CPT International 01/2015

In an interesting talk
across generations
Haensel pointed out
that foundry technology
since 1985 has
mainly developed in
the areas of material
optimization and IT
technology in foundries
In those days we got several letters from
the USA and Canada, in particular,
praising the excellently translated specialist
articles. In my time the magazine
was particularly appreciated in China
and America (including Canada). The
magazine was also popular in Brazil.
German companies see it as a publishing
platform for presenting their technology.
When you look at the CP+T from then
and from now what is particularly noticeable?
The major difference is that the layout
used to be more related to the content.
Today’s layout is picture-oriented. It’s
similar in GIESSEREI. I like it. It reflects
modernity. In the past the magazine
was mainly intended for specialists and
maybe interested students who already
knew something of the subject. Now
both magazines are more interesting
and appeal to a broader circle of readers.
What important developments took
place in foundry technology while you
were working for GIESSEREI and CP+T?
Mainly it was the change in materials
and in the concentration and optimization
of materials for particular
parts. And then, of course, the changes
in foundry technology caused by electronic
data processing and simulation
– the use of computers throughout the
foundry.
What is your background and how
did you become an Editor and Editor-in-Chief
of GIESSEREI and CP+T?
I am Austrian and studied at the Leoben
University of Mining and Metallurgy.
That’s why I still go to the Austrian
Foundry Congress every year. I
was active in the Research and Development
Department of the Institute
of Foundry Technology in Düsseldorf,
which I got to via Buderus, already one
of Germany’s largest foundry companies
then. After five years at the Institute
I started work in the Editor’s Office
of GIESSEREI and CP+T. That was 1980,
five years before CP+T was founded.
What was the reasoning for launching
CP+T 30 years ago?
It was founded as a counterpart to the
English-language magazine MPT for
the steel industry. The initiative came
from the foundry suppliers, who were
interested in finding a platform for
publicizing their technologies abroad.
What role did the GIFA – where CP+T
was always on display – have in this?
The International Foundry Fair GIFA
in Düsseldorf has been organized in its
present form since 1956. Since its start,
CP+T has always been available there
and has been sought-after by foundry
specialists from all over the world.
Today, in 2015, the foundry world has
changed a lot compared to before.
What directions are developments
taking?
Yes, the changes have been great. Development
will continue in the direction
of material optimization. I think
there will also be further developments
in light construction materials, e.g. towards
the use of magnesium.
And where do you see CP+T in 2020?
The magazine goes to so many countries
that it is an excellent platform
for companies that want to inform
the whole world about their foundry
technology. So the magazine should
also have a bright future.
Casting Plant & Technology 1/2015 41