch on Wednesday, 28 th February. For further details,please contact Martin Fallon.• A Non-Ferrous Working Group meeting is to be held at Cti Rotherham on 7 th March. Contact Peter Thompsonfor further details.• All Members are invited to attend any of the Working Group meetings. For further details, please contact PeterM. Haigh.Health, Safety and Environmental Services• HSE is making control of Hand-Arm Vibration in foundries a priority for 2007. In response, Cti held a Hand-Arm Vibration Focus Group meeting on the 15th February 2007 at Alvechurch. Contact Jon Donohoe on 01142537801 or j.donohoe@castingstechnology.com for information on future meetings.• The ROHS (Restriction of the use of Hazardous Substances) Directive and the WEEE (Waste Electronic andElectrical Equipment) Directive are covered in a new briefing note (2007-01). These two directives should notplace obligations on casting manufacturers but if you require further information, contact Jon Donohoe on 01142537801 or j.donohoe@castingstechnology.com.Climate Change LevyThe casting sector is presently reporting its performance to the Secretary of State at the third milestoneof its Climate Change Agreement, representing the period 1st October 2005 to 30th September 2006. As at thetwo previous milestones in 2002 and 2004, it appears likely that the sector will not meet its agreed performanceCopyright © 2007. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this document, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited without thewritten permission of Castings Technology International.Page 4

target. The main reason for failure can again be attributed to a further decline in UK castings activity since theprevious milestone in 2004 and its impact on fixed energy consumption.March 2007Following successful lobbying by Target 2010 Ltd, ably supported by Cti, CMF and industry representatives, thecasting sector will not be included in the second phase of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme whichwill run from 2008 to 2012. The European Commission has recently approved the UK’s National Allocation Planfor allowances at Phase 2, which will lead to a 7% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions below the 2005 level.Following publication of the report on the economic effects of climate change by Sir Nicholas Stern, former ChiefEconomist of The World Bank, Roy Wootton, General Manager of Target 2010 Ltd, was invited to give apresentation on the subject of the Climate Change Agreements, to more than 60 delegates at the NationalMetalforming Centre on 30th November, 2006. The aim of the seminar was to establish a future negotiatingposition with Government regarding a preferred follow-up to the present Climate Change Agreements, when theyend in 2010. The consensus of those present was to remain with a modified form of the existing Climate ChangeAgreements, rather than to enter the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, which was considered to be a potentiallymore costly and increasingly bureaucratic route for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.Calendar 2007Date Event Venue Further detailsWed 7 th Mar Copper-based Alloys Working Group Cti Rotherham Peter ThompsonWed 14 th Mar Cti Council Meeting Cti Alvechurch Barry JacksonThu 29 th Mar* Environmental Management SystemsCti Rotherham Jon DonohoeFocus Group MeetingWed 13 th Jun Research Committee Cti Rotherham Peter HaighThu 14 th Jun Cti Council Meeting Cti Rotherham Barry JacksonWed 26 th Sept Cti Council Meeting Cti Alvechurch Barry JacksonThu 25 th Oct* Casting Finishing Practices Focus Group Meeting Cti Rotherham Peter HaighThu 13 th Dec Cti Council Meeting Cti Rotherham Barry Jackson*Provisional datesCasting Skills CentreDetails on training courses are available from the Casting Skills Centre’s Training Calendar.Apprenticeship SuccessStephen Backhouse of Premier Castings, Oldham, has successfully completed his apprenticeship in IndustrialApplications, specialising in Casting and Moulding, funded by Skills Solutions in Manchester.Despite suffering from acute dyslexia, Stephen has overcome his difficulties with the support and guidance fromthe Company, his Casting Skills Centre assessor Steve France, and Skills Solutions.The use of the Casting Skills Centre’s unique pocket-based NVQ portfolio system, which breaks the NVQ activitiesinto short (easy to understand), mini assignments, has enabled Stephen to achieve his apprenticeship. Thissystematic method of learning and assessment, with the addition of using on-line questions and tutor support, wasideally suited for Stephen and we wish him all the best for the future.Case StudiesLatest case studies :• Fast Manufacture of Large Valve Castings at Norton Cast Products• Rotary Engineering’s Electro Magnets Attract New Business• Shipham Valves Gain DuPont Global Approval• Incanite and Siemens Achieve Fast ResultsCopyright © 2007. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this document, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited without thewritten permission of Castings Technology International.Page 5

March 2007New Capacity• The product development team has been strengthened with three recruits: Ross Birleson with a BSc (Hons) inEngineering Materials Technology from the University of Leeds; James Kelsey with a BSC (Hons) inEngineering Design from Sheffield Hallam University; and Anthony Osborne with a BSC (Hons) in Model-Making and Design from the University of Sunderland.• In the metallurgical laboratory, a new software package from Olympus Imaging Solutions GmbH has recentlybeen installed to improve the acquisition, analysis, processing and archiving of microstructure images. Also, anew CCD-based Optical Emission Spectrometer from SPECTRO Analytical Instruments GmbH enhances ourcapability to analyse alloys of iron, steel, copper, aluminium, nickel, cobalt, magnesium, titanium andzirconium.• In the design office, I-DEAS 12 NX, the latest Finite Element stress analysis software, has been installed on anew computer running an AMD Opteron Processor, Model 246, which provides the fastest processing speedcurrently available.Research and Development Tax Relief• Research and development (R&D) tax relief can help fund the technological advances you need to keep yourcompany competitive, by reducing your tax bill or providing you with cash. Over 4,500 small and medium-sized(SME) companies are claiming more than £250m each year in R&D tax relief from HM Revenue & Customs(HMRC). The guidance available at http://www.hmrc.gov .uk/randd/intro.htm will help you decide if you couldqualify, and tell you what to do next if you think you do.Additional Information and Copies of e-NewsMembers 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 yourcolleagues to be added to our e-News mailing list, please contact Karen Stott.Castings Technology InternationalAdvanced Manufacturing Park,Brunel Way, Rotherham, S60 5WG, England.t. +44 (0)114 2541144 f. +44 (0)114 2541155e. m.ashton@castingstechnology.comw. www.castingstechnology.comCopyright © 2007. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this document, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited without thewritten permission of Castings Technology International.Page 6