CPT International 04/2018

www.cpt-international.com 

4 

December 

2018 

CASTING 

PLANT AND TECHNOLOGY 

INTERNATIONAL 

State-of-the-art 

induction furnace 

technology

Reports and 

product news on 

GIFA 2019 

in CASTING PLANT & 

TECHNOLOGY (CP+T) 

It’s It’s time again in in Düsseldorf, 

from 25 25 - 29 - 29 June 2019: the foundry 

sector once more presents itself as as 

a a high-tech industry. 

We look forward to to your press releases and 

specialist reports for for GIFA 2019! 

PHOTO: FOTOLIA 

PHOTO: FOTOLIA 

e-mail address: redaktion@bdguss.de 

We We would be be pleased to to receive 

questions by by phone: 

Contact: Robert Piterek 

e-mail: robert.piterek@bdguss.de 

Tel.: +49 (0)211 6871-358 

More than 2,000 exhibitors from over 30 30 countries are expected 

at at the 14th GIFA international foundry trade fair with 

WFO Technical Forum. In In the News section, among other places, 

the editorial staff at at CP+T will report on on innovations, new products 

and new technical processes in in advance of of GIFA. Please 

send press releases and specialist reports for for GIFA 2019 to to the 

editorial office via via e-mail under the heading “GIFA 2019”.

EDITORIAL 

The range of casting 

applications is increasing! 

GIFA is approaching, so the sector is increasingly expressing views about the 

expectations, previous planning and coming trends that will play a role at the 

world’s largest casting trade fair. The man who knows best which new chapters 

of foundry history will be opened at the upcoming 14th International Foundry 

Trade Fair (GIFA) has his say in this issue of CP+T: Heinz Nelissen, Managing 

Director of Vesuvius GmbH, Foseco Foundry Division, was appointed President 

of GIFA and NEWCAST 2019 a few months ago. In an interview with our magazine 

he discusses hot topics such as additive manufacturing, Industry 4.0 and 

e-mobility, as well as the market situation facing the various product segments 

in casting, potential substitutions by competing production processes, and 

how to ensure the recruitment and advancement of skilled labor and mana gers 

(more on this from P. 6). 

Consistent with the trends and directions of development in the sector, this 

final issue of 2018 is also dedicated to the future of casting with examples of 

best practice from Germany and the USA. The casting process is one of the 

world’s oldest production techniques – ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics show 

that it was already being used many thousands of years ago. The reason why 

the technique has lasted so long can be traced back to its high level of design 

freedom. This can be even further expanded with the help of state-of-the-art 

‘additive’ technology, considerably broadening the range of casting applications 

and making the process even more attractive. The American Foundry 

Society has now selected its Casting of the Year. It was created using a combination 

of additive and foundry practice. Bionic production aspects were also 

involved. In the article from P. 35, we reveal what the workflow looked like and 

the challenges that had to be overcome. 

The other topics covered in this issue are just as exciting: CP+T reports on 

melting technology and the range of competences of the globally active industrial 

furnace constructor Otto Junker. We also describe the experiences 

gained with a high-tech sand preparation plant in Bavaria, as well as with the 

latest simulation software for optimizing product design and casting technology. 

There are also company reports on investments in Industry 4.0 at Ortrander 

Eisenhütte, as well as on Modulcast, a combination of high-bay storage, 

molding plant and the casting process – a first in the foundry sector! 

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! 

Have a good read ! 

Robert Piterek 

e-mail: robert.piterek@bdguss.de 

Casting Plant & Technology 4 / 2018 3

FEATURES 

INTERVIEW 

Nelissen, Heinz 

“The foundries will stand up to new challenges and solve the problems” 6 

Cover-Photo: 

Otto Junker GmbH 

Jägerhausstr. 22 

52152 Simmerath-Lammersdorf 

sales@otto-junker.com 

+49-2473-601-0 

One of two Otto Junker induction crucible 

furnaces installed at Fima-Olimpia 

Fonderie S.p.A. in Barberino val d’Elsa, 

Italy. The ovens hold a weight of 6 tons 

and melt with a capacity of 4 MW. The 

furnaces were delivered in 2011 and 

since then provide reliable service. In 

particular, the IGBT converter ensures 

high reliability and excellent network 

performance (Photo: Fima-Olimpia 

Fonderie S.p.A.) 

MELTING SHOP 

Niklaus, Steffen; Reiermann, Joachim; Schmitz, Wilfried 

20 Years of Otto Junker Melting Technology Centre – state-of-the-art 

induction technology 12 

AUTOMATION 

Meier, Wolfgang 

The latest generation of sand preparation at Isar Metallgusswerk 22 

SIMULATION 

Pretzell, Anja 

Magmasoft - Autonomous Engineering 26 

RESOURCE EFFICIENCY 

Klingauf, Peter 

Refiner optimizes yield by briquetting 32 

12 35 

Otto Junker has been operating a Technology Centre for 

melting and casting trials for 20 years – the birthplace of 

many innovations (Photo: Otto Junker) 

The uniquely shaped motorcycle swing arm portrays the 

possibilities available when combining additive manufacturing, 

simulation and innovative design (Photo: AFS/TEI)

CASTING 

4 | 2018 


INTERNATIONAL 

3-D-PRINTING 

Wetzel, Shannon 

TEI swing arm wins Casting of the Year 35 

INDUSTRY 4.0 

Vehreschild, Michael 

Investments in Industry 4.0 have paid off for the 

Ortrander Eisenhütte 38 

COMPANY 

Vehreschild, Michael 

Achieving top form 42 

COLUMNS 

Editorial3 

News in brief 48 

Brochures56 

Fairs and congresses / Ad Index 58 

Preview / Imprint 59 

42 

The Friedrich Lohmann foundry now has “a lot in stock” thanks to the new high-bay storage system which is called Modulcast. 

Casting takes place at a height of four meters. Employees literally operate at top form here.The connection of high-bay storage 

system, molding plant and casting process is a novelty in the foundry industry (Photo: Friedrich Lohmann GmbH)

INTERVIEW 

“The foundries will stand up 

to new challenges and solve 

the problems” 

Dipl.-Ing. Heinz Nelissen, President GIFA 2019 and NEWCAST, Managing Director Vesuvius 

GmbH, Foseco Foundry Division, Borken, Germany, spoke with the technical journal CP+T. 

FOTO: ULI ZILLMANN 

What can visitors expect from the upcoming 

GIFA trade show? What will 

be different compared to last GIFA in 

2015? 

The megatrend of the moment and the 

topic of the future in production technology 

is additive manufacturing. Also 

the digital transformation is an issue 

for foundries. 3-D printing has been 

gaining in importance alongside traditional 

manufacturing techniques. 3-D 

printing has already proved its worth 

in practice in a wide range of high-end 

sectors such as in medical engineering 

as well as in the automotive and aerospace 

industries. Meanwhile also the 

foundry industry and the steel and aluminium 

sectors have recognized the 

potential of 3-D printing. GIFA is going 

to dedicate due attention to this topic, 

among others by a special show featuring 

the great potential this technology 

provides. I am sure that we will see 

3-D solutions and products not only at 

the special show, but also at numerous 

exhibitor stands. We are very likely to 

come across exciting approaches to designing 

self-optimizing systems as part 

of the “digital transformation”. 

Who should visit GIFA? 

Everybody active in the foundry industry 

or in related sectors should see 

GIFA as an opportunity to get a personal 

impression of the state of the 

art and current development trends. 

The main target groups of GIFA are 

employees and managers of iron, steel 

and malleable iron foundries, as well 

as non-ferrous metal foundries. The 

trade show also addresses mechanical 

and apparatus engineering companies 

and manufacturers of equipment for 

the automotive and gear engineering 

sectors as well as the supply industry. 

Recent development trends like 3-D 

printing and digital technology are 

characterized by much shorter innovation 

cycles than those we know 

from classical foundry equipment suppliers. 

Competitive events such as the 

biennial Euroguss become bigger and 

more international, and new trade 

fairs with new focuses, like CastForge 

in Stuttgart, have emerged. How is 

GIFA positioned within this competitive 

landscape? 

Events with a regional or national 

scope fulfill an important role, as they 

cover topical issues from the expert angle 

and address a regional audience. 

However, GIFA – and METEC, THERM- 

PROCESS and NEWCAST alike – showcase 

innovations, products and services 

on a global scale. No other trade 

show provides such a wide-ranging 

and far-reaching picture of the complete 

range of foundry technology, 

cast products, metallurgy and thermal 

processing technology. It is a forum for 

both the big players of the foundry industry 

and the smaller, highly innovative 

champions to present themselves 

to large audience. The big equipment 

suppliers often time their research and 

development projects around the fouryear 

cycle of the show. The key to the 

success of this trade fair quartet is that 

it covers the complete market of both 

the demand and supply side. This also 

mirrors in the decision-making responsibility 

represented by the GIFA 

visitors: In 2015, more than half of the 

about 50,000 visitors held top management 

positions and correspondingly 

high decision-making responsibilities. 

In terms of internationality, the trade 

fair quartet GMTN is second to none: 

In 2015, 58% of the visitors came from 

112 different countries. And the fouryear 

cycle ensures that the event does 

not loose any vigour. 

Is it true that apart from new topics 

such as additive manufacturing and 

the digital transformation the overall 

concept of the fair has remained 

the same? 

Obviously GIFA comes up to the visitors’ 

expectations. For example, in 

2015, 97% of the about 50,000 visitors 

gave a very high rating to the event 

and stated that their expectations had 

been fulfilled. Every second one stated 

that they had established new supplier 

relations. GIFA is certainly an ideal 

platform to meet customers, colleagues 

and junior staff. We expect 

young talent to visit the trade show in 

great number again next year. 

In which way has the economic landscape 

changed versus 2015? 

A key criterion for the assessment of 

the foundry market is the cast output. 

NF-metals foundries have seen a 

constant rise in production and, with 

lightweight construction and e-mobility 

gaining in importance, their prospects 

for the future are also excellent, 

especially in pressure and low-pressure 

die casting ... 

But not for the iron foundries ... 

... the iron foundries in Germany – and 

elsewhere in Western Europe – experienced 

a rather moderate development 

from 2011 until recently. However, 

Casting Plant & Technology 4/ 2018 7

INTERVIEW 

since 2017 and the first half of 2018, 

they have been feeling a clear upturn. 

This was triggered by the growing demand 

in the mechanical engineering 

sector as a result of a catch-up effect 

and a booming phase in all its subsegments, 

with the exception of wind 

power. Although the current market 

situation is very positive, there is a dark 

cloud on the horizon. This is due to 

the dramatically changing eco-political 

environment. Just take the anti-free 

trade measures implemented by the US 

Administration, the unsolved Brexit or 

the increase in sanctions. The reliability 

of business relations has definitely 

not improved. Let’s hope that the all in 

all positive climate will persist beyond 

next year’s GIFA. 

What will be the main top issue at 

next GIFA? 

I do not see one single, overwhelming 

topic, but several interrelating and interdependent 

issues. As well as additive 

manufacturing, topics like lightweight 

construction in automotive 

engineering, Industry 4.0, the digital 

transformation, energy and resource 

efficiency, and sustainability will play 

central roles at next GIFA – not forgetting 

e-mobility. 

Do you see additive manufacturing 

and casting as partners or competitors? 

They are two complementary trends. 

Generative processes currently represent 

one of the most important and 

intensive research areas of the global 

industry. Products for specific applications, 

prototypes and parts for 

airplanes are already being produced 

by 3-D printing, replacing castings in 

these areas. However, for large series 

production, casting still is the most 

economical process – also according to 

statements by major OEMs. With computers 

becoming increasingly more efficient 

and faster, costs decreasing and 

the quality of metal powders improving, 

this balance may, however, slightly 

shift towards 3-D printing in the future. 

There are already examples of application 

where 3-D printing and casting 

complement each other. These will be 

featured in a special show at GIFA. 

Is 3D printing also an interesting option 

for your company? 

We already produce prototype tools 

by 3-D printing. This allows us to test 

the tools under manufacturing conditions 

before kicking off the cost-intensive 

production of metal tools in large 

series. We know that some pressure die 

casting shops use extremely complex 

tools which they can produce only by 

3-D printing. Additive manufacturing 

provides much more design options, 

for example, as it can produce parts 

with undercuts. 

What will be Foseco’s main focus at 

GIFA? 

Foseco is going to feature the main 

R&D areas in foundry technology. Energy 

and resource efficiency can be significantly 

improved by specific products 

and technologies. Visitors may 

look forward to our presenting innovations 

in gating technology. We will 

introduce a new technology allowing 

virtually turbulence-free casting of medium-heavy 

steel castings. In non-ferrous 

metals treatment, we have long 

been active in developing products 

and processes for optimized melt refining. 

At our booth we will showcase 

new technologies for our FDU 

and MTS equipment in combination 

with innovative solutions for the metal 

transport. Innovative coating and 

binder systems will round out our exhibits. 

Do you think there is potential for 

the casting process to substitute any 

of its competing manufacturing techniques? 

Do you expect any new casting 

solutions and new markets for 

castings to occur? 

We are in competition with hybrid 

metal/metal and metal/plastics 

components, with 3-D printing, 

with high-performance machining 

techniques, and with our traditional 

“competitors” forging and welding. 

We don’t see the new technologies 

take over significant market 

shares from the foundries or vice versa 

during the next five years. However, 

this does not mean that the new 

technologies will not position themselves 

in the market as solutions for 

certain niche applications or applications 

that require a very specific range 

of properties. By further sophisticating 

the technology of thin-wall casting 

not only in pressure die casting 

but also in iron and steel casting, the 

foundries may open new application 

opportunities. Also the development 

of new casting materials and the further 

development of existing ones 

will provide new options. Generally, 

due to the advance of e-mobility, we 

will see a number of entirely new components 

in the market, mainly made 

of aluminium. 

8 Casting Plant & Technology 4 / 2018

Yet, a growing mix of materials is being 

used in automotive engineering. 

This further intensifies the competition 

between materials and production 

processes. Are structural components 

made of fibre reinforced 

composite materials a threat to structural 

aluminium castings? 

The plastics industry has been dedicating 

great efforts to achieving an even 

deeper penetration of the automotive 

market. Thermoplastics and fibre reinforced 

plastics are used in technologically 

highly demanding solutions. 

However, casting alloys, in the here 

described case especially high-strength 

aluminium alloys for the production 

of safety-critical components, provide 

better strength and elongation properties. 

Only casting alloys can be 100 percent 

recycled and reused to produce a 

casting of the same high quality. Plastics 

manufacturers still haven’t solved 

the issue of recycling. And the current 

discussion about plastics contaminating 

the environment is likely to serve 

as a promoter of cast products. 

Are the players in the markets relevant 

and with a potential for castings 

aware of the advantages of cast 

products? Or is this an area where the 

foundry industry needs to become 

more active? 

Our big customer segments are passenger 

car and utility vehicle producers 

and the mechanical engineering sector 

with its numerous subsegments. 

Alongside these, there are many more 

specialized segments. The main customer 

groups of the foundry industry 

know the advantages of castings very 

well. However, I believe that spreading 

the word about the foundries’ performance 

capacities more widely and intensively 

would open new application 

potential for castings also among our 

traditional customers. Despite the Internet, 

websites and search engines, 

the lack of knowledge about the performance 

features of cast components 

is surprisingly great in many potential 

customer segments. Nevertheless, the 

foundries should not start to take over 

the job of the universities. 

Up until the present, iron castings 

have always succeeded in defending 

their position in automotive engineering 

against non-ferrous metals 

castings, even in lightweight solutions. 

Is this going to change in the 

future against the backdrop of e-mobility? 

Weight reduction of castings for automotive 

applications will remain a key 

development target among OEMs, independent 

of e-mobility. We can see 

today that castings will continue to 

be indispensible in both fully electrically 

and conventionally propelled vehicles. 

Lightweight construction with 

cast iron components, and with thinwalled 

steel castings, will also be needed 

in the future alongside further op- 

Competence in 

Shot Blast Technology 

We offer a complete service in surface preparation technology, 

not just as machine designers and manufacturers. 

Our emphasis is on providing reliable service on: 

• Wear and Spare Parts 

• Repair and (remote) maintenance 

• Inspection and process advice 

• Machine upgrades and performance 

enhancement 

• Upgraded used machines 

AGTOS 

Gesellschaft für technische Oberflächensysteme mbH 

Gutenbergstraße 14 · D-48282 Emsdetten 

Tel. +49(0)2572 96026-0 · info@agtos.de 

www.agtos.com 

151-11/13-4c-GB 


INTERVIEW 

GIFA 2019 and NEWCAST – Foundry technology 

at global scale 

NEWCAST: Registrations will be accepted beyond the official deadline! 

GIFA 2019, the world’s biggest and most important trade fair for foundry machinery, 

casting processes and cast products, follows seamlessly in the footsteps 

of the previous shows. More than 900 exhibitors – including numerous 

market leaders – from all countries relevant for the foundry industry will present 

their products and technologies in halls 10 to 13 and 15 to 17. The 14th edition 

of GIFA will provide a concise overview of topical issues such as energy 

and resource efficiency and present advanced, future-oriented innovations and 

world’s firsts for the entire process and value chain of casting. 

NEWCAST, launched in 2003, has since evolved into an international event 

representing current market trends. In 2019, more than 400 exhibitors are expected 

to present their competence and products in halls 13 and 14. The participation 

of international market leaders, including Bosch Rexroth AG (Germany), 

GF Casting Solutions AG (Switzerland), GOM GmbH (Germany), Kimura 

Foundry Co., Ltd. (Japan), Kutes Metal Inc. (Turkey), Finoba Automotive GmbH 

(Germany) and Siempelkamp Giesserei (Germany) highlights the growing importance 

of NEWCAST. Countries like China, India and Turkey will present 

themselves with big pavilions. Other highlights will be the NEWCAST Award 

and the NEWCAST Forum, sponsored and organized by the Germany Foundry 

Association (BDG). Foundries interested in using the Forum as an active marketing 

platform can still register. 

Although the official registration period has expired, the trade fair organizer 

Messe Düsseldorf will be accepting registrations until the start of the event. 

NEWCAST provides participating foundries an excellent platform for promoting 

themselves and meeting new customers. 

timized solutions based on light-metal 

castings. Iron and steel castings owe 

their relevance to their excellent fatigue 

strength properties and the 

great flexibility in designing bionic 

constructions. The production of 

thin-walled iron and steel castings requires 

high capital investments in machinery, 

above all in core and mould 

making equipment, fettling machines, 

robotic equipment for automatic handling 

and, last but not least, machining 

systems. 

Where do you see potential for steel 

casting? 

We expect a great deal from steel casting. 

The last few years have seen a 

strong demand for lightweight castings, 

especially of ferrous materials. 

One can generally state that casting is 

an ideal process for bionic constructions. 

Here, we expect new opportunities 

for steel castings. Currently, thinwall 

casting of steel is being further 

developed with a view to new applications 

triggered by e-mobility but only 

feasible thanks to thin-walled steel 

castings. An example is the development 

of spring supports for chassis. 

Should foundries get more involved 

with IT-related topics and new, data-driven 

business models? 

Foundries are familiar with data-driven 

business models because many of 

their customers operate on this basis. 

The customers usually define the requirements 

and the foundries have to 

comply with them in due time. Every 

foundry should carefully consider up 

to which point it is willing to disclose 

their processes and operating procedures 

to their customers. There is no 

need to lay the entire production process 

open because there are other options. 

In no way should the foundries 

adopt a defensive attitude. They are 

way ahead of many other industries 

and boast excellent skills and competences. 

For 5,000 years, progress has 

been tradition in the foundry industry. 

And I am confident that the foundries 

will come up with exciting solutions in 

response to the digital transformation. 

Is Industry 4.0 a chance for foundries? 

In order to improve their competitiveness 

and make processes more consistent, 

foundries are urged to invest even 

more in automation and process control. 

There are concrete plans to build 

new foundries here in western Europe. 

These projects derive their profitability 

from much improved productivity, 

reduced maintenance needs and lower 

energy costs. This entails very high 

capital investment. But capital costs 

are low at the moment. Many foundries 

have reacted to the new situation 

and started to dedicate resources to 

making their operations more digital 

and smarter. The casting process is 

still held as being not fully controllable. 

Current computer capacities and 

the possibility to measure an increasing 

number of casting parameters and 

feeding them into process control 

loops via dedicated software programs 

opens many new opportunities. 

Where in the foundry world will the 

most important developments in digital 

transformation take place? 

Generally speaking, all activities in 

connection with customer relations 

will to an increasing degree be handled 

electronically and via the Internet. Designing, 

quotations, coordination of 

deadlines, meetings via Skype or video 

conferences – all this has become 

so much easier thanks to the highspeed 

Internet. And internally, there 

are digitized processes like simulations, 

patternmaking and, in the meltshop, 

charging and furnace control. Or 

let’s take the optimization of machine 

control in the core and mould making 

shops, in the fettling shop and, if 

applicable, in the machining area. 

Whether in the acquisition of operating 

data, quotation preparation and 

pricing, quality data collection and 


evaluation, in all these areas the use 

of Big Data and digital solutions will 

increase dramatically. In the future, 

many new foundry and casting parameters 

will be collected and fed back into 

the systems for process optimization. 

More and more robotic systems will be 

used in mould and core making, for fettling 

and machining operations down 

to the dispatch of the castings. In other 

words: in all process steps with a potential 

to control or reduce costs and 

make the processes faster and more 

consistent. Administrative procedures 

such as procurement and accounting 

are in many cases already digitalized 

to a high degree. Also after-sales services 

and the spare parts business will 

become more digital. 

Are the classical business models in 

place in the foundries at stake due to 

digital disruption? 

Looking back, there have been very few 

dispruptive developments. Therefore 

we should avoid calling every development 

a disruption or revolution. Especially 

the fact that most of the foundries 

are medium-sized businesses will 

allow them to quickly adjust to changing 

circumstances. The flexibility and 

agility are lived reality in our industry. 

Don’t you think that the growing digitalization 

will change the working 

environment in the foundries? 

Being a classical supply industry, 

foundries have always been extremely 

flexible in adjusting to customer wishes 

and deadlines. Communications 

technology has been advancing with 

rapid strides. The “new generation” of 

foundrymen has grown up with modern 

communication devices. Therefore 

it is normal for them to use them on 

the job. The foundryman of the near 

future will certainly control its moulding 

line via an app. We will see this 

happen very soon. But there is no reason 

to be concerned because: “A foundryman 

can handle everything!” 

What new challenges will the foundries 

be confronted with in the future? 

All kinds of challenges are possible: 

profitability, technology, customer relations, 

competition, environmental 

regulations, technophobia, human 

resources, regulation, and many more. 

And we will certainly also be presented 

with challenges that are unimaginable 

today and that will come as a 

surprise. Not very long ago, nobody 

expected that we would so soon see 

trade barriers being set up everywhere 

in the world. No matter what challenges, 

the foundries will stand up to them 

and come up with solutions – worked 

out in cooperation with their customers 

and suppliers. 

What do you think will be the biggest 

challenges for the foundries during 

the next five years? 

Every company must be ready to permanently 

fight for their survival. There 

is often not one single front line, but a 

fight at many different fronts. As well 

as the economic constraints and the 

technological challenges, safeguarding 

a qualified human resource base 

will become increasingly important 

and mission-critical. The generational 

change in all areas of the foundries 

will lead to a shortage of skilled labour. 

In your opinion, what is the currently 

the most exciting development in the 

world of casting? 

Our industry can only prosper in the 

long run when we succeed in attracting 

and training foundry specialists of 

the next generation – now! Our trade 

associations BDG and VDG as well as 

universities and companies have undertaken 

great efforts to improve our 

industry’s image and make the foundry 

trade attractive for more young people. 

We see first positive results of this 

campaign. An increasing number of 

university graduates have followed 

the invitation to our annual foundry 

conferences in recent years. At next 

GMTN we will offer a special program 

for school students, giving them the 

opportunity to learn about the vast 

range of highly attractive technology-related 

jobs. 

The interview with GIFA and NEWCAST 

President Heinz Nelissen was conducted 

by Gerd Krause, Mediakonzept, Düsseldorf, 

Germany. 

NEW 

multiPulse 

160 °C.

MELTING SHOP 

Medium frequency induction crucible furnace when tapping an aluminum master alloy (Photos and graphics: Otto Junker) 

Steffen Niklaus, Joachim Reiermann, Wilfried Schmitz, Otto Junker GmbH, Simmerath 

20 Years of Otto Junker Melting 

Technology Centre – state-of-theart 

induction technology 

For 20 years, Otto Junker, Simmerath, Germany, has been operating a Technology Centre for 

carrying out melting and casting trials in cooperation with customers and for internal development 

projects. The heart of this facility always has been a coreless medium-frequency induction 

furnace of close-to industrial size. In 2015 the originally used 750 kg furnace (related to iron) 

was replaced by a new furnace with a capacity of 1,700 kg which incorporates all the latest developments 

and innovations and is thus from unmatched flexibility. The article summarizes the 

work carried out in the Technology Centre over the years. Also, there is a detailed explanation 

of the technical innovations implemented in the new furnace plant. 


Introduction and 

retrospective 

For 20 years, Otto Junker GmbH has 

been operating a Technology Centre in 

Lammersdorf, Germany, to carry out 

R&D projects in the fields of melting, 

holding and pouring equipment. In 

all, the facility comprises a surface area 

of approx. 450 m 2 . The relevant building 

features a crane with max. payload 

capacity of 3.2 tonnes, an array of indispensable 

machine tools, a welding 

station, several annealing furnaces, a 

dedicated forklift truck and other miscellaneous 

equipment. In addition, an 

extensive array of advanced measuring 

equipment is available. The core 

of the Technology Centre, however, is 

a medium-frequency coreless induction 

furnace, originally with a capacity 

of 750 kg (related to iron alloys), a 

power rating of 400 kW and an operating 

frequency switchable between 250 

and 500 Hz (Multi-Frequency Technology). 

The Multi-Frequency Technology 

will be explained in detail later in 

this paper. One crucial benefit is that 

the Technology Centre holds an operating 

permit for melting all common 

wrought, cast and special alloys. 

This pilot system has been employed 

in diverse customer projects aimed at 

investigating metallurgical and process 

engineering issues. A number of 

specific applications are listed by way 

of example: 

- Determination of melting behaviour 

and collection of melting 

data for small-sized silicon for the 

solar cell industry (numerous trial 

series for multiple customers) 

- Recycling of silicon dust from wafer 

slicing processes 

- Trials investigating the smelting 

reduction of filter dusts from highgrade 

steelmaking processes 

- Trials on the smelt reduction of 

electric arc furnace (EAF) dusts 

- Recycling of aluminium chips 

- Testing of crucible materials for silicon 

melting 



data for ferrosilicon 

- Pouring trials relating to a copper 

anode casting process 

Figure 1: Bath movement and meniscus 

Carbon content in % 

3.55 

3.45 

3.35 

3.25 

3.15 

3.05 

2000 kW-125 Hz 

1000 kW-125 Hz 

2500 kW-250 Hz 

2000 kW-250 Hz 

2.95 

0 15 30 45 60 

Time in s 

Figure 2: Multi-Frequency Technology - carburization behaviour of cast iron melts at 

different operating frequencies and power input levels 

Hier kommuniziert 

die Gießereibranche 

AKTUELL 

IM WORLD WIDE WEB 

www.giesserei.eu 

Casting Plant & Technology 4/2018 13

MELTING SHOP 

a 

b 

- Trial series relating to melt refining 

of silicon melts 



data for ferrochrome 

- Investigation of the carburization 

characteristics of cast iron melts 

- Sponge iron meltdown experiments 

- Melting of copper-zinc alloys for 

low pressure die casting 

- Furnace engineering for the Vacural 

die casting process 

Figure 3: a) Influence of a 0° and b) 60° phase offset on the melt flow pattern, shown 

on the example of a five-tonne furnace for zinc alloys (numerical calculation of flow 

field, laminar, stationary) 

Figure 4: Tapping of a copper melt 

Of course, this pilot system has also 

been used extensively for in-house development 

tasks, such as testing of 

temperature and melt level sensors, development 

of crucible monitoring systems, 

refractory testing, and the like. It 

is worth mentioning here that numerous 

trial series conducted as part of customer 

projects have ultimately led to orders 

for corresponding furnace systems. 

When conducting extensive melting 

trials, the melting process is of course 

the first step, but then invariably 

comes the problem of providing a sufficient 

number of suitable containers to 

receive the molten metal. Metal molds 

are a perfectly good solution for individual 

trials, but trial series stretching 

over several days or even weeks would 

necessitate a high number of these 

costly molds, as the cooling times need 

to be taken into account. This is where 

another advantage comes into play, 

namely that Otto Junker also operates 

a sand casting foundry for high-grade 

steel at its Lammersdorf site, so that 

the required number of sand molds 

can be turned out without much trouble. 

In this case, the molten metal is 

cast into formats that can easily be recharged 

into the furnace. 

In all, experience has shown that a 

furnace of the size mentioned above 

constitutes the minimum size required 

for extrapolating the results of melting 

trials to our customer’s larger industrial 

installations. Mere laboratory-scale 

coreless induction furnaces of the type 

commonly found in research institutions 

and universities can only yield 

findings of very restricted information 

value in this regard. The reasons will be 

explained below. 


Meanwhile, the state of the art in 

medium-frequency coreless induction 

furnaces, especially in the field of 

converter technology, had evolved so 

much that the decision was taken in 

2012 to replace the old well-tried system 

by a new furnace which was to be 

outfitted with everything Otto Junker 

has to offer in this segment. This system 

was commissioned on October 

21, 2015. But before presenting this 

system, let us first look more closely 

at one of the key technical aspects of 

induction melting, i.e., the melt bath 

agitation caused by electromagnetic 

forces. 

Figure 5: IGBT frequency converter 

Figure 6: Furnace visualisation and automation system JOKS 4.0 

The medium-frequency coreless 

induction furnace – cause 

and importance of bath 

movement 

One key property of the coreless induction 

furnace which distinguishes 

it fundamentally from other melting 

resources is the melt bath agitation 

caused by the electromagnetic forces. 

This is illustrated in some detail in Figure 

1, which depicts the current-carrying 

water-cooled induction coil and 

symbolically indicates the direction of 

the current flow. It also shows the refractory 

crucible which contains the 

melt and is placed inside the coil. The 

inductor current produces a magnetic 

field which in turn induces ring currents 

in the molten metal. It should 

be noted here that the current density 

is highest, due to the skin effect, in 

the rim zone of the melt directly adjoining 

the crucible wall. Because the 

currents are short-circuited, Joulean 

heat is generated in the melt, mainly 

in the boundary layer close to the crucible 

wall. In addition, these currents 

– extending in a direction opposed 

to that of the inductor current – produce 

a secondary magnetic field. Due 

to this effect, the coil exerts repelling 

forces on the melt. With a coil of infinite 

length, the magnitude of these 

forces would be the same at all places 

over the coil height. In a finite coil as 

encountered in practice, the electromagnetic 

force density is variable over 

the height of the coil (Fig. 1). Hence, 

melt volumes situated at the centre of 

the coil encounter a more intense repellent 

force and hence, are accelerated 

more strongly in the direction of the 

coil axis than melt regions located near 

the edge of the coil. 

One consequence of this situation is 

that a flow pattern resembling two rotational 

toroids will form in the melt. 

In a high-power furnace, the local flow 

velocity may amount to as much as 1 - 

2 m/s. Moreover, a so-called bath meniscus 

will form at the surface of the 

melt due to the equilibrium between 

the repelling electromagnetic force 

and the force resulting from the metallostatic 

pressure. 

The intensity of this bath movement 

firstly depends on the furnace 

power; the higher the power input, 

the more vigorous the bath movement 

will be. In addition, the melt 

flow intensity varies with the frequency 

of the alternating current 

(a.c.) feeding the coil: the lower this 

frequency, the more vigorous the bath 

movement. It follows, first of all, that 

for a given fixed frequency the heat 

input into the melt and the intensity 

of the bath movement are always 

correlated. Furthermore, bath movement 

intensity can be selectively controlled 

at a given required furnace out- 


MELTING SHOP 

a 

b 

Figure 7: Control cabinet on furnace platform; a) general view; b) detailed view 

put by selecting the proper operating 

frequency. 

Finally, at a given power and frequency, 

the intensity of the bath 

movement depends on the furnace 

filling level; and this is particularly 

true for the melt flow in the bath surface 

region. The higher the filling level 

at a given power and frequency, the 

less vigorous will be the bath movement. 

In the above considerations we have 

assumed laminar flow conditions for 

reasons of descriptive simplicity. In reality, 

however, a substantial turbulent 

flow portion will be superimposed over 

the laminar flow. This will be the more 

pronounced the lower the furnace’s 

operating frequency. 

Bath movement is very important 

from a technological viewpoint since 

it facilitates optimum melt homogenization 

and stir-down of constituents 

and thus ensures a uniform melt composition 

and temperature at the same 

time. Also, without this forced convection, 

the coreless induction furnace 

simply wouldn’t work because most of 

the heat input takes place via a boundary 

layer situated close to the crucible, 

as explained earlier. If there were no 

bath movement to distribute this heat 

to the entire charge, strong overheating 

of the melt close to the furnace wall 

would inevitably occur within a very 

short time, causing a failure of the refractory 

lining. 

Finally, it is important to remember 

that for induction furnaces which are 

operated at a fixed nominal frequency, 

which is the majority of furnaces so far, 

Figure 8: General view of furnace platform 

heat input into the melt and the intensity 

of bath movement are always correlated. 

Special circuit techniques 

From a metallurgical point of view, 

the ideal induction melting process is 

one in which both the input of thermal 

power and the melt flow can be 

controlled to match given technological 

needs. Therefore it is desirable to 

decouple heat power input and bath 

movement from each other, i.e., the 

desired melt movement in the furnace 

should be adjustable independently of 

the respective heat input. While controlling 

electrical power – and hence, 

the input of thermal energy into the 

melt – poses no major problem to the 

furnace engineer, it takes very special 

circuit technology to control the melt 

movement independently of the power 

input. 

To achieve this objective, Otto Junker 

had initially developed the special 

circuit variants known as Power Focus 

Technology and Multi-Frequency 

Technology, both of which have been 

successfully deployed in a large number 

of furnace systems. 

Power Focus Technology permits 

an automatic or freely selectable concentration 

of power in the coil region 

where it is most needed (i.e., the upper 

or lower section of the coil). Thus, on a 

half-filled furnace, the power input can 


e focused in the lower crucible area to 

make more energy available there. On 

the other hand, when the furnace is 

filled to capacity, the operator can raise 

the power input in the upper coil section 

to agitate the bath more intensely 

and thus improve stir-down, e.g., of 

metal chips. 

Multi-Frequency Technology provides 

a means of changing the operating 

frequency either manually or automatically 

during the melting process. 

With cast iron, for instance, a suitable 

frequency of 250 Hz is used for melting 

down the charge materials. A lower frequency 

– e.g., 125 Hz – is then selected 

for introduction of the carburizing 

agents and alloying additives. Practical 

experience shows that this changeover 

to a lower frequency greatly accelerates 

the carburization process performed to 

adjust the melt composition (Figure 2). 

At the same time, burn-off of carburizing 

agent is reduced. 

It should be noted here that these 

two circuit technologies can also be 

combined for even greater effect. This 

approach has proven its merits, e.g., in 

melting furnaces used for the recycling 

of aluminium chips, which are always 

molten with a liquid heel. Here, on the 

one hand, the filling-level-related surface 

bath movement must be reduced 

as far as possible in order to minimize 

oxidation and melting loss, while on 

the other hand it must always remain 

sufficient to ensure a rapid stir-down 

of the chip material. This is achieved 

via an automatic use of the Power Focus 

and Multi-Frequency Technology 

functions [1]. 

These options are substantially expanded 

by the newest developments 

relying on the special technical advantages 

of IGBT converter technology: 

Apart from proven thyristor-based 

frequency converters, the successful 

development of special IGBT converters 

has gained increasing importance 

in electrothermal processes. These systems 

involve the use of Insulated Gate 

Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) instead of 

thyristors in the inverter. 

A special design of the IGBT converter 

with two separate inverters and 

a system providing phase-shifted power 

supply to two furnace coil sections 

Figure 9: Existing filtration system 

creates the technical prerequisites for 

an even broader control of the bath 

movement. In the charge melt-down 

phase the furnace can thus be operated 

at an appropriate nominal frequency 

of, e.g., 250 Hz and to increase the 

bath agitation at low power the frequency 

can be controlled steplessly 

below 100 Hz. The amount of phase 

offset between the two coil sections is 

likewise adjustable to provide a more 

selective control of the flow pattern 

(i.e., direction of rotation and velocity), 

as illustrated in Figure 3. In this example, 

illustrating a 0° offset vs. a +60° 

offset, the second offset section permits 

the region of maximum flow velocity 

to be moved to the centre of the 

molten metal bath to obtain more effective 

intermixing of the entire melt. 

In addition, the turbulent portion of 

the melt flow is increased substantially 

with this circuit technology, especially 

at low frequencies, so that the mixing 

effect can be maximized with minimum 

heat input. 

The technical options available for 

influencing bath movement in a coreless 

induction furnace can be implemented 

and combined in manifold 

ways to address specific metallurgical 

tasks. The decisive factor is that the development 

of said circuit technologies 

(stepless frequency variation, phase 

shift) has made it possible for the first 

time to largely decouple heat input 

from the intensity and pattern of bath 

movement. 

One typical application for this technology 

is for example the production 


MELTING SHOP 

Otto Junker’s furnace control system 

for visualisation and automation is installed, 

which is currently JOKS 4.0. 

Figure 7 shows the control cabinet for 

manual furnace operation installed on 

the furnace platform. A complete view 

of the furnace platform is provided in 

Figure 8. Figure 9 shows the filtration 

system and Figure 10 the existing vibratory 

feeder for charging of fine materials 

such as chips, for example. 

Figure 10: Existing vibratory charging system for continuous feeding fine-sized charge 

material 

The capabilities of the furnace system 

in terms of influencing the melt flow 

via power, frequency and phase-shift 

control are demonstrated in a video 

(see QR-Code). 

of master alloys presenting high concentrations 

of alloying elements. In 

this application, production rate is 

determined mostly by the dissolution 

kinetics of the respective alloying 

agent. This is why this process calls for 

a strong stirring action along with very 

low heat input, so that the melt temperature 

remains constant and does 

not rise excessively. Such alloys are 

also often prone to separation or gravitational 

segregation, so that a certain 

amount of bath movement is necessary 

during the pouring process, which 

takes some time also. During this time 

the melt temperature, in turn, is not allowed 

to rise. Said circuit technologies 

are also used to improve the reaction 

kinetics in vacuum induction furnaces 

for melt distillation, as well as in other 

special applications [2, 3, 4]. 

The new melting system in 

Otto Junker GmbH’s Melting 

Technology Centre 

The new system (Figure 4) is equipped 

with all three of the circuit variants described 

above and thus offers unique 

flexibility when it comes to selective 

control of the melt bath movement. 

Here are some key specifications: 

- Capacity, related to iron materials: 

1,700 kg 

- Power rating, related to iron materials: 

600 kW 

- Nominal melting frequency 

in melting mode (switchable): 

200/100 Hz 

- Operating frequency during stirring 

at reduced power, steplessly 

variable: 30-100 Hz 

- Two coil sections (top/bottom) with 

independent inverters, providing 

different power input into the respective 

sections. 

- Phase-shifted operation of the coil 

sections within the range of: -90° to 

+90° 

- JOKS furnace control system with 

touch screen. 

- Furnace weighing system 

- Optical Coil Protection (OCP) system 

- Radio remote control of power input 

and furnace tilting operation 

- Full cooling circuit instrumentation 

for calorimetric measurements 

- Ring-type exhaust system and filter 

system 

- Diverse charging equipment 

- Operation under protective gas atmosphere 

Figure 5 shows the converter cabinet, 

Figure 6 the graphic user interface implemented 

on a touch screen. Care is 

taken that always the latest version of 

The video shows the bath surface 

(molten aluminium) and bath surface 

movements at following conditions 

(power and frequency, as indicated): 

400 kW/200 Hz; 200 kW/100 Hz, 100 

kW, 35 Hz. The objective is to demonstrate 

that the apparent bath movement 

has nearly the same intensity in 

each of the three cases, even though 

heat input is halved from case to case. 

The fourth example illustrates the influence 

of a +90° phase shift at a frequency 

of 35 Hz and an even lower 

power setting (60 kW). It is clearly visible 

that bath agitation is somewhat 

more intensive than in the previous 

examples. Especially, it is apparent that 

the turbulent portion of the melt flow 

emerges here. In the Otto Junker Academy 

courses held twice annually, this 

trial series is demonstrated “live” – i.e., 

using actual molten metal – to the participants. 

Needless to say, the system has also 

been used for numerous trials carried 

out as part of customer projects. Examples 

include the following: 

- Implementation of copper melt refining 

trials using selective oxidation 

- Melting trials with introduction of 

silicon flakes into an aluminium 

melt 


1 

MEDIA DATA 

For Your Successful Planning of GIFA 2019 

FOTO: PIXABAY 

Media-Informationen 2019 

CASTING 



GIESSEREI 104 (2017) Nr. 6 

Die Zeitschrift für Technik, Innovation und Management 


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MELTING SHOP 

- Melting trials aimed at producing 

aluminium-titanium-boron grain 

refinement alloys 

- Melting down of aluminium returns 

contaminated with ceramic 

filter residue 

- Production of complex aluminium 

alloys for plain bearings 

- Recycling of zinc-containing zinc 

dross 

- Melting and foaming trials with 

special glass 

- Melting experiments related to the 

production of ultra-pure aluminium 

Figure 11: Automatic ladle pouring machine, type PUMA, during pouring tests 

In those examples, the pilot system was 

used to determine optimum design parameters 

for the respective coreless induction 

furnace. Also, customer objectives 

were addressed in trials requiring 

the full range of capabilities (e.g., phase 

shift) in the context of sophisticated 

industrial process sequences. In the 

meantime, eleven furnaces so equipped 

have been sold, nine of which featuring 

steplessly variable frequency adjustment. 

At this point, it is important to 

reiterate that in the systematic elaboration 

of solutions for metallurgical tasks, 

a supplier-customer relationship built 

on communication and trust is the 

most important key to success, just as 

much as the actual equipment. In this 

context, it is standard practice to sign 

a Non-Disclosure Agreement up front. 

Of course, the system has also been 

routinely employed for in-house trials, 

e.g., in refining pouring technology 

and designing new equipment. 

These activities are related mainly to 

aspects of pressurized pouring and automatic 

tilt-pouring of cast iron. As for 

the latter method, extensive trial campaigns 

were conducted at the Melting 

Technology Centre in the past two 

years using a PUMA-type automatic ladle 

pouring system developed by Induga 

GmbH, Simmerath, Germany (Figure 

11). Here, the medium-frequency 

furnace served as a melt source and 

buffer vessel. The aim of the trials was 

to optimize pouring parameters as well 

as the underlying mathematical models 

[5]. 

To come back to what was said earlier: 

A system of the dimensions and capabilities 

discussed here is indispensable 

if the results are to be extrapolated 

to a large furnace, having a capacity of 

10 t for example. This implies in particular 

that power density and intensity 

of bath movement must be transferable. 

This brings us directly to the 

aforementioned problem with small 

lab furnaces (with capacities between 

1 and 50 kg) as used in research institutions 

and universities. They are mostly 

operated at high frequencies in the kHz 

range and offer comparably high power 

densities, so that the relation between 

heat input and bath movement is far removed 

from the real-world conditions 

in actual industrial furnaces. For example, 

250 Hz is a typical nominal operating 

frequency of standard coreless induction 

furnaces used to melt cast iron. 

On the other hand, melting experiments 

with the above-mentioned 

furnace (which, after all, has a capacity 

of 1.7 tonnes) take a not inconsiderable 

effort with regard to refractory 

materials, charge material logistics 

and pouring operations. In 2017, therefore, 

the Melting Technology Centre’s 

equipment pool was completed with 

the addition of a smaller furnace and 

frequency converter that allows reduced-scale 

trials to be realized more 

flexibly and with less cost and effort. 

The unit has a capacity of 100 kg (related 

to iron materials) and a power rating 

of 60 kW. Its operating frequency 

can be selected in steps between 350 Hz 

and 1,000 Hz, i.e., close to the range 

encountered in industrial practice. 

Heat treatment research and 

development systems 

Although the present paper deals 

mainly with the company’s Melting 

Technology Centre, it should be 

mentioned here that Otto Junker 

GmbH also maintains an extensively 

equipped Thermoprocessing Technology 

Centre. 

In addition to a series of test set-ups, 

several of which were built to customer 

order with a view to investigating 

special application issues, a hot dip 

tinning line and a strip flotation furnace 

with cooling section deserve special 

mention. 

These last two units serve primarily 

for systematic development and improvement. 

In this regard the use of 

simulation techniques has proven its 

worth: Firstly, they make it possible 

to select a number of particularly suitable 

test variants beforehand. Secondly, 

empirical data obtained through 

experiments permit continuous improvements 

to the simulation models. 

The HiPreQ mist quench (Figure 12), 

already established in the marketplace, 

and the proprietary blow-off system for 


Figure 12: HiPreQ mist quench 

hot dip tinning lines are examples of 

whole new equipment components developed 

from the combination of simulation 

and measurements, which create 

major advantages for our customers, 

such as the planarity of strips, which 

are cooled down only as fast as is necessary 

from a metallurgical viewpoint, or 

the unmatched visual and dimensional 

uniformity of tin-coated strips. As a 

useful side effect, numerous parameter 

variations in the empirically proven 

simulations also permit complex interactions 

to be coordinated such that the 

mathematical models used in the thermoprocessing 

equipment offer sufficient 

accuracy and real-time capability. 

All these possibilities are also benefits 

for our customers to the extent that 

heating or cooling processes can be verified 

and, where necessary, optimized 

already during the planning stage. 

This not only ensures that the potential 

investment into new equipment 

will ultimately yield products with the 

required metallurgical properties. The 

findings also contribute to achieving 

maximum economic efficiency as expressed 

by productivity and energy efficiency. 

And in cases where a problem 

cannot be solved with ‘forced convection’, 

e.g., due to requirements for very 

short heat-up times or locally limited 

heating, it is always possible to use the 

synergy with the Melting Technology 

Centre and fall back on inductive heating 

processes [6]. 

Conclusion 

The new melting system in Otto Junker 

GmbH’s Melting Technology Centre 

provides an ideal basis for addressing 

metallurgical and process engineering 

tasks via melting trials performed 

jointly with the customer to define the 

optimum parameters and equipment 

level of any future melting system. In 

addition, a multitude of circuit configuration 

options form a perfect toolset 

for exploring complex metallurgical 

processes involving different operating 

sequences. Finally, it should be noted 

that Otto Junker offers the use of this 

melting system, complete with peripheral 

equipment and operating personnel, 

not only in melting furnace projects 

but also as a contract service on 

attractive terms. 

References: 

www.cpt-international.com 

ww.otto-junker.com 

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EVENT HIGHLIGHTS 

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Social Program for all participants, Sponsorship opportunities 

Official language: ENGLISH 


Double belt conveyor for transporting sand vertically (left) and to the polygonal sieve for ejection of lumps of sand from the process 

(right) during installation at Isar Metallguss (Photos: Isar Metallguss) 

Wolfgang Maier, Managing Partner at Isar Metallgusswerk, Geretsried 

The latest generation of 

sand preparation at Isar 

Metallgusswerk 

Isar Metallgusswerk, an SME based in Geretsried, Germany, has invested in state-of-the-art 

molding sand preparation in order to meet the highest of quality demands in ever-harsher international 

competition. Electronically controlled, the plant consistently supplies an optimally coordinated 

and reproducible sand quality. In addition, electronic documentation enables precise 

traceability for every casting batch. 

Every caster knows that high-quality 

molding sand is one of the decisive 

prerequisites for good casting 

quality. Grain size, moisture and 

the proportion of bentonite must be 

exactly right in order to prevent inclusions 

and achieve clean surfaces. “And 

the best quality – ‘Made in Germany’ 

– is precisely what we guarantee our 

customers and what our partners can 

expect from us. Whereby it plays no 

role whatsoever whether we produce 

one casting, hundreds of castings, or 

thousands,” according to the credo of 

the management at Isar Metallgusswerk. 

For more than four decades, the 

SME and its employees have stood for 

reliable production of precise components 

made of aluminum alloys, aluminum 

bronzes, tin bronzes and gunmetal 

alloys using the sand casting 


AUTOMATION 

Figure 1: Molding sand mixer from Eirich in Geretsried. The homogenization 

of old sand, new sand and bentonite takes place 

in the mixing system 

Figure 2: Metal frame of the molding sand preparation plant 

during installation. From the start of construction until commissioning 

of the plant took a total of six weeks 

process and permanent mold casting. 

“We are recognized specialists for complex 

shapes with high dimensional accuracy, 

as well as for pressure-tight, 

highly stressed parts,” according to 

Works Manager Thomas Sandner, 

who mentions the company’s DIN EN 

ISO 9001:2015 process-oriented quality 

management. A quality standard 

that is appreciated by customers in 

machine construction, the automotive 

sector, the electrical industry, the 

production of optical and medical devices, 

hospital technology, general engine 

construction, the lighting industry, 

catenary construction and traffic 

technology. 

Fully automatic molding sand 

preparation 

Isar Metallgusswerk has been operating 

a fully automatic sand preparation 

plant for the last 30 years in order 

to meet customers’ demands. The 

equipment, however, slowly reached 

the end of its useful life and no longer 

met the management’s quality requirements. 

The tour of the works reveals an 

orderly and efficient company. The 

management is particularly proud of 

the state-of-the-art molding plant, integrated 

in the production process almost 

five years ago. The plant, however, 

requires a continuous supply of 

high-quality molding sand. By 2016, 

the Geretsried executives had gradually 

come to the conclusion that 

is was essential to further modernize 

production by installing a completely 

new high-quality molding 

sand preparation plant that would 

also meet the requirements of Industry 

4.0. A step that involves substantial 

costs. And smaller operations 

like Isar Metallgusswerk often shrink 

from such major investments in view 

of the fluctuating orders situation, as 

well as shrinking and volatile markets. 

But those who really want to supply 

high-quality products must also work 

with high-quality sand. 

Order placed with Maschinenfabrik 

Gustav Eirich and VHV 

The specialist expertise of the project 

partners, and the proven quality 

of the individual components of 

the molding sand preparation plant, 

played a decisive role in the decision 

to award contracts to Maschinenfabrik 

Gustav Eirich (Figure 1), in Hardheim, 

and VHV Anlagenbau GmbH, in 

Hörstel (both Germany). There were, 

after all, enough challenges. The new 

plant would have to be integrated in 

the existing production hall because 

there was no expansion space or alternative 

area for the equipment. During 

project planning, the professional adaptation 

of the plant to the spatial conditions 

at the works was greatly appreciated. 

Only a partial heightening of 

the production hall and some excavation 

work were necessary for installation 

of the new molding sand preparation 

plant. It was even possible to gain 

extra space for the actual production 

processes at the foundry through the 


AUTOMATION 

Figure 3: The QualiMaster AT1 molding sand testing device is the interface to the digital world. The molding material properties are 

initially digitally detected. Using software that has a self-optimizing pre-control function, the program calculates recommendations 

for the addition of bentonite and water on the basis of a pattern parameter file 

vertical installation of a state-of-theart 

double belt conveyor (Figure 2) for 

transporting sand, and the precise adaptation 

– to within a few millimeters – 

of the entire plant in the existing hall. 

A qualitative leap in the 

production process 

The casters in Geretsried were very 

satisfied with the new molding sand 

preparation plant following its installation 

in just six weeks – on schedule. 

“During the process, the sand is emptied 

from the mold boxes and falls 

downwards onto the cover belt conveyor. 

Like in a sandwich, the material 

is transported upwards in the polygonal 

screen; there is no return sand and 

the belt can be wiped clean,” explains 

Works Manager Sandner. Solid material 

is sieved out. “The molding sand is 

then alternately divided into two silos. 

The material is constantly being evenly 

blended and mixed with new sand 

as a result of the alternating division 

and the continuous removal of the 

molding sand,” says Sandner. Shortages 

are therefore offset, and the sand 

quality is continuously improved. The 

mix of old and new sand is transported 

via a steep angle conveyor vertically 

upwards to the weighing system and 

dosed here in a mixer. “The mixing system 

achieves perfect homogenization 

of old sand, new sand and bentonite. 

The rapid and complete distribution 

of the dosed water added is essential 

for optimum results. The bentonite 

is completely solubilized during the 

wet mixing phase and wraps the sand 

grains evenly,” Sandner explains the 

process while the plant is in running 

operation. 

Digital transformation 

at the foundry 

Digital transformation in the direction 

of Industry 4.0 also finds its way 

into molding sand preparation at Isar 

Metallgusswerk. Thus the QualiMaster 

AT1 (Figure 3) molding sand process 


Maximize 

your profit 

with 3D printed 

cores & molds. 

Figure 4: Project drawing 

from the Isar 

Metallguss works 

Our experts 

will be pleased 

to advise you! 

control system, in combination with appropriate software, 

enables proactive management and regulation of the molding 

material properties within narrow tolerances around a 

defined target value. The software also has a self-optimizing 

pre-control function with which it calculates recommendations 

for adding bentonite and water on the basis of a pattern 

parameter file. Sandner: “After completion of a mixture, 

three samples are immediately taken and tested to determine 

the compactability and shear strength control parameters. 

These data form the basis for correcting the moisture 

and the bentonite content of the next mixture, which has 

already been prepared.” All the important parameters and 

process measurement values can be visualized by online 

monitoring and are documented charge-by-charge. “This 

enables the detection of any deviations and prompt corrective 

measures,” adds Works Manager Sandner, who sees a 

real casting quality advantage in the reproducibility of the 

high molding sand quality at any time. Thanks to this complete 

documentation, customers can retrace the production 

conditions under which their castings were manufactured, 

even after years. 

Good project planning and 

installation 

The foundry management received very good support from 

the machine and plant partners from the very first day of 

drawing up the project (Figure 4) right up to its completion. 

They could rely on the expertise and specialist qualifications 

of the on-site workers, both during the planning and during 

implementation, according to the foundry management. 

The successful collaboration was crowned by the timetable 

being meticulously adhered to during the wide-ranging 

conversion and construction work. 

www.isar-metallguss.de/en/home 

Daimlerstr. 22 • 86368 Gersthofen 

+49 (0) 821 650 630 

ExOne.com • europe@exone.com

SIMULATION 

Dosing and shot profile in the shot chamber (Figures & Graphics: MAGMA) 

Anja Pretzell, MAGMA Gießereitechnologie GmbH, Aachen 

Magmasoft – Autonomous 

Engineering 

With the latest software version Magmasoft 5.4, MAGMA Giessereitechnologie GmbH, Aachen, 

Germany, the worldwide leading supplier of software for the optimization of casting processes, 

presents a comprehensive toolbox of new capabilities for the optimization of casting designs, 

tooling layouts and robust production processes. 

By integrating the MAGMA Approach 

and the possibilities of Autonomous 

Engineering into the software, 

the user can now fully utilize 

virtual experiments to ensure sound 

decision-making and effective root 

cause analysis. By specifying quantitative 

objectives and the critical production 

variables in the software, the 

simultaneous optimization of casting 

designs, tooling layouts and robust 

process design throughout the entire 

development process can be easily 

achieved. For this purpose, comprehensive 

enhancements have been 

integrated into the new release, which 

make Autonomous Engineering with 

the simulation software even more efficient. 

New solver for high pressure 

die casting 

A major advancement in the new version 

is the extensive support of the 

development for the component, the 

tooling and the process setup of high 

pressure die casting. With the innovative 

TAG-meshing (True Adaptive 

Geometry), Magmasoft 5.4 offers 

new possibilities for the flexible, local 

meshing of the geometry. A new algorithm 

for the filling process in high 

pressure die casting considers the spe- 


cial requirements of the process on the 

description of the free surface of the 

melt, the metal viscosity, and the prediction 

of air entrapment for improved 

result quality. The new solver can simultaneously 

calculate different flow 

models (such as the flow through cooling 

lines during filling of the casting) 

while also supporting flexible boundary 

conditions (plunger movement, 

squeezing). 

With these new features, Magmasoft 

5.4 enables the detailed investigation 

of the dosing process and the shot profile 

considering the shot chamber geometry 

(Figure left). This enables the 

optimization of dosing parameters, 

dwell times, plunger velocities, and 

switching points. 

The consideration of the available 

machine capacity (PQ 2 diagram), the 

venting conditions and the complete 

thermal balance in the die, which are 

all critical for casting quality, can be 

evaluated at the earliest stages of process 

and tooling design. 

Simulation of the spraying 

process 

Based on the level of detail required 

to achieve a given objective, Magmasoft 

5.4 offers various capabilities for 

optimizing the spraying process in 

both die casting tooling and process 

development: a classical approach 

with uniform heat extraction from 

the cavity in early-stage product optimization, 

an extended approach with 

user-defined static or movable spray areas, 

or even the realistic consideration 

of the spray head with individual circuits, 

nozzle positions, and programming 

of the head movement. 

This enables an even more precise 

evaluation of the influence of spraying 

on the thermal balance in the 

tooling, the distortion of casting and 

die components, or local die lifetime 

( Figure 1). 

Figure 1: Realistic description of the spray process 

Figure 2: Prediction of flow and heat transfer for cooling channels and contour cooling 

inserts 

The flow within cooling lines, spot 

cooling or conformal cooling near 

the die contour can be optimized for 

increased thermal efficiency, by taking 

into account the cooling medium 

with its inlet/ outlet conditions, temperatures, 

and flow rates (Figure 2). 

Figure 3: Visualization of quantitative heat balance data for casting and mold 


SIMULATION 

Figure 4: Prediction of ejection forces and contact pressures in the casting 

Magmasoft 5.4 now additionally offers 

an intuitive visualization for all 

casting processes of the thermal balance 

between the casting and the die 

for the quantitative evaluation of energy 

exchange over the complete process, 

in individual process phases, or 

for defined time intervals (Figure 3). 

With the integration of all important 

process steps in die casting, the virtual 

process chain is represented realistically: 

from ejection, quenching and 

cooling of the casting, through trimming 

of gates and overflows, to consideration 

of the residual stress redistribution 

caused by machining of the 

as-cast part. 

Die casting tool design is supported 

by the calculation of contact pressures 

between casting and die, now including 

the prediction of the corresponding 

required ejector forces (Figure 4). 

The simulation of heat treatment is 

also seamlessly integrated. Therefore, 

minimization of casting distortion 

through the optimization of production 

parameters, or by compensating 

for dimensional change when designing 

the die cavity, or through the design 

of heat treatment racks can be in- 

Figure 5: Support of the complete process chain for distortion-optimized castings 


Figure 6: Magmasoft calculates the impact of gas generated during binder degradation (left) and predicts the risk of casting defects 

due to gases (right) 

vestigated during the development 

process (Figure 5). 

New quality criteria like the local 

porefree zone thickness help to securely 

design die cast components by 

taking into account the casting properties. 

Casting optimization beyond 

high pressure die casting 

In addition to the comprehensive toolbox 

for high pressure die casting, Magmasoft 

5.4 offers numerous other new 

capabilities for casting optimization 

and process validation. 

Prediction of binder decomposition 

and core gases 

Gases are generated during the casting 

process when the binder systems used 

in the cores and molding materials decompose. 

Depending on the binder system 

and its degradation behavior on the 

core geometry and the layout of the 

core prints, these gases may lead to 

casting defects. With complex cores 

or core packages, it is not always easy 

to understand and control the impact 

that the amount of gas generated, the 

permeability of the core package, or of 

vent size and placement can have on 

defect formation. 

Magmasoft 5.4 virtually reproduces 

these processes in a comprehensive 

Figure 7: Coupled calculation of convective and feeding flows (left) and their effect on 

segregation (right) in steel castings 

manner, thus enabling a systematic 

prediction of the risk for gas-related 

defects. By systematically analyzing 

gas formation, gas transport and 

venting conditions, the use of Autonomous 

Engineering ensures the pre- 


SIMULATION 

Extended aluminum microstructure 

prediction 

The prediction of microstructure for 

aluminum alloys with MAGMAnonferrous 

has been significantly extended. 

The new features enable the prediction 

of the local solidification behavior 

and the resulting microstructure within 

a broad alloying range of Si, Cu, 

Mg, Zn, as well as numerous other elements. 

The visualization of local liquidus 

and solidus temperatures also 

provides new opportunities when displaying 

cooling curves. 

Figure 8: Significant additions and extensions to the parametric geometry library 

Figure 9: Intuitive curve visualization for a given process 

vention of casting defects due to binder 

gases ( Figure 6). 

Segregation and porosity 

under risers 

The steel casting module MAGMAsteel 

has always offered the ability to predict 

the impact of thermal convection on 

the development of segregation within 

the casting. Convective flow during 

the solidification of steel castings can 

significantly change the temperature 

fields and thus the feeding behavior 

within the casting, especially heavy 

sectioned steel castings. Magmasoft 

5.4 now offers the coupled calculation 

of both convective and feeding flows. 

This improves the quality of the segregation 

predictions and also the feeding 

behavior, especially with risers that 

have a narrow feeder neck (Figure 7). 

Effective software operation 

The new release simplifies the use of 

Magmasoft in various areas: In the Geometry 

Perspective, you can now select 

and modify several geometries at once. 

This is especially useful for optimizing 

parametric geometries. Complex surfaces, 

like partitions, can be created by 

extruding curves. The new “Cutting 

Knife” capability is a powerful tool that 

enables the engineer to cut CAD or STL 

geometries. This is especially useful for 

separating gating and rigging systems 

from the actual part or for the segmentation 

of tool data in imported geometries. 

The geometry database has been 

extended significantly and now offers 

a large variety of parametric geometries 

for easy use within your projects 

for optimizing gating and risering or 

tool design (Figure 8). 

In the Result Perspective, the visualization 

and handling of curve results has 

been greatly enhanced, enabling the 

engineer to quickly and easily display 

different curves as needed. The curves 

are always shown in the context of 

their process mode. The software enables 

an easy comparison of different 

projects and project versions, which 

also includes measured data (Figure 9). 

The movement of virtual tracers or inclusions 

during mold filling is now visualized 

with the help of 3-D “bubbles” 

(Figure 10). 

Multitasking design optimization 

In Magmasoft 5.4, the Parallel Design 

feature facilitates the parallel computation 

of several simulations (virtual 

trials) within a Design of Experiments 

or optimization, dependent on 

the number of available CPU cores. For 

example, with a 16-core license, up to 

8 virtual trials can now be calculated 

in parallel, which can lead to a significantly 

faster time to solution. 


We Manufacture 

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Figure 10: Visualization of complex turbulent 

flows by three-dimensional tracer 

particles 

Through the extension of the 

MAGMAlink module, any geometry 

and all results from Magmasoft can 

now be used for forming simulations 

with Simufact (for further details see 

the MAGMA website). 

The new release is now fully integrated 

with the website. By saving your 

login credentials in Magmasoft, the 

customer support area of the website 

is now directly available from within 

the software. The online help system 

now allows an integrated opening of 

videos and tutorials from the website. 

A direct upload of support requests to 

MAGMA’s support through the website 

is also possible. 

Soon, the Magmasoft 5.4 user interface 

will also be available in Chinese 

and Portuguese. 

By systematically applying Autonomous 

Engineering, Magmasoft 5.4 

supports a fast product and process 

development, optimized process and 

tooling designs as well as a robust process 

layout with maximum reproducibility 

of quality. 

www.magmasoft.de/en 

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Manufacturers of complex castings now have a fast, affordable 

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with Hawkeye ® Pro Borescopes. We stock over 80 models of rigid, 

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gradientlens.com 585.235.2620 


MT Comax is operating two RUF briquetting systems with a total throughput performance of max. 3.5 tons per hour, which ensure 

that the loose aluminium chips that are delivered to them, become compact briquettes. Therefore, less storage space is needed, the 

production process is simpler and the metal yield is higher (Photo: MTC) 

Peter Klingauf, Augsburg 

Refiner optimizes yield by 

briquetting 

Metal Trade Comax operates an aluminium melting plant for the recycling of aluminium scrap to 

produce various aluminium cast alloys. The basis for this is defined aluminium scrap. A large 

share of that is delivered to the Refiner as loose chips. Before these are loaded into the furnace, 

they are processed and then pressed into briquettes with automated RUF briquetting Systems. 

The briquetting of the chips, in particular, ensures optimized metal yields and therewith a markedly 

increased profitability. 

Founded in 1938, and headquartered 

in Velvary, Czech Republic, Metal 

Trade Comax a.s. is a well established 

European-wide metalworking company. 

Almost 30,000 tons of aluminium 

cast alloys and several hundred tons of 

copper alloys are produced each year 

in the modern Czech plant alone. In 

other locations, different sectors of the 

company produce semi-finished products 

from sheet steel. Amongst others a 

coil coating plant is operated. 

The decisive basis for constantly 

good results according to Peter 

Bruženák, head of sales for the alu- 


RESSOURCE EFFICIENCY 

minium sector at Comax, is on the 

one hand his experienced head of 

production who knows exactly how 

the correct charging of the material 

must be carried out. On the other 

hand, he needs good, utilizable aluminium 

scrap, which is delivered in 

many varying forms. “We use dross, 

sheets, foils, profiles as well as our own 

cast and lump scrap and buy aluminium 

chips of varying quality. The latter 

makes up more than half of our raw 

materials. So it is vitally important to 

deal professionally with the chips” explains 

Bruženák. 

Dealing with chips professionally 

What the engineer means by that is 

easy to understand when the supplied 

chips are examined: they contain, on 

average, more than 15 per cent residual 

moisture mainly in the form of cooling 

lubricant residuals as well as fine 

particles (< 0,4 mm). Furthermore they 

sometimes have mechanically free 

iron content. Therefore, a structured 

process of chip processing is very important 

for the Refiner. 

Before the chips can be delivered to 

the well-organized store, they undergo 

several stations of chip preparation 

(not part of RUF’s scope of delivery). 

Upon delivery, the quality is controlled 

first. This is carried out by measuring 

the moisture and then doing a 

spectral analysis. Then the chips are 

put through a sieving station to separate 

the rough particles and afterwards 

they are put through a shredder, which 

breaks up all long aluminium chips. 

The first reduction in moisture content 

is then achieved in a centrifuge. This is 

necessary to ensure that afterwards a 

strong magnet can reliably remove the 

free iron content. Now they come to 

the last and most important step of the 

entire process; the briquetting. 

It is now more than ten years since 

Metal Trade Comax purchased its first 

briquetting press as it was noted feeding 

of loose chips lead to high losses in 

yield. The results of the melting process 

were markedly better afterwards. 

Only the reliability and quality of the 

system left a lot to be desired according 

to Peter Bruženák: “Our technicians 

Peter Bružeňák, head of sales at Metal Trade Comax (left), and Andreas Jessberger, 

head of sales at RUF, are delighted with the successful cooperation (Photo: RUF) 

The modern tilting rotary furnace at MT Comax is fed with chips, which have been briquetted. 

The main reason: the yield of the briquettes is on average about five per cent 

higher (Photos: MTC) 

therefore began the search for a high 

quality briquetting technology and 

made comparisons between systems 

offered by various manufacturers. In 

the end they were convinced that the 

machines from the innovation leaders, 

RUF from Zaisertshofen in Bavaria, 

were the best match for our requirements. 

And this opinion has proven 

correct up to the present day”. 

MT Comax acquired the first RUF 

briquetting system RUF 75/2500/150, 

in 2014, which can press up to 1.5 tons 

of aluminium per hour. As the advent 

of available loose chips increased constantly, 

an expansion was necessary 

after three years. This time, the decision 

as to which manufacturer would 

supply the system was a foregone conclusion 

and therefore the company 

invested in a further system, the RUF 

90/2500/150 in 2017, with a capacity 

of up to two tons of aluminium per 

hour. The processing capacity of the 

complete chip preparation system lies 

somewhat lower than this, but the systems 

provided by RUF provide a total 

briquetting capacity of up to 3,5 t/hr . 


RESSOURCE EFFICIENCY 

Briquettes increase the yield – cost benefit calculation 

High metal yields mean high economic efficiency for the MT Comax. This is 

why they briquette almost all chip qualities before melting them. The experience 

of the company’s melting foreman shows that the yield from briquettes 

is, on average, five per cent higher than that of loose chips. 

The decisive reason is the fast immersion and melting of the briquettes in the 

liquid aluminium under the salt layer in the tilting rotary furnace. This and also 

the reduced moisture content leads to less burn-off than with loose chips. Additionally 

the logistics and storage before melting and charging is simplified. The 

most decisive reason is the reduction in burn-off, which results in significant financial 

benefits. In comparison to thermic chip preparation, chip preparation 

with briquetting is the simpler and most cost effective preparation method as 

the long-standing experience at Metal Trade Comax has shown. 

High yield, low space requirement, 

simpler production process 

The designed set-up of the system as 

well as the high hydraulic pressure of 

2,500 kg/cm² are decisive for the high 

quality of the briquettes created. Andreas 

Jessberger, head of sales at RUF 

describes the process: “Through the 

enormous pressure, the loose aluminium 

chips are pressed into solid briquettes, 

whereby the residual clinging 

moisture left over after the centrifuge 

is almost completely removed.” This 

is a fantastic result for Peter Bruženák, 

who calculates the remaining moisture 

in the briquettes in his plant as being 

under three per cent. Furthermore, 

the high density of the briquettes of 

around 2.2 kg/l is extremely important 

for the optimum yield from the melting 

process (see box above). 

Subsequently the RUF system feeds 

the finished briquettes via an outlet 

rail directly into the collecting container, 

which is emptied at regular intervals. 

“Because our machines have 

additionally an automatic feeding 

system, the personnel requirements 

for MT Comax are minimal,” continues 

Jessberger. Only the maintenance 

has to be carried out by trained service 

employees from the Czech company. 

The effort required here is hardly 

worth mentioning, according to Peter 

Bruženák. The machines consistently 

run without problems. 

On the basis of comprehensive experience, 

the head of sales, Bruženák 

When the charging is completed, the liquid 

material is mostly cast into ingots 

and transported in this form to customers 

from the most varied branches 

and his melting foreman agree that the 

investment in the briquetting presses 

has paid off in several respects: “One 

is that the yield from the briquettes is 

on average around five percent higher 

than that of loose chips. Secondly 

we reduce the volume of the raw material 

many times over and therefore 

need much less space in the store, and 

also the production process is markedly 

simpler and faster. Particularly in the 

charging process, a significantly higher 

amount can be fed into the melting 

oven in a shorter time.” That is the 

reason why practically all chip qualities 

are briquetted before melting at 

MT Comax. Only by briquetting chip 

qualities, which have been purchased 

with residual clinging moisture, can be 

successfully re-melted. 

When the chips have been pressed, 

personnel are needed again in order to 

transport the valuable briquettes into a 

short-term store where they are stored 

according to type of alloy. This is important 

for the further logistic process, 

because it means the production 

manager’s team know exactly where 

to find the respective materials. They 

can recognize at a glance where the relevant 

alloy is and transport them correspondingly 

to the furnace. In summary 

this is how MT Comax produce 

the desired alloys with the maximum 

of quality and yield. 

Aluminium can be delivered 

in liquid or solid form 

Alongside the raw material and the experience 

of the head of melting operations, 

the implementation of high 

quality furnace technology is decisive. 

MT Comax makes no compromises 

here either and relies on a tilting 

rotary drum furnace. This type of 

furnace is considered especially beneficial 

in aluminium melting plants, as in 

general the total charging time is short 

and the necessary addition of salt is reduced. 

Therefore the specific energy requirements 

are reduced and the relative 

yield increases. This means the 

profitability is also increased. 

When the charging is completed, the 

liquid material is mostly cast into ingots 

and transported in this form to customers 

from the most varied branches. They 

are however mostly from the casting 

sector of automobile suppliers. They in 

turn use various casting processes but 

above all pressure die casting, to produce 

different products like pump casings, 

gear boxes, cylinder heads, clutch 

casings and many more. 

Upon request however, the Czech Refiner 

will deliver their aluminium alloys 

in liquid form. For this purpose 

the company uses transport containers 

with a special thermic insulation and a 

5 ton load capacity. A liquid metal delivery 

using three thermic containers 

thereby constitutes a delivery weight of 

about 15 tons per transport. This method 

saves the user from having to melt 

ingots themselves, thereby saving on 

both: energy costs and valuable time. 

www.brikettieren.de 


3-D-PRINTING 

The swingarm was made for the motorcycle Lightning LS-218 of electric motorcycle manufacturer Lightning Motorcycle from San 

Carlos in the USA (Photos: AFS/TEI) 

Shannon Wetzel, Managing Editor Modern Casting, Schaumburg, USA 

TEI swing arm wins Casting 

of the Year 

The uniquely shaped part portrays the possibilities and opportunities available when combining 

additive manufacturing, simulation and innovative design 

Three weeks. It’s all Tooling Equipment 

International (TEI), had to design, 

cast, clean, heat treat, machine 

and inspect a motorcycle swing arm 

so uniquely complex it looks more 

like a spiderweb sculpture than vehicle 

part. 

As a prototype casting shop, AFS 

Corporate Member TEI (Livonia, 

Michigan, USA) is accustomed to quick 

turn-arounds and using technology to 

achieve castings that push the boundaries 

of traditional design. It was fastidious 

in its approach to the project yet 

confident the delivery would be made 

on time. 

Others were more pessimistic. That 

first week, a customer walking through 

the facility saw a TEI engineer working 

on the mold design and declared, 

“you will never be able to cast that.” 

TEI proved him wrong. 

“We were given an extremely tough 

time scale to meet, and given the geometry, 

that was a bit of a challenge,” 

said Oliver Johnson, president of TEI. 

“We had at best two shots to get this 

thing right, and we got a good part the 

first time.” 


3-D-PRINTING 

Award-winning 

casting of the Amercan 

Foundry Society 

The swingarm is for the Lightning 

LS-218 motorcycle produced by Lightning 

Motorcycle. 3-D software design 

company Autodesk commissioned TEI 

to produce the prototype to prove the 

capabilities of its generative design 

methodology, which automates the 

design based on process-specific parameters. 

The intricate yet robust part replaces 

a three-part billet machined into a box 

section. The design reduced the mass 

of the swingarm by 10 % while increasing 

torsional and bending stiffness. 

The organic shape hints at the future 

of metalcasting and the growing opportunities 

for the industry from additive 

manufacturing methods, earning 

the casting the title of 2018. Casting of 

the Year from AFS and Metal Casting 

Design & Purchasing magazine. 

Autodesk had worked on some initial 

designs for Lightning Motorcycle 

six years ago, and now the company 

felt it could put those ideas into reality 

with TEI as the metalcasting partner. 

“We had done some previous work 

with TEI and knew that making more 

complex shapes was totally possible,” 

said Andreas Bastian, principle research 

scientist at Autodesk. “We were 

just looking for the right project to 

take it for a spin.” 

The biggest challenge after the design 

phase was figuring out how to 

clean the 3-D printed sand mold. The 

two constraints to casting via 3-D printed 

molds, Johnson said, are first must 

be able to clean the sand, and then you 

have to assemble the sand package. 

For the swing arm, the loose, unbonded 

sand would need to be cleared away 

from the all the tiny passages between 

the thin aluminum branches. But TEI 

has been working with this medium for 

many years and has experience in taking 

on and then meeting increasingly 

difficult challenges. 

“We approach it maybe differently 

than the industry – we have journeyman 

patternmakers cleaning our 3-D 

printed sand,” said Ted Kahaian, TEI 

process manager. “It is common for us 

to push the design boundaries to see 

what we can or can’t do, and we haven’t 

stumped them yet. We are making 

it tougher on them but because they 

are able to keep meeting the challenges, 

we are innovating.” 

To ensure the sand mold was totally 

clean, TEI used a small endoscope 

to travel down every passage of the 

mold, referring frequently to the 3-D 

design at the workstation. Critical to 

this step was the quality of the sand. 

Knowing this, TEI turned to AFS Corporate 

Member Hoosier Pattern (Decatur, 

Indiana) to produce the two 3-D 

printed molds. 

“It was vital that we had really good 

sand that could be cleaned easily,” 

Johnson said. After cleaning, machining 

was another challenge. “There 

were only three areas to machine, but 

Cast 

Cyclotron Motorcycle 

Component: Swingarm. 

Material: 

Process: 

Weight: 

A356-T6. 

Low pressure sand 

casting. 

6.4 kg. 

Dimensions: 700 x 470 x 280 mm. 

Application: Swingarm for the rear 

wheel of a high performance 

electric motorcycle. 

the part isn’t easy to hold or access,” 

Johnson said. “While were working on 

the mold design and casting the part, 

in parallel we were designing and machining 

a fixture.” 

TEI used simulation to map out the 

entire manufacturing process of the 

swingarm, including machining. The 

prototype mapped out the whole machining 

operation in a virtual simulation 

that simulated the cutting tools, 

fixtures, and the motions of the pallets. 

“Everything is simulated because 

you don’t want to have a mess up on a 

job like this,” Johnson said. The simulation 

paid off. The two molds both 

produced good parts, cleaning was 

successful, and machining operations 

were completed without a hitch. Af- 


ter CT scanning, white light scanning, 

x-ray inspection, and dimensional 

checks before and after heat 

treating, the swing arm was ready for 

the customer within the three week 

deadline. 

“One of the reasons this has been 

such a strong collaboration is TEI is 

an early adopter and strategic user of 

technology, particularly in simulation 

technology,” Bastian said. “The casting 

coming out right the first time was 

pretty phenomenal.” 

The success of the cast swing arm 

will help Autodesk further make a 

case for applying generative design to 

not just metal printing but also metalcasting. 

“Metal printing likes to show all 

these exotic shapes that can be produced, 

but we want to demonstrate 

casting is a technology that is quite 

well suited to those shapes, particularly 

when you are making something 

larger than a bread box,” Bastian said. 

“Metalcasting offers hundreds of materials 

to choose from compared to metal 

printing, and the manufacturing base 

is mature.” 

Kahaian agrees and is excited for the 

future of metalcasting as the adoption 

of additive manufacturing in the industry 

speeds up. “3-D printed sand is 

a cheap medium to print in, and it’s using 

the same materials we have been 

using for hundreds of years,” he said. 

“It’s unlimited in size. It is the future, 

and realistically, there are no boundaries.” 

Designs like the swing arm are great 

showpieces, but Johnson believes the 

impact can go past the exhibit floor. 

“You might not see parts like the swing 

arm on a mass-produced vehicle, but 

you could apply the same approach of 

optimized design,” he said. “The part 

may only look subtly different but 

it still can be optimized with the appropriate 

constraints of conventional 

technology.” 

The annual Casting of the Year competition 

is sponsored by the American 

Foundry Society and Metal Casting Design 

& Purchasing magazine and recognizes 

excellence in casting design. 

The competition is open to all North 

American metalcasters and designers/end-users 

of metal castings. Castings 

are accepted in all metals, casting 

process, end-use applications and sizes. 

Independent judges evaluate each 

entry on: 

- Benefits delivered to the casting 

customer. 

- The use of the casting process’ 

unique capabilities. 

- Contribution to growth and expansion 

of the casting market. 

www.teintl.com 

KNOW 

YOUR 

SAND. 

EFFICIENT FOUNDRIES 

KNOW THAT WHAT 

GETS MEASURED GETS 

CONTROLLED. 

More foundries around the world 

choose Simpson Analytics for 

their sand lab than any other 

technology. Consisting of over 85 

instruments, Simpson Analytics is: 

• More flexible to different standards 

• More accurate • More repeatable 

• Easier to use • More durable 

• Easier to calibrate 

Simpson Analytics, including all of 

the former +GF+ products, is 

supported by our global service 

network, based in the USA, 

Germany and India, for spare 

parts, repair and calibration. 

VISIT OUR ONLINE RESOURCE CENTER TO IDENTIFY THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY 

FOR YOUR FOUNDRY AT WWW.SIMPSONGROUP.COM/DEU/SAND 

Simpson Technologies (Deutschland) GmbH 

Roitzheimer Strasse 180, 53879, Euskirchen, Germany

INDUSTRY 4.0 

The topic of Industry 4.0 is nothing new for Bernd H. Williams-Boock and Ortrander Eisenhütte. The Managing Director is driving 

the topic forwards (Photos: Michael Vehreschild) 

Michael Vehreschild, Kleve 

Investments in Industry 4.0 

have paid off for the Ortrander 

Eisenhütte 

Media inquiries are an almost everyday event for Ortrander Eisenhütte GmbH. Because, along 

with Casper Guss, the southern Brandenburg foundry has become a model operation for Industry 

4.0 since it started along the path towards an intelligent factory. And there is no end in sight. 

The ARD television channel’s morning show also recently reported on what is considered a remarkable 

development for the sector. There are also regular exchanges with the Brandenburg 

state government. For good reason, as a closer look reveals. 


A 

company must earn respect before 

it regularly attracts cameras 

and microphones. And this 

despite the fact that the main innovations 

for Industry 4.0 at Ortrander 

Eisenhütte were actually introduced 

three years ago. But what happens 

when the cameras are packed up and 

have left? How successful is Industry 

4.0 at the foundry in Ortrand? 

Does everyday foundry work meet 

the expectations awakened by stateof-the-art 

technology? Bernd H. Williams-Boock, 

as Managing Director, is 

a driving force for the conversion of 

Ortrander Eisenhütte to Industry 4.0, 

and a highly sought-after expert representing 

the entire company team. 

His calendar is bulging with appointments. 

He welcomes business partners 

and employees for discussions before 

and after our interview. Would you 

bet against Industry 4.0 being a constant 

topic? 

The Hamburg-born Williams-Boock 

has been in control of the company’s 

destiny since 2004 and has always been 

keen to modernize the ironworks. The 

extent of the innovations and changes 

does not fluster him. He discusses 

even the more complicated aspects of 

Industry 4.0 in terms that are almost 

print-ready. 

Figure 1: The use of RFID technology has 

led to a considerable improvement in 

process optimization 

Homework done 

It is clear that Ortrander Eisenhütte 

has done its homework. “Our iron 

production has undergone a 4.0-oriented 

revision, our sand production 

has been given a 4.0-oriented redesign, 

and the mold filling plant has 

had 4.0-oriented adjustments,” explains 

Williams-Boock. His summary 

is positive. Industry 4.0 enables the 

company to work more precisely and 

optimize its processes. Throughput 

times have been reduced and bottlenecks 

prevented in order to increase 

customer satisfaction. Today, for example, 

20 production logs allow parts 

to be accurately traced when a fault 

occurs. An enormous advantage – and 

not the only one. 

An important element on the path 

to the intelligent factory was, and 

remains, traceability – particularly 

during serial production. Load containers 

used to be manually labelled 

with container packing cards until 

the introduction of modern RFID and 

tracking solutions. There was no rapid 

overview of the state of production 

because there was no digitalization. 

Load containers in the block warehouse 

were also difficult to identify. 

Accompanying documentation had 

to be found and identified manually, 

leading to long search times and high 

error rates. 

Processes substantially 

optimized 

In order to solve this, the foundry 

resorted to UHF-RFID in combination 

with a real-time location system 

(RTLS). According to the company, the 

tracking of containers provides a seamless 

flow of data. Transport containers 

now carry all relevant information on 

an RFID tag. The use of this combined 

solution has led to a substantial improvement 

in the optimization and 

transparency of processes (Figure 1). 

Another milestone was the new pyrometers, 

which enable up to 600 real-time 

measurement values per production 

hour – instead of only two to 

three measurements, as was the case 

in the past. The advantage is that temperature 

measurements during casting 

processes are much cheaper and more 

frequent. The quality of the products 

has increased, and the use of raw materials 

and energy is more efficient. 

Data linked intelligently 

The results of the individual projects 

are represented via a foundry information 

system. “Data that would 

Figure 2: Long stretches of production technology are networked, though the employee 

ultimately makes decisions 


INDUSTRY 4.0 

Figure 3: Most sub-processes at Ortrander 

Eisenhütte can now be measured in 

real-time. 

Tradition and modernity under one roof 

otherwise be visualized separately are 

merged,” explains Williams-Boock. 

Components are linked intelligently. 

Industry 4.0 namely. 

“A major challenge is to arrange the 

consistent collection of data in order 

to ensure comparability,” explains the 

CEO of Ortrander Eisenhütte. “Interpretation 

must enable connection of 

the data in such a way that the result 

can be used to control the processes.” 

This offers the opportunity to obtain a 

reliable foundation for decision-making 

based on comprehensive data. 

Thus data analysis now has a considerably 

higher status for processes than 

ever before. “We no longer try something 

– we calculate. This allows us to 

minimize unpredictability.” 

Training courses and 

qualifications 

A development that has changed activities 

in the foundry and thus the 

role of employees. While personnel 

carried out a lot of work themselves 

in the past, employees are increasingly 

becoming ‘masters of the processes’. 

“This needs the foundry team to 

demonstrate a very great willingness 

to learn,” says Williams-Boock. It is 

important to accept changes and work 

out solutions together. The employees 

are not left to themselves on this path 

– training courses and qualifications, 

mostly concrete training on-the-job, 

get them fit to face the new challenges 

(Figure 2). 

Expenditures on technology and 

the team that have already paid off. 

The works, which has invested a total 

of 2.5 million euros in recent years – 

of which about 1.6 million euros has 

been in Industry 4.0 – has achieved a 

permanent reduction in the rate of defects. 

The production of fewer rejects 

saves enormous amounts of material. 

“10 - 15 percent more liquid iron is produced 

and cast, depending on the material,” 

according to Williams-Boock. 

In addition, regarding the entire process, 

electricity consumption has fallen 

to below 500 kWh per tonne of 

melt. For comparative purposes: it was 

Ortrander Eisenhütte GmbH in Brandenburg has been producing and supplying 

thin-walled weight-saving iron castings for more than 130 years. The 

company is now considered one of Europe’s most modern foundries for machine-molded 

iron casting. The foundry’s customers mainly come from the 

automotive industry, from stove and oven construction, and from the infrastructure 

and household appliances sectors. Thus the company produces, for 

example, components for power transmission in cars, or entire ovens. 

Four induction melting furnaces are responsible for melting grey, spheroidal 

graphite and vermicular iron. Ortrander Eisenhütte generally produces small 

and medium-sized series. Iron-carbon casting alloys are melted, cast and machined 

at Ortrander Eisenhütte. The foundry also supplies assemblies and finished 

ovens, among other things. 

Approximately 26,000 tonnes of saleable high-quality castings are produced 

annually. Roughly 70 per cent are intended for export. About 300 employees 

are anticipated to achieve sales of 50 million euros in 2018. The exploitation of 

Industry 4.0 methods is also a driving force for increased sales. 

516 kWh in 2011/2012 and 510 kWh in 

2015. 

Good – even if not perfect 

These are changes that affect sales, 

which will probably rise to about 

50 million euros in 2018, according 

to Williams-Boock. The company 

achieved sales of 42 million euros 

three years ago. “Without Industry 

4.0 we would not have been able to increase 

casting quantities.” His summary 

is thus positive: “Industry 4.0 works 

well, even if it is not yet perfect.” 

Modern technology does not replace 

humans, even if the some of the activities 

of the roughly 300 employees have 

changed. “Jobs have been retained; the 

number of employees is stable. Industry 

4.0 is not a job-killer,” stresses the 

Managing Director of Ortrander Eisenhütte. 

On the contrary – the intelligent 

factory offers the foundry new potentials 

(Figure 3). And this new modern 

technology fascinates many young 

people. “It makes a company more attractive 

and more sustainable.” An effective 

means of combating the skills 

shortage. 

The next step: deep learning 

Real-time data collection and traceability 

are part of Industry 4.0 and an everyday 

matter at Ortrander Eisenhütte. 

But Williams-Boock does not want to 

stop there. ‘Done’, ‘accomplished’ – 

these are terms that do not exist for the 

Managing Director. He already has the 

next step in mind. And this could be an 

even greater quantum leap. “Artificial 

intelligence” and “deep learning” are 

the key terms. 

“Deep learning” promises a great 

deal because it creates algorithms autonomously. 

The system itself independently 

detects interactions, recognizing 

linkages that humans cannot 

see. Science fiction? No, deep learning 

already shapes our daily lives. For example, 

when Google determines and 

displays perfectly customized advertising 

for the user. According to Williams-Boock, 

deep learning could 

even become standard for foundries 

in three to five years’ time. Initial trials 

at foundries abroad have apparently 

been successful. 


Considerable investments 

“One must take this path, though the 

financial and technical circumstances 

are still unclear.” For example, standard 

software still needs to be configured 

and parameterized for foundries, 

i.e. coordinated to meet the needs of 

the individual foundry. Deep learning 

also involves a considerable investment 

in software. In other words, it is 

also a question of cost. 

Will artificial intelligence and deep 

learning initiate a new age of computing? 

Williams-Boock answers this with 

a definite “yes”. Then one and one will 

most certainly not equal two anymore, 

but also not three. It is quite possible 

that then one plus one will equal four 

or even five! What this means for defect 

rates and cost savings in a company, 

for example, is currently only speculation. 

“Only heaven knows” 

Given these new developments, the 

question arises of how the future of 

foundries will actually be shaped in 

concrete terms. “Only heaven knows at 

present what it will be like.” And perhaps 

Ortrander Eisenhütte, of course, in a 

couple of years. Always open for whatever 

might come, the head of Ortrander Eisenhütte 

will certainly be one of the first 

to find out. Would you bet against…? 

FOLLOW UP 

In demand: “Remaining viable 

thanks to Industry 4.0 

Industry 4.0 is already the present and will probably influence many sectors in future. Some 

foundries are also undertaking initial steps along the path to the intelligent factory. But what 

can the sector expect and what risks do these developments involve? An interview with Bernd 

H. Williams-Boock, Managing Director of Ortrander Eisenhütte. 

You have made major investments 

in Industry 4.0 (under the program 

title ‘Ortrander 4.0’), commissioning 

iron-quality software and a casting 

control system about three years 

ago. Have there been further sizeable 

investments at Ortrander Eisenhütte 

since then? 

Up to now, those have been our decisive 

investments in Industry 4.0. But 

enormously effective investments: we 

have been able to make our production 

much more flexible and more 

process-reliable. At the same time, we 

are now able to offer more consistent 

quality. There have, of course, been 

software updates in recent years. The 

control system, however, has remained 

the same. 

Will you make further investments in 

Industry 4.0? 

Industry 4.0 is a constant process with 

continuous further developments. The 

journey is the destination. Further investments 

here – in deep learning for 

example – depend upon the extent to 

which financial and technical questions 

can be resolved. We are therefore 

currently miles away from saying 

that we will introduce this or that. 

Whereby I think that one must continue 

along the path to Industry 4.0. 

Where do you think the foundry sector 

is regarding the topic of deep 

learning? 

Some sectors already use deep learning. 

They have gone farther than the foundry 

sector where, in effect, deep learning 

has not been implemented at all. 

Though this could change in three to 

five years. And if the step is taken properly 

it will offer enormous advantages, 

for example regarding cost savings. 

Progress, with all its advantages, also 

poses risks. In the case of Industry 4.0 

this is the enormous amount of data 

that is collected and processed. How 

secure are your data? 

This is, of course, an important topic. 

The data infrastructure and data security 

must be built up in parallel and optimized. 

We need concepts for how to 

handle this. We have them because we 

examined the topic in detail. We can 

say that our data is secure. 

How great is your trust in Industry 

4.0? 

First of all, I believe that our team can 

position itself positively here, and 

that the company can thus remain future-oriented. 

In general, I also think 

that artificial intelligence can enable 

foundries to develop a promising future. 


The Friedrich Lohmann foundry now has “a lot in stock” thanks to the new high-bay storage system.(Photo: Michael Vehreschild) 

Michael Vehreschild, Kleve 

Achieving top form 

Modulcast is energy-efficient and sustainable 

Foundry workers at Friedrich Lohmann 

GmbH in Witten, Germany, have recently 

started aiming sky high. Casting 

takes place at a height of four meters, 

while beneath it numerous boxes from 

the molding plant are stacked all the 

way down to the hall floor. What almost 

looks like a beehive is a real novelty 

for the sector. Because the highbay 

storage system, the molding plant 

and the casting process have never 

been connected like this before. A new 

development with far-reaching advantages 

regarding energy efficiency and 

sustainability. This will be followed by 

a new energy-efficient sand preparation 

plant at the end of the year. 

Always accepting uniformity – and 

the resultant restrictions – is not something 

that the Friedrich Lohmann 

foundry does. ‘Think big’ is called for 

Modulcast is an imposing plant with a height of four meters (Photo: Friedrich 

Lohmann GmbH) 


COMPANY 

here. And when could be better for this 

than during an upcoming investment 

in a replacement? A vibrating compression 

forming machine with ageing 

technology needed to be replaced. 

A new hall was planned as an extension 

of the existing one because a new 

forming plant, with greater automation 

and more equipment, would require 

more space. And Lohmann decided 

against a track system for the 

new molding plant in order to structure 

process workflows better. Tracks 

had proved sub-optimal: the track is 

blocked if a molding box is located on 

it for cooling – no further boxes can 

pass. This could be arranged more efficiently… 

Making a virtue of necessity 

“So we made a virtue of necessity,” says 

Thorsten Kutsch, Foundry Division 

Manager at Lohmann. “If we could not 

expand horizontally, why not vertically?” 

The idea of a high-bay storage system 

with stacks of single storage spaces 

– ‘modular casting’ – was born. The 

child’s name: Modulcast. Born in early 

2018. 

Just looking at the high-bay storage 

system makes observers stretch their 

necks and goggle. Two parallel towers 

of shelving rise to the haughty height 

of four meters. Each tower has four 

rows with numerous spaces above, 

and next to, one another. The action 

on offer is no less impressive. Because 

the moving part of the plant shuttles 

back and forth between the two towers 

of shelving, picking up a finished box 

– after an employee has poured it on 

the uppermost level – and automatically 

putting it down again to cool in a 

single storage space in the rack. Wherever 

there is a vacant space. “There is 

no line-oriented thinking any more 

like with a track, only perfect flexibility.” 

“This is Industry 4.0” 

And the next step is also automatic. 

The new system autonomously knows 

how much cooling time a box has undergone 

and automatically removes it. 

The molding plant now produces new 

boxes again. “When removing from 

the storage system the rule is always: 

Casting takes place at a height of four meters. Employees literally operate at top form 

here (Photo: Friedrich Lohmann GmbH) 

first in, first out,” according to Kutsch. 

In addition, everything is automatically 

documented. The new plant offers 

online logging of the production steps 

involved in molding and casting. “This 

is Industry 4.0.” 

The times when almost everything 

was done manually are therefore over. 

When employees themselves had 

to keep an eye on which boxes had 

cooled, i.e. were ‘ready’, and whether 

the desired quality had been achieved. 

The employees used slips of paper and 

made handwritten notes about what 

they had done. “This allowed faults 

to creep in. And can no longer occur 

now,” says a pleased Kutsch. 

Instead, Lohmann now has all the 

advantages on its side: the high-bay 

storage system meant that the foundry 

only needed half of the otherwise 

necessary space. This alone fulfilled 

the original wish of the company. 

Efficient production 

But abandoning the track system to 

adopt high-bay storage offers a whole 

cornucopia of further advantages – 

made possible by the newly gained 

flexibility. Because the arbitrary access 

to the molding boxes at any point 

in the pouring process considerably 

shortens throughput times. Waiting, 

transport and handling times during 


COMPANY 

Everything OK? The employee’s critical view is essential (Photos: 

Michael Vehreschild) 

“There is no line-oriented thinking any more like with a 

track, only perfect flexibility,” Thorsten Kutsch, Foundry Division 

Manager at Lohmann describes the new Modulcast plant 

Lohmann – everything from a single source 

melting and pouring are shorter compared 

to conventional static processes. 

A circumstance with consequences: 

“Tapping temperatures have fallen 

by an average of about 40 °C as a result 

of the shorter waiting times at the 

induction furnace,” explains Kutsch. 

Casting is only carried out as hot as 

is necessary. This leads to considerable 

energy savings and a substantial 

reduction in melting losses. The casting 

process is more reproducible. This 

results in considerable gains in yield. 

“This allows the prevention of strongly 

overheated melts and cold welding,” 

according to Kutsch. This efficient 

production regime results in fewer rejects, 

conserving resources. Costs are 

considerably reduced, particularly for 

larger parts. In addition, energy-efficient 

IE3 motors (or IE4 when available) 

are used. 

Lohmann is a family-run company that is now managed in the seventh generation 

and can look back at a history lasting almost 230 years. Sheet and bar steel 

products made of high-speed, tool and special steels are manufactured at the Witten-Herbede 

works. The Witten-Annen works produces heat-resistant and wear-resistant 

stainless steel molded castings; the foundry offers everything – from design 

and dimensioning to ready-to-install components – from a single source. The field 

of heat-resistant stainless steel castings includes, for example, gratings or frames 

for heat treating gear parts for the automotive industry. Parts subject to wear intended 

for steel shot-blasting wheels, such as those found in every foundry, are 

made of wear-resistant steel castings. 

Lohmann employs about 340 personnel, the minority of them at the foundry. 

Production ranges from individual castings up to medium-sized series of about 

10,000 units. Annual total sales amount to roughly 80 million euros. 

In future Lohmann wants to further enhance its alignment on international markets. 

Germany, however, will remain the main market, where many hardening 

plants and foundries are supplied. These, in turn, mostly produce for the automotive 

sector. 

Sustainable dust extraction 

system 

Not only does the high-bay storage system 

ensure energy efficiency and sustainability, 

but the new dust extraction 

system also makes a major contribution. 

It works with negative-pressure 

control and only operates when needed: 

the dust extraction system ‘knows’ 

where it must vacuum and automatically 

reduces suction when it is not required. 

Kutsch: “Only as much suction 

is applied as is necessary.” 

The filter area of the dust extraction 

system is twice the size needed. This 

leads to lower filter area loads. The 

consequence is that energy consumption 

falls because a smaller ventilator 

is now sufficient. “This filter plant initially 

results in extra costs of 50,000 

euros. This sum, however, is recouped 

after just one-and-a-half years.” Moreover, 

two heat exchangers can almost 

completely heat the hall complex in 

winter because the exhaust air heats 

the incoming air and the exhaust from 

the induction furnace is also exploited. 

The halls therefore also have a balanced 

air supply. 

Supported by the Federal 

Ministry for the Environment 

Energy efficiency and sustainability 

have thus been significantly im- 


Excavation for the planned new 32-meter-high sand preparation plant has already been completed. It will commence operation in 

late 2018 

proved. The resource conservation effects 

can be expressed in figures with 

a throughput of 4,500 tonnes/year: rejects 

have been reduced by about 39 

tonnes/year, melting loss by about 61 

tonnes/year. There are also savings of 

1,021,500 kWh/year of electricity and 

a reduction of about 594 tonnes of CO 2 

emissions per year. Diffuse dusts have 

been reduced by about 50 tonnes/year. 

Good prospects that have also convinced 

the Federal Ministry for the Environment 

(BMU). Lohmann received 

a grant from the Environmental Innovation 

Programme for its process 

with the high-rack system, used for 

the first time in the sector. The project 

was granted funding of about 870,000 

euros, while the company’s investment 

in the high-bay storage system 

amounted to about 5 million euros. 

A rewarding investment – one way or 

the other. 

Employees are also 

taken care of 

But Modulcast is not only energy-efficient 

and sustainable, but also goes 

easy on the employees. An objective 

that Lohmann has long aimed for. 

The company successfully introduced 

its ‘Zero Accidents’ initiative years 

ago, in which, for example, marked 

paths were laid down for employees 

in the halls, sound insulation was 

provided, and workplaces were specially 

set up. 

And this also applies for the hall with 

the high-bay storage system. The new 

workplaces are ergonomic. Recesses below 

the machine allow casters to stand 

straight. The movements of the machines 

are gentle and quiet, so there is 

a low noise level. The shake-out channel 

is located in a noise-protection cabin. 

Health and safety at work is a major 

priority at Lohmann. 

“Innovative projects also create 

many problems and challenges that 

one can only solve with a good team,” 

Kutsch praises the employees. 

Attractive for other foundries 

Could the high-bay storage system 

also act as a model for other foundries? 

Thorsten Kutsch nods. “Yes, it can be 

adopted by many foundries. Particularly, 

however, for the production of 

small to medium-sized batches.” This 

is where major demands are made of 

the process – melting, casting conditions 

and after-casting times vary according 

to the finished product. The 

system’s flexibility is advantageous 

where there are frequent material 

changes, involving different casting 

temperatures and weights, among 

other things. “And this is regardless of 

whether steel, copper or aluminum is 

used, for example,” stresses the Foundry 

Division Manager. 

Kutsch encourages the foundries. 

“We have developed something brilliant. 

And we hope that others will 

follow our example.” And this leads 

to his offer to sector colleagues to visit 

Lohmann and find out about the new 

system. Mind you, not because of the 

beckoning licensing income for use 

of the registered patent on the highbay 

storage system, jointly developed 

by Lohmann and the producer, “But 

simply because it is such a good idea,” 

stresses Thorsten Kutsch. 


COMPANY 

New sand preparation by end 

of 2018 

Kutsch looks out of the window. His 

view expands. Excavation for the 

planned new 32-meter-high sand 

preparation plant has already been 

completed. The company will therefore 

be looking up more and more during 

the coming months, and Lohmann 

will be visible from far away when the 

plant is finished. This third part of the 

project, following the hall expansion 

and the new molding plant, should go 

into operation in late 2018. The sand 

preparation plant enables the processing 

of 40 tonnes of sand per hour. 

Lohmann is investing a total of 11 million 

euros in the hall, high-bay storage 

system and sand preparation plant. 

The Lohmann foundry has already 

achieved greater productivity which 

is, however, only the start of something 

bigger. “We will have a massive 

increase when the sand preparation 

plant is finished.” Production capacity 

can be tripled to 4,500 tonnes per 

year with the help of this new plant. 

The important foundry pillars would 

then be in place with the high-bay 

storage system and the sand preparation 

plant. Lohmann wants to fly high 

and will – literally – be able to achieve 

top form. 

www.lohmann-stahl.de 

FOLLOW UP 

„Employees and Ministry on board“ 

New paths – new risks. The foundry at Friedrich Lohmann GmbH nevertheless trusts itself to 

make investments. And convinces both employees and the Ministry with its innovative idea for a 

new type of high-bay storage system. We asked Thorsten Kutsch, Foundry Division Manager at 

Lohmann, how the company had managed this. 

How great was the risk involved in 

betting on a completely new type of 

high-bay storage system? 

The producer was initially not at all 

keen on our idea of a high-bay storage 

system, with doubts about the residual 

risk. The producer considered it a 

fire hazard because casting takes place 

‘upstairs’ and the storage and retrieval 

machines are ‘downstairs’. We have 

therefore installed a splash guard. We 

consider the plant both innovative and 

controllable. Of course, little inattentions 

will cause trouble. 

How have the employees reacted to 

the new workplace situation? 

There were initially concerns because 

of the unusual casting height of four 

meters. These, however, have been dispelled. 

The employees have noticed that 

it is actually more comfortable now 

than it was before. The new workplaces 

have been set up ergonomically. 

Were there also concerns about the 

increased automation? 

The increase in the quantity produced 

has been achieved with the same number 

of personnel. We have also restructured 

the workplaces to be more attractive 

as group workstations. Three 

employees alternate between knocking 

out, core insertion and machine operation, 

ensuring greater variety. Everyone 

must be able to do everything (thanks 

to previous training) and also actually 

do everything. Whereby each employee 

must spend at least 12 per cent of their 

annual working time on each activity. 

So all employees receive the same wage. 

And the somewhat less attractive activity 

of knocking out is divided up among 

three people. Our personnel like this. 

Apropos automation: how far does 

the Lohmann foundry intend to go in 

this direction? 

Only subsections will be automated 

because complete automation would 

come at the cost of flexibility, which is 

particularly important with our batch 

sizes. We are therefore deliberately not 

going all the way. But it will take another 

couple of years until the entire plant 

has been partly automated. 

A good idea must also have a chance 

of being heard. What path did you 

take for funding by the Federal Ministry 

for the Environment (BMU)? 

It is generally difficult for a company to 

file the application in such a way that 

approval is granted without any trouble 

at all. The formalities must be observed. 

So one needs a kind of ‘interpreter’. We 

used Metatech GmbH from Kamen for 

this. They advised us and formulated 

the applications. The Effizienz-Agentur 

NRW consultants acted as the intermediary 

between us and the authorities. 

Both organizations were very helpful for 

us. We immediately received approval 

of the funding by the Federal Ministry 

for the Environment. I can only recommend 

all this! 

Thank you for the interview! 


worldwide 

gif1902_TBWOM_210x108+3.indd 1 17.09.18 15:17 

Call for papers 

As a part of GIFA/NEWCAST 2019, Bundesverband 

der Deutschen Gießerei-Industrie e. V. (BDG) and 

Verein Deutscher Giessereifachleute e. V. (VDG) are 

again organizing the following fora: 

the GIFA Forum 

is primarily addressed to foundry suppliers and 

deals with topics like 

> process and product development 

> digitalisation and information management 

> efficiency of resources and environmental 

sustainability 

> manufacturing technology and automation 

This forum supports a dialogue between suppliers, 

designers and foundrymen and achieves synergies for 

both research and industry. 

English and German (with simultaneous translation 

into English) presentations will be accepted at all 

conferences. 

Please send a short abstract and your CV to: 

Bundesverband der Deutschen Gießerei-Industrie 

Ms Marion Harris 

Hansaallee 203, 40549 Düsseldorf 

E-Mail: marion.harris@bdguss.de 

Tel.: +49 211 6871-217 

the NEWCAST Forum 

presents perspectives for the application of state 

of the art cast materials and products. The technical 

presentations will concentrate on 

> casting product development 

> substitution of materials and processes 

> component construction and design 

> optimization and simulation 

> light-weight design and conservation of resources

ALUMINIUM 

More than 24,000 visitors and just under 1,000 exhibitors gathered at the aluminum 

trade fair this year. The exhibition was shaped by the mega trends of electromobility, 

digitization, sustainability and additive manufacturing (Photo: Messe Düsseldorf). 

„United Nations of Aluminium“ 

“Despite” was a phrase that came up 

in nearly all conversations at this year’s 

ALUMINIUM from October 9-11, 2018. 

Despite current trade disputes, such as 

punitive US tariffs, sanctions against 

Russia and various bottlenecks in the 

supply of raw materials, global production 

and demand are still continuing 

to grow throughout the world. This 

was clearly emphasised by ALUMINI- 

UM 2018, which was bigger and more 

international than ever before. 

“ALUMINIUM is a trade fair for light 

metal, but a heavyweight in its global 

significance for the industry. This is 

particularly true at a time when there 

are irritations and when some parts of 

various markets are realigning themselves, 

as it’s also a time when trade 

fairs can play a crucial role in providing 

orientation for global trade,” says 

Hans-Joachim Erbel, CEO of Reed Exhibitions 

Germany, the organizers of 

ALUMINIUM. 

This explains why the number of visitors 

has remained so robust – despite 

the current challenges and obstacles in 

international trade. “It’s where the 

world comes together, and no one 

wants to miss out,” says Hans-Joachim 

Erbel. In fact, all industry representatives 

fundamentally agree that the current 

aluminium rush will continue to 

gain momentum. 

In total, the organizers reported 

24,148 trade visitors (previous year: 

24,373). The result of this year’s ALU- 

MINIUM is therefore very close to the 

record achieved at the previous event. 

Whether they came from South Africa, 

the United States, Brazil, Japan, 

New Zealand or of course Europe, the 

visitors from 123 nations (previous 

event: 108) turned the trade fair into a 

“United Nations of ALUMINIUM”. At 

nearly 20 per cent, the number of overseas 

visitors who came to Düsseldorf 

was particularly remarkable. It meant 

that the overall level of internationalism 

had risen from 58 to 63 per cent. 

“It’s a yardstick for the quality and 

worldwide relevance of ALUMINIUM 

and it’s something that reflects developments 

in the international markets,” 

says Olaf Freier, Event Director of 

ALUMINIUM at the end of the threeday 

event. In this way ALUMINIUM 

underlines its function as a global trading 

platform. 

The same picture emerges for exhibitors. 

The trade fair has now reached the 

point where over two thirds of exhibitors 

– 664 businesses in all – come from 

outside Germany, amounting to a 4-percent 

increase since the previous event. 

In total, this year’s world trade fair of 

the aluminium industry featured 971 

exhibitors. 54 nations were represented, 

headed by Germany (307), then Italy 

as the second biggest exhibiting nation 

(118), and then China (103), Turkey 

(64), Spain (32), Austria and Spain 

(both 32), the United States (29), the 

Netherlands (25), France and the UK 

(both 23 exhibitors) and Canada (19). 

The next ALUMINIUM, the 13th Aluminium 

World Trade Fair and Convention, 

will be held in Düsseldorf 

from 6 to 8 October 2020. 

www.aluminium-messe.de 


NEWS 

WINOA 

Inauguration of modern and efficient steel shot industrial plant in Spain 

The Winoa Group, a French company 

headquartered in the Isère region, is a 

world leader in metal abrasives, with 

11 industrial plants in the world. With 

an investment of more than 20 million 

euros, Winoa has inaugurated its new 

industrial plant in Spain, on the outskirts 

of the Biscayan town of Balmaseda. 

This plant is now one of the most 

modern of its kind. 

The factory covers an area of 

30,000 m². Four inter-connected build 

ings have been erected to improve the 

distribution and communication in 

the production processes. It has induction 

furnaces, heat treatment furnaces, 

grinding stations and conveyor belts 

for storage and packaging. In addition, 

auxiliary installations use cutting-edge 

technology for water usage control and 

air treatment. 

“The plant is completely automated 

and centrally controlled to ensure that 

only the very best quality metal abrasives 

are produced in an efficient and 

flexible manner. Thanks to these new 

installations, we are better able to 

adapt to the varying needs of our customers 

and to specialize in “Premium” 

products”, emphasizes Luis Resusta, 

MD of Winoa Iberica. 

The use of steel abrasives for surface 

treatment is essential in almost all industries: 

automotive, steel, renewable 

Since the beginning of October WINOA is producing blasting agents and abrasives in 

its new plant in Balmaseda, Spain. They are used among others for blasting systems in 

foundries (Photo: WINOA). 

energies, rail and sea transport, aeronautical 

and construction, to mention 

only the main ones. 

The plant in Balmaseda relies on the 

very latest production techniques in 

order to reduce its environmental footprint: 

a dual purification system to 

guarantee a clean environment inside 

and outside the plant; heat recovery 

equipment; smart sensors and a water 

treatment plant meeting the highest 

standards of efficiency. 

“This new factory is an excellent example 

of our four strategic pillars: by offering 

the highest standards in terms of 

safety and environment, it contributes 

to making us a company of choice. 

Thanks to our ultra-modern equipment, 

this factory will enable us to optimize 

our operational efficiency, which 

will guarantee our competitiveness, ensuring 

that we stay ahead of market 

trends. And finally, by focusing its operations 

on Premium products and new 

industrial applications, it strengthens 

our position as a privileged partner in 

terms of customer services for surface 

preparation”, highlights Pierre Escolier, 

CEO of the Winoa Group. 

www.winoagroup.com 

WORLD FOUNDRY CONGRESS 

Successful event in Krakow 

More than 200 presentations, 180 posters 

and 40 regular scientific and technical 

sessions took place during two Congress 

days in the ICE Congress Center 

in Krakow. The Congress which took 

place from September 23-27, 2018 for 

the 73rd time was a meeting place for 

more than 900 delegates from 43 countries 

as well as for 100 students, young 

researchers and practitioners who took 

part in a two-day Young Researcher’s 

Seminar. Two exhibitions took place 

during the Congress: A historical Exhibition 

which focused on the development 

of the foundry industry during 

the years and a Creative Foundry Exhibition 

with more than 50 exhibitors 

from around the world along with a lot 

of accompanying and social events. 

The next 74th World Foundry Congress 

will be held in Bexco, Busan, 

South Korea, on October, 18-22, 2020. 


NEWS 

The project partners of Daimler and Krämer + Grebe in front of the new core forming tool for HDEP cylinder heads, which was 

handed over to Daimler at the end of July 2018 (Photo: Krämer+Grebe) 

KRÄMER+GREBE 

Setting new standards in the tool design for cylinder heads 

There is always a first time, just as recently 

happened in the history of the 

foundry Mannheim of the longtime 

client Daimler AG. In order to meet 

the highest quality criteria and at the 

same time produce very efficiently, for 

the first time a completely new tool 

concept was developed in cooperation 

with a development partner instead of 

building on a tried and tested one. The 

tool should serve the new cylinder head 

core production of the 10.7 l to 15.6 l 

heavy-duty engine platform (HDEP) engine 

generation. Together the partners 

have now created a double-beam core 

mold which not only sets new standards 

in design and quality but at the 

same time significantly reduces the total 

cost of ownership (TCO). 

Daimler was looking for a partner 

with whom it could independently develop 

an innovative tool concept that 

would meet all of the company’s own 

standards and the highest demands in 

subsequent production. As a 

long-standing trusted partner for the 

tool production of cylinder heads, 

among other things, eventually, the 

mold and toolmaker Krämer+Grebe, 

Biedenkopf, Germany, fully convinced. 

Particularly due to their maximum 

flexibility, the use of the latest technologies, 

simulation and production 

methods, an extremely tight timeline 

and a highly demanding development 

loop, Krämer+Grebe was the perfect 

partner for a development project of 

this scale. The goahead was given for 

the joint project to develop a completely 

new and more efficient tool concept. 

The starting point was the existing 

single-core cylinder head mold. From 

there special features of the new concept 

should include double engraving, 

ease of maintenance, functionality 

and robustness. By means of FEM calculations, 

in particular, the latter could 

be guaranteed. A specific focus during 

the tool design was also placed on 

stress reduction and minimization of 

deflection, as well as the analysis of 

various load cases, such as shooting 

head and load carrier. The highlights 

of the entire development process were 

comprehensive core process simulations 

in several development loops, 

which made it possible to redefine bullet 

holes, ejection and venting at an 

early stage of the process. Overall, the 

tool concept is now optimized in such 

a way that it has an extremely positive 

effect on maintenance, lifetime and repairs. 

This is of great importance for 

the new concept, as it extends the production 

cycles, significantly reduces 

the amount of amine required as well 

as the original tool weight by 600 kg. 

An equally faithful process companion 

throughout the entire concept development 

and of high importance for 

the final construction was the decisive 

criterion of minimizing the TCO. According 

to Katrin Grebe, managing director 

of Krämer+Grebe, an essential 

point within every development process, 

still a truly holistic and early focus 

is often considered too rarely. 

Therefore, among other things, also 

the philosophy of using standard parts 

in such developments is crucial for its 

success. This represents not only a 

considerable cost factor but also increases 

the ease of maintenance. Due 

to the overall complexity and amount 

of demands towards the new tool concept, 

hence it is no surprise that the 

cooperation between the two companies 

built on a maximum level of trust 

and continuous exchange of experience. 

As a result, for example, the tool 

was directly adapted to the “State of 

Art Technology” in order to achieve 

the best possible production performance. 

http://kraemer-grebe.de 


KIMURA FOUNDRY 

Foundry adopts SinterCast process control technology 

Kimura Foundry Company, Ltd., a ferrous 

cast metal foundry located in Japan, 

has entered into a technology 

supply agreement with the Swedish 

process control specialist SinterCast 

for Compacted Graphite Iron (CGI) 

product development, prototyping 

and niche volume production. Under 

the terms of the agreement, SinterCast 

will install a Mini-System 3000 at the 

Kimura Foundry located in Shizouka, 

Japan. The Mini-System 3000, which 

is planned to be shipped during November 

and commissioned before 

year-end, will enable Kimura Foundry 

to independently produce high quality 

CGI components for its global customer 

base. 

“Adding CGI casting capability with 

the SinterCast process will position 

Kimura as a leading global casting supplier 

for new product development. 

Together with our Full Mould Process 

and 3D sand printing capabilities, 

global OEMs and partner foundries 

can leverage Kimura’s engineering and 

casting capabilities for short lead-time 

prototype castings, providing design 

engineers with the ability to rapidly 

develop new engine programmes or 

other component applications” said 

Mr. Kazutoshi Kimura, President of 

Kimura Foundry Company, Ltd. “We 

look forward to the CGI installation, 

which will provide an opportunity for 

us to play a key role in the global 

growth of CGI.” 

“The Kimura order reaffirms the 

trend toward CGI for demanding casting 

applications. Kimura will now be 

able to offer complete CGI casting 

solutions for automotive, commercial 

vehicle, and industrial power OEMs for 

prototyping and niche volume production” 

said Dr. Steve Dawson, President 

& CEO of SinterCast. “The Kimura 

installation marks our fourth 

installation in Japan and our twentieth 

installation in Asia. We are pleased 

that our longstanding support of CGI 

development in Asia combined with 

our commitment to local commercial 

and technical support, has led to 

Kimura’s decision to adopt our technology.” 

https://sintercast.com 

BE READY FOR THE INDUSTRY‘S 

BE READY FOR THE INDUSTRY‘S 

MOST 

MOST 

IMPORTANT 

IMPORTANT DATES! 

DATES! 

THE LEADING DIE CASTING SHOWS 

THE LEADING DIE CASTING SHOWS 

euroguss.de/international 

euroguss.de/international 

and more 

to come… 

EUROGUSS 

Germany, Nuremberg 

EUROGUSS euroguss.de 

Germany, Nuremberg 

January 2018 

euroguss.com 

EUROGUSS MEXICO 

Mexico, Guadalajara 

euroguss-mexico.com 

ALUCAST 

India, Greater Noida, 

Delhi, NCR 

alucastexpo.com 

ALUCAST 

India, 

Greater Noida, 

Delhi - NCR 

December 2018 

CHINA 

DIECASTING 

CHINA 

DIECASTING 

China, Shanghai 

19 - 21 July 2017 

China, Shanghai 

diecastexpo.cn/en 

diecastexpo.cn/en 

EUROGUSS ASIA PACIFIC 

Bangkok, Thailand 

euroguss-asiapacific.com 


NEWS 

SCANIA 

That’s how the new foundry in Sweden should look like: Scania is investing around 

150 million euros for this purpose (Photo: Scania). 

Major investment in energy-efficient foundry 

Scania invest about 1.5 billion Swedish 

crowns (around 150 Million euros) in a 

new foundry in Södertälje, Sweden, in 

order to triple production capacity and 

achieve a 50 percent reduction in energy 

consumption compared to the technology 

and methods used in the current 

foundry. The start of construction 

is planned for January 2019. Through 

more efficient materials handling and 

recycling, a sharp reduction will also 

be achieved in the transport need per 

manufactured unit. The foundry will 

be operated using electricity produced 

from renewable energy sources. 

“In the ongoing shift towards a fossil-free 

society, even more energy-efficient 

combustion engines as well as 

combustion engines that operate on 

biofuels and gas will be needed. In particular 

for trucks and buses in long distance 

transport. The new foundry will 

be instrumental in providing such engines,” 

says Ruthger de Vries, Executive 

Vice President, Head of Production 

and Logistics at Scania. 

The investment in a completely new 

foundry is one of Scania’s largest single 

investments in an entirely new industrial 

plant. The investment decision 

was preceded by a comprehensive 

analysis of various alternatives, such as 

increased purchasing from external 

suppliers or a conversion and extension 

of the existing foundry. 

“A completely new plant is the most 

cost-efficient solution and the best alternative 

from an environmental and 

quality standpoint when it comes to 

the future supply of strategically important 

parts for our engine production. 

Through this investment, we will 

also retain important proximity to our 

research and development organization, 

which is concentrated in Södertälje. 

Meanwhile, this means that 

Södertälje will continue to be the hub 

for our European engine production,” 

says de Vries. 

The energy usage per tonne produced 

in the new foundry is expected 

to be 50 percent lower than in the existing 

facility. The largest energy gains 

will be obtained through improvements 

in the casting process and recovery 

of the heat this generates. 

With the introduction of new methods 

for materials handling and recycling, 

transports will also be reduced in 

relation to the number of units produced. 

The largest single energy saving 

will be achieved through recycling of 

the sand used in production of casting 

molds, the cores, where it will be possible 

to recycle 70 percent of the sand. 

The technology used in the current 

foundry does not permit any sand recycling. 

The sand is transported long 

distances by truck. These transports 

will not increase despite a tripling of 

production volume. 

“From a sustainability perspective, 

this means that we will reduce the use 

of a finite resource while the climatic 

impact from sand transports will not 

increase despite a tripling of production 

volume,” says de Vries. 

Scania’s decision to invest in a completely 

new foundry was based on consideration 

of the local environmental 

impact in the form of noise and emissions 

from the operations and also 

from goods transport services. The current 

foundry, which was constructed 

in 1914, is located in an industrial estate 

close to central Södertälje, while 

the new plant will be built in one of 

the outlying areas of the city at Tveta 

industrial estate, situated west of the 

E20 route. 

At full capacity utilization, the new 

foundry will employ the same number 

of people as the existing foundry, i.e. 

almost 200 employees. 

www.scania.com 


FRAUNHOFER IAPT 

Strategic collaboration with Desktop Metal 

The Fraunhofer Research Institution 

for Additive Manufacturing Technologies 

IAPT in Hamburg, Germany, announced 

a strategic collaboration with 

Desktop Metal, Burlington, USA, to 

jointly develop specialty materials for 

use with the Studio System+ for customers 

in the European market. 

As part of the collaboration, Desktop 

Metal will provide its Studio System+ 

to Fraunhofer IAPT with the ability to 

customize materials and parameter 

sets for respective clients. Fraunhofer 

IAPT will offer its own clients as well as 

Desktop Metal customers its services 

using the Studio System+. In addition, 

Desktop Metal will spearhead the 

manufacturing, selling and marketing 

of newly-developed materials, alloys, 

or other consumables developed jointly 

with Fraunhofer IAPT. 

Fraunhofer IAPT brings 17 years of 

experience in 3-D printing technologies 

and 3-D printing market, along 

with a well-established network of industrial 

clients to this partnership. 

The Studio Systemä is the world’s 

first and only office-friendly metal 3-D 

printing system for rapid prototyping. 

Safe and simple to use, the Studio System 

is designed to make metal 3-D 

printing more accessible, enabling design 

and engineering teams to make 

metal parts faster, without the need for 

special facilities, dedicated operators, 

or expensive tooling. This September, 

the company introduced the Studio 

System+, an advanced metal 3-D printing 

system combining all the innovative 

features of the original Studio System 

with even more functionality to 

print small metal parts with higher resolution. 

www.fraunhofer.de/en 

GF CASTING SOLUTION 

Record-high orders for promising e-mobility market in China 

Melting tapping in the light metal foundry in Suzhou (Photo: GF Casting Solutions). 

GF Casting Solutions, a division of GF, 

Schaffhausen, Switzerland, will supply 

a large number of lightweight components 

for a new generation of electric 

vehicles in China. The new contracts 

amount to approx. 370 million Swiss 

Francs (328 million euros) and have 

been placed by Chinese and European 

manufacturers. 

One major order amounts to 235 

million Swiss Francs (208 million euros) 

and contains light metal e-drive 

components for a completely new developed 

e-vehicle platform from a wellknown 

European car manufacturer. 

These lightweight parts will be produced 

at the Suzhou (China) plant of 

GF Casting Solutions as of 2019. This 

large contract is part of a whole series 

of new orders for e-cars which has been 

placed in the last few months for a total 

value of approx. 370 million Swiss 

Francs. 

The high number of new orders underscores 

GF Casting Solutions’ lightweight 

competence in the fast growing 

e-mobility market segment in China. 

Lightweight design is an important 

factor to improve the range of electric 

cars. Already 30 percent of all worldwide 

orders obtained in 2018 by the division 

were for components and solutions 

for hybrid and electric cars. For 

the Chinese market, this ratio exceeds 

50 percent. 

GF Casting Solutions is one of the 

world’s leading solution providers and 

a technologically pioneering development 

partner and manufacturer of 

components for passenger cars, trucks, 

the aerospace and energy segment as 

well as industrial applications. The division 

provides casting solutions in 

iron, aluminum, magnesium and super 

alloys at production plants in Switzerland, 

Germany, Austria, Romania, 

China and the US. 

www.gfcs.com 


NEWS 

RHEINMETALL AUTOMOTIVE 

Large orders from international automaker 

An internationally operating automobile 

group has awarded Düsseldorf-based 

Rheinmetall Group 

large-scale orders for its CWA 400 electrically 

powered pump. The orders, 

placed with Pierburg Pump Technology 

GmbH (Rheinmetall Automotive) 

represent a volume totalling 215 million 

euros. 

Just booked, the transaction involves 

on the one hand the extension of an 

existing contract, and on the other the 

launch of a new engine project. Production 

of the electric coolant pumps 

will take place in Hartha in the German 

state of Saxony. They will be used 

for the main coolant circuit of four-cylinder 

engines with two-litre cubic capacity 

in European and Chinese vehicle 

models. The pumps will be shipped 

to one of the customer’s plants in Europe 

as well as to several of its factories 

in China. 

The variable-flow electric coolant 

pumps enable on-demand control of 

Electric coolant pump CWA 400 from Pierburg (Photo: Rheinmetall Automotive). 

the coolant flow. Depending on ambient 

temperature and engine load, this 

can result in fuel savings of up to four 

percent. Moreover, since they do not 

depend on the engine‘s mechanical 

driveline, these pumps are also perfect 

for hybrid and electric vehicles. A version 

of the pump is also available for 

48-volt electrical systems. 

www.rheinmetall-automotive.com/en 

GF CASTING SOLUTIONS 

Divestment of two European automotive iron foundries 

The trend towards lighter vehicles 

continues to have a substantial impact 

on the automotive industry. In 

this context, GF Casting Solutions, a 

division of GF, will have a stronger focus 

on light metal casting whilst reducing 

its presence in iron casting in 

Europe. As a consequence, the iron 

casting plants located in Singen and 

Mettmann (both Germany) have been 

divested to members of the management 

of GF Casting Solutions, effective 

retroactively as of 1 December 

2018. This portfolio reshaping and 

the resulting regional footprint adaptation 

are fully in line with GF‘s 2020 

strategy. The strategic EBIT margin 

objectives will be increased to 9-10 %. 

The transaction is profit neutral. 

The fast growing demand for aluminum 

and magnesium castings worldwide 

calls for a sustained increase of 

GFs presence in this sector. Accordingly, 

GF Casting Solutions is building up 

new capacities in the US, Romania and 

China whilst extending its offering towards 

ready-to-mount parts. Moreover, 

the division is investing into its 

promising super alloy com-ponents 

business for aircraft engines and industrial 

gas turbines, following the acquisition 

of Precicast Industrial Holding 

SA, Switzerland, in April 2018. 

In line with this portfolio re-focusing, 

the two iron casting plants in Singen 

and Mettmann with a dedicated 

workforce of 2,000 employees and a 

combined sales of approx. 620 million 

Swiss Francs (550 million euros) have 

been acquired by Fondium B.V. & Co. 

KG, Mettmann. GF remains a 20 % investor 

for a transition period. Both parties 

agreed not to disclose the transaction 

price. 

Fondium B.V. & Co. KG has been 

founded by three current managers of 

GF Casting Solutions, Achim Schneider, 

Arnd Potthoff and Matthias Blumentrath. 

The three Executives have 

together more than 40 years of experience 

in the industry. The new owners 

will continue all operating activities at 

the facilities. 

Achim Schneider, co-owner and 

spokesman of the Fondium Group, 

states: “With Fondium we create an agile, 

owner-operated automotive supplier 

with a clear market focus. We are 

looking forward to create a successful 

future together with our 2,000 employees.” 

www.georgfischer.com 


STRIKOWESTOFEN 

Furnace system upgrade worthwhile even after 15 years 

Foundries should take note of a small 

detail with a great effect: a melting 

shaft that is filled at all times is crucial 

for achieving the optimum energy 

consumption. Filling level monitoring 

using laser technology in the 

StrikoMelter melting furnaces of the 

StrikoWestofenGroup, Gummersbach, 

Germany, achieves a measurable increase 

in energy efficiency. Just by retrofitting 

four 15-year-old StrikoMelter 

systems, the Czech automaker Skoda 

Auto A.S. was able to reduce its energy 

consumption considerably: “The continuous 

filling of the shaft made possible 

by the integrated laser scanner has 

increased the energy efficiency to the 

point where we have been able to reduce 

our gas consumption by around 

ten percent per system,” explains Holger 

Stephan, manager of the Sales Support 

and Service department at StrikoWestofen. 

More than 95 percent of the operating 

costs for melting furnace operators 

are a result of energy consumption and 

metal losses. This makes measures designed 

to increase the energy efficiency 

especially worthwhile. That they 

are an extremely good idea even for 

15-year-old StrikoMelter systems is 

proved by the automaker Skoda Auto 

A.S. in Mladá Boleslav (Czech Republic): 

here four StrikoMelter systems 

were retrofitted with the shaft laser for 

the first time in 2014 as part of a comprehensive 

modernization concept. 

This in conjunction with relining has 

allowed the company to reduce the gas 

consumption per tonne of molten aluminium 

by about ten percent. “The 

one-off purchase costs are usually recovered 

after only a few months”, 

Stephan explains. “Today the laser 

scanner is one of the most frequently 

sold modernization options, making it 

one of our bestsellers!” 

The fact that StrikoWestofen can 

guarantee an especially low energy 

consumption worldwide for its melting 

furnace systems is mainly due to the 

special geometry of melting chamber 

and shaft. This is because the hot waste 

By retrofitting filling level monitoring and carrying out relining, it is possible to reduce 

the energy consumption of old StrikoMelter systems by up to ten percent (Photo: StrikoWestofen). 

gases from the melting process are used 

to preheat the melting material in the 

EtaMax shaft prior to the actual melting 

process. The standard version of 

the StrikoMelter thus includes a heat 

recovery system. The laser beam scans 

the filling area of the melting shaft and 

permanently monitors the filling level. 

When there is no melting material left 

in the upper part of the shaft, the filling 

process is initiated automatically. 

This optimum coordination reduces 

the energy consumption dramatically. 

Virtually all StrikoMelter systems 

can be retrofitted with the shaft laser. 

The StrikoWestofen modernization 

program also offers many more additional 

options for sustainably increasing 

the performance level of existing 

systems. Also, made-to-measure training 

programs show operators how to 

get the most out of their melting systems 

with the help of optimum adjustment 

and the correct filling ratio. 

www.strikowestofen.com/en-gb 


BROCHURES 

Sand coolers 

4 pages, English 

A brochure featuring the vibrating fluid bed sand coolers offered by JML. The coolers 

have a maximum throughput capacity of 260 t/h and a cooling capacity that allows sand 

of 120 °C to be cooled down to 35 – 40 °C. 

www.JML-industrie.com 

New flask concept for hand-molded castings 


This brochure describes the ECO-FORM flask concept and its key advantages. These 

include reduction of molding sand requirement, shorter cooling and throughput 

times, and less space requirements in the molding shop. ECO-FORM is a division of GUT 

Giesserei Umwelt Technik. 

www.eco-form.de 

Carbon and sulphur analysis 


A product brochure setting out the features of the G4 Icarus carbon and sulphur analyzer 

developed by Bruker Elemental. The analyzer comes with a high-frequency induction 

furnace, which combusts the samples in an oxygen stream. The reaction gases CO 2 

and 

SO 2 

are measured by NDIR detectors. The analysis and evaluation software is clearly 

structured and easy to use. 

www.bruker-elemental.com 

Gas cleaning 

6-page leaflet, English 

In this leaflet, Standartkessel Baumgarte summarizes process engineering solutions for 

waste gas, exhaust air and flue gas cleaning. It sets out the processes of condensation 

and catalysis, and combinations of the two, used to recover pollutants and solvents. 

www.standardkessel.de 


Company profile 


A company profile of minerals group Imerys, providing business data, an overview of 

the company’s global locations and their respective focus of activities, and the main 

business fields. Imerys acts across a wide range of industries and markets, such as steelmaking 

and metallurgy, automotive, energy, construction, etc. 

www.imerys.com 

Deburring and cleaning 


A description of the deburring and cleaning plants as well as job cleaning and deburring 

services offered by Piller Entgrattechnik. Burrs, chips, silicates, etc are reliably 

removed in a high-pressure water jet process. 

www.piller-online.com 

Refractory process technology 


A brochure describing the patented ancorro process, as a result of which refractories 

employed in high-temperature processes become more stable and durable. The core 

element of the process is a special surface treatment that generates a beading effect on 

the surface of porous refractory components. 

www.ancorro.de 

Refractories 


A company brochure setting out the range of activities of Seven Refractories. The company 

supplies key industries such as iron and steel, aluminium, foundries, furnace engineering 

and power generation. It is present worldwide with own facilities and agencies. 

www.sevenrefractories.com 


INTERNATIONAL FAIRS AND CONGRESSES 

Fairs and Congresses 

Advertisers´ Index CPT 4/2018 

IFEX 2019 

January, 18-20, 2019, Delhi, India 

www.ifexindia.com 

Metal + Metallurgy China 

March, 13-16, 2019, Shanghai, China 

www.mm-china.com/en 

Asiamold 

March, 10-12, 2019, Guangzhou, China 

https://asiamold-china.cn.messefrankfurt.com 

Aluminium Two Thousand 

April, 9-13, 2019, Treviso, Italy 

www.aluminium2000.com 

Castexpo 2019 

April, 27-30, 2019, Atlanta, USA 

www.afsinc.org/tradeshows/castexpo-2019 

Hannover Messe 

May, 1-5, 2019, Hanover, Germany 

www.hannovermesse.de 

GIFA 2019 

June, 25-29, 2019, Düsseldorf, Germany 

www.gifa.com 

Admar Group, Ocala, FL/USA 31 

AGTOS Gesellschaft für technische Oberflächensysteme 

mbH, Emsdetten/Germany 9 

ExOne GmbH, Gersthofen/Germany 25 

Hüttenes-Albertus Chemische Werke GmbH, 

Düsseldorf/GermanyBC 

INTERALL Srl, Modena/Italy 21 

Nürnberg Messe GmbH, Nürnberg/Germany 51 

Regloplas AG, St. Gallen/Switzerland 11 

Simpson Technologies GmbH, 

Euskirchen/Germany37 


PREVIEW / / IMPRINT 

Preview of the next issue 

Publication date: March 2019 

A A large part of of the the workforce in in 

the the iron foundry in in Dinklage is is 

older than 50 50 years. So So far, far, the the 

company does not have enough 

offspring like Mario Faiss (right) 

to to be be prepared for for the the future. 

(Photo: Andreas Bednareck) 

Selection of of topics: 

R. R. Piterek: Full order books –– scarce human resources 

The iron foundry Dinklage in in the the German state of of Lower Saxony manufactures counterweights for for the the forklift industry 

using the the hand-molding process. Business is is booming, but but the the required capacity expansion is is jeopardized by by staff shortages. 

S. S. Kesy: Special pre-shredder reduces scrap in in aluminium foundry 

In In the the light alloy foundry of of BMW in in Landshut all all scrap products such as as punching waste and sprue systems are are remelted. 

Now a a supplier designed a a plant that enabled the the collection and shredding of of aluminium waste directly from the the press. 

P. P. Reichen: Characterizing the cooling capacity of of pulsed air air in in die casting molds 

Today, inserts with conformal cooling channels just below the the surface are are applied ever more frequently in in die die casting molds. 

Due to to their high cooling efficiency a a new cooling concept based on on air/water multiphase flow has has been investigated. 

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Casting Plant && Technology 44 / 2018 / 59 59

CPT International 04/2018

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