www.cpt-international.com
March
2018
CASTING
PLANT AND TECHNOLOGY
INTERNATIONAL
1
Cost reduction through innovative
breaker core technology
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DIECASTING
China, Shanghai
18-20 July 2018
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EDITORIAL
Core and mold production
The state-of-the-art of our main topics – core and mold production – is now
considerably higher than it has ever been. The proven organic binder combinations
for producing molds and cores are still widely in use in foundries
around the world. But inorganic binding agents spread in light construction
and will sooner or later also be suitable for casting processes at higher temperatures
– a breakthrough that will change casting production worldwide. For one
thing is evident: environmental standards are steadily rising, as can be seen in
China, for example. In his article (from Page 12), our author Christian Appelt
from the foundry chemicals company ASK Chemicals explains the necessary
material properties and process requirements for inorganic core production.
In an interview, Amine Serghini from competitor Hüttenes Albertus talks about,
among other things, the inorganic market situation and comments on the direction
of development of his company, which is also exploiting organic binders.
Above all, however, Hüttenes Albertus is relying on its superior knowledge,
as the recent opening of both a Research & Development Center and a Competence
Center in northern Germany show (read more from P. 6).
We have also saved no effort regarding the topic of materials for core and mold
production: in our corporate report on the global player Imerys, that now owns
S&B (and thus its IKO Foundry Division), we examine the supplier of special
mineral-based products for the industry and its range for foundries (from P. 48)
The simulation of casting and solidification processes is widespread throughout
the sector. A group of scientists at the Ansbach University of Applied Sciences
in southern Germany has now been able to use a material flow simulator and
a thermodynamic model of the melting furnace to come up with interesting
conclusions to improve energy efficiency and productivity in die-casting foundries
(from P. 42). The project will continue – as will the reports on it in CP+T!
And, last but not least, two articles on zinc and plastic caster Föhl in Rudersberg
near Stuttgart, Germany (from P. 32) and die-casting machine producer Bühler
in Uzwil, Switzerland (from P. 38), offer interesting insights into highly efficient,
innovative and pioneering companies and processes.
Have a good read !
Robert Piterek
e-mail: robert.piterek@bdguss.de
Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018 3
FEATURES
INTERVIEW
Serghini, Amine
“We want to offer foundries innovative
and comprehensive solutions” 6
COREMAKING
Appelt, Christian
Material properties and process requirements for
inorganic core production 12
MELTING SHOP
Möldner, Tobias
Burner air preheating by means of a heat exchanger
Cover-Photo:
GTP Schäfer GmbH
Benzstraße 15
D-41515 Grevenbroich
Tel.: +49 2181 23394-0
Fax: +49 2181 23394-55
www.gtpschaefer.de
CASTING TECHNOLOGY
Dickinson, Brian; Midea, Tony; Adams, Andry
PRESSURE DIE CASTING
Piterek, Robert
Globalization in Swabian 32
6 32
Amine Serghini is Head of Global Sales and Marketing at
Hüttenes-Albertus. In an interview he speaks about inorganic
binders, e-mobility and 3-D-printing (Photo: HA)
The zinc and plastic caster Föhl, Rudersberg, Germany,
is preparing itself with innovations and productivity for the
future and also counts on China (Photos: A. Bednareck)
CASTING
1 | 2018
PLANT AND TECHNOLOGY
INTERNATIONAL
INDUSTRY 4.0
Buob, Adrian
Cell management for greater success 38
SIMULATION
Buswell, Andreas; Schlüter, Wolfgang; Henninger, Matthias; Müller, Stefan
Simulation of non-ferrous melting and die-casting plants
COMPANY
Vehreschild, Michael
Imerys - strong potential for synergies 48
COLUMNS
Editorial 3
News in brief 52
Brochures 64
Fairs and congresses/Ad index 66
Preview / Imprint 67
38
A central, optimized cell control creates the basis for productivity gains in die casting. For foundry machine manufacturer
Bühler, Uzwil, Switzerland, the development of the cell management system is an important step towards die casting foundries
becoming part of Industry 4.0 (Photos: Bühler)
INTERVIEW
”We want to offer foundries innovative
and comprehensive solutions”
Interview with Amine Serghini, member of the management team, Head of Global Sales and
Marketing at Hüttenes-Albertus (HA), Düsseldorf, Germany
Mr Serghini, you have opened a new
Research and Development (R&D)
Center in Hanover and the HA Center
of Competence (CoC) in Baddeckenstedt
(both Germany). What do both of
these investments mean for the company’s
strategic positioning?
Our R&D Center and CoC are two important
building blocks in fully implementing
our strategy. We want to get
even closer to our customers. We not only
want to sell products, but also offer the
foundry industry an innovative and comprehensive
solution, including services.
HA has added a competence centre
with foundry pilot plant to research
and development in Hanover. What
The CoC facilitates cooperation and allows
us to bring solutions to market
quickly and effectively. As a producer of
foundry chemicals, we are the link between
foundries, with their casting requirements,
and machine manufacturers,
with their technical possibilities. In
the past, customers often started by creating
a new production line design for their
new product in close collaboration with
the machine manufacturer. Only once
the new plant was ready did the foundry
approach HA to find the right chemical
products to produce the casting. This
was often too late to provide customers
with solutions tailored to their processes
or castings, which then still had to be
put into commission. As a result, valuable
time was lost. By working together with
the foundry, machine manufacturer and
other partners at an early stage in product
and process development, we aim to
reduce the time required for this phase.
different partners who are working on
the topic at the same time and not sequentially
as before. If necessary, institutes
and universities also team up
with the CoC. In our CoC (see box), we
can cast, shoot cores and build molds.
We can also fully test and optimize
new processes and products before
they are used. This helps us to develop
products for our customers faster and
in a more targeted manner until they
are ready for the market and to successfully
launch them in foundries.
Does this change the relationship between
products and services in your
strategy?
We still manufacture chemicals, but
services are becoming more and more
important. Let’s take the automotive
industry as an example. When introducing
new products, such as a new
cylinder head or a new engine block,
there is always a bottleneck in the prototype
phase. This is because you have
to use the engine foundry, which is already
operating at full capacity. Our
customers can carry out all of their
prototyping in our CoC. We have
every thing we need to produce cores
and molds, and to cast all metals. This
How does this work in practice?
The customer comes to the CoC with
his request and meets a consortium of
Example of a customer project in the HA Center of Competence: Production of prototypes
in inorganic core production (Photos: Hüttenes-Albertus)
6 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
HA Center of Competence (CoC)
The HA Center of Competence (CoC) has about 8,000 m 2 of pilot and industrial
facilities and replicates almost all of the stages of the foundry process.
Here, new ideas and solutions for nearly all mold and core production
processes can be tested in practice, and without disrupting the processes
of customers.
Moreover, a comprehensive machine park offers the opportunity to optimize
the interaction of foundry chemistry and machine technology.
To this end, HA cooperates with virtually all renowned manufacturers of
foundry plants. The machine park’s facilities include:
means that we are not only able to carry
out prototyping from core production
to casting, but also to provide other
services that can then be outsourced
by the foundry. We want to act as an
extension of the foundry and offer
every thing that a foundry, in the midst
of series production, would have difficulty
implementing internally.
As a chemicals manufacturer, will you
continue to focus on foundries in the
future?
Yes. We are 100 % focused on foundry
chemistry with worldwide distribution,
and in recent years, we have divested
some business areas outside our
core foundry business.
» melting and casting plants
» core shooting machines for Cold Box, inorganics and other core production
processes
» sand mixing plants for Cold Box and inorganic processes
» continuous mixers for the no-bake process
» coating area, including robotic handling
» drying oven with a range of special features
» extensive measuring technology
You are engaged in research and de-
organic
and organic binder systems.
What progress are you making?
The new research centre in Hanover will
significantly increase the degree of innovation
by bringing our researchers together.
In the past, R&D was divided into
two areas. All organic R&D took place in
Düsseldorf, while inorganic binder systems
and coatings were developed in
Hanover. In the future, we intend to significantly
increase the proportion of inorganic
products in our production. We
also aim to further reduce the volume of
organic content in our organic products
thereby increasing the volume of inorganic
content in return. Our aim is for
our researchers in organic and inorganic
chemistry to inspire each other.
Can you give me an example?
Years ago, we began to introduce more
and more inorganic content into organic
chemistry, for example with our
Sipurid Cold Box systems. In the future,
we intend to continue pursuing
this approach. HA’s strategy is to promote
the development of environmentally
friendly organic binders and not
to turn our back on organic products.
What proportion of turnover is accounted
for by inorganics?
Currently, inorganics continue to represent
about 8 % of total sales. Inorganics
are still in their infancy. But this is
the area that is growing fastest. Inorganics
will continue to grow to well
above 20 to 25% of our product portfolio
over the next few years.
When will inorganics for iron casting
arrive?
We are very close to a solution that we
will present to the market. The first
results for series production are very
promising. We think that we will be
ready to launch a product in 2019.
But you also sell organic binders with
inorganic content?
That’s right. We also integrate inorganic
components into the organic molecular
structure in order to improve environmental
behaviour and gain other
technical advantages.
Do organic binders have a future or
will they one day be substituted by
inorganic products?
Honestly, that is a difficult question to
answer. In principle, organic binders
have many advantages. The disadvantage
lies in their environmental impact.
That is why we are trying, both
now and in the future, to make these
products as environmentally compatible
as possible. We know that we will
never achieve zero emissions from organic
binders, but we can significantly
reduce them. If we manage to do
this, organic binders will continue to
have their place in the future. In addition,
as things stand today, completely
replacing organic materials with
inorganic materials, not only in Germany,
but globally, would be very difficult
given the limited supply of raw
materials alone. There are simply not
enough readily available materials to
completely convert to inorganics. We
Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018 7
INTERVIEW
want to maintain the efficiency of the
foundry industry, and need to keep
costs within reasonable bounds. We
can only do so by further developing
organic binders to incorporate more
inorganics.
Gladly. It is well known that the inorganic
binders used by core makers today
require heated tools. This results in
a negative energy balance when compared
to organic Cold Box processes.
If we succeed in making Cold Box systems
more environmentally compatible,
and it looks like we will, the Cold
Box process will be used for many years
to come. The Cold Box process definitely
has its advantages, especially in
the iron casting sector, and has become
well established in the automotive industry.
This is likely to remain the case
in the long term, unless regulations are
dramatically tightened.
Which process represents the greatest
threat to the Cold Box process?
Certainly, inorganics are among the
processes challenging Cold Box. When
I look at our sales figures, inorganics
have gained ground in the aluminium
sector compared to Cold Box. In
the iron sector, Cold Box dominates
and is still growing very strongly – every
year, purchase quantities have increased.
The Cold Box process is even
supplanting other organic core production
processes. For example, Cold
Box is increasingly replacing the shell
molding process. The same applies to
other processes: Even more voluminous
cores are more frequently shot
rather than pressed using the furan
resin method. In this respect, we see a
promising future for Cold Box.
Is e-mobility a relevant topic for you?
What impact will it have on you as a
foundry supplier?
When we talk about e-mobility, we are
talking about purely electric vehicles
and hybrid vehicles. Internal combustion
engines will continue to be used,
including in many Asian countries.
We assume that car sales will continue
to grow and that the share of internal
combustion engines, including hybrid
engines, will also increase until 2025.
Combustion engines will also change
in the future. The casting process is becoming
much more complicated due
to continuing efforts to reduce CO 2
and other pollutants.
An opportunity for casting?
This is both a challenge for foundries
and a great opportunity for the Cold
Box process. In the future, more complex,
filigree cores will be produced
and combined into packages – one of
the major strengths of the Cold Box
process. The way in which certain castings
are made will change and this will
require special binders.
So, Cold Box will remain an important
process for hybrid drives and internal
combustion engines ...
Absolutely. This is because cast iron
will always be an important part of
engines – whether it’s a turbocharger,
an engine block or a cylinder head.
These are all parts that continue to
be produced in sand casting. As the
castings become more complex, they
move from die casting to sand casting.
We see a clear trend here. With higher
complexity, castings are sometimes
easier to produce using the Cold Box
process. But Cold Box binders must fulfil
certain requirements. Both technically
and environmentally, the binders
must achieve a significantly better result
than today’s systems. We are currently
working intensively on both
challenges. In one to two years’ time,
we will offer market solutions that can
also meet these new conditions.
Does e-mobility place special demands
on foundry chemistry?
No, for the production of castings, this
depends solely on the processes used.
But in addition to powertrains, which
may become smaller because of e-mobility,
there are more and more die-cast
parts in car bodies and chassis. HA has
been serving these areas for some years
now, and here, too, we see opportunities
for high-performance, i.e. productivity-enhancing
and environmentally
friendly products.
How is the coating sector developing?
When will we see coating-free
castings?
In iron casting, efforts have been made
for years to eliminate the need for coatings.
In some cases, it is already possible
– depending on the metallurgy and
the geometry of the casting – but in
many cases casting is impossible without
coatings. In fact, the field of coating
is actually set to grow over the next
few years.
What are the drivers?
Just take new technologies like 3-D
printing for core production. 3-D
printing allows an enormous freedom
of geometry, but has the disadvantage
8 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
that compression is not of the same
standard as with a shot core. In order
to achieve the required surface quality,
a coating material is needed to smooth
out the unevenness that occurs during
printing. We are in the process of developing
coatings specifically designed
for 3-D printing, because not every
coating is suitable for this process. This
is a market with a future.
And in iron casting?
Coatings are still necessary in iron and
steel casting, even if inorganic material
is introduced. We have also succeeded
in modifying inorganic systems, which
are generally highly sensitive to water,
and coatings in such a way that they
can be applied without causing damage.
We are continuously working to
ensure that the binder systems and
matching coating materials harmonize
in order to prevent certain casting defects
in the iron and steel casting sector.
So, coatings are an important R&D
topic?
Yes, in fact we have expanded our resources
and increased the number of
researchers working on coatings. These
are scientists who focus exclusively on
developing coatings for the fields of inorganic
and 3-D printing. We are convinced
that coatings will continue to
represent a growing market in the future.
You have touched on additive production.
An engine plant that casts
more than one million engines a year
needs to produce cores economically.
Will 3-D printing ever be able to replace
core shooters?
Certainly not in the short or medium
term. Printing still takes far too long,
although the technology is advancing
in leaps and bounds. Over the last 5
years, speeds have increased fourfold.
And 3-D printing is getting faster all
the time. We already know that 3-D
printing allows maximum geometrical
freedom. In future, cores that cannot
be shot due to their geometry will
be produced using additive manufacturing
technologies, whereas simpler
cores will still be shot at low cost. We
fully expect both methods to be used
in combination. Core-making shops
will not only have 3-D printers or core
shooters – they will use both.
Are these developments being driven
by industry-led demands?
Certainly. In terms of 3-D printing, we
have also built up resources for the development
of new core printing additives.
After all, new processes require
new products. We also recognize the
pressure to innovate from the customer
side. Even today, it is possible
to print complete core packages with
20 cores, whereby it’s not always possible
to clearly distinguish between cores
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Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018 9
FAT Förder- und Anlagentechnik GmbH www.f-a-t.de
INTERVIEW
and molds. Our customers are already
asking us how to advance this new
technology. Industry wants to use the
technology, but still sees certain limitations.
And what exactly is HA’s role in all
of this?
In our view, our task is to develop the
right products for the whole range of
metals in order to improve the field of
core printing. It is not only the printing,
it is also about the thermal stability
of printed cores during the complete
casting process, all the way through
to de-coring. It doesn’t help if I have
a beautifully printed core, but I can’t
get it out of the casting. After pouring
even the most delicate component, the
sand has to be removed from the tightest
corner. And this is one of the challenges
we are trying to solve.
Do you work closely with machine
manufacturers and foundries in additive
manufacturing?
We collaborate with universities and
other institutes, as well as with foundries
and machine manufacturers. Producers
of 3-D printers, such as Voxeljet
and ExOne, are among our customers.
We supply them with the appropriate
products and we also work together on
developing solutions for the foundry
industry.
Hüttenes-Albertus is a global company.
Where is the greatest demand?
HA has a very strong position in Europe
and is also very well established
in the United States. We certainly see
great potential for growth in Asia. China
is our fastest growing market, delivering
double-digit growth rates every
year. We also have a good footprint in
India, Turkey and Russia.
What is driving demand in China?
The automotive industry, together
with mechanical engineering, are
the key drivers of growth in the Chinese
foundry industry. When we talk
about hydraulic casting, we have 5 to
10 new customers in China every year.
Hydraulic casting is generally in steady
decline in Europe, except in certain,
special cases. The business of simple
castings has all moved to China, and
we are seeing more and more foundries
built there to satisfy this demand.
Do inorganic processes play a role in
China?
Inorganic processes play an increasingly
important role in China. Next year,
we will sell more inorganic products in
China than in Europe. China is experiencing
an enormous rate of growth.
It doesn’t take years and years to introduce
new regulations in China – they
are implemented quickly, within one
year. Some of our customers have already
been forced to switch to inorganic
processes to comply with new
environmental standards. In the field
of aluminium casting for the automotive
industry, for instance, more and
more new production lines are being
built – and they are all geared towards
inorganic processes in order to satisfy
more stringent environmental requirements.
However, the Cold Box process
is also gaining ground in China and is
increasingly replacing the shell molding
process that has so far dominated
there.
Do you also manufacture foundry
chemical products for local markets?
Like particularly high-quality offers designed
for the German market or the
automotive industry, and then simpler
products for the Asian market?
In the past, western European foundries
did require higher performance products
than Asian foundries. And I deliberately
say “performance” rather than
“quality”, because the quality of all our
products has to be just right. Nowadays,
we have customers in China who
have higher requirements and demand
even higher performing products than
our European customers, although
there are still customers who only require
lower performance products. Our
strategy is to always offer our customers
exactly the solution that meets their
needs and gives them added value, for
example in terms of increased efficiency.
For that reason, we do not manufacture
the same products everywhere. We
have market-specific products that we
only manufacture in China, for example,
for our customers there.
How will you generate growth in the
future? Organically, or via strategic
acquisitions?
HA’s growth over the last few years
has been achieved not only organically,
but also inorganically, via strategic
mergers and acquisitions. HA,
as a family-owned company, has had
a large number of joint ventures with
other family-owned companies worldwide.
Our philosophy has always been
to ultimately secure majority ownership
of these international joint ventures.
And we have succeeded in doing
so. In the last decade, for example,
we have achieved majority ownership
10 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
of joint ventures in Turkey, Spain, Korea
and Italy. The biggest challenge,
however, was to take control of the remaining
50 % of our joint venture in
the United States, which we managed
to do in May 2016. There will certainly
be more M&A projects in the future.
But a major part of our growth will also
be achieved organically.
With new products?
Through the introduction of new processes
and new high-performance
products for specific markets. As I mentioned
previously, we always focus on
the needs of our customers and develop
solutions to help them improve
processes and increase productivity.
We expect significant growth, particularly
in the Chinese market, but also
in the southeast Asian region, which
is also a region with a promising future
for us.
Next year is a GIFA year. Can we expect
anything new from HA at GIFA
2019?
Nothing revolutionary, but an evolution
with promising and innovative
solutions. We want to offer not only
individual products, but above all fully
integrated solutions for the foundry
industry. We will present at least two
new solutions that will have a positive
and lasting impact on the foundry industry.
Last question: Where is HA today, and
where will the company be 10 years
from now?
HA is already one of the leading foundry
chemical companies in the European
market. We also have a very strong
market position in North America. In
Asia, we still see enormous growth potential
in a number of foundry markets.
In some markets, the two letters
“HA” are not always as well-known
as we would like them to be. This will
certainly have changed 10 years from
now.
But one thing is certain: We are and
will remain a family-owned company.
Our owners will always stand firmly
behind the business. Our credo – HA
family – is far more than just a slogan.
Our employees and partners in the
global HA world live and experience
this every day. It is the foundation of
their motivation, and they work passionately
every day to help shape the
future and growth of our company.
The interview with Amine Serghini
was conducted by Gerd Krause,
Dusseldorf
www.huettenes-albertus.com/en
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Core sand preparation
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For organic and inorganic
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info@klein-ag.de · www.klein-ag.de
Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018 11
COREMAKING
Christian Appelt, ASK-Chemicals GmbH, Hilden
Material properties and process
requirements for inorganic core
production
The inorganic binder technology Inotec from ASK Chemicals has established itself over the past
10 years as a productive and alternative core manufacturing procedure in serial casting production
processes, especially in the segments of aluminium cylinder heads, crankcases and suspension
parts by low pressure die casting and gravity casting applications
This odourless and emission-free core
production is also characterized by
very low cleaning and maintenance efforts
for machines and tools. These ecological
advantages are strongly linked
to economic and technological benefits
as an increased permanent mold
availability leads to a general increase
in productivity and increased mechanical
component strength as permanent
mold temperatures are reduced. In order
to profitably deploy this technology
and its ecological, economic and
technological advantages, expertise
and specialized knowledge of materials
and processes are required.
“Inotec technology has established
itself as a productive core manufacturing
procedure for the serial production
of lightmetal castings by low-pressure
die casting and gravity casting applications”,
explains Dr. Christian Appelt,
Global Incubator Business Manager
Inorganics at ASK Chemicals, Hilden,
Germany.
The initial motivation for the introduction
of inorganic binder systems
into the foundry industry was themed
by “emission-free casting processes”
and is based on the absence of harmful
volatile compounds and emissions
during the core production, core storage
and casting processes, which ultimately
results in the elimination
of air treatment systems. The drastically
reduced cleaning and maintenance
effort for the permanent molds
is based on the inorganic nature of
Production of inorganic cores using Inotec technology at ASK Chemicals
the Inotec technology, since the formation
of condensates and pyrolysis
products during the casting processes
is not observed. The absence of these
condensates also allows a faster casting
solidification due to reduced permanent
mold temperatures, which in
turn contributes to the mechanical
strength of the metallurgical structures.
Thus, the ecological advantages
of this technology are in line with
economic and technological factors.
The Inotec technology is described
as a two-component binder system:
Component 1 forms the liquid Inotec
binder, which can be described as
a modified alkali silicate solution and
influences specific sand core properties
during the production (final
strength, flowability); Component
2 is the powdered Inotec promoter,
which is a mixture of synthetic and
natural raw materials based on a completely
inorganic product composition
( Figure 1).
Through the use of the Inotec promoter,
primarily mechanical and thermophysical
parameters of the sand
core are influenced during the production
process (immediate strength,
flowability), but in particular during
the casting processes, resulting in castings
of high dimensional accuracy and
best surface quality.
12 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
CASTING TECHNOLOGY
BEYOND TOMORROW
Are you
READY
to leave your
competitors behind?
Champion world-class tailor-made solutions ASK Chemicals
If you want to be on the podium in the future, you need to beat the competition. A reliable and strong partner will
help you in achieving this goal. We are always there for you, offering a comprehensive technical service that looks at
your entire production process. This opens up a whole world of new possibilities – from cost savings to increased
productivity.
ASK Chemicals experts look forward to hearing from you:
Phone: +49 211 71103-0
E-mail: info@ask-chemicals.com
www.ask-chemicals.com/beyondtomorrow
COREMAKING
Inotec binder system
with balanced viscosity
and particulate structure
of the promoter
The Inotec binder contains an active
solids content between 35 and 55 %
on the basis of an aqueous solution.
The macroscopic parameter “viscosity”
is thereby influenced by this active
solid content as well as by its adjusted
reactivity, whereby the viscosity
meets all requirements during the
mixing and core production processes,
e.g. wetting behaviour/coating of
the sand grain surface and flowability
at productive cycle times. The Inotec
promoter contains over 99.8 % solids.
The particulate, i.e. powdery, structure
of the promoter is essential to enable
the incorporation of network-forming
constituents and to act as filler for increasing
the flowability of the molding
mixture and increasing the sand core
packing density.
The core production is characterized
by a physical-chemical curing mechanism.
The introduction and supply
of thermal energy from heated steel
tools and dehumidified, heated compressed
air leads to the evaporation
of the free solvent water and simultaneously
initiates a chemical polycondensation
reaction with the formation
of a three-dimensional silicate
network which characterizes the actual
strength composite in the sand core
(Figure 2). Simultaneously, specific raw
materials of the Inotec promoter are
linked to the free, non-condensed, OH
Figure 1: Typical composition of an Inotec binder system
groups of the three-dimensional silicate
structure via a surface reaction and
can thus specifically influence the mechanical
and thermal properties of the
sand core. The binder bridge formed
after core production has a gel structure
and, depending on the cross-section
and volume of the sand core and
energy input during core manufacture,
contains a defined amount of residual
water. If this residual water is expelled
by further introducing thermal energy,
the binder bridge loses its binding gel
structure and embrittles, resulting in
sandy core surfaces and core fracture.
The material properties of the Inotec
technology thus define the process
windows and the technical prerequisites
for production: robust and
productive process flows can be effectively
ensured by suitable control and
quality assurance measures (Figure 3).
Process requirements: from
the incoming goods to the
deployment of the inorganically-bonded
sand cores in
the casting process
In addition to casting surface roughness
requirements, the silica sand
qualities commonly used for inorganic
core production have to fulfil specific
chemical and physical properties
(Table 1): a high chemical purity of
> 99 % SiO 2
ensures a high binder compatibility,
whereby impurities such as
clay or lime lead to reduced strength
properties of the sand cores; the particle
size and the fine-grain fraction
significantly alter the gas permeability
of the sand cores, so that cycle time
extensions or productivity losses occur
with fine silica sand qualities and
voluminous core geometries. Above
all, acidic silica sands with a pH value
Figure 2: Polycondensation reaction, schematic description of the sol-gel process and incorporation of network-forming components
of the Inotec promoter
14 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
Giesserei-Verlag Wörterbuch
Deutsch – Englisch / Englisch – Deutsch
1. Auflage · 1st Edition
ISBN 978-3-87260-186-5
39,00 €
PLASMA
METALL SCHMELZE
KÜHLER
DIN
RECOVERY
FORMANLAGE
GLÄTTEN
PIPE
CORE
MOULD
GUßEISEN
QUALITÄT
SUPPLY
FEUERFEST
ORE
PATTERN
KOKILLE
INDUSTRY ENERGY RECYCLING
WÄRME
TEMPERATURE
GUßBLOCK
OXIDANT
FOUNDRY KERNHERSTELLUNG
KERNEISEN
ZIRCON
WELDING
FERTIGUNG
Gießen | Casting
FOREHEARTH
Herausgeber:
Verein Deutscher Gießereifachleute e. V. (VDG)
2018 · 616 Seiten · 10,5 x 14,8 cm
Giesserei-Verlag
Wörterbuch · Dictionary
Deutsch – Englisch
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German – English
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Das Giesserei-Verlag Wörterbuch ist die umfassend überarbeitete und aktualisierte Fassung
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Erfasst ist der Fachwortschatz der gesamten Gießereitechnik in Wissenschaft und Praxis von Formstoffen,
Form- und Kernherstellung über Schmelzen und Gießen (einschließlich der Druckgießtechnik)
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COREMAKING
Figure 3: a) Homogeneous distribution of the Inotec binder system in the molding mixture; b) binder bridge with gel structure;
c) destroyed binder bridge through dehydration and embrittlement
Figure 4: Temperature and moisture content curves of Inotec-bonded sand cores at low
humidity
Base mold material: Silica sand (96 – 97 % of the sand core)
Chemical Purity
content (
a cross-section and volume-dependent
strength development and volume-dependent
cycle times.
The storage stability of inorganic-bonded
sand cores is limited due to
the reversibility of the binder bridge formation
in the case of high temperatures
and high absolute humidity, so that
usually climate-controlled core storage
facilities are deployed. The equilibrium
between the temperature and humidity
(moisture content) of the sand core
and the ambient air is the driving force
of the moisture absorption (Figures 4
and 5). Here too, the selection of specific
Inotec binder systems can ensure sufficient
and stable storage stability even
at high absolutely humidity.
The filling of the liquid aluminium
melt during the casting process produces
a thermal energy input and causes an
equilibrium shift in the inorganic-bonded
sand core with the release of free residual
solvent water and chemically
bound water of the free Si-OH groups
of the 3-D silicate network. Therefore,
Figure 5: Temperature and moisture content curves of Inotec-bonded sand cores at
high humidity
the gas permeability of the sand cores
and the geometry and position of the
sand core in the permanent mold and
the orientation of the core prints ensure
a successful core gas venting.
Finally, the breadth of the process
window of inorganic core production
has been significantly reduced compared
to organic core production processes.
Suitable technical measures,
taking into account the Inotec material
properties, and specific control and
quality measures can accompany and
ensure stable and productive processes
of inorganic core production.
www.ask-chemicals.com
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Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018 17
MELTING SHOP
Tobias Möldner, Munich
Burner air preheating by means
reduces gas consumption
This furnace is the electrical version - without heat exchanger. For cost reasons,
however, the variant with heat exchanger is recommended (Photos: ZPF GmbH).
In 2016, the prototype of an optimized
aluminum smelting system was realized
as cooperative project between the
industrial and business communities,
funded by the German Federal Ministry
of Economics and Technology (BMWi).
The EDUSAL II project makes it possible
to determine the energy-saving potential
of the smelting process while at
the same time minimizing the resulting
smelting loss. In order to further reduce
the consumption values of such
a system and thus to increase both energy
efficiency and resource conservation,
the smelting furnace manufacturer,
ZPF GmbH, Siegelsbach, Germany,
has now extended its concept with additional
components: By incorporating
a so-called burner air preheating,
in which the warm exhaust gas volume
flow is passed through a pipe system to a
heat exchanger, the system operator has
more room for maneuver – with lower
pollutant emissions and lower gas consumption.
This new system can – with
appropriate adjustments – be used as a
retrofit kit for existing ZPF melting systems.
EDUSAL means energy efficiency
enhancement and melting process optimization
through the sensory detection
of melting material and melting range
of aluminum smelting furnaces.
“In last year’s project, numerous sustainable
improvements, that have optimized
the previous furnace system, were
achieved” says Sven-Olaf Sauke, head of
R & D at ZPF. “The main focus was on the
further development of the measurement
technology to a sensory detection of the
melting shaft, which means that in laboratory
operation both the position of the
residual material on the smelting link and
its quantity can be precisely determined.
In addition, a special evaluation algorithm
has been developed that has improved
the process to the point that an
increase in smelting efficiency of up to
15 % can be achieved.”
Another focus of the EDUSAL II system
was the testing of burner air preheating.
The idea of integrating a burner
air preheating, which efficiently uses
the heat flow of the system, has been
around for a long time. However, since
solutions with partly utopian characteristics
and promises are offered on the
market, an electrical preheating was initially
installed. This allows a very precise
energy and thus also profitability
balance of the measure. The characteristic
values obtained were used to design
a burner air preheating from the
exhaust gas stream of the smelting system.
“With this version, the already
18 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
heated exhaust gas flow is directed to a
heat exchanger via a suitable pipe system”,
continues Sauke.
The primary air side (hot gas side),
which is prefixed to the heat exchanger,
requires additional components: for
example, a control unit that directs the
exhaust gas flow to the heat exchanger
according to the requirement, and additional
measuring points that ensure
safe process management. In the event
of failure of the heat exchanger or any
of the components, the control unit
must direct the exhaust flow through a
bypass function, past the heat exchanger,
directly into the secondary system to
protect the heat exchanger and its components.
In the heat exchanger, the energy
is released to the secondary air side
(burner air) – the cooled exhaust gas is
discharged in the other system either
directly into the atmosphere or for preheating
the melting material in a corresponding
chamber.
The burner air fan conveys cold
burner air from the environment into
the heat exchanger, which is heated
there in the ZPF smelting systems
to about 200 °C. The pipe system after
the heat exchanger is insulated and
equipped with appropriate butterfly
valves, measuring instruments and displays.
An air collector installed directly
after the heat exchanger helps distribute
the heated medium evenly across
the piping to the entire burner system.
Thus, the flame temperature increases
significantly, resulting in a higher energy
input and lower gas consumption.
“In this way, not only are operating
and energy costs reduced, it also
allows for a careful handling of the
valuable resource of gas,” says Sauke.
“The efficiency of the entire system is
increased, and the pollutant emissions
are reduced.” This heat exchanger variant
is suitable for all ZPF gas-fired aluminum
smelting and heating furnaces,
which have a connected load of more
than 300 kW and a high smelting ratio
over the entire operating time of the
furnace. However, the specified limit
temperatures for the refractory lining
of the kilns must be strictly adhered to.
In burner air preheating by means of a heat exchanger, the warm exhaust gas volume
gas consumption
“Burner air preheating not only saves on
operating and energy costs, it also makes
it possible to use the valuable resource of
system will be increased, and pollutant
emissions will decrease,” explains Sven-
Olaf Sauke, head of R & D at ZPF
Burner air preheating by
means of heat exchanger as
ing
systems
The extension of the energy-efficient
burner air preheating with an integrated
heat exchanger can also be carried out
with an existing smelting system, but requires
some changes, according to Sauke:
“When upgrading existing ZPF systems,
in addition to the heat exchanger, a hot
gas withdrawal point, suitable piping
and temperature-resistant control and
butterfly valves must be integrated. The
adjustments with regard to the control
as well as the user interface must also be
observed. “All electrically operated components,
for example the control valves
and the measuring technology, are integrated
in the control and in the control
cabinet in order to simplify the operation
of the system.
All modifications and retrofits of
the system are done by ZPF directly
at the customer’s premises - before
this, a comprehensive inventory, consultative
discussions and an in-depth
conception will take place. In closing,
Sauke explains: “The need for pipes,
routes and insulation material must
be calculated on a project-specific basis.
The advantage of the developed
system lies in the fact that all components
are installed directly at the plant
and thus no further space requirement
arises in the smelting system. “In addition,
ZPF is working intensively on further
measures to improve the efficiency
of the aluminum smelting systems.
www.zpf-gmbh.de
Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018 19
CASTING TECHNOLOGY
(Photos and graphics: Foseco)
Brian Dickinson, Tony Midea, Andy Adams, Foseco Metallurgical, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio
-
The analysis uses industry standard filter
print designs as the baseline for the fluid
flow comparisons, and compares these
results to filter print designs that have
been altered for yield improvement. Industry
standard filter prints are defined
as those designed during the initial filter
development for iron castings. Some
of the key requirements for optimal results
were identified during the development,
incl. the following [1-4],[6-11].
» Maximize exposure of the filter inlet
face to ensure maximum total flow
» Maximize (four sided) support to ensure
that the inertial forces on the filter
from the iron flow do not surpass
the strength of the filter
» Minimize the possibility of iron
passing around (not through) the
filter by designing the support ledge
on the filter print outlet to match filter
tolerance dimensions
» Minimize turbulence by designing
the filter print volumes such that
the flow smoothly transitions from
inlet to outlet
These combined characteristics were
used to define the basis for standard filter
print design. Over the past 30 years,
these designs have been continually tested
and have slightly evolved through applications
and foundry evaluations. The
first simulations conducted in this study
were used to evaluate these standard designs.
Yield improvement is a high priority
for all foundries, and gating systems
are analyzed as carefully as all other
aspects of the casting process to reduce
weight. Alterations are sometimes
made to standard filter prints to reduce
weight without careful analysis of the
effect on the fluid flow properties on
the gating system.
20 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
Changes that adversely affect molten
metal fluid flow can result in increased
turbulence, non-uniform flow
and a reduction in filtration efficiency.
Several of these situations were also
evaluated in this study.
The results of this work include several
ideas on how to design filter prints
and runner systems that are applicable
to all iron filtration devices in the best
way.
Standard 75 mm x 75 mm x 22 mm
(2.95 x 2.95 x 0.866 inch) thick square
horizontal and vertical filter prints
were chosen as the baseline to begin
the analysis. Several modifications
were made to both types of filter prints
to evaluate the effect of these design
modifications on fluid dynamics.
All fluid flow analyses were conducted
using MAGMA 5 (Version 5.3.0.4)
with Solver 5. The mesh size for all simulations
was approximately 10 million
elements (700,000 metal cells). The
metal dataset represents ASTM A536-84
(80-55-06/GGG-60) grade ductile iron
poured at 1,400 °C (2,552 °F) into a sand
mold. The plate casting is approximately
305 x 610 x 76 mm (12 x 24 x 3 in) in
dimension and approximately 100 kg
(220 lb) in weight. Total pour weight
was approximately 110 kg (242 lb).
The filter was represented using
standard 10 ppi, foam filtration pressure
drop data for a 22 mm (0.866 in)
thick SEDEX filter [5]. In all cases, the
program was run using the “Automatic
Filling Control” feature. Specifically,
the program was forced to maintain
a pouring cup metal height of
70 % for all the simulations, thus ensuring
identical pouring conditions for
all versions simulated. Fill time was approximately
24 s for all configurations,
representing a flow rate of approximately
4.5 kg/s (10 lb/s).
The gating designs evaluated in this
report are representative of those in
use on industry standard, high pressure,
green sand, automated molding
equipment.
Standard Vertical Filter Print
Standard Horizontal Filter Print
Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018 21
CASTING TECHNOLOGY
The choke area was calculated using
Equation 1.
The top of the sprue was calculated
using Equation 2.
The sprue was tapered at a three-degree
angle to allow for mold stripping.
The runner system follows a ratio of
Sprue:Runner:Ingate of 1.0:1.1:1.2.
The baseline vertical filter print configuration
is shown in .
The baseline horizontal filter print
configuration is shown in .
All simulations were conducted on a
Dell Precision 7810 Tower workstation
utilizing 8 cores. CPU time for each
simulation was approximately 10 h.
Velocity at 10 % Filled
All fluid flow results shown are analytical
and based on the Navier-Stokes
flow equations. Flow predictions from
this first principal fluid dynamic approach
have been validated for several
decades in many industries and applications,
including molten metal applications.
The expectation is that the
comparative results shown should be
very meaningful and accurate. However,
foundry trials will be conducted
in future work to further validate the
conclusions presented in this paper.
The flow characteristics for a standard
vertical filter print are shown in .
The colors represent flow velocities. At
10 % filled, the flow is in a steady state
in and around the filter print. The color
scale goes from light blue (low velocity,
near 0.2 m/s (0.66 ft/s) to white (higher
velocity, near 2.0 m/s (6.6 ft/s). Flow
through the filter is approximately 0.3-
0.4 m/s (1-1.3 ft/s), and the flow before
the filter is laminar, and covers the entire
filter. Flow after the filter is uniform
and stable.
A cross section through the middle
of the filter print at this same time step
shows the fluid velocity and flow vectors
().
This image clearly shows the uniform
flow, and the utilization of the
entire filter face for both flow control
and filtration. This can be considered
a well-designed filter print and gating
system, and will serve as a baseline for
the vertical filter print section of this
study. In application, extreme changes
have sometimes been made to standard
filter prints to save weight, increase
yield and/or fit within pattern
plate restrictions. shows one
actual example.
While this design results in a 35 %
weight reduction to the filter print design
(0.9 kgs, 2 lbs), the flow characteristics
in the filter print and gating system
are adversely affected.
22 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
shows the flow characteristics at
the centerline of the filter print and ga t-
ing system at 6.5 % filled. (Note: The results
for all designs are compared to the
standard filter print design results. The
standard results are shown as the bottom
image in the comparative figures for the
vertical filter print examples.)
Because of the sharp angles of the
modified filter print inlet, the flow accelerates
into the center of the filter inlet
face, and begins to move through
the filter before completely filling up
the filter print inlet area. The flow
characteristics for the standard filter
print design show a more evenly distributed
flow pattern within the filter
print inlet and at the filter inlet face.
The high filter inlet face velocities of
the reduced filter print inlet area design
results in some very high filter exit
face velocities, as shown in .
Ideally, the filter should reduce flow
energy and turbulence by acting as a
flow discontinuity. However, this effect
is mitigated if only a small area of the
filter is being utilized. This is shown
clearly in Fig. 7, with the reduced area
filter print showing flow exiting the
filter at high velocity, while the standard
design shows the entire filter
filled with metal at very low velocity,
and minimal metal flow exiting the filter
itself at this time step.
In , this continues to be the
case even at steady state flow. Even at
steady state, the reduced area filter print
design is not allowing the entire filter
print inlet area to be used, and instead
is pushing the metal through the center
of the filter. This results in non-uniform
flow behind the filter, and the potential
for turbulence. Contrast this with
the uniform flow profile shown for the
standard filter print design, particularly
at the filter outlet face, the filter print
outlet and downstream in the runner.
Also, due to the steep angle of the
filter print outlet, the flow is launched
upward, thus adversely influencing the
stability of the flow downstream. This
can be seen more clearly in .
-
Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018 23
CASTING TECHNOLOGY
Fig. 9 shows a top view of a cross section
taken near the bottom of the runner
bar, just after the filter print. For
the reduced area filter print design,
note that the flow at both sides of the
runner bar are moving very slowly, and
most importantly, in the opposite direction
of the intended flow.
The upward thrust of the metal flow
due to the steep angle has created a
large, adverse eddy current driving the
flow slowly backwards. This situation
24 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
exists for the bottom third of this runner
bar. The standard filter print design
shows an area of slow flow near the bottom
of the runner on one side, but the
primary flow characteristics are much
more uniform in velocity and direction.
shows a side view of the
runner bar at the same time step, and
shows a clear difference between the
two designs, with the standard filter
print providing more uniform, controlled
metal flow to the casting. Reducing
the area of the filter print in this
fashion to slightly increase yield (0.9 kg,
2 lbs saved) has significant adverse effects
on the flow characteristics in the
filter print inlet, the filter inlet face, the
filter outlet face, the filter print outlet,
and in the downstream runner bar. This
type of alteration is not recommended
for best practice filter print design.
shows a configuration
with the area of the filter print outlet
modified to match the standard print
shown in Fig. 1, but the reduced filter
print inlet area is unchanged.
In this case, the issues in the filter
print inlet area and at the filter
inlet face remain the same as discussed
previously, but the flow after
the filter shows clear improvement. In
, note how similar the filter
outlet face and filter print outlet flow
profiles appear when comparing the
reduced filter print inlet area configuration
with the standard filter print.
The main difference between this
configuration and the standard filter
print is the dramatically higher flow
velocities at the filter inlet face for the
reduced area design, and the fact that
only a small portion of the filter is being
used. This is the same situation discussed
in the previous configuration,
but the yield argument is even more
clear this time.
Reducing the area of the filter print
inlet only saves 0.6 kg (1.3 lb), but adversely
affects the flow such that the
entire filter area is not being used to
efficiently filter inclusions from the
metal. Again, this small yield improvement
has a significant adverse effect on
the flow, and is not recommended in
practice.
shows a similar design with
the area reduced at the filter print outlet
only. Reducing the area of the filter
print outlet only will save just 0.3 kg
(0.66 lb), and result in very poor flow
exiting the filter print. The flow comparison
is shown in .
In this case, the flow in the filter
print inlet and at the filter inlet face
has the same beneficial characteristics
as that of the standard filter print.
However, the flow at the filter outlet
face, within the filter print outlet and
in the downstream runner bar exhibits
all of the same poor characteristics
shown in Fig. 7-10. A filter print design
that adversely affects the flow characteristics
and delivers minimal yield improvement
should not be considered as
practical.
shows the standard configuration
with an addition of a slag trap
before the filter. This change only adds
CASTING TECHNOLOGY
approximately 0.23 kg (0.5 lbs) to the
filter print design, but results in a positive
impact on the overall flow characteristics
of the filter print itself. The filter
print with a properly designed slag
trap displays all of the high quality
flow characteristics shown in the standard
filter print, with the added benefit
of better filter print inlet flow and
potentially better filtration efficiency.
shows how the trap begins
to work as soon as the metal reaches
the filter. Note that the bottom of the
filter print inlet has filled quickly, and
that the flow is washing the filter inlet
face and moving upwards into the
slag trap area.
At 8.5 % (), the flow is nearly
stabilized, and the slag trap is forcing
the initial metal into a beneficial
counter-clockwise eddy current, thus
potentially allowing inclusions to reverse
direction and slowly float upward
into the trap. The standard filter print
without the slag trap also has a small
area of beneficial eddy currents at the
top of the filter print inlet, but very little
space to trap and retain inclusions.
By 9 % filled ( ), the filter
print is fully flooded, including the
slag trap. There are still some small
beneficial eddy currents in the trap. By
10 % filled (), the filter print is
fully stabilized and any inclusions that
entered the slag trap will remain.
Adding a small area to trap slag in
the filter print inlet improves the flow
characteristics of the runner design
and the ability of the filter print to trap
inclusions. These are significant benefits
for a minimal reduction in yield.
For horizontal filter print designs,
some significant advantages to filtration
efficiency can be gained simply by
placing the filter at an angle relative to
the flow. shows a standard
horizontal filter print compared to an
angled filter print configuration.
The angled filter more readily accepts
the flow and provides a more
uniform flow pattern both within and
above the filter inlet face.
At 8.5 % filled ( ), the angled
filter print flow profile is fully established,
and uniform throughout. A
beneficial eddy current is visible within
the filter print inlet which enhan ces
the effectiveness of the slag trap. The
CASTING TECHNOLOGY
formation of the eddy current is a direct
result of the angled filter.
At 10 % filled (), both filter
prints are operating at steady state conditions,
and both produce a uniform
flow pattern. The angled design does
a better job of distributing and minimizing
the flow energy at the filter inlet
face and outlet face.
Another advantage of angling the
filter is to direct the flow across the filter
inlet face to potentially dislodge
any inclusions that may have become
trapped on the filter itself. These dislodged
inclusions could then get entrained
into the eddy current and be
mechanically moved into the slag
trap.
The velocities at the filter inlet face
are shown in top view in (To
create the image for the angled filter,
the clipping plane was rotated around
the y-axis to match the plane of the filter).
essentially shows a top
view of the flow profile at the filter inlet
face. For both cases the metal flow
is clearly moving across the filter inlet
face from one end to the other, but
more prominently in the angled filter
case, as seen in the right image. For
the angled filter, the flow is also moving
more quickly through the filter, as
shown in .
The images in Fig. 25 represent only
the filter geometry (no filter print or
gating), and the images are rotated for
comparative viewing and as such are
not in their normal orientation. The
left image represents the standard horizontally
oriented configuration while
the right image represents the angled
filter configuration. The filters have
been sectioned along the centerline,
and the scale has been adjusted (reduced)
to show the flow direction and
to delineate more clearly the velocity
differences.
From this view, the right image
shows the washing of the angled filter
inlet face, represented by the parallel
vectors on the filter inlet face and even
a few millimeters into the filter thickness
itself. By comparison, only two
small sections of the horizontal filter
(left image) show parallel flow at the
filter inlet face, and even then only on
the surface of the filter itself, not into
the filter thickness.
The benefits of the mechanical action
of moving inclusions from the fil-
28 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
Standard vs angled horizontal
ter inlet face to the slag trap are twofold.
This action allows the filter to
operate at maximum flow rate because
there are fewer particles trapped on the
surface of the filter restricting the metal
flow through the filter. In addition,
for metal containing significant slag
levels, this may also allow the filter to
operate at higher capacity than standard
filter print orientations because
of the opportunity to pass more metal
through the filter before ultimately
becoming blocked or caked with slag
or other inclusions.
Overall, placing the filter at an incline
relative to the metal stream is
beneficial to the filter flow rate capability
and filtration efficiency.
CASTING TECHNOLOGY
30 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
Alterations are sometimes made to
standard filter prints to improve yield
without careful analysis of the effect
on the fluid flow properties on the gating
system. This initial study evaluated
the effect of several filter print design
changes on the quality of metal flow in
the filter print, the runner system and
through the filter itself. In general, the
conclusions are as follows:
» Large reductions in filter print inlet
and outlet areas, and sharp angles
within the print itself adversely
alter the flow characteristics
resulting in non-uniform flow and
turbulence.Conclusion: Yield improvement
is minimal, not recommended.
» A slag trap designed prior to the
filter inlet face induces a counter-clockwise
eddy current that
washes the filter face and assists
with the trapping of inclusions.
Conclusion: Recommended
» In horizontal applications, angling
the filter relative to the metal stream
is beneficial to the filter flow rate capability
and filtration efficiency.
Conclusion: Recommended
Maximize
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Our experts
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This paper constitutes the initial, theoretical
study of various SEDEX filter
print designs and their effect on flow
characteristics. Future work is planned
to review additional design concepts
and to validate these configurations
with molten metal.
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PRESSURE DIE CASTING
Robert Piterek, German Foundry Association, Düsseldorf
Globalization in Swabian
60 years after Föhl was founded, looking back is much less interesting than looking ahead: the
zinc and plastic caster from Rudersberg near Stuttgart is preparing itself for the future with re-
nese
market
die-casting foundry”), the consolidation
of important processes, further
work on establishing a corporate culture,
and the professionalization of
further education and training.
Dr. Frank Kirkorowicz, Föhl’s President and CEO, at the Michelau die-casting plant.
(Photos: Andreas Bednareck)
In 1958, Germany’s economic miracle
was driving development, and the
die-casting process was still a comparably
new technology: Adolf Föhl,
then a toolmaker at pressure die-casting
machine producer Oskar Frech,
Schorndorf, Germany, recognized the
potential of this production process
and exploited his professional knowledge
to set up his own company –
Adolf Föhl GmbH + Co KG. An initial
injection molding plant rapidly became
a sizeable machine park in which
zinc die-casting machines soon played
the leading role. The marriage of Adolf
Föhl’s sister to Oskar Frech marked
the creation of a fruitful partnership
between the technology user and the
supplier, that has lasted to the present
day.
60 years after its founding in the late
1950s, Föhl is celebrating a decadal jubilee.
The Swabian foundry is now a
flourishing group of companies with
sales of 107 million euros and almost
700 employees in five works in Germany
and China. It is still a matter of
recognizing and exploiting potentials.
Because the caster from Swabia is currently
developing the company’s future
foundations. The program for the
coming years includes the launch of
newly developed technologies in Germany
and China, expansion of the
works in Michelau (which is already
considered “Europe’s most modern
Creating value by appreciating
value
As President and CEO, Dr. Frank Kirkorowicz
has been steering corporate
development since the mid-1990s. In
this he is supported by his Executive
Board colleagues Ulrich Schwab (Chief
Operating Officer) and Boris Langer
(Chief Financial Officer). Kirkorowicz,
who studied medicine in Heidelberg
and is the grandson-in-law of the company’s
founder, has led the firm through
highs and lows in recent decades, turning
it into an SME global player with the
construction of a Chinese works in Taicang
near Shanghai. With success: the
workforce has doubled, today’s sales of
more than 100 million euros are now
five times higher than in 1996, the year
he joined the company. “When I started
at Föhl I decided to expand the company
in such a way that it could rapidly
adapt to changing conditions,”
explains the former trauma surgeon
who gained the necessary know-how
for his current tasks at the respected St.
Galler Business School. In his opinion,
Föhl’s adaptability means, on the one
hand, a functioning corporate culture
under the motto ‘Creating value by appreciating
value’. “We see people holistically,
they must feel good and be able
to develop – then they can call up the
performance that we need,” according
to Kirkorowicz. A conviction that derives
from his medical past. On the other
hand, the father of three daughters
wants to maintain the company’s state-
32 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
of-the-art technology, building upon a
future-oriented innovation policy.
Focus on material and process
competence
Föhl is a Tier 2 automotive supplier and
produces, for example, plugs, ball sockets
for gas springs in cars, antennae components,
gear levers, and components
for belt restraints. Föhl also produces
components for the machine construction
and fittings sectors. The product
range – with about 1,100 different components
– is considerable. The weight of
the castings varies from a few grams to
about one-and-a-half kilograms. 90 %
of Föhl’s sales are now made with zinc
and 10 % with plastic. The batch size of
some components is an impressive 100
million units per year.
Kirkorowicz and the Föhl team skillfully
exploit their expertise in the two
material segments for the development
of hybrid components, e.g. zinc
antennae components recast in plastic.
Even though business with hybrid,
zinc and plastic components is
currently going well, the entrepreneur
is not resting on his laurels. Technological
changes such as Industry 4.0,
e-mobility and autonomous driving
push the company to develop further
The Mold Center in Rudersberg. The machine can mill and erode molds on the basis of
CAD data. Mechanical engineer Mirko Jordan (left) is one of eight designers at Föhl
innovations. Whereby Föhl is not developing
randomly, but is capitalizing
on its strengths: material and process
competences. Though the principle of
only developing resource-conserving
and energy-saving technologies also
applies.
Sprue-free casting
with hot runner technology
Hot-runner technology has attracted
considerable attention in the non-ferrous
metal sector: the parts are cast
with little or no sprue, as in a similar
process in injection molding. Where-
The Training Workshop: Föhl currently employs 37 trainees. With 430 employees in
Germany this represents almost 10 % of the workforce
A trainee practicing in the workshop
Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018 33
PRESSURE DIE CASTING
Ulrich Schwab (left), Dr. Frank Kirkowicz
and CP+T-Editor Robert Piterek (right)
during a works tour
High-tech hybrid component production in Haubersbronn. The casting is recast with
plastic and then closely inspected with the help of cameras and 3-D scanners
by several nozzles are used to inject the
liquid melt into the mold. This process
offers enormous advantages: little
or no sprue, less recycling material,
environmental benefits, less air in
the system and consequently higher-quality
castings, lower energy consumption,
and greater possibilities for
implementing complex geometries. In
economic terms, the increase in productivity
is a considerable advantage
because the lack of sprue creates space
in the mold so that more parts than
before can be poured with one shot.
This gave Kirkorowicz an idea: “This
also opens up the possibility of pouring
more parts in the same time on
existing machines,” he explains with
sweeping gestures, clearly enthusiastic.
Though he admits that the tools
for the process cost 30 - 40 % more.
Nevertheless, taken as a whole, the use
of the new technology could be good
for business – for which Kirkorowicz,
however, does not claim any exclusivity:
“The automotive industry wants
to purchase their products at competitive
prices. This is impossible if only
one supplier is using the technology.”
Fully automated tool
construction
Four of the five Föhl works are located
within ten kilometers of the company’s
Headquarters. Production continues
at Rudersberg itself, though space
Base for a car roof antenna: 1.2 million units are supplied every year
is limited. In addition, the Training
Workshop and the brand new Mold
Center (in which Föhl has invested
almost one million euros) are located
here. Casting tools for die-casting
plants are produced in the futuristic 6
x 6 m² temperature-controlled cell. A
robot uses a CAD data set to work on
the clamped molds with milling and
eroding tools, preparing them for the
manufacture of new products. 27-yearold
mechanical engineer Mirko Jordan
is one of eight designers at Föhl. He is
fascinated by the plant, which processes
graphite, steel and copper with an
accuracy of up to 3 μm. “I was lucky
because, straight after my training, I
got into CAM programming and I feel
really good here now,” says Jordan,
whose uncle also works at Föhl. The
plant, that measures and documents
every step with the help of a measuring
machine from Zeiss, is not just an important
step for Föhl in the direction
of Industry 4.0, but is also a motivation
for young people to start their careers
here. “Having in-house expertise
is crucial”, says Ulrich Schwab, “and
our young employees anyway want to
make the molds themselves”.
34 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
Perfect serial production: the zinc die-casting plants
in Michelau are arranged in several rows
The main entrance of the Föhl works in
Michelau: the railings on the bridge are
decorated with a variety of images, including
a galvanized dragon and a snake as a
symbol of molting and renewal
Training with social
responsibility
The Training Workshop run by Dierk
Göhringer is also located in Rudersberg.
37 trainees work here. Industrial
managers, industrial mechanics, electronics
engineers, process mechanics,
foundry mechanics (in pressure and
gravity die-casting), machine and plant
operators, tool mechanics, and specialists
in warehouse logistics are trained
here for their professional futures, as
well as several students who are doing
their Bachelor’s degrees at Föhl.
“The basic metal training is very similar
for all trainees during the first year
here. Then the trainees go to their various
specialist departments,” Göhringer
explains. Newcomers largely come
from Germany or have Turkish roots,
though recently a young man from Afghanistan
also started training as a machine
and plant operator. “We also had
an employee from Syria who was able
to communicate excellently after just
six months in Germany – we wanted
to keep him on, of course,” stresses Kirkorowicz,
who also feels a high level of
social responsibility towards refugees
and is committed to assisting their integration
in this way.
Connected plants for
large-scale production
Hot-chamber pressure die-casting
machines are used at the foundry in
Rudersberg, as at all the works. The
plants, with locking forces from 20
to 200 tonnes, all originate from machine
producer Oskar Frech, whose
works halls are only a few kilometers
from Föhl’s German works. There are
also highly productive plants in Rudersberg.
A socket, part of a car’s steering
wheel locking system, is being produced
in a fully automatic production
cell – a million of them are produced
every year. Three robots serve the entire
value-creation chain from cooling
and punching, through sprue melting,
to thread forming and blasting. “The
part used to go through three works
and is now finished within an area of
almost 60 m²,” explains Ulrich Schwab
proudly, and Kirkorowicz adds that,
“This is how the future of our foundry
must be, even for small batch numbers.”
This is because such highly automated
production is more economical
than any manual production, however
cheap it may be.
State-of-the-art high-tech is also to be
found in Haubersbronn, where the
plastic production is located. This is
also where the hybrid plant does its
work. Floor panels for several models
of Ford and the popular Mercedes
Sprinter are produced here in a refined
interplay of cameras, robots, 3-D scanners
and the injection molding machine.
The cycle time for four parts is
just 30 s, and 1.2 million floor panels
leave the works every year.
Transparency throughout
the process chain
The lion’s share of the 111 Föhl die-casting
plants worldwide, however, is located
in the Swabian caster’s newest German
die-casting works: the Michelau
Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018 35
Housings for Kärcher high-pressure cleaners are produced in this integrated casting cell
works that was opened in 1999, and
was visited by the then Federal Chancellor
Gerhard Schröder. The foundry
was constructed in response to a major
order from electronics producer
Philips for housing parts for CD players.
100 specially employed temporary
workers had to be discharged and 30 %
of sales were lost when the IT bubble
burst. “We needed ten years to get over
that crisis,” Kirkorowicz admits.
Business is now booming again in the
works – built on 250 piles for flood protection
and with oversized windows:
the familiar production noises engulf
the large and tidy production halls in
a busy soundscape. Production takes
place in two halls with several rows of
Frech die-casting machines. An automated
casting furnace moves around
between them, regularly filling the
machines with hot zinc melt at about
400 °C. The tool maintenance area is
accommodated in another hall where
the die-casting tools are, among other
things, cleaned in ultrasonic baths
and then dismantled. The great variety
of products is clearly visible in the production
halls: each machine spits out a
different casting and, at the back of the
hall, blasting units provide the necessary
processing. Hot-runner technology
is also already in use here, as is an
integrated production cell in which
the housings for Kärcher high-pressure
cleaners are produced. But capacity
has been exhausted 17 years after
construction of the Michelau foundry.
Expansion of the works is unavoidable.
Looking at the layout plan that has just
come out of the plotter, Ulrich Schwab
indicates the planned production enlargement:
the factory area will be doubled
in size. After the warehouse and
dispatch department has moved in,
more die-casting machines will probably
be installed in future – the expansion,
planned by Föhl personnel themselves,
should be completed by 2019.
Föhl has long been reliant on IT support
to ensure that high stocks do not
build up despite the many different products
and the millions of units – 5 million
per day worldwide. A new Enterprise Resource
Planning/Production Planning
System (ERP/PPS) recently started operation.
“If an excavator ripped up a cable
here, we would have to stop production
within three days because we would no
longer be able to maintain an overview,”
Kirkorowicz points out.
Green anti-corrosion coating
as an export hit?
The Asperglen logistics site accommodates
Föhl’s second large new development
with which the company intends
to establish itself worldwide: the
thin-film passivation or nano-coating
plant. This technology is revolutionary
because it can replace polluting metal-galvanizing
anti-corrosion coating
processes. Harmless silicon oxide dissolved
in liquid is used instead. “The
technology is sustainable; the recyclates
in the machine are vaporized
later. The rest can be sold to bioenergy
plants as cooling material,” explains
Kirkorowicz. Since mid-2017,
Föhl has used this ‘green technology’
for its own castings, such as rooftop antennae
components, to protect them
against corrosion. And in this case too,
Föhl plans to introduce the technology
on an open-market basis. Kirkorowicz
believes that there is enormous potential
for thin-wall passivation in China,
where environmental legislation is becoming
increasingly stringent – and is
also affecting galvanization there.
If one examines the growth figures of
the Föhl works in China (managed, by
the way, by Frank Kirkorowicz’s brother),
such a rollout does indeed appear
promising: the 15,000 m² works in
Tai cang with its 271 employees and
23 die-casting machines has achieved
fantastic growth figures for some years
now: growth rose to more than 30 % in
2017 from 8 % in 2015. Let the future
come – Föhl is prepared!
www.foehl.de
36 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
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A central, optimized cell control creates the basis for productivity gains in die casting (Photos and graphics: Bühler)
Adrian Buob, Bühler AG, Uzwil
Cell management for greater success
Potential for optimization in die casting
Industry 4.0 – a buzzword currently on
the tip of everyone’s tongue. In some
branches of industry, the factories of
the future are already being tested; others
are more restrained. However, the
subject is being discussed all over – including
within the die-casting industry.
Die casting is in competition with
alternative manufacturing processes
and materials. In order to continue
manufacturing competitive die cast
parts, it is essential to keep working on
making the process more efficient. Cell
management plays an important role
in this regard, since there is still great
potential to be explored:
Having a central, optimized cell management
system makes it possible to
increase productivity in die casting
and to further develop the industry.
Networking is at the forefront of Industry
4.0: machines and products collect,
analyze and evaluate information,
while remaining in constant contact
with each other. This is also where the
exceptional potential for cell management
lies: the goal is that the die-casting
cell is ready for production quickly
after a standstill and that it optimizes
itself in the final expansion stage. This
results in sustained improvement of
uptime. After all, 47 % of the interruptions
in the production process are
currently caused by peripheral devices
(Figure 1). The problem generally lies
Figure 1: Nearly half of the interruptions of production during die casting are caused
by peripheral equipment. The data are subjected to an exemplary evaluation with the
help of the Bühler EventAnalyzer
in the inadequately developed communication
between the individual
subsystems. This is due to a lack of data
needed to inform the operator about
the cause and remedy for the problem.
A higher-level cell management system
would result in a clear improvement
at this point. However, further
development and setting of standards
are still required to create an intelligent,
self-optimizing cell.
Three steps towards an
intelligent die casting cell
For Bühler, Uzwil, Switzerland, the development
of the cell management system
is an important step towards die
casting foundries becoming part of Industry
4.0. The process of developing
an intelligent die casting cell can be divided
into three completed steps. They
build upon each other and can be continuously
expanded ().
The first step includes detecting and
correcting existing vulnerabilities within
the die-casting cell. A key criterion will
be the installation of a central head controller
– i.e. cell management. If an error
happens today, the operator has no other
choice than to walk around the cell
and find out where the problem lies. Frequently,
it becomes necessary to manual-
38 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
Bühler approaches the goal of intelligent production in three
development steps with a central cell control system
ly reset every single device within the cell
and to restart the process from the starting
position. The cell management system
relieves the operator by getting all of
the participating devices into home position
and automatically starting again.
This allows the operators to concentrate
on their primary duties.
In the second step, the goal is to attain
optimized production. The central
cell management system recognizes
deviating parameters and provides
tips for improving the process. In addition,
it can also suggest measures to be
taken to ensure that the die-casting cell
does not suddenly stop operating and a
proactive maintenance becomes possible.
A user-friendly visualization helps
the operator with the analysis of the
data and makes finding solutions easier.
Based on the interplay between the
machine, the operator and the process
experts, the die-casting process can be
more easily optimized, whereby the uptime
of the cell increases demonstrably.
The goal of the third step is to implement
intelligent production which
works fully-automatically and is able to
independently counteract errors and
loss of quality in a timely manner. This
is made possible by “Predictive Analytics”
which means that the control system,
based on algorithms, is able to
predict early on which parts have to
be serviced when. This knowledge allows
the control system to implement
targeted counter-measures. For example,
maintenance work is planned and
carried out at the ideal point in time.
Central control system acting
as the “brain of the cell”
“Currently we are working on executing
the first stage”, explained Laszlo
Jud, Head of Automation for Bühler
Die-Casting, Uzwil, Switzerland. During
the first step, the cell control system
is implemented and acts “as the
brain” of the die-casting cell, communicating
directly with the peripheral systems
such as the press and the marker
( Figure 3). It controls and monitors the
entire cell including all participants.
The cell control system is operated from
a central operating unit. The user interface
is web-based ensuring that it can
also be accessed from mobile terminals
through the network. Special attention
is paid to how user-friendly the system
is: instructions are clearly written, error
messages are precisely assigned to a
particular part of the machine and support
is provided for repairs. This ensures
that operating the machine is as easy as
possible. Furthermore, all relevant information
gained from the production
process is saved and the extensive tracing
of components is ensured.
Whenever the production process
is interrupted, the cell management
system provides additional significant
added value: for the first time, error
messages for all of the devices are bundled
centrally. The user not only receives
the information wherever there
is a problem, but also receives concrete
directions as to how to eliminate an error.
This ensures that the die-casting
cell is ready for operation faster after
a malfunction.
Ensuring traceability &
quality
Complete traceability is required particularly
for the automotive industry,
and is often associated with additional
costs. As a result of detailed production
data collection through cell management,
comprehensive documentation
is guaranteed for each manufactured
component.
Standardizing Interfaces
The successful implementation of a
cell management system also requires
standardization of interfaces and specification
of uniform data formatting
and transfer protocols. This is the only
way for components made by a wide
variety of manufacturers to work together
in a coordinated manner. The
interfaces that have been used up to
now can no longer meet current demands.
Just like many other companies,
Bühler relies on the IEC standard
that has been proven effective for communication
between machine control
systems and production management
systems (Figure 4).
Communication within the cell is
more challenging since a deterministic
signal exchange is absolutely essential.
Currently common interfaces
are Profinet and Ethernet/IP. However,
switching to a new communications
protocol takes time. “That is
why those of us participating in the
cell management project will be continuously
integrating all of the interfaces”,
explained Laszlo Jud. “We are
certainly convinced that the IEC standard
will soon have established itself as
the standard for communication within
the cell”.
Targeted data analysis at the
cell level as a factor for success
The tasks of analyzing data and interpreting
the processes must be performed
along the way of establishing a
cell management system. “We are currently
already able to record a great
Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018 39
INDUSTRY 4.0
amount of data from a die-casting machine.
However, expanding data collection
to all parts of the cell, how we interpret
these data, what conclusions we
draw from them and, finally, what measures
can be derived are all of great significance”,
explained Laszlo Jud. The information
gained has to be used in such
a way as to create the greatest possible
benefit for die casting foundries. One
possible use of the data is the predictive
maintenance of the cell that is made
possible by having reliable information
about the condition of the equipment.
This is a significant step on the way to a
digital future for die casting foundries:
errors that occur can be analyzed more
precisely and production can be optimized
accordingly. “Such a comprehensive
database combined with our experience
leads to highly promising results
for the benefit of our customers” according
to Mr. Jud. For one thing is clear: if
the production data are used correctly,
the uptime of a die casting cell will increase
significantly.
Cell management already
Already in 2018, the first cell control systems
from Bühler will be operating at
customers’ sites. “Starting with this first
step, we will be working together consistently
with our customers and partners
to continue developing and optimizing
the cell management system”, reports
Laszlo Jud. “In order for our customers
to benefit from cell management, we
all have to pull together.” Everything
is centered around the quality of the
manufactured parts, as well as around
productivity and uptime of the plant.
“This is where our years of experience
Figure 3: Die casting is currently hard at work creating a cell control system that monitors
and controls all of the machines and processes within a die-casting cell. It functions
as the “brain” of the cell
Figure 4: In cell management, the die-casting machine and the required peripheral devices
work together as equal partners and form a completed process step within the
entire value-added chain
with the die casting industry come into
play”, said Laszlo Jud with conviction.
www.buehlergroup.com
40 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018 41
SIMULATION
Andreas Buswell, Wolfgang Schlüter, Matthias Henninger and Stefan Müller, University of Ansbach
Simulation of non-ferrous melting
and die-casting plants for energy
In order to stay competitive on the
world market a high level of automation
and energy efficiency is essential
for energy-intensive industries. The
impact of energy efficiency has increased
in Germany in particular as a
result of the energy transition and the
strengthening competition based on
globalization. In the non-ferrous melting
and die-casting industry for example
the energy consumption per ton of
good casting usually ranges between
2000 and 6000 kWh. Consequently,
the amount of energy costs generally
exceeds 25 % of gross value added.
Up to 60 % of this energy is needed
for the factory-internal melting process
of the aluminum, which usually
takes place in gas-fired secondary
aluminum melting furnaces. Thereby
problems are generally determined
by the lack of information on the production
fluctuations in the foundry
which are caused by the complex requirements
for liquid aluminum. Consequently
the furnaces are frequently
driven outside the ideal operating
range and energy is wasted. Obviously
the production process needs to be
optimized by appropriate intralogistic
control measures which lower the energy
consumption without impairing
productivity. Control strategies can be
evaluated with the help of a material
flow simulator which includes an ad-
Figure 1: Schematic structure of a melting and die-casting plant
Figure 2: Example of a melting furnace
with the four process stages
42 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
ditional function for the energy consumption
of the melting process.
Schematic structure of a melting
and die-casting plant
Constructing a simulation model requires
an understanding of the process
flow inside a typical melting and
die-casting plant (Figure 1). The delivery
of aluminum to the plant is carried
out in a liquid and a solid state. Whereas
the delivered liquid aluminum can
be processed directly, the solid aluminum
needs to be melted by using inhouse
melting furnaces. The melting
process is based on a 50 to 50 mixture
of solid aluminum shipments and recycled
process material, e.g. rejected
products or sprue material from the
die-casting process. Forklifts are used
for transporting liquid and solid aluminum
inside the plant.
Inside the die-casting machines the
liquid aluminum is pressed into the
desired shapes (products). Since the
die-casting machines act as the only
sinks for liquid aluminum, they determine
the demand for melted material
(pull system). The amount of produced
parts and the consumption of liquid
aluminum depend on the cycle time
as well as the shot weight of the current
product. Due to production fluctuations
and complex thermodynamic
processes within the melting furnaces,
it is almost impossible for the operation
manager in charge to optimize
the in-house melting process. Consequently,
the furnaces are usually operated
in a very unsteady way and this
leads to great fluctuations in the filling
levels. As a result the number of heating
and cooling processes increases.
These factors have a negative impact
on the specific energy consumption
(kWh/t) of the furnaces and therefore
the economic efficiency of the overall
process.
The process within the previously
examined melting furnaces can be divided
into four basic stages (Figure 2).
The solid aluminum is delivered to the
melting shaft by the charging system
(stage 1). Inside the shaft the aluminum
is heated up and melted by natural
gas-powered burners (stage 2).
Thereby hot flue gas is produced which
Figure 3:
Figure 4: Flue gas temperatures inside the melting furnace
flows around the aluminum and passes
on its own heat energy to the material.
The efficiency of the process
is determined by the amount of absorbed
heat energy of the aluminum.
The flue gas and the molten aluminum
leave the melting shaft and reach the
furnace’s holding area (furnace tub)
where the liquid metal is kept at a specified
temperature with the help of additional
burners (stage 3). In order to
withdraw molten aluminum at the discharge
socket, the whole furnace is tilted
to enable the material to flow into
the forklift’s container (stage 4).
Process analysis
An energy efficient functioning of
a melting furnace requires a steady
mode of operation at a high filling level
of the melting shaft. However, measurements
in reference plants have
shown that the filling levels inside
melting shafts are usually significantly
lower than the shaft’s maximum capacity
(Figure 3).
Low aluminum filling levels inside
the shaft reduce the heat exchange
which depends on the surface area as
well as the driving temperature gradient.
As a result, the thermodynamic
efficiency decreases whereas the furnace’s
specific energy consumption increases.
Therefore, a fluctuating operation
mode causes a negative effect on
the furnace’s performance. For example,
the specific energy consumption
of the examined furnace exceeds the
nominal value of the furnace manufacturer’s
specifications by 25 %. Additionally,
the measured melting rate of
3.68 t/h only reaches the lower end
of the specifications (3.5 – 4.5 t/h). Depending
on the operating point, the
thermodynamic efficiency ranges between
25 and 50 %.
Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018 43
SIMULATION
The flue gas’ outlet temperature is a
suitable parameter for rating the furnace’s
energy efficiency, since it represents
the result of the combined heat
transfer processes inside the furnace.
As a general rule, a higher efficiency is
obtained at a lower flue gas temperature.
Figure 4 depicts the chronological
course of flue gas temperatures at
the melting shaft’s exit (position A in
figure 2) as well as the furnace’s outlet
(position B).
The effect of the fluctuating filling
level on the flue gas temperature can
be seen at measurement position A.
Charging procedures lead to significant
drops of the measured temperature,
which are then followed by a steady
increase. However, the temperature of
the flue gas at the furnace’s outlet (position
B) which ranges between 850 °C
and 1,000 °C shows a more consistent
trend. Furthermore this illustrates that
the flue gas still contains a lot of heat
energy when leaving the furnace.
a
b
Figure 5:perature
inside the melting shaft
Figure 6: Aluminum mass inside a melting shaft with optimized charging strategy
Simulation model
In order to analyze different process
parameters, such as the die casting machine’s
demand for aluminum and its
effect on the melting furnaces, a simulation
model following the depiction
in figure 1 has been created. The
simulation is qualified for developing
new strategies for the in-plant aluminum
distribution or suitable operation
modes for the die-casting machines
and furnaces. Furthermore the simulation
tool offers the derivation of suitable
reactions for different problems,
such as an unexpected breakdown of a
melting furnace or delays in the delivery
of external melted aluminum. The
simulation allows in a risk-free and
cost-efficient virtual environment to
analyze procedures which would otherwise
have major impact on the operation,
e.g. the changing of charging
intervals of the melting furnaces or the
preheating of the raw materials.
The simulation consists of a material
flow model and an energy model,
representing the thermodynamic processes
inside the furnaces. The material
flow section comprises the transport
and processing of aluminum (see figure
1). In addition to the various components,
such as die-casting machines,
furnaces and forklifts, the model also
includes the control measures for the
entire process. In this context strategies
for distribution of liquid aluminum
to the die-casting machines as
well as the order of charging the melting
furnaces with solid material are implemented.
The link between the material flow
model and the energy model of the
furnace is realized by the processes af-
44 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
fecting the furnace, namely charging
and withdrawal of aluminum. The energy
model includes the combustion
of natural gas inside the burners, the
heat and mass transfer processes (conduction,
convection, radiation) and
the phase transition of aluminum.
The model allows analyzing different
demand situations and charging strategies
and their impact on the thermodynamic
processes. A precise calculation
would require flow simulations of
the furnace’s interior using a CFD tool.
However, this approach would lead to
extremely complex models and would
demand huge computational power,
especially for extended time periods.
Additionally, CFD simulations provide
low flexibility considering changing
boundary conditions. Therefore,
the developed simulation is based on
a simplified mathematical model consisting
of several ordinary differential
equations. The current model has been
refined by analyzing CFD simulations
of various steady cases. Because of the
conducted drastic simplifications the
validation of the model by using measured
data is crucial for the development
of a reliable simulation.
Validation
The results of the simulation can be
validated using a model that is specifically
configured to represent the
real-life plant. Parameters include the
implemented charging strategy for the
melting furnaces and the productions
schedule of the die-casting machines.
The validation data is based on measurements
inside the plant conducted
over the time period of a standard
working week which includes 17 shifts.
In terms of the analyzed week, the material
flow model shows a deviation of
1.4 % concerning the amount of produced
proper aluminum parts and a
deviation of 0.9 % regarding the overall
mass of aluminum used inside the
plant. These divergences can mainly be
traced back to unexpected breakdowns
of die-casting machines, which can be
statistically approximated, but not precisely
predicted. The accuracy of the
energy model can be proved by comparing
the chronological course of simulated
and measured data (Figure 5).
Figure 7: CFD simulation of the preheating of an aluminum package in a chamber
The charts show a high compliance
between the simulated and the measured
data within the analyzed time
frame. The flue gas temperature represents
an overall result of the thermodynamic
processes inside the furnaces.
The comparison of the simulated
and measured data of this parameter
shows the reliability of the simulation.
The remaining deviations might arise
from incomplete approximation of the
control algorithm governing the furnace’s
burners. During the simulated
week, the mass of melted aluminum
and the gas consumption deviated by
1.5 % respectively 0.5 % from the measured
data.
measures
The validation results illustrate that
the simulation model allows a precise
representation of the actual plant.
Based on the real-life configuration
various operational parameters can be
modified within the simulation model,
which determines the resulting effects
on the material flow and the thermodynamic
processes. The different
scenarios can be evaluated regarding
the key figures representing productivity,
production reliability and energy
efficiency. In the following, two measures
will be analyzed:
» Optimized aluminum charging
» Preheating of solid aluminum
(300 °C)
Optimized aluminum charging
Establishing a continuous operation of
the melting furnace at a constant high
aluminum filling level inside the melting
shaft is the aim of an optimized
charging strategy. Then the burners
are able to operate at their nominal
power which reduces the specific energy
consumption while maintaining a
high quality of the melted aluminum.
An adjusted charging strategy ensures
a filling level of 60 – 90 % of the melting
shaft’s capacity (Figure 6).
The high filling level leads to a large
heat transfer surface which enhances
the heat exchange and lowers the flue
Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018 45
SIMULATION
gas temperature at the shaft’s exit. In
combination with a constant burner
operation, these effects lead to an improvement
of the melting rate and the
specific energy consumption.
Preheating
The preheating of the solid material
inside heating chambers is a common
measure in industrial plants. The flue
gas’ waste heat is used to heat up the
air inside a chamber where raw aluminum
is stored.
Using CFD simulations the preheating
process inside the chamber can be
analyzed (Figure 7). The influence of
the inflow speed, the flue gas temperature
and the package geometry on the
required preheating time is displayed.
The CFD simulations demonstrate that
the warm-up period inside the chamber
can be reduced up to 22 % by improving
the arrangement of the mass package.
The integration of a preheating
chamber into the process sequence, in
particular during the charging of the
melting furnaces, is a problem not to
be underestimated.
However, the required time and the
energy consumption to melt the preheated
solid materials in the furnaces
decrease as a result of the preheating.
Figure 8:
Simulation results
The measurements inside the reference
plant reveal planned and unexpected
downtimes of 30 % of the die-casting
machines’ overall runtime. Under these
circumstances, the plant’s productivity
is solely limited by the die-casting machines.
Thus, the demand for aluminum
is constantly surpassed by the available
supply. In order to be able to analyze
the effects of the optimized aluminum
charging and the preheating of solid material,
downtimes have been reduced to
3 % in the simulation. This could be realized
by an improved maintenance concept
in the real plant. As a result, the supply
and demand for melted aluminum
are almost equally balanced.
The die-casting machines’ Overall
Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is a suitable
key figure to describe a plant’s productivity.
On the other hand, downtimes
due to a lack of melted aluminum
Figure 9:
energy consumption
have impacts on the plant’s production
reliability.
Preheating of the solid aluminum
as well as an optimized charging strategy
increases the production reliability
(Figure 8). While the accumulated
downtimes due to aluminum shortage
initially make up 1.7 % of the analyzed
timeframe, they decrease to 0.3 % by
preheating, respectively 0 % due to an
optimized charging strategy. Additionally,
reducing these downtimes leads to
noticeable improvements of the plant’s
productivity. Optimized charging in
particular delivers OEE-values of over
90 %. Both measures do not only stabilize
the production, they also enable a
more energy efficient operation mode
of the melting furnaces (Figure 9).
Both measures show a positive effect
on the energy consumption.
While the energy consumption in
the initial configuration averages 910
kWh/t, preheating leads to a decrease
of 9 % (specific energy consumption:
825 kWh/t). The optimized charging
strategy even exceeds this improvement,
up to 20 % (specific energy consumption:
720 kWh/t).
The results illustrate that the previously
described measures are able to
optimize the plant’s operation itself,
as well as its energy efficiency. The improvements
in a real-life plant are likely
to be lowered by company standards
or thermal losses. However, the simulation
indicates that a purely intralogistical
measure (optimized charging)
46 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
can help to enhance productivity, production
reliability and energy efficiency
more effectively than any measures
taken at a cost-intensive preheating
chamber.
The described measures only reach
their full potential when combined
with a drastic reduction of die-casting
machine downtimes (3 %) or other
means of preventing an oversupply of
melted aluminum. This could include
reducing the amount of melted aluminum
deliveries or setting an furnace on
stand-by. Simulation results show that
the specific energy consumption can
be lowered by 10 % (reduced delivery)
respectively 12 % (furnace on standby)
without impairing production reliability.
Next steps
In the next phase of the project the previous
investigations will be carried out
within a further partner company. Subsequently,
the simulation model will
be adapted to this operation. Comparing
both simulations will enable to
determine the factors which have the
greatest influence on the simulated operating
sequence and the parameters
which can be neglected in the future.
The aim here is to realize a flexible simulation,
which can provide meaningful
results for a wide range of companies.
The provision of up-to-date process
data and key figures is a major challenge
in representing real operations
within a simulation. The state of automation
within the die casting industry
is still at a very low level compared
to other branches of industry, for example
the automotive industry. Therefore,
the acquisition and processing of
the relevant parameters are important
components in the project’s next
phase. However, the current results
have already proved that a step-by-step
introduction of Industry 4.0 measures
can contribute to an increase in productivity
in the melting and die casting
industries.
References:
www.cpt-international.com
Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018 47
COMPANY
Customer proximity was essential for Imerys during the acquisition of IKO, as shown at the Imerys’ GIFA booth (Photo: Imerys)
Michael Vehreschild, Kleve
Imerys – strong potential for synergies
The IKO brand, representing the green molding sand additives producer based in Germany, was
well known throughout the foundry industry. However, three years ago, IKO became “Imerys
Metalcasting Solutions”. The French group of companies Imerys, a world leader in mineralbased
specialty solutions for industry, acquired the Greek S&B Industrial Minerals S.A. in 2015
“The fast brand change was initially a
challenge, but quickly became a success,”
emphasizes Didier Legrand, the
Technical & Commercial Director for
Foundry Europe of Imerys Metalcasting.
A major benefit of the acquisition is
“the strong potential for synergies and
new investments”.
Some things have changed and, above
all, improved – which is instantly noticeable
upon entering the former IKO
plant in Marl, Germany. While walking
over the company area, red flags indicate
the loading of a truck. Securely
fixed storage shelves and the employees’
bright helmets should contribute to the
prevention of accidents. Furthermore, a
well-marked assembly point for emergencies
at the entrance sends immediately
a clear signal to the visitor: Safety
is very important here. This does not
mean that safety had not been of great
value before the acquisition. However,
the French company has “gone one step
further and transferred its corporate
safety concept to IKO/ S&B,” explains
Dr. Oleg Podobed, Application Technology
Manager – Foundry Germany.
IKO/S&B and Imerys complement
each other
However, safety is not the only subject
for added value. Another positive
effect of the acquisition is the greater
variety of potential solutions, because
“IKO/ S&B and Imerys complement
each other,” emphasizes Didier Legrand.
This is beneficial because, in addition
to the best possible performance
of Imerys’ products, “foundries must
speed up production and reduce costs,
while castings become increasingly
complex.” Customized blends of green
48 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
Imerys Metalcasting – a company with a long tradition
S&B Industrial Minerals was founded in 1934 and has a long tradition as a
supplier of foundry bentonites, using minerals from the renowned reserves
on the Greek island of Milos as well as from other mines worldwide. The
origin of IKO Industriekohle dates back to 1964. IKO Industriekohle and
Erbslöh Geisenheim merged in 1994 – S&B bought 50 % of the new company
with plants in Germany and France. S&B also acquired the remaining
50 % of IKO in 2001 and moved closer to the foundry customers in Europe,
supplying them with bentonites, lustrous carbon formers and other
selected raw materials, as well as customized technical services. The foundry
business expanded first into the Americas, Turkey and then to China,
India and Italy, by incorporating the expertise, technology and assets of
local foundry suppliers.
S&B/IKO has been part of Imerys, one of the world’s leading supplier of
mineral-based specialty solutions for industry, since 2015. Imerys, founded
in 1880, looks back at a long, successful and sustained history. The French
company, with headquarters in Paris, has about 18,500 employees worldwide
and generated more than 4 billion euros in sales in 2016. Imerys meets
ambitious criteria for responsible development, regarding social, environmental
or Corporate Governance.
Imerys Metallurgy Division, which emerged from S&B, encompasses the
world’s leading bentonite, perlite, bauxite and moler businesses with its
own high-quality deposits. Besides there is the Steel Casting Fluxes business
unit, serving continuous steel casting production. The Metallurgy Division
is mainly focussed on the foundry industry and its business segments. The
former IKO has been renamed into Imerys Metalcasting.
Imerys Metalcasting offers customized blends of green molding sand
additives as well as the technical expertise to the foundry industry. Having
a global focus, the company also serves international customer groups
through the extensive network of 14 metalcasting sites in Europe, North
America and Asia, according to the slogan: Think Global, Act Local. The
main customer group are foundries with automated molding plants. Another
application area for the Imerys products is the core shop using the
cold box process, where Imerys provides core sand additives, which are
needed to avoid veining and other core sand related casting defects.
Dr. Oleg Podobed, Application Technology
Manager – Foundry Germany. Safety plays
concept (Photo: MV)
molding sand additives based on bentonites,
lustrous carbon formers and
other selected high-quality raw materials
from Imerys Metalcasting contribute
to meet these challenges. Through
the combination with Imerys, S&B
gained access to the Imerys world of
minerals. S&B, which hold previously
only five industrial minerals, has over
30 Imerys industrial minerals at its disposal
now. “We use the larger portfolio
for the development of new, high-performing
products and blends,” explains
Didier Legrand. This is a boost
for further innovations. In 2016 more
than 90 new products were launched
within the Imerys Group worldwide,
whereas 110 new products have been
developed in 2017.
Supply reliability is ensured
Imerys Metalcasting benefits now
from a much larger network, because
the group is present on five continents
with 270 industrial facilities in more
than 50 countries. These include 14
production sites worldwide operating
for foundries in Europe, North America
and Asia. “This allows us today to
provide the right products at relatively
short notice. Furthermore, the delivery
security is increased,” according
to Didier Legrand. “In addition, market
fluctuations can be better absorbed because
we have our own mines.”
Focus on innovation
The trend towards weight reduction
in modern castings and increasing en-
Marl (Photo: Imerys)
Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018 49
COMPANY
Bentonite deposit on Milos (Photo: Imerys)
Milling installation (above) and modern
equipment in the laboratory (right) at
the Imerys plant in Marl (Photo: Imerys)
vironmental requirements request innovative
solutions. Market demands
shall not only be met due to the higher
number of minerals used. The Imerys
Metalcasting team has access to the research
and development centers, testing
facilities and expertise of the entire
Imerys Group. The development of innovative
solutions is supported by the
newly founded Business Development
Department. This young department
not only promotes traditional research
and development, but also focuses specifically
on upcoming market trends
and market processing. Imerys Metallurgy
has enhanced its team with additional
scientists since 2015, pushing
R&D projects in the foundry applications.
Cooperation with universities
and institutes has also been intensified,
and investments in new equipment
were made. On top of that, Imerys
Metallurgy strengthened the sales
team with young foundry experts.
10 years ago, Envibond, the first environmentally
friendly green molding
sand binder, was launched into
the foundry industry. The Envibond
technology reduces the amount of organic
components in the cycle system
and allows the foundry to reduce significantly
the emissions during pouring
and thus to improve the working
conditions. Thanks to the above-mentioned
measures, Envibond is continuously
and intensively developed further
in order to provide the market
with new solutions.
Customer proximity remains
guaranteed
Among all the advantages, continuity
is of high priority for Imerys. All products
and services previously provided
by IKO continue to be offered and are
retained unchanged. Customer proximity
is preserved. “Thus the background
remains unchanged,” Didier
Legrand underlines.
Nevertheless, during the transition
period Imerys relied on unavoidable
and comprehensive information campaigns
to manage it best. Through intense
public relations efforts during
the acquisition process, customers were
continuously informed about the latest
developments, and the previous contacts
remained unchanged. This new
combination was promoted visually at
GIFA 2015 in Düsseldorf: the IKO logo
merged with the Imerys logo at the Imerys
Metalcasting booth. This strategy
was overall effective because in this way
the acquisition “didn’t become a shock
for the industry,” says Didier Legrand,
and he concludes that the transition
phase was successful despite the usual
challenges such a change may cause.
A matter of heart
New solutions were found for the customers’
challenges and for new applications.
And it just fits because IKO/S&B
and Imerys complement each other.
They have the same background. Both
companies offer mineral-based solutions
for the industry. Therefore, it is all
about a common successful future, and
not a speculative transaction. “When
Imerys acquires companies they look
only for targets that complement or expand
existing business segments, and
that fit to the growth strategy and the
markets of the Imerys Group,” emphasizes
Dr. Oleg Podobed.
Didier Legrand, as Technical & Commercial
Director, is a good example representing
continuity. His family has a
long history in casting of metals. His father
worked in the foundry industry for
47 years. Didier Legrand joined the sector
at the age of just 16 and started initially
in the laboratory. And the fascination
remained the same. He has now spent
42 years in the same sector, of which 28
years were at IKO and then at Imerys.
The company is close to Didier Legrand’s
heart. No wonder that he is so enthusiastic
about the successful development of
Imerys Metalcasting’s prospects.
Keeping an eye on the sector
As Sales Director in Europe, Didier Legrand
rushes from customer to customer.
It is important to him “because we
have to keep an eye on the development
of the industry.” Imerys Metalcasting
considers itself a strategic partner of
the automotive industry. Therefore,
the company cares about the mobility
of the future. Legrand regularly meets
automotive foundry suppliers in order
to know the expectations of the industry
– so that Imerys Metalcasting can
also continue to gain momentum.
50 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
“Great potential for
development”
tion
and the related challenges
What was the situation of IKO/ S&B
before the acquisition?
IKO/ S&B was and continues to be a
leading supplier of green molding sand
additives for the foundry industry.
During the last five years, however,
the bentonite producer landscape
has changed due to the acquisition
of other bentonite players by larger
companies. Therefore, this move was
probably inevitable. But, unlike the
competitors, S&B was taken over by a
minerals specialist with the vision to
develop this new segment for Imerys.
What were the reasons for the acquisition
of S&B by Imerys?
Both companies have major high-quality
assets and leadership positions in
most markets. S&B is a healthy and
well-managed company. Furthermore,
its business model largely corresponds
with the Imerys model. We can also see
a strong potential for synergies: some
end-markets complement each other
and the geographical positioning is
complementary. The potential for development
is high, as e.g. for geographical
expansion, innovation, product development
and optimizations.
What was the S&B employees’ reaction
to the new ownership?
People are always afraid about change,
but in this case, the change was very
positive thanks to the excellent preparation,
the fast integration and the offering
of new opportunities for personnel
development. Overall, most people
welcomed the acquisition by a large industrial
group of companies.
What are the challenges of the future?
To accelerate innovation and to provide
a fast response to the demanding
market. There are always new technical
requirements and growing challenges,
for example regarding the environment,
in the foundry industry. For this
purpose, we are constantly innovating
our products. Weight reduction is also
an important topic for the automotive
industry. In addition, the mobility of
tomorrow is a fundamental issue for
Didier Legrand (Photo: MV)
us. However, it is impossible to provide
a precise picture of the mobility in ten
years’ time. Therefore, we want to continue
to keep our eyes and ears open to
what is happening in the market.
www.imerysadditivesformetallurgy.com
Wear Protection Technology
and Industrial Products
The Tungsten
Carbide Manufactory
Wear Protection Technology • Industrial Products
Rehhagenhof 32, D-33619 Bielefeld
Phone +49 (0) 521 / 14 13 13
info@gerhard-warning.de
If you are hard to please,
our hardness will please you
Further information: www.gerhard-warning.de
Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018 51
NEWS
FILL MACHINE ENGINEERING
Investment of 7.5 million euros in Gurten plant
New Fill-production facility in Gurten, Austria (Photo: Fill)
The high-tech company Fill Machine
Engineering, Gurten, Austria, continues
on its course of expansion. 5,000 m 2 of
new production space is being created.
Fill remains on course for growth. In
order to ensure the proven quality of
the internationally successful machine
engineering company for the
long term, the production facility is
being expanded. In the upcoming
months, 5,000 m 2 of additional production
space for assembling machines
and systems will be created.
The electrical workshop area will also
be doubled in size. A total of 7.5 million
euros is being invested in the
company’s headquarters. All construction
work is being carried out by companies
from the region or elsewhere in
Upper Austria. Completion of the entire
project is scheduled for late March
2018.
“With the enlargement of our production
facility, we are creating sufficient
space for optimum assembly conditions
in light of increasing demands
on capacity,” explains proprietor and
CEO Andreas Fill. All three hall sections
will be completed successively by
the end of March 2018.
The stilt-based construction style in
which the new halls are being built has
allowed attractive, covered parking
spaces to be created for employees underneath
the assembly area. In order to
be prepared for e-mobility and completely
in line with the successful company’s
innovative spirit, ten electric
charging stations will also be provided
in this area. These will be made available
to employees free of charge for charging
their electric vehicles. Furthermore,
erection of a large photovoltaic system
is planned, which will supply environmentally-friendly
energy to the production
facility and to the electric charging
stations in future.
ELKEM
New plant in China
On 12 December 2017, Elkem, Oslo,
Norway, celebrated the opening of
a new plant for foundry products in
Shizuishan city in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous
Region in China.
The evening before the ceremony,
Elkem China hosted a dinner for the
customers. Roland Hennigfeld, VP of
Sales & Marketing in Elkem Foundry
Products, welcomed the guests by explaining
the Foundry products business
model in a new way: He compared the
business model to a fine dining restaurant,
where Elkem’s customers are the
professional chefs who need high quality
ingredients to best serve their dinner
guests. Elkem Foundry Products represents
the condiments needed for taking
the meal to another level, and in this
particular restaurant, the spices are Mg-
The brandnew Elkem-plant for foundry products in Shizuishan city, China
FeSi and Inoculants. With several years
of experience from cooking in high
quality castings, the experts from Elkem
can advise on how to best use the condiments.
The amount added is important,
as well as which spice is used for
52 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
which dish. It is also key that the dish
does not become too expensive, and
Hennigfeld added that Elkem’s “kitchen
assistance” will assist in both keeping
costs down and ensuring high quality.
On the day of the ceremony, Elkem
staff and managers, customers, government
officials from Shizuishan and
Vice President of the China Foundry
Association where gathered for the celebration.
Jean Villeneuve, SVP of Elkem
Foundry Products, told the story of the
journey that led to the opening of the
plant. In 2013, Elkem Foundry Products
decided to “become a true global leader
in metal treatment solutions to the iron
industry”. At that time, the division
had a strong footprint in North America
and Europe and had identified a need
for local production in Asia. Shortly after,
the construction of the new plant
in China began. This new plant will
help Elkem in delivering tailor made
solutions to customers that will reduce
costs and increase efficiency.
The General Manager of Elkem Foundry
Products, Mr. Liu He, spoke of Elkem’s
long history as a technology provider
and the Vice President of the China
Foundry Association wished Elkem the
best of luck with the new plant.
After the ceremony, the attendees
visited the new plant, which has advanced
technology, high EHS standards
and follows the Elkem Business System.
Making sure that all plants have the
same standards and company culture is
an important strategy for Elkem in China,
and when promoting Elkem Foundry
Products new business there.
In the meantime, all employees have
moved to the new plant. After a very
short commissioning period, the new
plant started the production. The furnace
is running well and safely with the
advanced safe way system. The new
crushing, screening and packing system
relieved strong labor work from operators
and operators understand more
about the new process and new equipment
gradually, and are more confident
to operate. “We can see our employees
working in full swing now, for a safe, efficient
and competitive plant”, according
to Elkem.
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NEWS
EIRICH
Permanent-magnet synchronous motors,
which are also known as torque
or high-torque motors, are rapidly becoming
established as the standard
solution for more and more applications
– and now also in mixing technology.
Combined with a compact and
space-saving design that only requires
very little installation space, the high
torque output of these drives enables
energy-efficient solutions for challenging
mixing tasks – for customers of
Eirich, Hardheim, Germany.
Mixing drives with asynchronous
motors, which have been commonly
used for many years, come with restrictions.
Usually, the rotational speed of
the motor is not the same as that of the
mixing tool. In order to obtain the
most suitable mixing speed for the
mixing task, gearing ratios are normally
realized with the aid of V-belt drives,
or gearboxes are used for applications
with a high torque demand to translate
high motor speeds into low tool speeds.
Mechanical transmission elements
such as V-belts and gearboxes are subject
to wear, so regular inspections and
maintenance are essential. When
torque motors are used, these transmission
elements are no longer required.
The mixing tool is then connected
directly via a flange to the
motor shaft of the torque motor, and
the power transmission is direct and
loss-free.
In terms of its basic layout, a torque
motor is the same as a conventional
asynchronous motor. The key difference
is in the design of the rotor. Instead of
the armature found in an asynchronous
motor, which is subject to slip, rotors
loaded with permanent magnets are
used in torque motors. This technology
enables an increase in the size of the
magnetic field by around 20 %. The design
of the rotor with permanent magnets
and the resulting geo metry that
this enables lead to an increase in drive
torque, which in turn allows the motor
to be used as a direct drive.
The use of torque motors offers many
advantages: less weight, more power
Eirich intensive mixer with high torque drive (Photo: Eirich)
and minimized losses improve efficiency
and dynamic performance. Thanks
to the omission of a number of mechanical
elements, torque motors are
low-noise and low-maintenance. Due
to the increased stiffness of the drivetrain,
e.g. in comparison to V-belt
drives, vibrations are reduced and the
motor runs more smoothly. There is
virtually no wear at all in the motor,
partly also because there are no radial
belt forces.
Further advantages of the torque
drive result from the way in which the
torque motor works and from the fact
that it is operated with a frequency inverter
as standard. Thanks to the high
torque, which remains constant
throughout the entire operating range
of the motor, the torque drive with frequency
inverter makes it possible to optimally
adjust the rotating speed of the
mixing tool to the requirements within
a mixing process. Together with a
high overload torque, the torque drive
also enables the tool to start up under
high loads. This makes the drive absolutely
predestined for challenging mixing
tasks where high levels of torque are
required. For this type of application,
asynchronous motors often need to be
designed with a rated power output
that is not called upon during the bulk
of the processing time, but instead is
just needed occasionally to cope with
peak loads and during start-up.
By comparing the cost of the torque
motors and asynchronous motors,
torque drives can initially appear more
expensive due to the higher purchase
cost of the motor including the frequency
inverter. However, if the costs
54 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
of the components for the belt drive
and the gearbox that are required for
drives with asynchronous motors are
included in the cost assessment, the
additional costs are relativized. Depending
on the particular application,
a torque drive can be fitted to a new
machine with almost no additional
cost in comparison to conventional
drive systems.
Since there are no friction losses due
to mechanical components like belt
drives, gear drives or transmission elements,
the efficiency of the drivetrain
is higher than that of conventional
drive systems. As a result, the power requirements
are lower, and this means
that it is often possible to use drives
with a lower power output. With a
torque drive there is also no need for
maintenance of belt drives and gearboxes,
which are both subject to wear,
or for ongoing checks of belt tension
and/or oil fill levels.
Today, Eirich already uses torque
motors as standard on mixers for the
preparation of lead paste mixes, which
are used to manufacture rechargeable
lead batteries. Eirich conducted a comparative
study at a customer that
looked at a mixer with an asynchronous
motor and a V-belt drive and a
mixer with a torque drive; energy savings
of up to 25% were achieved during
the preparation of identical formulas.
For over ten years now, torque motors
have also been the standard technology
for large-scale mixers, which
are used for the processing of ores and
in sinter plants. The excellent energy
efficiency, low maintenance requirements
and long service life of the mixing
tool drives have already inspired
customers to convert older mixers to
the new drive system.
By equipping new machines with
this drive technology, Eirich offers its
customers the opportunity to significantly
reduce the operating costs of a
mixer. Costed over the entire lifecycle,
which is often several decades, the investment
in state-of-the-art drive technology
will always pay for itself.
Eirich will also be happy to examine
the conversion of older machines that
are already part of the existing inventory.
Customers will then know the time
frame within which an investment in
torque technology will be viable. The
aim is to enable operators to run their
systems with high economic efficiency,
productivity and production reliability.
NEW
multiPulse
160 °C.
Winner of
2017 Export Award.
DISA
Norican Group, Herlev, Denmark, and Suzhou
Mingzhi Technology Co Ltd., Jiangsu
Sheng, China, have announced the signing
of a binding agreement whereby Suzhou
Mingzhi Technology Co Ltd. has purchased
the assets of the DISA Core product
business, based in Leipzig, Germany.
The sale is the result of close dialogue
between the parties, exploring potential
cooperation within complementary
business areas, to better serve customers.
DISA has been offering core
solutions to the foundry industry for
20+ years from its facility in Leipzig,
Germany.
The agreement with Mingzhi Technology
offers an excellent opportunity
to expand and secure the continuation
of the quality products offered by the
Leipzig team, combining it with the
strength and experience of the Mingzhi
Technology organization.
All employees working with the Core
equipment offering in Leipzig have
been transferred upon closing to the
newly established Mingzhi Technology
Leipzig GmbH entity and will continue
their work as part of the Mingzhi
Technology organization. Any current
DISA core product contracts will be fulfilled
by the Norican Group in collaboration
with Mingzhi Technology
Leipzig.
Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018 55
NEWS
STRIKOWESTOFEN
Full speed ahead
Easy comparison: the burners on the left
and right have been adjusted near-stoi-
short and cold – the energy requirements
rise (Photo: StrikoWestofen)
An optimum air-to-fuel ratio means
optimum results: this is true for all
combustion processes. It’s also the reason
why, as of today, StrikoWestofen,
Gummersbach, Germany, is offering
foundry customers the option of
near-stoichiometric burner adjustment.
The setting has to be made only
once, when the “StrikoMelter” melting
furnace is commissioned, and will
then ensure the correct ratio of air and
fuel at all times. This not only minimizes
energy consumption, it also reduces
metal oxidation. As a result, the
investment quickly pays for itself.
In everyday foundry operations, excess
air is often the culprit behind increased
energy use of melting furnaces.
“If you don’t keep an eye on air-fuel ratios,
you are literally burning money,”
says Rudolf Hillen, burner expert at StrikoWestofen.
That’s why they now offer
an economical method of near-stoichiometric
burner adjustment.
At a combustion air ratio () of 1, the
oxygen in the air reacts completely with
the fuel gas. While gas flow is easily measured
via a meter, measuring the amount
of air requires more complex equipment
and can cause a steady loss of pressure in
the combustion air system.
“This is why we are now offering our customers
a solution for which we only have
to measure air flow once, during the commissioning
of the furnace,” Rudolf Hillen
explains. “To do this, we install a measuring
section in front of the combustion air
fan. The pressure drop at the standardized
metering orifice is an exact measure of the
air flow.” With the help of special software,
the air vent of the burner can then be positioned
precisely to produce an optimum
combustion air ratio ()of near 1.
The thus minimized excess air in the
combustion process also reduces oxidation
during the melting process in
the furnace. Suitably adjusted burners
ensure a high flame temperature and
optimum heat transfer to the metal to
be melted, saving energy and costs.
“We are talking about approximately
7 kWh less energy per tonne of metal, i.e.
annual savings of around 2,500 euros. In
other words, at a melting rate of 2 t/h, the
additional one-off investment pays for itself
within two years,” Hillen adds.
From 2018, near-stoichiometric burner
adjustment will be included in the
scope of delivery for the standard version
of StrikoMelter models PurEfficiency
and BigStruc. It is available as an option
for all other StrikoMelters.
www.strikowestofen.com
EUROGUSS
Trade fair sets new records - structural casting wins Aluminium Die-casting Award
Trade visitors take a close look at an exhibit
at Euroguss 2018 (Photo: NürnbergMesse)
The latest EUROGUSS came to an end
on 18 January 2018 after three successful
days that set a new record for visitor
numbers. Snow, rain, squalls and the
associated traffic chaos in many parts
of Germany and across Europe were
not enough to deter around 15,000
trade visitors (2016: 12,032) from coming
to Nuremberg to attend the diecasting
trade fair. This year’s event saw
the proportion of international trade
visitors increase still further. A total
of 641 exhibitors gave them the opportunity
to learn about innovations
and trends in the industry. E-mobility,
structural components, application-specific
alloys and additive manufacturing
were discussed at many of
the stands. The International German
Die Casting Congress, held in NCC Ost
for the first time, enjoyed the greatest
attendance.
As part of the EUROGUSS in Nuremberg,
Germany, the German Aluminium
Association(GDA) awarded the
winners of the International Aluminium
Die-Casting Competition 2018.
Prizes were awarded by a jury of experts
from research and practice to
three castings from renowned manufacturers
with a further three castings
receiving special commendations. The
8th International Aluminum Die-Casting
Competition is organized by the
GDA. It was partnered by the German
Foundry Association (BDG). The Aus-
56 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
trian Non-Ferrous Metals Federation of
the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
and the Swiss Aluminium Association
“alu.ch” also supported the competition.
For many years, the Aluminium
Die-casting Award has proven to be a
successful platform for demonstrating
the high quality standards of aluminium
die-castings. The aim of the competition
is to boost interest in aluminium,
a versatile material, still further
and to demonstrate further fields of application.
Criteria for evaluating the
castings, submitted to the Aluminum
Die-Casting Competition 2018, were
the die-cast conform and resource efficient
construction.
A jury of experts from research and
practice awarded six submissions:
three cast pieces received prizes, three
more “Special Commendations”.
The winners were:
1st Prize: Connection part CD
» DGS Druckguss Systeme AG, St. Gallen
» Alloy: AISi10MnMgZnZr
» Weight: 3,043 g
» Dimensions: L: 797 mm, W: 437 mm,
H: 304 mm
» Weight upper part: 7 270 g
» Weight lower part: 14,120 g
» Dimensions: L: 1,120 mm,W:
540 mm, H: 260 mm
The prize was awarded to a housing for
high-voltage batteries for a plug-in hybrid
vehicle that needs to satisfy the
highest possible crash requirements.
The geometry is achieved by using a very
slider-intensive tooling concept and
keeping the sealing surfaces free from
ejectors. Particular mention should be
given to the long flow length and the
T7 heat treatment which results in relatively
low distortion for a component
of this size. An added benefit is that the
part can be used without machining.
3rd Prize: Tank housing
» Georg Fischer Druckguss GmbH,
Herzogenburg
» Alloy: EN AC-AISi10MnMg-T7
» Weight: 10,900 g
» Dimensions: L: 980 mm, W: 626 mm,
H: 236 mm
The third prize goes to a crash-relevant
component that opens up a new area
of application for die-castings in hybrid
vehicles. Aluminium die-casting offers
cost savings while reducing weight at
the same time. The award-winning
component incorporates an extremely
wide range of different functions and
replaces a possible fabricated sheet
structure. The component is subjected
to a T7 heat treatment to reduce
the risk of distortion of the intricate
parts. This entry also scored points for
the high depth of value added right
through to CIL coating in the foundry.
www.aluinfo.de
PRODUCTIVITY IN 3D
The first prize is being awarded for the
holistic approach adopted in obtaining
a highly competitive cast structural
component. It is a part that has established
itself thanks to a weight saving
of 19 % compared with a sheet-metal
shell construction, the result of
the part’s complex, load-path-optimized
wall-thickness distribution and
rib configuration. The need for higher
specific strength was achieved by
choosing a high-strength alloy with
very good flow characteristics combined
with a T6 temper. Very efficient
temperature control together with a
runner that is ideal from a flow technology
point of view enables component
wall thicknesses of 1.8-2 mm to
be achieved.
2nd Prize: Housing for high-voltage
batteries, upper and lower part
» Magna BDW technologies GmbH,
Markt Schwaben
» Alloy: EN AC-AISi10MnMg(Fe) - T7
3D-PRINTED CAST SOLUTIONS
CREATE COMPLEX COMPONENTS
Innovative 3D printing solutions for sand &
investment casting using common casting
materials, where all light and heavy metals that
are castable and of series-production quality
can be processed. Complex geometric shapes
can be created with speed and precision.
voxeljet AG
Paul-Lenz-Straße 1a 86316 Friedberg Germany info@voxeljet.com
Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018 57
NEWS
KELLER HCW
Non-contact temperature measurement for steel castings
CellaCast measurement with monitor
(Photo: Keller HCW)
The temperature of the melt is one of
the most important, quality-relevant
process parameters in the production
of cast steel products.
In many cases, the temperature of
the liquid steel is controlled in the
melting kiln, holding kiln or casting ladle
by means of immersion measuring
lances. After heating, however, the
melt loses up to 10 °C per min. Depending
on the time between the last
measurement and the casting, the temperature
may have dropped considerably.
And especially the temperature of
the melt during the mold filling is of
crucial importance. The desired quality
can only be achieved by exact control
and compliance with the casting
temperatures.
In the meantime, infrared measuring
systems have established themselves
for measuring the temperature
of liquid metal, which automatically
record the temperature values in milliseconds
without contact and from a
safe distance.
In order to eliminate problems
caused by slag and oxidation on the
metal surface, the CellaCast measuring
system has a CSD (Clean Surface Detection)
function. A special algorithm filters
out the true measured values at the
clean spots when pouring the melt.
In numerous plants with grey cast
iron and nodular cast iron, the Cella-
Cast system is for several years successfully
in use. Now, the system has been
extended for higher temperatures with
the device version CellaCast PA 83 AF
14. This means that it can also be used
in the production of cast steel. With a
measuring range of up to 750 - 2,400 °C,
the pyrometer completely covers the
relevant temperature range.
Thanks to the two-colour (ratio) measuring
technique, the CellaCast system
delivers stable measured values despite
the extremely strong smoke and steam
generation during steel casting. Disturbing
flames are filtered out by the
ATD (Automatic Temperature Detection)
function.
Customer statements such as “The
system has paid for itself very quickly
thanks to the quality increase and the
acquisition of new information” confirm
the customer’s benefit, e. g. in the
production of turbocharger housings
and exhaust manifolds.
www.keller.de/its
FIRMA
Sintokogio Corp. buys foundry plant manufacturer
The Japanese Sintokogio Corporation
headquartered in Nagoya has taken
over the majority of foundry machine
manufacturer Omega Foundry
Machinery Ltd., Peterborough, United
Kingdom. Omega and Sinto have
been involved in a strategic partnership
since 2006.
The acquisition by Sintokogio gives
both companies the opportunity to
benefit from the broad portfolio in the
Sinto and Omega Managers signing the contract
in Peterborough, UK (Photo: Omega).
ConviTec
Vibration machines and conveying technology
Project planning – Manufacturing - Service
www.convitec.net · 069 / 84 84 89 7- 0
field of chemically bound sand combined
with the power of a global enterprise.
Among other things the company
offers technical solutions for
molding sand mixing, handling of
molds, sand regeneration as well as
core production.
The name of the company will be
changed to “Omega-Sinto” with immediate
effect, and the company’s leadership
will continue to manage the business
of the company and its subsidiaries.
“Being part of the world’s largest manufacturer
of foundry machines presents
significant opportunities for the company
and our customers,” according to
the Omega management.
www.ofml.net
58 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
RHEINMETALL AUTOMOTIVE
Components from first-tier auto-industry
supplier Rheinmetall Automotive,
Neckarsulm, Germany, are
increasingly finding their way into
newly engineered electric vehicles.
The auto-equipment specialist, a member
of the technology group Rheinmetall
AG, was recently awarded
through its subsidiary Pierburg, an order
from the Southern California vehicle
maker, Karma Automotive, to
supply coolant pumps for its plug-in
electric hybrid vehicle (PHEV). Karma
Automotive will install the pumps into
its luxury vehicle, the Revero, which
will be sold in the U.S. and Canada.
In terms of output, the pumps,
which will recirculate the coolant in
these luxury vehicles, are to be delivered
in a smaller version (CWA 50, 50
watts) and a larger one (CWA 100, 100
watts). The delivery period for the
pumps is scheduled for production in
2017, will continue into 2018 and the
total contract has a value in the range
of 6-digit euros.
The CWAs are being manufactured
at Pierburg’s German location in Hartha,
Saxony, which for 25 years has belonged
to Pierburg and has comprehensive
experience in the engineering
and production of electric drives for
pumps and for other applications.
The CWA series among the pumps
manufactured in Hartha are used for a
variety of functions: from cooling the
charge air on turbochargers to the main
coolant circuit on I.C. engines. The most
recent model is available in a 48-volt version
with an output of 950 watts. In today’s
newly engineered hybrid and electric
vehicles, the pumps can also handle
such functions as cooling or temperature-control
of electric drivelines, batteries,
DC-DC converters, power electronics,
and a whole range of additional jobs.
22. International Fair
of Technologies for Foundry
25-27
September
2018
Kielce, Poland
The 73rd World Foundry
23-27
September
2018
Krakow, Poland
Global Media Partner:
The luxury brand Karma Automotive will in future be supplied with coolant pumps
from Rheinmetall Automotive subsidiary Pierburg
Contact:
Piotr Odziemek
+48 41 365 13 34
odziemek.piotr@targikielce.pl
Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018 59
NEWS
Foseco’s new Acticote CG coating (Photo: Foseco)
FOSECO
Foseco, Tamworth, UK, announced
the launch of the Acticote CG coating
range for the improved production of
compacted graphite iron (CGI) castings.
These coatings have been especially
developed to minimize the degradation
of the graphite structure in the
rim-zone of CGI castings. Without
such preventative measures, there is
the risk of the formation of a flake
graphite containing skin that can have
a thickness of typically up to 1 mm, or
in some more, which will affect both
the mechanical properties and the machinability
of the casting.
During the casting process a depletion
of magnesium within the solidifying
skin of the casting can occur due to reactions
of the magnesium with sulphur
and oxygen present in the molding materials
and/or in the mold atmosphere.
This combined with the undercooling
effects at the metal/mold interface
can lead to a reduction in compacted
graphite formation in favour of flake
graphite. Acticote CG coatings act to
provide a barrier to core gases and reduce
undercooling, reducing the affected
reversion layer to a minimum.
Additionally, the coatings have high
performance benefits including:
» The refractory filler is highly resistant
to the high temperature of the
liquid iron and has good insulation
properties.
» The coating is formulated with excellent
rheological properties making
it ideal for the dipping of cores,
building the required layer thickness
without runs or drips
» The water-based coating has optimal
drying properties without any spalling
or the formation of craters or blisters,
ensuring the cast surface is free from
pin-holes, blemishes or scabs.
VDMA
Three specialist associations of the German
Mechanical Engineering Industry
Association VDMA have merged.
At their joint general meeting held
on Thursday, November 16, 2017 in
Frankfurt, Germany, the VDMA spe-
60 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
Board of VDMA specialist association Metallurgy. From left.: Prof. Dr. Johann Rinnhofer,
SMS Elotherm; Dr. Joachim G. Wünning, WS Wärmeprozesstechnik; Axel E. Barten,
Achenbach Buschhütten; Dr. Ioannis Ioannidis, Oskar Frech; Dr. Christian Bartels-von Varnbüler,
Küttner; not present: Rudolf Wintgens, Laempe Mössner Sinto (Picture: VDMA)
cialist associations Foundry Machinery,
Metallurgical Plants and Rolling
Mills, and Thermo Process Technology
announced the formation of a new
joint association, the VDMA Metallurgy
specialist association. The previous
specialist associations are to be specialist
sections of the new body.
The overall board of VDMA Metallurgy
will comprize the chairmen and deputy
chairmen of the previous specialist
associations. The designated chairman
of the board is Dr. Ioannis Ioannidis,
President & CEO Oskar Frech GmbH +
Co. KG. Designated deputy chairmen
are Dr. Christian Bartels-von Varnbüler,
President Küttner Group, and Dr. Joachim
G. Wünning, Managing Director
WS Wärmeprozesstechnik GmbH.
“The newly created platform expresses
the joint commitment of companies
in the metallurgical plant and equipment
sectors to the further development
of technologies for the metal production
and processing value streams,”
said Dr. Timo Würz, managing director
of VDMA Metallurgy, at the inaugural
meeting.
VDMA Metallurgy represents 180
member companies. The total sales of
the metallurgical plant and equipment
sectors amount to more than 4.6 billion
euros (2016), with a total workforce
of about 24,000 (2016). The sectors represented
by the specialist association
sold equipment with a total value of 2.3
billion euros throughout the world,
also in 2016. The share of exports is
more than 70 % on average.
www.vdma.org
CellaCast
Measuring
system
Expert for precise optical
temperature measurement for
process analysis and control
Carl-Keller-Str. 2-10 · 49479 Ibbenbüren-Laggenbeck
Tel. +49 (0) 5451 850 · its@keller.de · www.keller.de/its
Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018 61
NEWS
NEMAK
Casting solution for e-engine housings
Nemak, Monterrey, Mexico, has successfully
designed the housing of an
e-engine unit for an innovative powershift
three-way solution in cooperation
with IAV, one of the leading engineering
firms in the area of propulsion.
Working together with IAV, the specific
e-engine requirements were analyzed
and the housing design was optimized
in terms of functional integration,
cooling, structural stiffness and NVH as
well as ensuring a cost-effective, largescale
and robust manufacturability.
Due to the growing demand among
automakers for attributes such as complex
design, lightweight construction
and integration of components into
e-engine housings, aluminum casting
processes are gaining momentum for
electric engines. The weight advantage
of aluminum as well as its favorable
properties and easy castability makes it
the material of choice for automotive
powertrains and for e-engine applications.
Nemak manufactures e-engine
housings applying all of its casting technologies,
including High Pressure Die
Casting (HPDC), Low Pressure Die Casting
(LPDC) and Gravity Die Casting
(GSPM) and Core Package System (CPS).
In view of a growing demand for
functional integration and geometric
complexity in e-engine housings, the
Low Pressure Die Casting and the Core
Package Sand (CPS) processes are increasingly
coming into focus.
The HPDC process is ideal whenever
high productivity is needed. This casting
process offers the possibility to cast
very thin-walled components with
some flexibility in design. LPDC is
characterized by high flexibility in design,
the use of different alloys, and
The graphic shows the components of the newly developed casting solution for
eengine housings (Graphic: Nemak)
high mechanical properties supporting
outstanding casting quality. CPS, a
proprietary precision sand casting process,
is the best option when highest
flexibility in design and integration of
components, best mechanical properties
and lowest possible weights are required.
CPS offers a high process efficiency
together with a high level of
production automation. To achieve
sustainable progress in the field of electro-mobility,
Nemak offers its wide experience
in development and manufacturing
of complex cast components
– including the use of casting and
property simulation – to develop forward-looking
solutions that tap into
the emerging electrification market.
Nemak presented the newly developed
casting solution for e-engine housings
together with other innovations at the
EUROGUSS trade fair in January 2018.
www.nemak.com
ASK CHEMICALS
Inauguration of new Spanish plant
On November 30, 2017, on of the leading
foundry consumable suppliers,
ASK Chemicals, Hilden, Germany, celebrated
the official opening of its new
Spanish plant. The company invited
customers, suppliers, workers, and local
authorities to join an interesting
one-day program in the Port of Bilbao
(Zierbiena).
62 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
ly in the segments of aluminum cylinder
heads, crankcases, and suspension
parts by low-pressure die casting and
gravity casting applications. The odorless
and emission-free core production
with Inotec is characterized by very low
cleaning and maintenance efforts for
machines and tools. Ecological advantages
are strongly linked to economic
and technological benefits as increased
permanent mold availability leads to a
general growth in productivity and improved
mechanical component
strength as permanent mold temperatures
are reduced. In order to profitably
deploy this technology and its ecological,
economic, and technological advantages,
expertise and specialized
knowledge of materials and processes
are required. The lecture to the Spanish
audience focused specifically on those
material and process requirements that
are key to leveraging the full potential
of Inotec.
A joint speech by José Manuel
Hernández, Technical Director at PYR-
SA, and Julián Izaga, Director of Technology
and Innovation at IK4-Azterlan,
shared the interesting showcase of large
steel castings. During the development
of the gear wheel of an excavator, ASK
Chemicals provided its foundry expertise
and know-how to develop a specific
In addition to this, Christian Koch introduced
ASK Chemicals’ latest coatings
developments for the segment of
large casting applications. Here, besides
fast-drying, water-based coatings that
effectively prevent casting defects,
highly productive full mold coatings
were presented to the audience. An outlook
on future requirements of coatings
rounded off the lecture and demonstrated
the contribution of coatings to
reducing emissions. ASK Chemicals’
patented Celantop coating technology
absorbs emissions in large casting applications
and avoids the need of any further
investments in air treatment.
The riser cap, developed by
ASK Chemicals for the project,
combines both insulating and
exothermic characteristics. Especially
size and geometry of
the cast part required a tailored
feeding solution
(Photo: ASK-Chemicals)
In keeping with the motto “Innovative
solutions for the foundry industry
– a new plant for new challenges”, the
company presented its new, modern
facilities to its guests and hosted interesting
speeches on the latest ASK
Chemicals technologies.
Certainly one highlight at the event
was Sales Manager Spain Jesús Reina’s
speech on “Material properties and
process requirements for inorganic core
production”. The Inotec technology
has established itself over the past ten
years as a productive and alternative
core manufacturing procedure in serial
casting production processes, especial-
mini-riser solution for the highest demands
in safety, material, technological,
and economical requirements.
Christian Koch shared with the audience
ASK Chemicals’ experience with its
Miratec TS technology. The guideline
VDA 19 (ISO 16232) formulates a very
clear requirement for automotive series
castings. The residuals in the components
are limited by the guideline in order
to prolong the maintenance intervals
for the engines. Thanks to its
self-detaching character, and with good
anti-veining and anti-penetration properties,
Miratec TS is giving the answer to
these challenges by reducing the coating
residue after pouring to a minimum.
The inauguration event was topped
off with a guided tour through the new
facilities, where guests got a vivid idea
of the new site. “Our new location is designed
to fulfill the demanding requirements
of the foundry industry. The machinery
and testing equipment helps
us to ensure the high-quality requirements
of our customers – now and in
the future,” states Iñigo Zarauz, Managing
Director of ASK Chemicals Spain.
The new Spanish site of ASK Chemicals
accommodates the mini-riser operations
as well as coatings production.
www.ask-chemicals.com
Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018 63
BROCHURES
Quality assurance
16 pages, English
A company brochure featuring quality assurance systems for the metals industry offered
by EMG Automation. The systems enable operators to continuously optimize their
production processes, thus enhancing the quality of their products to comply with the
growing demands of their customers.
www.emg-automation.com
Determination of diffusible hydrogen
4 pages, English
A brochure featuring the G4 PHOENIX analyzer offered by Bruker for the determination
of diffusible hydrogen. It describes the functional principle, technical data, hardware
components and software features of the analyzer, which is also available for the analysis
of nitrogen and oxygen.
www.bruker-elemental.com
High-performance hearth and bath melting furnace
2 pages, English
A fact sheet about the EcoMelter, type HSO, offered by Jasper. This hearth and melting
aluminium treatment system. The entire bath serves as the melting zone. A dry hearth
is integrated for pre-heating.
www.jasper-gmbh.de
Auxiliary materials
28 pages, English
A comprehensive brochure outlining the range of auxiliary materials offered by SQ
Group. Materials offered include release agents, cleaning agents, mould and core adhesives,
inorganic adhesives, mould sealing paste, surface enhancers for green sand and
www.shenquan.com
64 Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018
Cold ice cleaning and production
20 pages, English
A brochure explaining the dry ice production process and presenting dry ice cleaning
solutions offered by Cold Jet. The Foundry Edition comprises a wide range of cold ice
equipment, including a micro-particle system, for dry non-abrasive cleaning of machines,
core boxes etc.
www.coldjet.com
Non-contact temperature sensors
8 pages, English
This brochure provides detailed descriptions of temperature measurement solutions
offered by LumaSense Technologies for the metals processing industries. These include
MIKRON thermal imagers and IMPAC pyrometers, temperature switches, etc.
www.lumasenseinc.com
Core making plant
4 pages, English
The brochure sets out the key components of complete core making shops installed by
JML. Apart from core machines, sand storage facilities, sand and binder dosing units,
handling equipment, etc.
www.jml-industrie.com
Power plants and incinerators
4 pages, English
This comprehensive brochure describes the range of services provided by Seven Refrac-
ized
bed combustion chambers, all kinds of furnace chambers, cyclones, rotary kilns, etc.
The brochure includes a list of the refractory products with their key performance data.
www.sevenrefractories.com
Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018 65
INTERNATIONAL FAIRS AND CONGRESSES
Fairs and Congresses
Castcon
www.castmetalfederation.com
AFS Metalcasting Congress 2018
www.afsinc.org
Litmetexpo 2018
Hannover Messe
www.hannovermesse.de
Metal + Metallurgy China 2018
Metallurgy/Litmash 2018
www.litmash-russia.com
CastForge
www.castforge.de
Metalforum
Advertisers´ Index
Admar Group 53
AGTOS Ges. für technische
Gerhard Warning Verschleißtechnik
Giesser
Jasper Ges. für Energiewirtschaft
Maschinenfabrik Gustav Eirich
Regloplas AG 55
PREVIEW / IMPRINT
Preview of the next issue
Publication date: June 2018
Selection of topics:
The production of Aluminium castings globally is dominated by the automotive industry. To ensure that the casting
quality is achieved, a more effective and technically sound melt treatment and a controlled pouring practice is essential.
virtual ESI production solution for castings with ESI ProCAST. The simulation software enables foundries to optimize the
methods and process conditions also in die casting.
By using a ladle casting machine, the Italian foundry Fonderie Palmieri benefits from significantly less rejects and improved
yield.
Imprint
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Casting Plant & Technology 1 / 2018 67
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