CPT_E_Paper_02_03_2024

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WITH SUPPLIERS GUIDE 

August 

2024 

2-3 

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HÜTTENTAG 

Get-together of the Steel Industry 

BE PART OF IT: NOVEMBER 19, 2024 

KEYNOTE-SPEAKER: 

Kerstin Maria Rippel 

Wirtschaftsvereinigung Stahl 

Werner Diwald 

Deutscher Wasserstoff-Verband (DWV) e.V. 

Dr. Alexander Becker, CEO GMH-Group 

ArcelorMittal 

EXHIBITORS AND SPONSORS 

CONTACT: 

EVENT ORGANISER:

EDITORIAL 

A plea for Europe 

The Foundry Technology Conference 2024 in Salzburg – 25 specialist presentations 

in front of more than 600 participants, an attractive and well-booked 

trade exhibition exhibition – and two keynote speeches plus a panel discussion, 

which formed the main framework. 

Photo: BDG 

Martin Vogt 

Editor-in-chief 

e-mail: martin.vogt@bdguss.de 

If it is the sign of a good event that it 

causes a kind of thought overload in 

the brain, then the Foundry Technology 

Conference 2024 in Salzburg was 

actually a very good event. From the ten 

technical presentations alone, which I 

myself moderated in the “Non-ferrous 

metal casting” and “Digitalization” sessions, 

it was certainly possible to identify 

three dozen keywords that outline 

the typical specialist topics of our industry 

very well. From mold steels, aluminum 

alloys and the core production of 

the future to casting defects, braking 

systems, resource efficiency and digitalization. 

So technical, so good – although 

this is to be expected at an event that is 

essentially a lecture event with parallel 

sessions in several halls. 

If you could call the lecture program 

the duty, the framework takes on the 

character of freestyle. Futurologist 

Franz Kühmayer and energy expert 

Prof. Karl Rose proclaimed unpleasant 

truths in their keynote speeches, but 

also spoke highly of our industry (our 

report on Salzburg with a detailed 

appraisal of the specialist presentations 

in this issue). Thus, the speakers – neither 

of whom were explicitly foundry 

experts – stated in general business 

terms that complaining does not help. 

Credo: Entrepreneurs are called entrepreneurs 

because they do something. 

Rose was also not sparing in his criticism 

of the political establishment in view of 

the supposed deafness that medium-sized 

businesses face from the political 

establishment in the form of more and 

more bureaucracy and a general deterioration 

in framework conditions. „It‘s a 

systemic issue. Only charismatic individuals 

can change the system“. 

However, both experts also emphasized 

how great Europe is as a business 

location despite all the criticism. Kühmayer 

said: “Europe is an area that is 

the envy of the world”. It is indeed a 

community of values – key words are 

democracy and human rights. Europe is 

solidarity in action, legal certainty and 

stability – with a social model in which 

freedom and responsibility are in balance. 

And the futurologist uttered 

words that were balm to the soul of 

every participant and could be the stuff 

of image campaigns. “If you want to be 

happy, go into the SME sector. This is 

still fast, genuine entrepreneurship with 

which you can achieve a lot. They are 

speedboats, so to speak”. 

The tenor of the two external 

observers of our economy: the potential 

is there and it is huge. It is up to the 

individual entrepreneur to make the 

most of it. Courage and dynamism, 

openness to ideas and sometimes 

uncomfortable employees – these are 

the potentials. Seen in this light, the 

conference has clearly strengthened the 

industry. 

Have a good read! 

CASTING PLANT & TECHNOLOGY 2-3/2024 3

CONTENTS 

FEATURES 

10 ALUMINUM WHEELS 

Sustainable and cost-efficient production 

with secondary alloys 

Promoting the sustainable production of aluminum 

wheels is the aim of the SUPAWheel 

research project. 

Tobias Beyer, Robert Kleinhans 

15 IRON CASTING 

Experiences with innovative hot-air 

curing binder 

Heated mold boxes have proven their worth in 

large-scale production. Hot air curing offers a 

cheaper alternative that is also suitable for smaller 

batches. 

Hartmut Polzin, Theo Kooyers 

20 SAND RECLAMATION 

MAGNESIUM 

Repair using laser 

cladding. 

STEEL MELTS 

Clean steel casting 

at ultra low pouring 

tempertures. 

Reclamation of used sand secures the 

future of the site 

The reclamation of used sand ensures greater 

sustainability by increasing the recycling rate, 

reducing the volume of transport and lowering 

the CO 2 

emissions. 

Alexander Dornhöfer, Kevin Grebe 

25 MAGNESIUM DIE CASTING 

Additive manufacturing as a pioneering 

repair technology 

By using special alloys, repairs should be achieved 

without a change in diameter, additionally leading 

to a better wear resistance and an increasing 

number of possible casting cycles. 

Marie Bode, Gerhard Schoch 

IRON CASTING 

High-quality, inorganically 

bonded cores 

can also be produced 

without a heated 

core box. 

4

CONTENTS 

FEEDING 

Thermal analysis 

system for quantifying 

different supply ranges. 

28 FEEDING 

Impact of modifier and grain refiner on 

the feeding effectivity 

First time under industrial conditions, operators 

at the foundry floors will be capable to control the 

impact of master alloys additions on the feeding 

effectivity of cast aluminum alloys. 

Olivier Dünkelmann, Mile B. Djurdjevic, Robin 

Unland, Julian Schröter 

36 STEEL MELTS 

Clean steel castings at ultra low pouring 

temperatures 

This article describes a new technique for 

improving the quality of steel melts in the ladle 

prior to pouring. 

David Hrabina. Colin Powell, Dalibor Čáp, 

Milan Turták, Jiří Kolár 

44 COMPANY 

German ship propellers for the largest 

ships in the world 

Mecklenburger Metallguss is spcialized in the 

large-scale production and international distribution 

of ship propellers. 

Christian Thieme 

50 GGT 2024 

”Salzburg has committed us“ 

GGT 2024 – an extremely successful event, 

organized by the foundry associations of Austria, 

Germany and Switzerland. 

Kristina Krüger, Martin Vogt, Monika Wirth 

COMPANY 

MMG is confidently 

looking to the future 

and is expanding its 

portfolio by introducing 

new product 

lines. 

COLUMNS 

3 EDITORIAL 

6 NEWS IN BRIEF 

59 SUPPLIERS GUIDE 

65 FAIRS AND CONGRESSES/AD INDEX 

66 PREVIEW/IMPRINT 


NEWS 

TEXMO BLANK 

John Deere „Partner-level Supplier” 

Texmo Blank was recognized as a “Partner-level 

Supplier” for 2023 and inducted 

into the “Supplier Hall of Fame” of 

the John Deere Achieving Excellence 

Program. 

Hall of Fame status is awarded when a 

supplier has achieved Partner status for 

five consecutive years. Partner status is 

Deere & Company’s highest supplier 

rating. Employees of family-owned 

Texmo Blank, which has exported investment 

casting products around the world 

for more than 60 years, accepted the 

award during a ceremony on April 10 

and 11 in East Moline, Illinois. 

Suppliers participating in the Achieving 

Excellence program are evaluated 

annually in several key performance 

categories, including quality, delivery, 

process alignment, value creation and 

business relationship. John Deere Supply 

Management established the program 

in 1991 to create a supplier evaluation 

and feedback process that 

promotes continuous improvement. 

www.texmoblank.com 

Texmo Blank earns recognition as a 

John Deere Partner-level Supplier. 

Would you like us to include your 

press information in our News 

section? 

Then please send your reports to: 

redaktion@bdguss.de 

Photo: Texmo 

BINDER JET 3D PRINTING 

Now available with aluminum and titanium 

Desktop Metall‘s P-1 production system, 

which uses Single Pass Jetting 

(SPJ) technology, is now offered with 

an optional Reactive Safety Kit, which 

also enables the safe 3D printing of 

ultra-fine titanium and aluminum 

powders. 

The Desktop Metal Production System 

P-1 is a binder jet 3D printing system 

that is capable of processing 17 metals. 

It features ATEX-rated components, as 

well as critical hardware and software 

updates to ensure the highest level of 

safety. However, a Reactive Safety Kit is 

required for printing titanium and aluminum. 

“Titanium and aluminum are two of 

the most frequently requested materials 

at Desktop Metal, and we’re proud to 

say that we can now offer a commercial 

3D printer with the necessary safety 

features to binder jet 3D print these 

materials”, said Ric Fulop, Founder and 

CEO of Desktop Metal. 

www.desktopmetal.com 

The Safety Kit enables 3D printing of ultra-fine titanium and aluminum powders. 

Photo: Desktop Metal 

6

Photo: James Durrans 

The Carbon International Ltd. plant 

in Sasolburg. 

JAMES DURRANS GROUP 

5th anniversary in South Africa 

On March 18, the James Durrans Group 

in Sasolburg celebrated the 5th anniversary 

of its subsidiary Carbon International 

Trading. 

In South Africa, coal liquefaction plants 

operated by the predominantly stateowned 

company SASOL supply more 

than 50 percent of the liquid fuels used 

there. Among other things, these plants 

produce green coke, i.e. coke that has 

not been heat-treated or calcined. Carbon 

International Ltd. calcines this 

green wax coke using vertical shaft calcination 

(VSK), which was developed in 

Europe around 1920. 

In order to avoid dependence on 

China and generate jobs and income in 

South Africa, the decision was made to 

build a VSK plant in South Africa, which 

began operations in 2019. The financing 

of the project was supported by 

the shareholders of the Durrans Group, 

Christopher and Nicholas Durrans. An 

anchor customer was also found in the 

MAT Foundry Group. The advantages of 

the product – low sulphur and nitrogen 

values and high C-solubility – should 

also convince other potential customers 

such as automotive foundries. In order 

to provide independent data, the 

Foundry Institute at the Technical University 

of Freiberg, Germany, headed by 

Prof. Gotthard Wolf and Dr. Claudia 

Dommaschk, carried out extensive research 

and development work. 

The plant was quickly able to 

achieve its capacity utilization target 

and today sells a diverse product portfolio 

to various metallurgical industries 

and specialty graphite producers (60 % 

export, 40 % domestic). Although it 

produces carbon, the resulting processes 

and products make a significant contribution 

to the decarbonization of the 

industry. For example, only 200 kWh/t 

of electricity is required to produce calcined 

wax coke, but up to 3000 kWh/t is 

needed to produce graphite suitable for 

casting. 

The company looks to the future 

with confidence. A state-of-the-art 

laboratory was put into operation at 

the Sasolburg site in 2023. Here, test 

series can be carried out to ensure that 

a product meets the specifications 

requested by the customer, e.g. the 

determination of ash content and volatile 

components using muffle furnaces, 

the moisture content using a drying 

oven, sulfur and nitrogen values using 

equipment provided for this purpose 

and the particle size distribution using a 

mechanical sieving machine. 

„The VSK plant is extremely energy 

efficient and self-sufficient, as it does 

not require external energy sources 

such as electricity or gas to cover the 

required heat demand. In addition, the 

indirect heating of the green coke 

material avoids the risk of burning off 

finer material, which minimizes calcination 

losses. The fines are not only not 

burned but agglomerated, which 

further increases the overall yield of calcined 

coke and coarse sorting compared 

to green coke feeding. ... The operation 

currently produces no process waste 

and much of the electricity consumed 

by the plant is generated by our own 

solar PV system“, explained Stefan Pfeffer, 

Director of CI-Trading (Pty) Ltd. at 

the anniversary celebration. 

www.durransgroup.com 


NEWS 

CASTFAST FOR FOUNDRIES 

Ultra-fast moulds on demand 

German printed casting platform Castfast 

is inviting foundries to experience 

the many benefits of a patternless casting 

process – without having to invest 

in 3D sand printing equipment. Aluminum, 

iron and steel foundries can 

now buy 3D-printed molds directly 

online and then pour them in-house. 

Many foundries have already invested 

in 3D sand printing to dramatically 

speed up the production of castings – 

especially one-offs, small series or 

initial runs – by skipping the time-intensive 

and expensive pattern making process. 

For those foundries who don’t yet 

have a 3D sand printer, Castfast is offering 

the facility to order just the molds 

and/or cores through the Castfast platform, 

via a simple form with instant 

quote and projected delivery date. 

Initially set up to offer casting buyers 

a better, faster, more digital way of procuring 

high-quality castings, the Castfast 

team have seen an unexpectedly high 

volume of enquiries from foundries 

interested in buying molds. Marcel 

Tschillaev, Product Lead at CASTFAST, 

explains: “Our mission at Castfast is to 

accelerate the adoption of 3D sand printing 

among small and medium-sized 

foundries and revolutionize access to 

great quality castings. The patternless 

process enabled by sand printing is 

exactly what the foundry industry needs 

– and what casting buyers want. It 

offers agility, flexibility and precision, 

and allows us to digitize parts of the 

foundry process that have never been 

digitized before”. 

DEBURRINGEXPO 

Now part of the Parts Finishing 

trade fair 

DeburringEXPO will no longer be an independent event, but will be incorporated 

into the new Parts Finishing trade fair, which will therefore be held for the first 

time in Karlsruhe, Germany, on November 12 and 13, 2025. 

The current changes in the economy and society are not without impact on the 

trade fair landscape. „After many discussions with DeburringEXPO exhibitors and 

intensive observation of the development of various trade fairs, we have decided 

to no longer hold the trade fair for deburring technologies as a stand-alone 

event“, reports Hartmut Herdin, Managing Director of the private trade fair organizer 

fairXperts. „In future, the topic of deburring technologies will be bundled 

together with the areas of component cleaning and surface finishing in the new, 

two-day Parts Finishing trade fair“. As many companies interested in the trade 

fair had already completed their trade fair planning, it was decided to postpone 

the start of the new event by one year. 

www.parts-finishing.de 

ASK CHEMICALS GROUP 

New CEO 

On March 20, ASK Chemicals announced 

that Luiz Totti is the new CEO of the 

Group with immediate effect. 

Luiz Totti has been with ASK Chemicals 

for more than 11 years, having demonstrated 

remarkable leadership and vision 

during his tenure with the company. Prior 

to his appointment as CEO, he held several 

key positions within ASK Chemicals, 

including Managing Director for South 

America, Executive Vice President (EVP) Americas and EVP for Asia. His extensive 

experience and successful track in these roles have been pivotal in expanding the 

company‘s footprint and strengthening its competitive advantage in the global 

marketplace. 

Prior to joining ASK Chemicals, Luiz Totti worked for renowned companies 

such as Akzo Nobel and PPG, where he held various leadership positions. 

www.ask-chemicals.com 

A sand mold from Castfast. 

The printed casting process doesn’t 

need a pattern. Sand molds are “printed” 

by selectively binding layers of 

sand. The mold is built up layer by layer, 

based on a 3D print file that can be created 

from drawings. The process is faster 

than traditional methods with a permanent 

pattern, and more precise than 

and superior to other fast alternatives, 

like full mold casting. The Castfast team 

then works with the foundry to plan 

the mold along with the gating system, 

risers, any other mold parts they need. 

The molds are then printed (currently in 

Mainz, Germany) and shipped for pouring. 

Foundries interested in buying a 

mold or cores can securely upload a 3D 

drawing of the required part or simply 

give the rough dimensions to get an 

instant cost indication and delivery time 

frame and start the order. 

www.castfast.de 

Photo: Castfast 

8

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ALUMINUM WHEELS 

Photo: Fotolia 

Joint project SUPA-Wheel for aluminum wheels 

Sustainable and cost-efficient 

production with secondary alloys 

Promoting the sustainable production of aluminum wheels is the aim of the SUPA- 

Wheel (Sustainable Production of Aluminum Wheels) research project. For the joint 

project at the Dortmund University of Applied Sciences, the companies Borbet GmbH, 

Trimet Aluminium SE, Jordan Spritzgusstechnik and the Fraunhofer Institute for Foundry, 

Composite and Processing Technology (IGCV) have joined forces to develop a wheel that 

meets the technical, economic and ecological requirements of manufacturers for different 

drive systems. 

By Tobias Beyer, Robert Kleinhans 

To this end, the partners are developing 

a cross-industry and 

cross-material development and 

design methodology with which the 

carbon footprint of a product can be 

calculated at the beginning and during 

the product development process and 

optimized if necessary. CO 2 

emissions 

are to be reduced and, where possible, 

avoided. SUPA-Wheel was launched at 

the beginning of 2023 and should be 

completed by the end of 2025. 

Use of recycled materials 

The use of single-origin recycled material 

can significantly improve the carbon 

footprint of aluminum wheels, for 

example if only used wheels from the 

same manufacturer are used in production. 

What seems like an ideal material 

cycle, however, reduces the potential of 

recycling rates and hardly allows for 

dynamic development. A better option 

is to also make aluminum scrap available 

for use outside the specific product 

cycle. This requires the recycling material 

to be sorted in advance using laserbased 

spectroscopic online measurement 

processes. This is because the use 

of any recycling material without prior 

spectroscopic sorting influences the 

properties of the aluminum and thus 

the characteristic values. For this reason, 

the recycling process at the wheel manufacturer 

and the aluminum supplier 

must be considered separately and in 

combination. The aim here is to select 

10

Tabelle 1: Alloy compositions of pre-alloyed A365 (AlSi7Mg0.3) and four derivatives based on it. 

Alloy Si [wt.%] Fe [wt.%] Cu [wt.%] Mn [wt.%] Mg [wt.%] Zn [wt.%] Others [wt.%] 

300-0140 7.18 0.11 0.01 0.03 0.30 0.01 92.36 

300-0141 7.17 0.15 0.05 0.05 0.31 0.09 92.18 

300-0142 7.18 0.35 0.09 0.09 0.30 0.09 91.90 

300-0143 7.22 0.35 0.15 0.14 0.31 0.14 91.69 

300-0144 7.27 0.52 0.29 0.28 0.31 0.30 91.03 

the optimum solution that takes into 

account CO 2 

emissions as well as material 

requirements and costs. 

Wheel design is a key factor influencing 

the optimum material design. At 

the same time, the design depends on 

the material properties. For example, 

the material composition can change 

the strength. An adapted wheel design 

can compensate for this effect, but may 

lead to an increase in wheel mass, 

which increases the amount of material 

used and therefore fuel consumption 

during operation. The consequence 

would be increased rather than reduced 

CO 2 

emissions. It is therefore also 

important to find a compromise here 

that avoids effects in the production 

processes that cause CO 2 

emissions. 

Changes to the material composition 

can affect the manufacturing temperatures 

and times, the casting temperature 

and solidification time, the temperature 

and duration of solution 

annealing and heat treatment. Such 

changes to the process affect CO 2 

emissions 

and thus life cycle emissions, the 

minimization of which is the goal of 

optimization. The research project 

examines these different aspects as a 

multidimensional influence matrix with 

regard to the best combination. 

Making life cycle analysis usable for 

product development 

Minimizing CO 2 

emissions over the 

entire life cycle from development and 

production through the use phase to 

recycling, is a social concern and a 

requirement of car manufacturers. This 

is why the project not only focuses on 

the CO 2 

emissions in the life cycle of the 

wheel to be developed, but also integrates 

the life cycle analysis (LCA) into 

the development process. This means 

that the LCA can also be incorporated 

into future product development. In 

addition to the process, the project 

partners also want to develop an 

LCA-optimized recycling material for 

cast alloys (for example by recycling 

end-of-life scrap) that offers optimal 

material characteristics for a heavily 

loaded component with high demands 

Fig. 1: Sample geometry 

on surface quality and acoustic properties. 

Trimet is responsible for the development, 

characterization and production 

of recyclable materials and recycled 

material-based materials for the production 

of wheels using the low-pressure 

casting process (LP casting). 

Using a DoE-based development 

methodology, equilibrium, microstructure 

and property simulations, laboratory 

casts and specific heat treatments 

are evaluated. Subsequent property 

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PHOTOS and GRAPHICS: Trimet, Fraunhofer IGCV 

Fig. 2: Microstructural properties for the F and T6 state of 300-0140. 

Fig. 3: Microstructural properties for the F and T6 state of 300-0144. 

Fig. 4: Yield and tensile strength. 

screening makes it possible to iteratively 

approach the alloy that optimally 

meets the requirements. In addition to 

appropriate pre-treatment and cleaning 

measures for the material, the various 

development alloys are melted and 

the maximum possible proportion of 

recycled material is determined. In 

addition, Trimet investigates alloying 

measures in order to map the required 

property profile. Trimet then produces 

the most promising alloys on a preseries 

and production scale using continuous 

casting. The project partners 

then process the alloys further on the 

corresponding scale using LP casting. 

The overarching aim of the sub-project 

is to gain a fundamental understanding 

of the relevant interactions 

between process parameters and their 

effects on the technological properties 

12

Fig. 5: Brinell hardness and elongation at break. 

of the secondary materials along the 

entire process chain. 

In order to prove the suitability of 

scrap material especially for low-pressure 

cast wheels in particular, Trimet 

and the Fraunhofer IGCV have investigated 

defined alloy compositions. The 

aim was to understand the effect of 

increased concentrations of previously 

undesirable alloying elements. The 

influence of increased amounts of Fe, 

Cu and Zn was evaluated with particular 

consideration of phase formation. 

The design of the alloys was based on 

the recommendations for compensating 

for undesirable side effects caused by 

the alloying elements introduced. The 

aim was to achieve an Fe:Mn ratio of 

2:1 [1]; while at the same time taking 

into account J. A. Taylor’s recommendations 

on the critical Fe content for AlSibased 

alloys [2]. A combined approach 

of thermodynamic calculation, microstructural 

investigation and mechanical 

testing was used to demonstrate the 

suitability and at the same time reveal 

the microstructural origins of the 

observed effects. The test results provide 

initial answers to the question of 

whether targeted heat treatment can 

compensate for the formation of harmful 

phases. 

Pre-alloyed A365 (AlSi7Mg0.3) and 

four derivatives based on it were produced 

by permanent mold casting with 

different compositions (table 1). Samples 

for static tensile tests (shape B6x30 

according to DIN 50125, manufactured 

by CNC turning) and samples for microscopic 

analyses (height 15 mm, diameter 

20 mm) were taken from cast rods (fig. 

1). The samples were examined in the 

as-cast state (F) and in the heat-treated 

state (T6). On the basis of the light 

microscopic examination, the greatest 

differences were found between the 

low-alloy variant 300-0140 and the 

high-alloy variant 300-0144. The microstructural 

properties for the F and T6 

condition of 300-0140 (fig. 2) show a 

typical cast microstructure with a finely 

distributed Al-Si eutectic between the 

dendrites. It seems that only one dominant 

Fe-rich phase can be detected in 

the form of the Mg-rich π-phase. 

Cu-rich and Zn-rich phases were not 

detected. In the T6 state, a more homogeneous 

structure with incorporated Si 

particles is recognizable. The π-phase 

can no longer be found, but small 

b-phase networks are present. Cu- and 

Zn-rich phases were also not detected in 

this state. 

In the alloy variant 300-0144 (fig. 3), 

the eutectic region of the material in 

the F-state appears to be dominated by 

larger a- or b-phase platelets, in contrast 

to 300-0140. The Al-Si eutectic 

appears to have a similar structure, but 

with a lower overall phase fraction. It 

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was found that the π-phase has a lower 

phase fraction than the other Fe phases 

and is not as dominant as in variant 

300-0140. In addition, there is also evidence 

of Cu phases, which are Thetaphases. 

They are surrounded by a fringe 

that can be identified as a Theta-phase 

in terms of composition. Zn-rich phases 

were not detected. Compared to the 

as-cast state, a homogeneous distribution 

of Mg, Cu and Zn can be seen in 

the T6 state. This indicates that the 

phases containing Mg and Cu have dissolved. 

There are still recognizable a- 

and b-phases, some of which occur in 

combination with Cu. However, the 

b-phases present appear to be less 

affected by the homogenization. 

Iron affects the mechanical 

properties 

The tests also provided information 

about the mechanical properties. The 

added alloying elements cause an 

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Fig. 6: Ductility. 

increase in the yield strength R p0.2 

and 

tensile strength R m 

in the as-cast state 

(fig. 4). This behavior does not occur in 

the T6 condition. A similar behavior of 

the alloy variants can also be observed 

in the results of the Brinell hardness 

measurement (fig. 5). In the as-cast condition, 

the elongation at break is halved 

from just under 15 % in the base alloy 

to 8 % in the high-alloy variant. Similar 

behavior can be observed for the T6 

condition, with the values determined 

falling from an initial 9 % to 4 %. 

Regardless of the alloy variant, HBW, 

R p0.2 

and R m 

remain almost unaffected 

in the T6 state, but the characteristic 

values in the F state increase slightly 

with increasing Fe content. Fe has the 

greatest influence on A in both the F 

and T6 states. An Fe:Mn ratio of 2:1 

could not convert the majority of 

b-phases into a-phases, as recommended 

in the literature [1]. Following 

Taylor [2], a critical Fe content of 0.475 

wt.% can be determined for the present 

AlSi7Mg0.3 alloy. Taylor describes 

this limit as the point at which the 

b-phase forms before the fcc-Al solid 

solution, which can lead to uncontrolled 

growth of Fe-rich phases. Especially 

in 300-0144, whose Fe content is 

above the limit suggested by Taylor, it 

seems hardly possible to distinguish the 

b- and a-phases on the basis of microscopic 

shape alone. This raises the question 

of whether the limits of Mn for the 

conversion of b-phases into a-phases 

have been reached. 

The T6 process used is suitable for 

most of the samples examined, but can 

still be optimized. Adaptation is particularly 

necessary to ensure that a material 

such as 300-0144 also has a microstructure 

that leads to higher elongation. 

Other well-known microstructural 

mechanisms such as the rounding of Si 

particles and the dissolution of Cu-rich 

phases can be achieved with the 

selected T6 process regardless of the 

alloy variant. Finally, the increased Zn 

appears to have only a negligible effect 

on the mechanical properties and does 

not form any harmful phases. The 

investigations carried out have confirmed 

that Fe has a major influence on 

the mechanical properties. The ductility 

in particular decreases with increasing 

Fe content (fig. 6). The influence of Cu 

and Zn is low compared to Fe. This is 

particularly important in view of the 

increasing use of scrap material with 

higher Fe concentrations for the production 

of primary alloys as scrap-based 

alloys. 

Outlook 

The knowledge gained forms the basis 

for the iterative production of further 

diverse secondary alloys on a laboratory 

scale, which also target the combination 

of parameters in the manufacturing 

process. These include melt purification 

measures and adjustable recycling 

content as well as the use of additional 

alloying elements to optimize or compensate 

for material properties. 

Homogenization and heat treatment 

parameters are also being developed. 

Around 30 iteration steps are planned 

in the calculation. All the variants produced 

are then compared and checked 

again for their suitability for the continuation 

of the project. In addition to 

hardness measurement, microstructural 

analysis, static tensile testing and other 

assessment methods, dynamic material 

tests will also be carried out. Further 

project steps include the testing of optical 

properties as well as casting properties 

(Sipp casting spiral, star mold) and 

corrosion properties. The aim is to produce 

a low-pressure casting mold for 

the demonstrator, cast the demonstrator 

taking into account the production 

parameters and then produce the 

wheels on a pre-series scale. 

The finished prototype then undergoes 

a durability test and modal analysis 

on the test bench and is put through 

its paces on a test track. 

The authors would like to thank the 

Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs 

and Climate Protection, which is financially 

supporting the research activities 

as part of the SUPA-Wheel project 

(03LB2054) through a resolution of the 

German Bundestag. 

www.trimet.eu/en, 

www.igcv.fraunhofer.de/en 

Tobias Beyer, Deputy Head of Research 

& Development, TRIMET Aluminium SE, 

Robert Kleinhans, Research Associate, 

Fraunhofer IGCV 

References 

[1] F. Ostermann (2014), Anwendungstechnologie 

Aluminium, 3rd edition, 

Springer Vieweg, Berlin, p 437-440 

[2] J. A. Taylor (2004), The effect of iron 

in Al-Si casting alloys, In 35th Australian 

foundry institute national conference, 

Casting Concepts, p 148-157 

14

IRON CASTING 

Photos and Graphics: Peak 

High-quality, inorganically bonded cores can also be produced without a heated core box. 

Inorganics for iron casting 

Experiences with innovative 

hot-air curing binder 

Water glass-bonded molding materials can achieve the strength levels required of inorganic 

binder systems through hot air gassing. Heated mold boxes have proven their 

worth in large-scale production. Hot air curing offers a cheaper alternative that is also 

suitable for smaller batches. 

By Hartmut Polzin and Theo Kooyers 

Starting at GIFA 2003, various 

binder manufacturers presented 

work on the development of new 

heat-curing inorganic binder systems, 

which is still ongoing today. The basis 

for these developments was the wellknown 

fact that water glass-bonded 

molding materials can be brought to 

significantly higher strengths with tempered 

molding tools than, for example, 

with classic carbon dioxide gassing. 

These high strengths were a fundamental 

requirement for inorganic 

binder systems, as one of the main 

impulses for this development came 

from the automotive industry and thus 

from the large-scale production of 

sometimes highly complex and filigree 

cores for vehicle components. This 

paper reports on a hot-air-curing inorganic 

core production process that 

works without an actively heated core 

production tool [1]. 


IRON CASTING 

State of the art 

The current state of the art is still that a 

silicate-based binder system is usually 

mixed with the mold base material and 

shot into a steel core-making tool tempered 

to 160 - 200 °C, in which a stable 

edge shell is formed. The cycle times can 

be brought into acceptable ranges by 

combining this process with hot air gassing. 

The main disadvantage of these 

processes is that they can only be used 

in large-scale core production (usually in 

automotive casting) due to the high 

tool and energy costs. In addition, the 

application is limited to the production 

of aluminum castings due to various 

inadequate technological properties 

(e.g. residual strength/decomposition 

behavior). A still largely valid overview 

of these processes can be found in [2]. 

Hot air-curing inorganic cores 

The development of the binder system 

presented is intended to provide iron 

foundries, which in many cases are customer 

foundries with frequently changing 

product ranges and batch sizes, 

with an opportunity to use inorganically 

bonded cores. The key aspect here 

is the elimination of an expensive 

heated steel core production tool, 

which can only be justified in largescale 

production. The binder system 

used is an alkali silicate or water glassbased 

binder that has been modified 

with a whole range of oxides and does 

not contain any organic components 

[3]. The molding material is solidified 

exclusively by gassing with air at 

approx. 160 °C. The binder is a 

one-component binder that can be 

dosed without additional additives in 

ranges of less than 2.5 %, in many cases 

less than 2 %. 

Practical experience 

Molding material strengths 

in comparison 

Figure 1 compares the flexural strengths 

of the binder system with those of 

three other commercially available inorganic 

binders (labeled B1 to B3). An initial 

difference becomes clear in the 

binder contents used, as with these 

binders the binder itself and at least 

one additive must be considered as the 

total binder content. Furthermore, the 

comparison systems are exclusively 

warm box systems. The process parameters 

of the Peak CC-VC system were as 

follows: 150 °C curing air temperature, 

curing time 45 s, sand temperature 23 

°C, relative humidity 45 %. 

a 

Flexural strengths 150°C in MPa 

4 

3,5 

3,41 

3,41 

3,26 

3,4 

3,37 

3 

2,78 

2,86 2,73 2,71 

2,56 

2,54 

2,5 

2,29 

2 

1,64 

1,45 

1,5 

1,41 

1,15 

1,03 

1 

0,62 

0,61 

1,18 

0,5 

0 

B1 3,3% B2 3,4% B3 3,3% Peak 2,3% 

immediately 1d 2d 3d 1dfeucht 

b 

Specific flexural strengths 150°C in MPa 

1,4 

1,2 

1 

0,8 

0,6 

0,4 

0,2 

0 

1,19 

1,18 


1 1,03 

0,96 


1 

0,78 

0,84 

0,87 

0,75 

0,44 0,48 0,43 0,45 

0,51 

0,34 

0,19 

0,18 

B1 3,3% B2 3,4% 

B3 3,3%i 

Peak 2,3% 


Fig. 1: CC-VC binder system compared with other inorganic systems, curing temperature 

150 °C: a) flexural strengths, b) specific flexural strengths. 

a 

Flexural strengths 200°C in MPa 

5 

4,4 

4,5 

4,28 4,17 

3,9 

4 

3,67 

3,5 

3,5 

3,24 3,02 

2,85 2,89 

2,86 2,78 

3 

2,66 

2,69 

2,62 

2,5 

2,4 

2 1,73 1,63 1,71 

1,5 

1 

0,87 

0,5 

0 

B1 3,3% B2 3,4% B3 3,3% Peak 2,3% 


b 

Specific flexural strengths 200°C in MPa 

1,4 

1,16 

1,2 

1,13 


1,1 1,071,05 

0,97 


1 0,92 

0,92 

0,83 0,77 

0,8 

0,75 0,74 

0,75 

0,69 

0,6 

0,45 0,42 

0,45 

0,4 

0,33 

0,2 

0 

B1 3,3% B2 3,4% B3 3,3% 

Peak 2,3% 


Fig. 2: CC-VC binder system compared with other inorganic systems, curing temperature 

200 °C: a) flexural strengths, specific flexural strengths. 

16

a 

3 

2,5 

2 

1,5 

1 

0,5 

0 

b 

2,5 

2 

1,5 

1 

0,5 

0 

c 

2,5 

2 

1,5 

Flexural strengths 1,75 % VC vs. temperature 

2,53 

2,41 

2,3 

2,05 2,05 

2,05 

2,011,98 

2,04 

2,14 

1,85 

1,75 1,7 1,68 1,66 1,65 

1,62 1,59 

1,45 1,46 

160°C 120°C 100°C 80°C 60°C 

immediately 1d 2d 3d 

Flexural strengths 1,75 % VC-HR vs. temperatue 

1,98 

1,87 1,92 1,77 

1,81 

1,86 

1,811,77 1,69 

1,75 

1,73 1,85 

1,75 

1,65 

2,09 

2,07 

1,97 

1,75 

1,56 

1 

160°C 120°C 100°C 80°C 60°C 


Flexural strengths 1,75 % VC-CB vs. temperature 

2,18 

2,17 2,21 

1,73 

1,83 

1,87 

1,75 1,76 1,82 1,72 

1,91 

1,79 

1,61 

1,71 1,77 

1,69 

1,77 

1,56 

1,35 

which achieves the significantly 

higher specific strengths determined 

after one day. 

In principle, it is assumed that the 

strengths also increase when higher 

temperatures are used. Figure 2 shows 

this for a temperature of 200 °C (again 

core box or gassing temperature). An 

increase in strength actually only results 

for binders B1 and B3; the strengths of 

the Peak system remain approximately 

the same. This is interesting for determining 

the optimum gassing temperature 

in terms of cost and environmental 

protection. When cores are stored in a 

humid environment, the advantage of a 

higher hardening temperature is clearly 

evident. Binder B3 has the better values 

for specific strengths. 

Influence of the gassing temperature 

As the temperature of the curing air is a 

cost factor, tests were carried out to 

vary the air temperature for gassing 

and curing. Figure 3 shows the results 

of these tests for three binder systems. 

The binder labeled VC is the initial system, 

while VC-HR and VC-CB are binders 

designed for special applications. 

The following parameters were used in 

this series of tests: 

> Gassing temperature 160 °C to 60 °C 

in five stages, 

> Gassing time 60 s, 

> Sand temperature 25 °C, 

> Silica sand QQs 26, 

> relative humidity 45 %. 

1 

0,5 

0 

Fig. 3: Flexural strengths in MPa at different curing temperatures, binder content 1.75 %: 

a) CC-VC binder, b) CC-VC-HR binder, c) CC-VC-CB binder. 

The strengths were determined immediately 

and after 1 to 3 days. The test conditions 

for the “1d wet” values were 25 °C 

and 75 % relative humidity. For binders 

B1 to B3, the temperature refers to the 

core box temperature. The strengths 

achieved speak for themselves: 

> All binders experience increases in 

strength during the first few days of 

storage under normal conditions, 

which can be attributed to progressive 

drying. 

0,92 

160°C 120°C 100°C 80°C 60°C 


> Two of the comparison systems react 

more sensitively to storage in a 

damp environment. 

> The strengths of the peak binder system 

are lower than those of the 

other systems, which is due to the 

lower binder content. These values 

could be increased by adding more 

binder if necessary, but the strengths 

shown here are sufficient for many 

applications. The potential of the 

system becomes clear in fig. 1b, 

Figure 3 shows that usable results can 

be achieved up to a gassing temperature 

of 60 °C, with a few exceptions. 

The very low binder content of 1.75 % 

is also interesting at this point! The reason 

for this behavior lies in the use of 

very dry air for gassing the test specimens. 

As a result, a satisfactory removal 

of water and water vapor from the core 

during curing can be achieved even at 

lower temperatures. These correlations 

will be examined in more detail in the 

near future. 

Decoring behavior and residual 

strength 

One of the “classic disadvantages” of 

water glass binder systems known from 

the literature is the high residual 

strength of cores or molds after pouring, 

combined with a high decoring 

effort. Last but not least, this disadvantage 

was a decisive factor in the sharp 

decline in process shares from around 

the 1970s. The aim of the development 


IRON CASTING 

a b c 

Fig. 4: a) Core for brake disk, approx. 15 kg, b) cast brake disk made of cast iron, inorganic core, sand adhesions, c) cast brake disk made 

of cast iron, PUR cold box core. 

of modern inorganic binder systems 

must therefore be to improve the 

decoring behavior in addition to other 

properties. As the binder system presented 

here was developed especially 

for use in iron and steel casting, particular 

attention had to be paid to this 

point. To this end, casting tests were 

carried out in an iron foundry in which 

coated and uncoated test cores (fig. 4a) 

were used to cast a ventilated brake 

disk made of cast iron with lamellar 

graphite (core mass approx. 15 kg). The 

standard PUR cold box cores were used 

for comparison. 

First of all, it should be noted that 

there were no clear differences 

between coated and uncoated cores. 

Visual observation of the disintegration 

and decoring behavior showed that the 

channels of the castings in the inorganic 

cores were filled with mold material 

adhesions, which was not the case with 

the cold box cores (fig. 4b, c). After the 

normal sandblasting process, however, 

these sand deposits were also completely 

removed. The other cores in this 

series were fed into production as normal 

and did not give rise to any complaints. 

During the evaluation of the castings, 

one advantage of the inorganic 

binder systems based on water glass 

that should not be underestimated 

became clear: the extensive absence of 

veining. This molding material expansion 

defect, which is particularly typical 

for the PUR cold box process, only 

occurs to a very small extent with water 

glass-based binder systems due to the 

thermoplastic bonding present there 

and with special casting ranges (fig. 5). 

Fig. 5: Cast part from Fig. 4 after blasting: a) inorganic core without veining, b) PUR 

Cold Box core with veining. 

Residual flexural strength N/cm 2 VC 2% 

200 

180 

180 

160 

140 

130 

120 

100 

80 

60 

40 

20 

9 

0 

0 

RT 200°C 400°C 800°C 

Fig. 6: Residual flexural strength at different annealing temperatures. 

Fig. 7: Inorganically 

bonded 

core package 

cores for iron 

casting. 

18

Fig. 8: Inorganically bonded intake manifold 

cores for non-ferrous casting. 

In order to substantiate this subjectively 

positive behavior with figures, the 

decoring behavior should be evaluated 

on the basis of the residual bending 

strength: 

> For this purpose, bending bars were 

produced which were exposed to 

the test temperature for 5 min 24 h 

after production and tested 2 h after 

removal from the furnace. 

> The test temperatures were 200, 400 

and 800 °C. 

The results shown in figure 6 confirm 

the positive properties already evident 

from the casting tests in this direction. 

The test temperature of 400 °C is 

intended to represent the trend in the 

area of aluminum casting, while the 

temperature of 800 °C stands for iron 

casting. It can be concluded from this 

that the inorganic binder system presented 

exhibits decomposition and 

decoring behavior similar to the PUR 

cold box process. 

Examples from practice 

To date, cores with the inorganic binder 

system presented have been produced 

and successfully used in a whole series 

of foundries. The cores shown in figure 

7 are exemplary for the field of iron 

casting. The range extends from outer 

cores for core packages to the aforementioned 

brake disk core and the filigree 

core for valve casting. The area of 

non-ferrous casting, which has not 

been the focus of this article so far, is 

impressively illustrated by the example 

shown in figure 8. Here, too, the range 

of possible applications extends from 

simple cores, e.g. for intake manifolds, 

to the highly complex core of a cylinder 

head. The examples shown are 

used in the areas of copper and aluminum 

casting. 

Summary 

The presented inorganic binder system 

based on water glass is an alternative to 

the PUR cold box process that can be 

used in iron and steel casting. The liquid 

one-component binder is dosed less 

than comparable binder systems: the 

binder quantities used to date are 

between 1.5 and 2.5 %, but can also 

be increased if required. 

The single-component system facilitates 

binder dosing on the core 

shooter, and the desired strengths are 

ensured by comparably higher specific 

strengths. The curing of the manufactured 

cores takes place via 160 °C 

warm gassing air. The core production 

tool is not heated. When selecting the 

core box material, care should be 

taken to use thermally resistant plastics. 

Core boxes made of metal (aluminum 

or steel) offer advantages in terms 

of shorter cycle times. 

If particularly dry air is used, curing 

can be achieved at lower temperatures. 

The binder system can of course also be 

used in the warm or hot box process. 

The fact that veining only occurs in 

exceptional cases with the inorganically 

bonded cores is certainly a welcome 

advantage in the fettling shop. 

The residual strength and decoring 

behavior is very similar to that of the 

PUR cold box process. In addition to the 

binders designed for iron and steel casting, 

variants for aluminum or copper 

casting are also available. 

www.peak-giesserei.de 

Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Hartmut Polzin, 

Dr.-Ing. Theo Kooyers, Peak Deutschland 

GmbH, Nossen 

References 

[1] Polzin, H., Kooyers, T.: Anorganisches 

Kernbindersystem für den Eisenguss – 

ein neuer Ansatz, GIESSEREI 105, 2018, 

Nr. 10, S. 70-75. 

[2] Polzin, H.: Anorganische Binder zur 

Form- und Kernherstellung in der 

Gießerei. Fachverlag Schiele & Schön 

Berlin, 2012 

[3] Europäisches Patent Nr. 2916976 – 

Verfahren zur Herstellung von verlorenen 

Kernen oder Formteilen zur 

Gussteilproduktion. 

RUDOLF UHLEN GmbH 

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SAND RECLAMATION 

HEINRICH WAGNER SINTO 

The reuse of foundry sand contributes to the circular economy and saves costs. 

Trendsetting 

Reclamation of used sand 

secures the future of the site 

The disposal and landfilling of foundry sand are causing steadily rising costs. Reducing 

the quantities of used sand and reusing it in the material cycle – a core competence of 

the foundry industry – are more important today than ever before. In this context, the 

use of used sand as a recyclable material is the logical extension of internal recycling 

management. It offers opportunities for improving economic efficiency and conserving 

natural resources. The reclamation of used sand contributes to the long-term security of 

the site, ensures greater sustainability by increasing the recycling rate, reducing the 

volume of transport and lowering the CO 2 

emissions. 

By Alexander Dornhöfer and Kevin Grebe 

20

Heinrich Wagner Sinto Maschinenfabrik 

GmbH (HWS) is one of the 

leading international suppliers 

of machinery and equipment for the 

foundry industry and part of the Sintokogio 

group of companies with its headquarter 

in Japan. The company employs 

more than 300 skilled workers at its site 

in Germany, Bad Laasphe. The focus is 

on the manufacture and sale of molding 

machines and molding plants as 

well as pouring units for sand and die 

casting. The portfolio is supplemented 

by machines and plants for the mechanical 

reclamation of used sands in green 

sand foundries. 

With its own regeneration processes 

and a technical center, HWS offers a 

comprehensive service to master the 

topic of sand reclamation. This improves 

sustainability and contributes to the 

long-term security of the foundry site. 

The question is not if we are able and 

willing to reclaim, but when we start. 

There is a consensus that the disposal of 

one of the world’s most used and valuable 

resources, sand, is not a sustainable 

model. 

Introduction to sand reclamation 

The reclamation of molding material 

serves to break down and remove the 

binder shells and other non-sand constituents 

in order to obtain a reusable 

basic molding material [1]. The target 

is to use this basic molding material 

(reclaimed) as a substitute of new sand, 

mostly in core production. In a green 

sand foundry, it can be assumed that 

the used sand has to be reclaimed in 

most cases as a mixture of bentonite-bonded 

molding sand and organically 

bonded core sand (cold-box). 

More diverse than the number of 

processes are the properties of the specific 

used sand to be reclaimed, which 

usually varies from foundry to foundry. 

The appropriate solution should ideally 

be sought in close coordination with 

the machine and binder suppliers. An 

optimum design of the overall process 

can only be made after determining the 

initial situation and the planned reuse 

of the reclaim. Further consideration 

here will concentrate on mechanical 

reclamation. Unless explicitly stated 

otherwise, the term “reclamation” in 

the following always refers to mechanical 

reclamation. 

Mechanical sand reclamation 

The reclamation of used sand must 

always be regarded as an interlinked 

overall process. This consists of several 

Sand 

Grain 

Binder 

Oolitics 

Used sand 

Reuse 

reclaimed sand 

Separate dust 

Fig. 1: Reclamation process USR-II. 

Dust collection 

Dedusting 

Rotation and 

pressurizing 

Reclaimed.sand 

Pressure 

Fig. 2: Workflow and machine overview USR-II. 

stations for sand pre-treatment and 

sand post-treatment as well as the 

cleaning process on the sand grains 

themselves. The correct ratio of the 

degree of reclamation (reduction of the 

signal components compared to the 

used sand) and the reclaim output 

(ratio of reclaim to used sand quantity) 

should be observed [2]. For the economic 

operation of a sand reclamation 

plant, the following applies in a simplified 

way: “Reclaim as clean as necessary 

and output as high as possible!”. 

Rubbing from 

grain to grain 

Dust 

Blower 

bite 5t/h 

Remove 

foreign 

material 

Reclaimed sand 

Air 

Sand 

Depending on the reuse case, an associated 

reclaim aftertreatment ensures 

compliance with further target parameters, 

such as the target temperature, 

which are not directly set by the reclamation 

unit. 

Mechanical reclamation by 

friction – USR-II 

Sand 

Grain 

Vibrating 

feeder 

Reclamation 

unit 

Pressurize 

cylinders 

Fluidized 

bed 

The HWS sand reclamation unit type 

USR-II (Ultra Sand Reclaimer) with a 

processing capacity of up to 5 t of used 

sand per hour forms the core compo- 



Used sand 

1. pass 

The connected dedusting system separates 

the fine particles from the 

reclaimed material of the sand-dust 

mixture separated by the fluid bed. The 

sand grains are transported via the fluid 

bed as reclaim to the machine outlet. In 

a green sand reclamation process, this 

process or pass is typically repeated two 

to four times, depending on the target 

properties, in order to achieve the 

required reclaim quality. With the right 

process steps, this continuous flow process 

can successfully reuse green sandcore 

sand mixtures in distributions of up 

to 100 % in each case. 

HWS test plant for sand 

reclamation 

2. pass 3. pass 

Fig. 3: Pictures of used sand and reclaimed material. 

Table 1: Criterion and effects Cold-Box [3]. 

Cold-Box-Process 

Effects on 

Criterion Change Binder Processing Molding 

requirement time strength 

Water Content – – 

Loss of ignition – 

Sediment Content () 

pH-Value – 

pH-Value – () () 

Acid consumption – 

Acid consumption – () () 

Oolitization 

Average grain size – () 

(at constant 

uniformity level) 

nent of a HWS reclamation plant for 

green sand foundries. It provides efficient 

cleaning based on a friction process 

with high flexibility with regard to 

used sand composition and quantity. 

The process can be individually adjusted 

with a view to high reclaim yield (ratio 

of input quantity to output quantity) 

for both easy and demanding used 

sands to be reclaimed. An important 

feature is the gentle friction from grain 

to grain, without additional friction 

tools (fig. 1). This largely avoids grain 

breakage and keeps wear on the sand 

grain low. 

For grain cleaning, a ceramic-lined 

rotary drum is rotated by an electric 

motor via V-belt. The used foundry sand 

is continuously fed to the drum by 

means of a vibrating feeder (fig. 2). 

Pneumatic press cylinders apply pressure 

on the sand layer between the rolls 

and the drum via the press rolls. The 

resulting relative movement of the sand 

grains among themselves ensures that 

the binder shells are rubbed off, which 

are then present as dust in the reclaim. 

The use of ceramic components ensures 

a long service life of the components 

that come into contact with the rubbing 

sand. Uniformly flowing material 

displaces the sand already reclaimed 

and the binder residues from the rotary 

drum. 

The generated sand-dust mixture 

falls onto the fluid bed in the lower 

part of the machine and is transported 

by it to the integrated classifier (fig. 2). 

In its in-house test plant, HWS provides 

interested foundries the opportunity to 

convince themselves of the efficiency of 

used sand reclamation. With the USR-II 

machine in a near-series design, reclamation 

tests can be carried out under 

conditions that are similar to production. 

The focus here is on determining 

the suitability for reclamation and the 

process parameters for the conceptual 

design of an overall plant. The following 

explanations show a representative 

excerpt from reclamation trials already 

carried out with a customer foundry. In 

addition to the use in the core shop, 

where large quantities of new sand are 

processed, the reclaim can also serve as 

a substitute of new sand in the green 

sand system of sand preparation. 

Example 1 – Green sand foundry 

with < 10-20 % cold-box core sand 

Use of the reclaim material: Sand for 

core shop as a proportional substitute 

of new sand (cold-box process). Figure 3 

shows a sequence of pictures with sand 

grains (light microscope 200x magnification) 

of the different passes. Here, the 

increasing cleaning can be seen. After 

three reclamation passes already, the 

target values for the application case of 

the reclaim could be achieved. 

The test had four passes, in the last 

pass only a slightly improved degree of 

cleaning was achieved (results in higher 

efficiency in fig. 4). In this case, three 

passes will be planned only because the 

necessary quality will be achieved and 

also to simplify the plant concept, 

reduce dust quantity for disposal and 

operating costs of the overall plant. It is 

important to reclaim only as much as 

necessary, not as much as possible. In 

this way, economical operation of the 

reclamation plant is achieved. 

Empirical values show a trend 

22

[%] 

4.0 

3.5 

3.0 

2.5 

2.0 

1.5 

1.0 

0.5 

0 

3.51 

1.29 

0.66 

0.47 0.36 

used sand 

1. pass 

2. pass 

3. pass 

4. pass 

[%] 

100 

90 

80 

70 

60 

50 

93.7 94.8 95.6 

88.7 88.7 

83.2 

78.8 

75.4 

1. pass 2. pass 3. pass 4. pass 

overall efficiency % efficiency per pass % 

Fig. 4: Loss on ignition (left), efficiency (right). 

towards reusability at a determined loss 

on ignition in the range of less than or 

equal to 0.5 %. However, this value alone 

is only an initial indicator. It must be supported 

by corresponding laboratory tests 

on further criteria from table 1. The final 

reusability must be verified in each individual 

case based on the target specifications. 

The loss on ignition decreases in percentage 

terms with increasing number 

of passes and increasing degree of 

cleaning. As less and less foreign material 

is present on the surface of the sand 

grain, the amount of removed foreign 

material on the sand grains decreases 

and the efficiency increases. In addition 

to the degree of cleaning, the fines content 

in the reclaim is a significant value 

for determining the usability of the 

reclaim, which means that the dedusting 

or screening of the material produced 

plays a decisive role. More 

important criteria (sand properties) and 

their effects on the use in the cold-box 

process can be taken from table 1, so 

that they are not further addressed 

here. 

The mentioned example with the 

extract from test series clearly show 

that the molding materials of the 

respective foundry are to be considered 

individually. In particular, the suitability 

for reclamation of the material has to 

be examined depending on the defined 

target specifications. The evaluation 

and interpretation of all data between 

process suppliers and foundry forms the 

basis of a customized overall concept. 

Example 2 – Kovis Group – sand 

reclamation 

The Slovenian foundry Kovis-livarna 

d.o.o. decided to invest in a mechanical 

reclamation system from HWS for the 

TAILOR-MADE 

SOLUTIONS 

Turn-key supplier for no bake-foundries 

• mechanical and thermal reclamation plants (Furan, CB, etc.) 

• complete moulding lines 

• continuous mixers (up to 100 t/h) 

• pneumatic conveying systems 

• electrics and automation 

In-house manufacturing and testing 

MADE IN GERMANY 

FAT Förder- und Anlagentechnik GmbH · D-57572 Niederfischbach · Phone +49 (0) 27 34/5 09-0 · fat.info@f-a-t.de · www.f-a-t.de


Sinto USR-II sand reclamation system 

DON´T WASTE YOUR SAND 

Fig. 5: System diagram 

of the customer 

plant (as an 

integration solution 

in the existing 

foundry). 

Save resources 

Mechanical sand reclamation for green + core sand 

Flexible plant design 

No continous operation necessary 

System designed to be operated with renewable energy 

reclamation of green sand with a 

capacity up to 5 tons per hour depending 

on the reclamation program. The 

reclaimed sand will be used again in the 

core shop as a substitute of new sand. 

This saves significant amounts of new 

sand (fig. 5). 

Remark: The test results under 

Example 1 – Green sand foundry is quite 

similar to the results in the Kovis customer 

project. The detailed values in 

the application are specific for the customer. 

The corresponding process 

parameters for the plant were determined 

with the in-house test plant from 

HWS in Germany, Bad Laasphe. 

The concept (fig. 5) is planned as an 

integration solution in the existing 

foundry. The system takes over the 

material at the sand inlet point of the 

used sand silo that is currently still 

being used for recycling. In the future, 

this integration will be able to process 

used sand independently in order to 

provide the material as required. The 

sand reclamation plant essentially consists 

of the sand pre-treatment and the 

main reclamation area. The pre-treatment 

offers the option of grain separation 

in the form of a small lump breaker 

supplemented by the separation of 

magnetizable elements via a magnetic 

separator. The following process step is 

sand drying, which removes the residual 

moisture from the used sand if 

required. For tempering, a sand cooler 

is also installed. The reclamation area 

includes the core component (USR-II) 

with silos and conveyor technology and 

is located in a second section in order to 

enable the corresponding material flow 

including targeted reclaim treatment 

(left side fig. 5). The conditioned material 

is conveyed to the customer’s silos in 

the core shop and ready for use. 

In this outside area, a small dedusting 

system is installed for collecting the 

mechanically removed fines particles of 

the sand grain, which are undesirable 

for reuse. The combination of equipment 

selected for the overall plant 

allows the customer to produce the necessary 

quality with an efficient reclaiming 

circulation for a certain range of 

used sand requirements. The plant layout 

is designed to a material circulation 

and pre-treatment in a way that different 

quality levels of reclaim can be produced 

depending on the customer’s 

choice. This provides a flexible system 

that can be adapted to changing 

requirements for their use cases, e.g. 

the core shop. 

With this very flexible material concept, 

the customer is pursuing a futureproof 

strategy that enables adaptation 

even with changing requirement profiles 

by adjusting the control parameters 

and optimizing the material processing 

in the degrees of freedom for 

the application. 

Reclamation of used sand 

instead of landfilling 

Is the reclamation of used sand a real 

alternative to landfilling? Many foundries 

have to ask themselves this question. 

In case of suitability for reclamation, 

individual concept planning in 

cooperation with the process supplier 

and an economic analysis for the overall 

investment, reclamation can be a real 

alternative. For this, a sustainable cost 

reduction must be guaranteed. Other 

effects, such as the conservation of natural 

resources and the improved CO 2 

balance of the plant, also contribute 

to increased sustainability and should 

be taken into account in the decision-making 

process for investment 

approval. Reclamation must already 

today be included in the strategy for 

securing the long-term future of our 

foundries in Europe. With its own reclamation 

process and technical center, 

HWS offers a full service to successfully 

address this issue. 

www.wagner-sinto.de/en 

Alexander Dornhöfer, Project Manager, 

Kevin Grebe, Team leader corporate 

development, Heinrich Wagner Sinto 

Maschinenfabrik GmbH 

References 

[1] Oberschelp, P.: Reclamation of 

moulding material. In: Fundamentals 

and practice of sand preparation and 

control of clay-bound moulding materials. 

VDG Qualification course, Düsseldorf, 

28./29.02.2008 

[2] Polzin, H.: Condition of the sand grain 

surface before and after reclamation. 

1. BDG Symposium Used Sand – 

03./04.04.2017, Hannover, April 2017 

[3] Verein Deutscher Giessereifachleute 

e.V. - Data Sheet R 093, Reclaimed Sands 

As Moulding Base Material Requirements, 

assessment criteria, February 

1992 

24

MAGNESIUM DIE CASTING 

Photos and graphics: RWTH Aachen 

Repair of the plunger track of a gooseneck using laser cladding. 

Magnesium die casting 

Additive manufacturing as a 

pioneering repair technology 

An important cost factor in the die casting process is the wear of the gooseneck and its 

related wearing parts. By using special alloys, repairs should be achieved without a 

change in diameter, additionally leading to a better wear resistance and an increasing 

number of possible casting cycles. 

By Marie Bode, Gerhard Schoch 

As the lightweight industry continues 

to develop, magnesium 

die casting products are increasingly 

gaining importance. Due to its 

high production value, the hot chamber 

process is used to produce large numbers 

of small magnesium components 

with a low shot weight. The gooseneck, 

and in particular the plunger and sleeve 

are therefor subject to a considerable 

amount of thermal and mechanical 

stress. 

Challenges 

Casting temperatures of around 650 °C 

and the design of hot chamber 

machines expose the gooseneck to permanently 

high temperatures. Mechanical 

stresses are caused by high injection 

pressure (200 - 400 bar) and plunger 

speeds of up to 3 m/s. As a result, the 

plunger wears out in an unsymmetric 

way. Hence, plunger and rings will no 

longer have a tight seal and the 

required injection pressure cannot be 

reached. The result is a bad part quality, 

which leads to replacing the gooseneck. 

The current lifetime of a DIN 1.2888 

(X20CoCrWMo10-9) high alloy steel 

gooseneck is between 50 000 and 


MAGNESIUM DIE CASTING 

Powder feed 

nozzle 

Laser beam 

Melt pool 

Filler material 

Melting zone 

Heat-affected zone 

Substrate 

Fig. 1: Schematic illustration of the laser cladding process. 

100 000 cycles. The replacement process 

is complex and involves the enlargement 

of the sleeve and adapting 

plunger and rings to nonstandard sizes. 

This has a negative impact on the reproducibility 

of process parameters and can 

lead to increased product scrap. 

New repair concept 

The current research project, funded as 

part of the Lightweight Construction 

Technology Transfer Program research 

initiative of the German Federal Ministry 

of Economics and Climate Protection 

(BMWK), aims to overcome the limitations 

on gooseneck lifetime. Direct 

Energy Deposition (DED-LB/M or laser 

cladding), an additive manufacturing 

process is considered, to apply material 

onto the injection sleeve, keeping the 

plunger diameter constant and compensate 

wear. 

Material is applied on to the injection 

sleeve by means of Direct Energy 

Deposition (DED-LB/M). During this process, 

laser radiation locally melts the 

sleeve surface, forming a melt pool (fig. 

1). At the same time, a powdered filler 

material is also precisely added via a 

nozzle and melted by the laser beam. 

This is implemented in the melt pool in 

a controlled manner using an inert gas. 

This way, the added powder bonds metallurgically 

with the substrate material 

forming a high-quality steel layer that 

protects the surface and respectively 

the component against wear and corrosion. 

In the context of magnesium 

gooseneck repairs, this filler material is 

1.2888 or a similar hot work tool steel. 

Due to the many factors influencing 

this process, the research project developed 

specific parameters to produce a 

suitable coating on 1.2888. To consider 

a coating suitable, its properties should 

be like those of the gooseneck. Comparison 

of a sample taken from a magnesium 

gooseneck with a coating produced 

by direct energy deposition (fig. 

2) shows no significant differences in 

pore distribution and size in the coating 

produced. This is further confirmed by 

comparing the measured density. In the 

considered area, the density of 99.97 % 

of the produced coating even shows a 

slight increase compared to that of the 

gooseneck (99.91 %). The average measured 

hardness of the coating produced 

is 585 HV, which is significantly higher 

than the 300 HV measured on the 

gooseneck, due to the rapid cooling in 

the coating process. This is believed to 

reduce wear and therefore improves 

the lifetime. 

Practical tests 

Based on these findings, it is now possible 

to optimize the sleeve surface of 

magnesium goosenecks by applying a 

successful coating. The coating process 

of a gooseneck is shown in figure 3. In a 

practical test, the goosenecks were 

installed under production conditions. 

Impressive running times of over 

120 000 shots were achieved without 

any detectable change in the quality of 

the components. This means that the 

lifetime of the coated goosenecks is at 

1000 µm 1000 µm 

Fig. 2: Microscopic images of a) the surface of a magnesium gooseneck, b) a layer produced by laser cladding. 

26

least equal to conventional uncoated 

goosenecks, considering certain variations 

in process parameters during the 

production process. The long lifetime is 

assumed to result from the increase in 

hardness due to the observable similarities 

in the microstructures of the gooseneck 

and the coating. In addition, after 

100 000 shots, the maximum wear on 

the sleeve measured only 0.18 mm, 

whereas the maximum wear measured 

on an uncoated gooseneck was already 

0.26 mm after 50 000 shots. DED-LB/M 

plunger coating therefore ensures a stable 

casting process with a longer gooseneck 

life span. 

Gießbehälter 

Beschichtungseinheit 

Fig. 3: Illustration of the coating process: gooseneck on the system. 

Fig. 4: Cone coating. 

In addition, the coating can be reapplied 

after the next wear, resulting in a 

repetitive repair with a constant inner 

diameter. Furthermore, this manufacturing 

process also allows cones of the 

gooseneck to be coated (fig. 4). To further 

reduce wear, new alloys with 

higher wear resistance could be used 

for coating and thus for remanufacture 

of goosenecks in the next step of the 

project. Due to the processing of additional 

materials, the additive manufacturing 

process used can generate material 

combinations that were previously 

unnoticed and thus significantly boost 

the production of high-quality magnesium 

castings. 

www.dap-aachen.de/en, 

www.g-s-d.info/en 

Marie Bode, M.Sc., Chair of Digital 

Additive Production, RWTH Aachen University, 

marie.bode@dap.rwth-aachen. 

de, Gerhard Schoch, Gerhard Schoch 

Druckgießtechnik, Görlitz, office@g-s-d. 

info 

When Temperature 

Matters 

↑ 1321.0 °C 

Engineering support to guide you to the best solution. 

IR Cameras. Pyrometers. Accessories. Software. 

Non-contact temperature measurement from − 50 °C to +3000 °C. 

Visit: www.optris.com | Phone: +49 30 500 197-0 

Repair process 

The process of a casting container overhaul 

includes the following steps: 

> Cleaning, 

> Pre-honing to an exact bore geometry, 

> Material application using direct 

energy deposition (DED-LB/M), 

> Subsequent honing to the exact diameter. 

The project on which this article is 

based was funded by the Federal Ministry 

for Economic Affairs and Climate 

Protection under grant number 

03LB3050D. Responsibility for the content 

of this publication lies with the 

authors. 

500 nm to 

14 μm

FEEDING 

Photos and Graphics: IDECO 

Thermal analysis system for quantifying different supply ranges. 

Aluminum casting alloy EN AC-42100 

Impact of modifier and grain 

refiner on the feeding effectivity 

This work will show how IDECO thermal feeding analysis system can be used to quantify 

different feeding regions of cast EN AC-42100 alloy. First time under industrial conditions, 

operators at the foundry floors will be capable to control the impact of master 

alloys additions on the feeding effectivity of cast aluminum alloys. Collected parameters 

can be used to feed existing simulation data bases with more correct information and 

on that way improve their accuracy. 

By Olivier Dünkelmann, Mile B. Djurdjevic, Robin Unland, Julian Schröter 

28

The EN AC-42100 (AlSi7Mg0.3) 

alloy is a type of cast aluminum-silicon 

hypoeutectic alloys 

with addition of magnesium as a major 

alloying element. This alloy may find 

application in a variety of general engineering 

and structural components 

where a balance of good mechanical 

properties, corrosion resistance, and 

metallurgical properties (fluidity and 

castability) is required. Two major alloying 

elements, silicon, and magnesium in 

combination with some other minor 

alloying elements (Sr, Ti, Fe, Mn, B, 

Zn…) outline the metallurgical, 

mechanical, and structural properties of 

this alloy [1, 2]. As cast structure of the 

EN AC-42100 alloy characterized the 

presence of primary a-aluminum dendritic 

structure, primary aluminum-silicon 

eutectic as well as magnesium-rich 

intermetallic phases. Moderate amount 

of silicon gives this alloy good fluidity, 

while added magnesium improve its 

strength, hardness and fatigue properties. 

During liquid-solid transformation, 

most metals and alloys contract, reducing 

their volume. The aluminum-silicon 

cast alloys also decrease their volume 

during solidification in the range of 4 

to 8 % [3]. 

Silicon is one of few elements that 

during transformation from liquid to 

solid state increase its volume. Thanks 

to that property, silicon will to some 

degree compensate the volume 

decrease of aluminum-silicon alloys 

during solidification. In the available 

literature [4] it has been mentioned 

that feeding capability is closely related 

to the aluminum-silicon eutectic characteristic 

formed during solidification. The 

higher amount of magnesium extends 

the solidification range of these alloys, 

reducing their feeding ability. The aluminum-silicon 

alloys without magnesium 

characterized narrow solidification 

range with significant amount of liquid 

eutectic. Therefore, the feeding of the 

liquid eutectic by those alloys should be 

relatively easy. Presence of magnesium 

in these alloys, noticeably extends their 

solidification range, making feeding of 

the last liquid eutectic portion during 

solidification difficult and causing the 

formation of shrinkage porosity. 

Feeding mechanism 

According to Campbell [5], five feeding 

mechanisms (liquid, mass, interdendritic, 

burst and solid feedings) occur 

during solidification of cast aluminum 

alloys. 

> The liquid and mass feedings, which 

ABSTRACT 

The EN AC-42100 (AlSi7Mg0.3) aluminum alloy is commonly used in various 

applications due to its favorable combination of mechanical properties, corrosion 

resistance and casting characteristics. Non-adequate feeding of this hypoeutectic 

alloy leads to the formation of shrinkage porosity. Addition of grain 

refiners and modifiers into aluminum melt can be beneficial directing to better 

feeding ability of this cast alloy. Thermal (cooling curve) analysis has been 

routinely used at aluminum foundry floors for assessment the efficiency of 

master alloys additions into aluminum melt. Cooling curve analysis can additionally 

provide information regarding to characteristic solidification temperatures 

such as: liquidus, dendrite coherency point, rigidity and solidus. These 

temperatures are important parameters of solidifying aluminum alloys, which 

mark transitions between five types of feeding mechanisms: liquid feeding, 

mass feeding, interdendritic feeding, burst feeding and solid feeding. 

Fig. 1: Bordering five feeding mechanisms using characteristic solidification temperatures 

determined from the cooling curve. 

appear at the beginning of solidification 

process, are uncomplicated due to 

low melt viscosity, wide active feeding 

path and relatively elevated melt temperature. 

> The numbers of dendrites, which start 

to develop immediately after liquidus 

temperature, is still not so significant to 

slow down melt movement. As the melt 

temperature decreases during further 

solidification, growing dendrites start to 

impinge on each other forming coherent 

dendritic network, which additionally 

slows down the flow of the remaining 

melt. The temperature at which this 

happens is called Dendrite Coherency 

Temperature (DCT). This temperature 

borders the transition from mass to 

interdendritic feeding regions in all cast 

aluminum alloys [6 - 14]. 

> Further solidification decreases the 

liquid fraction, and the stress is spread 

over larger distances through the rigid 

solid skeleton [15, 16]. According to 

Campbell [5], at the rigidity temperature, 

the stress will exceed the strength 

leading to breakdown of solid dendritic 

skeleton. The rigidity temperature 

marks the moment when the interdendritic 

feeding stops and burst feeding 

starts. 

> The solid feeding starts at the solidus 

temperature when the last drop of melt 

is transformed into the solid. 

Characteristic solidification temperatures 

such as liquidus, dendrite coherency 

temperature, rigidity and solidus 

temperature have been recognized as 

important parameters of solidifying aluminum 

alloys, which can be used to 

mark transitions between several types 

of feeding mechanisms [8 - 14]. All 

those characteristic solidification temperatures 

as figure 1 illustrates can be 

easily determined using IDECO thermal 


FEEDING 

porosity [19]. Dash and Makhlouf [17] 

found in their paper that besides the 

cooling rate, which plays significant 

impact on feeding issue chemistry also 

has some contribution. According to 

their results, iron, silicon, magnesium 

and copper present in the aluminum 

alloys during solidification form various 

intermetallics compounds such as 

Al 5 

Mg 8 

Cu 2 

SI 6 

, needle like Al 5 

FeSi or 

Al 2 

Cu. All these compounds form a net 

like structure that hinder the flow of 

the melt leading to formation of shrinkage 

porosity [19]. 

Fig. 2: Layout of equipment during experiments at IDECO technical center. 

Table 1: Chemical composition of the investigated alloy in wt.%, experiment 1. 

Alloy Si Mg Sr Ti Cu Fe Mn Zn 

AlSi7Mg0,3 7.138 0.337 0.0001 0.125 0.001 0.056 0.002 0.002 

Table 2: Chemical composition of the investigated alloy in wt.% after the addition of the modifier, 

experiment 2. 


Al Si7 Mg0,3 6.866 0.337 0.0072 0.13 0.001 0.052 0.002 0.002 

Table 3: Chemical composition of the investigated alloy in wt.% after the addition of the modifier 

and grain refiner, experiment 3. 


Al Si7 Mg0,3 7.019 0.328 0.0072 0.154 0.001 0.057 0.0020 0.002 

Fig. 3: Thermal analysis ceramic cup and samples with two thermocouples. 

feeding analysis system and apply to 

boundary those feeding regions. 

Chemical structure 

In the available literature, it has been 

documented that the solidification 

feeding behavior of cast aluminum 

alloys is affected by their chemical 

compositions [17, 18]. J. Cho et al. [18] 

found that copper has significant 

impact on the feeding characteristics of 

cast aluminum-silicon alloys. Added 

magnesium prolongs the freezing time, 

extends eutectic mushy zone influencing 

feeding ability and causing formation 

in large amount of microshrinkage 

Modifier and grain refiner 

The main aim of this work is to analyze 

the impact of modifier and grain refiner 

on the various feeding regions of cast 

EN AC-42100 alloy applying a new 

IDECO thermal feeding analysis system 

and try to quantify them. 

Modifier and grain refiner are 

important additives used in the casting 

of aluminum alloys to improve their 

microstructure and mechanical properties. 

Modifiers are added to change the 

size, shape and distribution of the silicon 

phase in the solidified structure. 

Their main purpose is to improve the 

feedability of the alloy by promoting 

the formation of fine, spherical silicon 

particles. Grain refiners are added to 

aluminum alloys to reduce the size of 

the primary a-aluminum grains and 

thereby improve feedability. In addition, 

these additives can help reduce 

casting defects and ensure a more reliable 

and consistent cast structure. 

Experimental Procedure 

Materials and melting procedures 

Four experiments have been carried out 

at IDECO technical center in Bocholt, 

Germany, using Rheinfelden primary 

hypoeutectic EN AC-42100 (AlSi7Mg0.3) 

alloy. Table 1 summarizes the chemical 

composition of investigated alloy, after 

being melted in an electric resistance 

furnace capacity 4 kg. Figure 2 shows 

IDECO laboratory set up with following 

equipment: Nabertherm electric resistance 

furnace and IDECO SA800SN thermal 

feeding analysis system. 

Three kilograms of EN AC-42100 

alloy were charged in the furnace and 

melted down. The melt was neither 

grain refined nor modified. During all 

experiments the melt was also not 

degassed. The melt temperature in the 

furnace during all experiments was kept 

constant at 720 °C. Chemical composition 

of melted alloy has been determined 

using optical emission spectros- 

30

copy apparatus. Ten thermal analysis 

test samples have been run during the 

first experiment and their corresponding 

cooling curves have been collected 

and later used to quantify feeding 

effectivity of this alloy. 

At the beginning of the second 

experiment 3.0 kg of EN AC-42100 alloy 

were added into the furnace and 

melted down. Additionally, 63,5 grams 

of Al10%Sr master alloy in the rod form 

has been also added into the melt to 

analyze the impact of modifier on the 

characteristic solidification temperatures 

and the feeding ability of EN 

AC-42100 alloy. Targeted concentration 

of Sr in the melt was approximately 75 

ppm. Table 2 shows the chemical composition 

of the melt applied during this 

experiment. In total, five cooling curves 

have been collected using modified EN 

AC-42100 melt. Characteristic solidification 

temperatures determined from 

these curves have been used to border 

the various feeding regions of this alloy. 

For the third experimental step, the 

modified melt from the previous trial 

has been mixed and grain refined by 

adding 32,4 g of AlTi3B1 master alloy in 

the rod form to analyze its impact on 

the solidification path of this alloy. 

Table 3 displays the achieved chemical 

composition of the EN AC-42100 melt 

after addition of grain refiner. Five 

cooling curves have been collected 

using grain refined and modified 

EN AC-42100 melt and determined 

parameters from the curves have been 

used to evaluate impact of grain refiner 

and modifier on the feeding ability of 

this alloy. 

For the fourth experiment, the original 

(no grain refined and modified) 

Rheinfelden EN AC-42100 alloy in the 

quantity of 2.5 kg was charged in the 

furnace and melted down. After 

remelting, 32 g of AlTi3B1 master alloy 

in the rod form has been added into 

the melt to analyze only the impact of 

grain refiner on the solidification path 

of this alloy. Table 4 displays the 

achieved chemical composition of the 

EN AC-42100 melt after addition of 

grain refiner. Five cooling curves have 

been collected using grain refined 

EN AC-42100 melt, and their characteristic 

solidification temperatures have 

been applied to evaluate the impact of 

grain refiner on its feeding ability. 

Fig. 4: The cooling curve, its first derivative and delta T curve for EN AC-42100 alloy 

without addition of modifier and grain refiner. 

Fig. 5: The cooling curve, its first derivative and delta T curve for EN AC-42100 alloy with 

addition of modifier. 

Thermal Feeding analysis procedure 

Thermal analysis test samples with 

masses of approximately 220 ± 20 g 

were poured into IDECO thermal analysis 

ceramic test cup with a height of 

59.5 mm and a diameter of 54 mm. Two 

calibrated K type thermocouples were 

inserted into the melt and temperatures 

between 700 and 400 °C were recorded. 

As figure 3 illustrates, one thermocouple 

was placed in the center of the cup 

(TC), while the second one was placed ≈ 

5 mm from the cup wall (TW). The tip of 

the thermocouple was kept always at 

the constant height of ≈ 20 mm from 

the bottom of the ceramic cup. The 

cooling conditions were kept constant 

during all experiments. During all trials, 

the acquisition system read ten data 

sets (temperature/time/sensor) per 

second. 

Results and discussions 

To meet strict industrial requirements, 

IDECO developed and implemented a 

novel thermal feeding analysis system. 

The new system can define the solidification 

path of any cast aluminum alloy 

and quantifying its feeding ability as a 

function of temperature, time, and fraction 

solid. The stable test sample mass, 

optimal test cup and melt sampling 


FEEDING 


addition of modifier and grain refiner. 

technique together with applied high 

resolution K type thermocouples allows 

high level of repeatability and reproducibility 

of each measurement as well 

as unbiased analysis. System is user 

friendly and easy to operate. 


has been applied in all experiments 

with the main aim to analyze the 

impact of modifier and grain refiner on 

the characteristic solidification temperatures 

of EN AC-42100 alloys. Modifiers 

and grain refiner are important additives 

used in the casting of aluminum 

alloys to improve their microstructure 

and mechanical properties. Modifiers 

are added to aluminum alloys to modify 

the size, shape, and distribution of the 

silicon phase in the solidified microstructure. 

The primary purpose of modifiers 

is to improve the feeding ability of 

the alloy by promoting the formation 

of fine, globular silicon particles. Grain 

refiners are added to aluminum alloys 

to reduce the size of primary a-aluminum 

grains and to enhance the feeding 

ability of the cast aluminum alloys. 

Additionally, these additives can help 

to reduce casting defects and ensure 

more reliable and uniform casting 

structures. Figures 4 to 7 show cooling 

curves, their first derivative curves and 

corresponding delta T curves (TW – TC) 

for EN AC-42100 alloy 

> without addition of modifier and 

grain refiner (fig. 4), 

> with addition of modifier (fig. 5) 

> with addition of modifier and grain 

refiner (fig. 6) and 

> with addition of only grain refiner 

(fig. 7). 


addition of grain refiner. 

Table 4: Chemical composition of the investigated alloy in wt.% after the addition of grain 

refiner, without modifier, experiment 4. 


AlSi7Mg0,3 7.188 0.327 0.0001 0.123 0.001 0.054 0.002 0.002 

Table 5: Influence of modifier and grain refiner on the characteristic solidification temperatures 

of the alloy EN AC 42100 in °C. These are average values from multiple measurements. 

Alloy T LIQ 

T DCP 

T Rigidity 

T SOL 

Al Si7 Mg0.3 621.2 610.4 571.3 535.6 

Al Si7 Mg0.3 + Sr 0.0072 620.4 612.6 566.3 540.0 

Al Si7 Mg0.3 + TiBor 0.154 + Sr 0.0072 625.4 612.8 565.8 540.8 

Al Si7 Mg0.3 + TiBor 0.123 620.0 612.2 569.4 538.0 

The cooling curve, its first derivative 

curve and delta T curve have been used 

to determine liquidus (TLIQ), dendrite 

coherency (TDCP), rigidity (TRigidity) 

and solidus temperatures (TSOL) of the 

investigated alloy. All four characteristic 

solidification temperatures from four 

previously described trials have been 

summarized in table 5. These temperatures 

delineate the five feeding regions 

of this alloy. 

Influence of modifier 

As table 5 and figure 5 show, strontium 

has significant impact only on rigidity 

temperature. Addition of 72 ppm strontium 

reduced the rigidity temperature 

from 571.3 °C to 566.3 °C. The depression 

of rigidity temperature caused by 

adding modifier in the EN AC-42100 

alloy leads to an extension of the Inter 

Dendritic Feeding (IDF) region by 5 °C. 

32

Influence of grain refiner plus modifier 

Added grain refiner (0.154 wt.% of Ti) 

into the modified melt has no impact on 

the rigidity temperature as figure 7 

shows, but impacts the dendrite coherency 

temperature, increasing it by 2.2 °C. 

Influence of grain refiner 

Addition of grain refiner into EN 

AC-42100 melt in the amount of 0.123 

wt.% as figure 7 and table 5 indicated, 

does not significantly change the rigidity 

temperature and has some moderate 

impact on dendrite coherency temperature, 

increasing it by 2.4 °C compared to 

the melt without any addition of grain 

refiner and modifier. 

Feeding behavior 

Shrinkage porosity is one of the most 

common defects in aluminum cast parts 

caused by non-proper feeding ability. 

Understanding the feeding behavior of 

aluminum-silicon alloys is an important 

aspect for sound casting production. In 

the available literature, only a few 

papers attempt a quantitative description 

of some feeding regions in aluminum-silicon 

alloys using the beam and 

scales principle [19, 20, 21]. By measuring 

the time of mass and total feeding 

during solidification in cast parts, Engler 

and Michel [19-21] established two criteria 

that can be employed to describe 

mass feeding (up to the dendrite coherency 

point) and total feeding (from the 

dendrite coherency point up to the solidus 

temperature). The main disadvantage 

of these criteria was their inability 

to quantitatively describe feeding 

regions such as interdendritic feeding 

or burst feeding. 

Especially interdendritic and burst 

feedings are of great importance in 

producing sound cast parts through 

gravity and high-pressure die casting 

processes. Those regions are mostly 

responsible for defects formation in the 

as-cast structure, such as shrinkage 

porosity, hot tearing, and segregation. 

In addition, it is well known that time is 

an intensive property that is very sensitive 

to the mass of solidified samples. 

Any difference in the size of thermal 

analysis test sample can significantly 

influence the total solidification time 

and impact the accuracy of quantitatively 

described feeding regions. Therefore, 

the foundry industry needs a better 

analytical description of those two 

feeding regions. A new IDECO thermal 

feeding system proposes three equations 

based on the previous work [22] 

which can be used quantitatively to 

describe following three feeding 

regions of any cast aluminum alloys: 

MB = T SLL − T DDD 

T SLL − T SSS 

x 100 1 

IIB = T DDD − T RRRRRRRR 


x 100 2 

BB = T RRRRRRRR − T SSS 


x 100 

where: 

MF temperature ratio for mass 

feeding, % 

IDF temperature ratio for interdendritic 

feeding, % 

BF temperature ratio for burst 

feeding, % 

T LIQ 

liquidus temperature, °C 

T DCP 

dendrite coherency temperature, 

°C 

T Rigidity 

rigidity temperature, °C 

T SOL 

solidus temperature, °C 

3 

From figure 1 it is obvious that four 

characteristic solidification temperatures 

(liquidus, dendrite coherency, 

rigidity and solidus) are needed parameters 

for quantitative description of different 

feeding intervals. Applying equations 

(1 - 3) and calculated 

corresponding temperature ratio for 

various feeding regions, the impact of 

grain refiners and modifiers can be 

quantified. 

Figure 8 illustrates, that the introduction 

of strontium led to an approximate 

12 % extension of the Interdendritic 

Feeding (IDF) temperature ratio, 

concurrently resulting in a notable 9 % 

reduction in the Burst Feeding (BF) temperature 

ratio. The influence of strontium 

aligns with expectations. It is 

widely recognized that strontium does 

not impact dendrite coherency temperature 

but significantly lowers the 

rigidity temperature, thereby expanding 

the interdendritic feeding region 

[21]. Particularly, grain refiners, commonly 

based on elements such as titanium 

or boron, are incorporated into 

aluminum alloys to refine the grain 

structure. They facilitate the formation 

of smaller and more uniformly distributed 

grains within the alloy. A finer 

grain structure enhances the feeding 

capacity of the alloy by providing more 

nucleation sites for the growth of solidification 

fronts. This, in turn, promotes a 

more uniform and controlled solidification 

process, mitigating the risk of 

shrinkage defects and ensuring proper 

mold filling. Analyzing figure 8, the 

addition of titanium (0.154 wt.%) to a 

non-modified aluminum melt (experiment 

4) increased IDF temperature ratio 

by approximately 7 % and decreased BF 

temperature ratio by around 3.5 %. 

Simultaneous incorporation of a 

modifier and grain refiner into the aluminum 

melt resulted in a 10 % expansion 

of IDF temperature ratio and a 12 % 

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FEEDING 

Temperature ratio, % 

Mass feeding, % Interdendritic feeding, % 

Burst feeding, % 

Fig. 8: The impact of adding modifier and grain refiner (separately or together) on the 

temperature ratio of different feeding regions. All values associated with these feeding 

regions are derived from averaging multiple measurements. The vertical lines on the 

bars represent the standard deviations of the corresponding measurements. 

reduction in BF temperature ratio. The 

low standard deviation observed in figure 

8 indicates the high repeatability of 

all measurements, demonstrating 

IDECO feeding thermal analysis’s ability 

to quantify the various feeding ranges 

with high accuracy. 

Simulation 

In modern aluminum casting foundries 

has been applied as a routine procedure 

in their everyday works, drastically 

reducing the number of experiments, 

improving quality of final cast products 

as well as reducing the costs for developing 

new products. On that way, 

foundry engineers are capable to 

shorten the period of a new development 

and earlier launch a novel product 

to customer. To be capable to achieve 

these tasks, the simulation software 

packages need to have an accurate data 

base for various aluminum cast alloys. 

Presently applied data bases are 

using thermal, physical, and chemical 

parameters for standard types of aluminum 

alloys with exact chemical compositions. 

These data bases are not sensitive 

enough to accommodate any 

changes in the actual chemistry of 

applied alloys. The impact of grain 

refinement, modification and/or influence 

of minor alloying elements on the 

solidification paths of cast aluminum 

alloys are usually not considered in 

those standard data bases. Commercial 

software suppliers usually only provide 

parameters for standard alloys with predefined 

chemical compositions in their 

databases. If additional material parameters 

for advanced alloy compositions 

are needed, they need to be purchased, 

measured, or calculated. Therefore, it is 

necessary to find out other sources that 

can update an existing data base with 

more accurate information. 

As it has been demonstrated in this 

paper, a good way to obtain a new 

information is IDECO thermal feeding 

analysis system. This system makes it 

possible to find missing parameters such 

as characteristic solidification temperatures, 

corresponding amount of fraction 

solid at each characteristic temperature, 

amount of latent heat, temperature 

range of various feeding regions and 

improve the accuracy of simulation. 

Conclusions 

In the available literature there is limited 

information related to the quantitatively 

description of each of the five 

feeding mechanisms proposed by 

Campbell. This paper analyzed the 

impact of modifier (AlSr10) and grain 

refiner (AlTi3B1) on the different feeding 

regions of EN AC-42100 alloy using 

IDECO thermal feeding analysis system. 

The three novel criterions to characterize 

the feeding behavior during the 

solidification process, such as 

> temperature ratio for mass free feeding, 

> temperature ratio for interdendritic 

constrained feeding and 

> temperature ratio for burst feeding 

have been proposed. 

These criterions assume that solidification 

parameters such as liquidus temperature, 

dendrite coherency temperature, 

rigidity temperature and solidus 

temperature mark transitions between 

different types of feeding mechanisms. 

It was found that addition of modifier 

and grain refiner has influence on the 

temperature ranges of inter dendritic 

(IDF) and burst feeding (BF) regions. 

Added strontium up to 72 ppm increases 

IDF temperature ratio for 12 % and 

reduces BF temperature ratio for 9 %. 

Grain refiner (0.123 wt.% Ti) increases 

the IDF temperature ratio for 6.7 % and 

decreases the BF temperature ratio for 

3.5 %. Combined addition of modifier 

and grain refiner (72 ppm Sr and 0.154 

wt. % Ti) increase the IDF temperature 

ratio for 10 % and decrease the BF temperature 

ratio for 12 %. 

This paper demonstrated that the 


can be used accurately to quantify various 

feeding regions and feed existing 

data base with new data that so far 

have not been applied in simulation. 

www.ideco-gmbh.de/en 

Olivier Dünkelmann, Robin Unland, 

IDECO, Bocholt, Mile B. Djurdjevic, 

Nemak Linz GmbH, Linz, Julian Schröter, 

M. Busch GmbH & Co. KG, Bestwig 

References 

[1] J. Gubicza et al: “Effect of Mg addition 

on microstructure and mechanical 

properties of aluminum“, Materials Science 

and Engineering A 387–389 (2004) 

55–59. 

[2] A.M.A. Mohamed et. al: “Bewertung 

der Wirkung einer Magnesiumzugabe 

auf der Erstarrungsverhalten von 

Al-Si-Cu-Gusslegierungen”, Giesserei 

Praxis, 2013, Vol. 7-8, S. 286-294. 

[3] O. E. Okorafor: “Some Considerations 

of the Volume Shrinkage of Aluminium-Silicon 

Alloy Castings Produced 

in Full Moulds“, Transactions of the 

Japan Institute of Metals, Vol. 27, No. 6 

(1986), pp. 463 to 468. 

[4] J. M. Kim at al.: Porosity formation 

in relation to the feeding behavior of 

AlSi alloys, AFS Transactions 1997. 

[5] Campbell, J.: “Feeding Mechanisms 

in Castings”. AFS Cast Metal Research 

Journal, 1969. 5: p. 1-8. 

34

[6] Paul L. Schaff er et al.: “The Eff ect of Aluminum Content 

and Grain Refinement on Porosity Formation in 

Mg-Al Alloys”, Magnesium Technology 2001, Edited by J. 

Hryn, TMS (The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, 

2001, pp. 87-94). 

[7] Arnberg, L. et al.: “Feeding Mechanism in Aluminum 

Foundry Alloys”, AFS Transactions, 1995, 115, 753- 759. 

[8] Arnberg, et al.: “Studies of dendrite coherency in 

solidifying aluminum alloy melts by rheological measurements”, 

Mater. Sci. Eng., 1993, A173, 101-103. 

[9] Chai, G.: “Dendrite Coherency During Equiaxed Solidification 

in Aluminum Alloys”, Chemical Communications. 

No. 1, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden, 1994. 

[10] Chai, G. et al.: “Dendrite Coherency during Equiaxed 

Solidification in Binary Aluminum Alloys”, Metall. Mater. 

Trans. A, 1995, 26A, 965-970. 

[11] Veldman, N. et al.: “Determination of Dendrite 

Coherency Point”, Die Casting & Tooling Technology Conference, 

22-25 June, 1997, Melbourne, Australia. 

[12] Claxton, R.J.: “Aluminum alloy coherence”, Continuous 

Casting, AIME Metallurgical Society, New York (1973), 

pp. 341-352. 

[13] Zamarripa, R.C et al.: “Determination of the Dendrite 

Coherency Point during Solidification by means of Thermal 

Diff usivity Analysis”, Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 2007, 

38A, 1875-1879. 

[14] Djurdjevic, M. et al.: “Detection of the Dendrite 

Coherency Point of Al 3XX Series of Alloys Using a Single 

Sensor Thermal Analysis Technique”, 40th Annual Conference 

of Metallurgists of CIM 2001. 

[15] Eskin, D.; Katgerman, L.: “A Quest for a new hot tearing 

criterion”, Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, 

2007, pp.1511-1519. 

[16] Bäckerud, L. et al.: “Solidification Characteristics of 

Aluminum Alloys”, Vol. 2: Foundry Alloys, AFS/Scan Aluminium, 

Oslo, Norway, 1990. 

[17] M. Dash, M. Makhlouf “Effect of key alloying elements 

on the feeding characteristics of aluminum–silicon 

casting alloys”, Journal of Light Metals 1 (2001) 251-265; 

[18] J. Cho et al.: “The effect of copper on-feeding characteristics 

of aluminum casting-alloys”, Proceedings of the 

12th international conference on aluminum alloys, September 

5-9, 2010, Yokohama, Japan, pp. 745-750. 

[19] Michel W. and Engler S; “Speisungskinetik von Aluminum-Silizium 

Gußlegierungen”, Giesserei 75, Nr. 14, 1988, 

S. 445-448. 

[20] Michel W. and Engler S; “Erstarrungsmorphologie 

und Speisungsablauf von Aluminium-Silizium Legierungen 

bei Kokillenguß“,Giesserei 77, Nr. 3, 1990, s. 79-82. 

[21] Michel W and Engler S., “Speisungsverhalten und 

Porosität von Aluminium-Silicium-Gußwerkstoffen“, 

Giessereiforschung 41, 1989, Nr. 4, pp.174-187. 

[22] G. Huber et al.: “Impact of silicon, magnesium and 

strontium on feeding ability of AlSiMg cast alloys”, Material 

Science Forum, 2016, Vol. 879, pp. 784-789, ISSN: 1662- 

9752. 

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STEEL MELTS 

Improving the quality of steel melts 

Clean steel castings at ultra 

low pouring temperatures 

This article describes a new technique for improving the quality of steel melts in the 

ladle prior to pouring. The Process involves a rotary treatment process that stirs the 

metal in the ladle whilst passing a curtain of fine argon bubbles through it. Together 

with flux and wire additions the process leads to effective inclusion removal, homogenized 

temperature, modification and desulfurization. The technique allows the steel 

to be cast at much lower temperatures even semi liquid, resulting in fine cast micro 

structures and reduced defects. 

By David Hrabina. Colin Powell, Dalibor Čáp, Milan Turták, Jiří Kolár 

36

Molten metal in the melting furnace 

will be clean but tapping 

into the pouring ladle significantly 

contaminates it [1]. The metal 

tapping process is not well controlled 

and splashed metal exposed to the 

atmosphere reacts with oxygen forming 

oxide films having melting temperature 

greater than temperature of the liquid 

metal in the ladle. Formed oxide films 

cannot dissolve or remelt in the ladle 

and floating up to the surface through 

their buoyancy would take excessive 

time due to their large surface area and 

negligible volume. 

Injecting treatments and deoxidizing 

alloys such as Al, SiCa, FeTi and FeZr 

into the stream of tapped steel makes 

the situation even worse. Massive 

amounts of air entrained into the molten 

metal in the ladle (fig. 1 a and b) 

immediately react with those high oxygen 

affinity elements forming even 

more non-metallic inclusions and oxide 

films. 

The metal temperature in the ladle 

may vary significantly in different locations 

due to the cooling effect of the 

refractory lining. The difference 

between the metal temperatures 

between the bottom and top of the 

ladle might be tens of degree before 

the pouring process starts (fig. 2 a and 

b). Especially sensitive are smaller bottom 

pour ladles because of the cooling 

effect of stoppers and nozzles. The 

coldest metal sinks to the lowest area 

around the stopper nose and is the first 

metal to flow into the nozzle when the 

stopper is lifted up. This metal cools 

even further as it passes through the 

unpreheated running system and leads 

to mis-runs and cold shut defects on the 

casting surface. The pouring temperature 

is measured by thermo probe at the 

top of the ladle before pouring starts 

but this is not representative of metal 

temperatures at other ladle locations. 

a 

b 

Fig. 1: a) Water modeling of tapping process, b) CFD simulation of metal tapping. 

a 

b 

Fig. 2: MAGMA simulation of metal temperature distribution at the ladle 6 min after tapping. 

a 

b 

Fig. 3: a) Very fine Ar bubbles helically dispersed, b) effective bifilm and inclusions removal by 

Ar bubbles. 

a 

b 

Fig. 4: a) Cold spots of metal after the tapping, b) metal temperature homogenization by Rotoclene – Rotary Treatment Process. 


STEEL MELTS 

Fig. 5: Alumina inclusion modification by Ca to globular shape less harmful to low temperature notch toughness test and fatigue performance. 

Table 1: Desulfurization at the ladle by synthetic slag within Rotoclene treatment. 

Test No Time C Mn Si P S Cr Mo Ni V Cu Al Al soluble 

1 12:40 0.67 0.85 0.18 0.016 0.017 0.30 0.20 0.22 0.01 0.05 *0.234 *0.220 

2 13:08 0.31 0.16 0.00 0.002 0.012 0.09 0.27 0.20 0.00 0.05 *0.150 *0.143 

3 13:45 0.40 0.42 0.42 0.006 0.007 0.89 0.26 0.19 0.01 0.05 0.027 0.023 

4 14:37 0.45 0.82 0.52 0.008 0.002 1.13 0.26 0.19 0.01 0.05 0.033 0.031 

Test No 1 – EAF just after smelting (6800 kg) 

Test No 2 – EAF after oxidation 

Test No 3 – EAF before tapping → 1 % of synthetic slag Sulfamin 70 into the pouring ladle within tapping 

Test No 4 –Taken from the ladle after Rotoclene treatment at the end of pouring process. Sulfur level reduced from 70 to 20 ppm 

The Rotoclene process 

The Rotoclene process has been developed 

to treat molten metal effectively 

in the ladle. For reducing hydrogen and 

nitrogen pick up we would ideally 

deoxidize the melt with cored wire 

before or during the rotary treatment 

rather than into the stream during 

metal tapping from either arc or induction 

melting furnace. A hollow ceramic 

rotor stirs the molten metal as argon is 

purged through it gets dispersed to 

form curtains of very fine bubbles (fig. 

3a). These float up slowly in a helical 

trajectory that extends their passage 

through the metal rotating around the 

vertical axis of the ladle. Slag particles 

inclusions and oxide films adhere to surface 

of the argon micro bubbles and 

float up into the slag layer at the top. 

The small size of the argon bubbles 

gives them a long residence time in the 

melt and together with the extended 

floating trajectory means that very 

effective metal purification is achieved 

(fig. 3b). The rotation of the melt also 

effectively homogenizes metal temperature 

and eliminates critical cold 

spots at the bottom (fig. 4a). Molten 

metal in the ladle keeps rotating 

through its moment of inertia even several 

minutes after the end of the rotary 

treatment. The metal temperature stays 

consistent at any ladle location without 

cold spots (fig. 4b) and pouring temperature 

can be significantly reduced 

compared to conventional practice. 

Synthetic slag can also be stirred into 

the molten metal to partially dissolve 

nonmetallic inclusions and perform deep 

desulfurization (table 1) at the neutral 

or basic lining ladle similarly to a ladle 

furnace in secondary metallurgy [2]. The 

stirring action also allows a deeper deoxidation 

by extruded pure Ca wire to 

modify alumina inclusions (fig. 5) to a 

more nodular shape more effectively 

than SiCa [3]. Pure Ca normally reacts 

too violently with steel and cannot be 

applied in foundry ladles, however, 

injecting the Ca into a moving stream 

dissolves it before it reaches the critical 

vapor concentration. Pure Ca also does 

not contribute to premature filter clogging 

in the way that SiCa typically does. 

Metal solidification 

Metal solidification is very complex process 

of transformation from liquid 

phase to solid involving the formation 

of dendrites and segregation of low solubility 

elements at the grain boundaries. 

Atoms are converted from liquid 

disordered phase to solid ordered phase 

releasing significant latent heat being 

accompanied by volumetric shrinkage 

[4, 5, 6]. The liquidus point can be identified 

reliably by the initial chemical 

composition of the cast metal while the 

solidus point is varied by the actual 

metal composition being continuously 

saturated by segregating elements. 

Fig. 6: Dendritic growth from primary. secondary. 

tertiary to quaternary dimensions 

according to solidification time by Robert 

Wlodawer [7]. 

38

a b c 

Fig. 7: a) Model of dendrite structure with primary, secondary, and tertiary axis [5], b) section through the structure of steel dendrite [6], c) dendrites 

growth at the shrinkage [6]. 

The temperature of the liquidus at 

any casting part is identical. However, 

the solidus temperature in thin sections 

of the same casting is higher than solidus 

temperature in thick sections. 

Extended solidification time in the thick 

casting sections allows dendrites to 

develop more and segregation at their 

grain boundaries changes their chemical 

composition due to the higher concentrations. 

This phenomenon results in the 

solidification range being narrower in 

thin sections and wider in thicker ones 

within the same casting. Solidification 

time highly influences the structure and 

therefore the final mechanical properties 

of steel castings. Longer solidification 

times allow dendrites to grow bigger 

and inter-dendritic segregation is 

higher (fig. 6, 7a, 7b, 7c, 8) [7, 8]. 

This impacts mechanical properties 

negatively. Solidification time depends 

on many parameters but most importantly 

on cast section modulus and 

pouring temperature. Modulus is 

mainly defined by castings geometry 

while pouring temperature depends on 

foundry practice. Superheat (the difference 

from pouring temperature to temperature 

of the liquidus) is applied to 

ensure the casting cavity is filled up 

before solidification starts. The mold 

absorbs superheat energy from the liquid 

steel and is heated up before molten 

metal temperature drops below the 

liquidus to start the solidification process. 

Higher pouring temperature leads 

to more energy absorption by the mold 

before solidification starts and lowers 

the capacity for the mold to absorb 

heat from the solidifying casting (fig. 9). 

Fig. 8: Dendrite’s growth and inter-dendritic segregation of carbon model [9]. 

Fig. 9: Extended solidification time by superheating steel over the temperature of liquidus. 

Volumetric contraction starts from pouring temperature, but shrinkage cavity cannot be 

formed until temperature drops under the liquidus and solidification process starts. 


STEEL MELTS 

Table 2: Inclusion’s removal and metal cleanliness comparison Rotoclene versus Purging 

Plug process. (Samples taken from the test block cast as connected to casting). 

047 – Metal 

treated by Purging 

Plug at the ladle 

Total Area Analyzed (mm²) 116.64 116.64 

Total Number of Classified 

Features 

Total Area Analyzed Features 

without unclassified (μm 2 ) 

4709 2142 

49576 34942 

Si > 70 143 81 

Al > 70 208 107 

70 > Al > 50 407 298 

Mn > 25 and S > 10 2373 1426 

Mg > 25 1 0 

Ca > 50 2 7 

50 > Ca > 10 1471 141 

Rest 104 82 

a 

Fig. 10: a) PP treatment 20’ metallography, b) Rotoclene treatment 7’. 

a 

092 – Metal treated by 

rotary treatment 

Fig. 11: a) Air entrainment and bifilm formation principal, b) air entrainment within pouring 

process. 

b 

b 

Reduction of pouring 

temperature 

To maximize the reduction of pouring 

temperature and casting solidification 

time, the molten metal in the ladle is 

stirred by powerful ceramic rotor This 

prevents the embryonic crystals nucleating 

in the melt from agglomerating and 

limits the growth of dendrites and segregation 

when the temperature falls 

below the liquidus. Latent heat released 

by solid phase formation slows down 

metal cooling in the ladle and provides 

sufficient time to heat up the stoper, 

nozzle, and lining of the ladle very close 

to the molten metal temperature. 

The requirement to superheat the 

steel for casting is eliminated and the 

ultralow pouring temperature, already 

in the range between liquidus and solidus, 

ensures that heat energy can be 

absorbed quickly by cold molds. This 

leads to immediate solidification achieving 

a very fine grain size and minimal 

segregation at the grain boundaries. 

Metal cast at an ultralow pouring 

temperature must be protected effectively 

from reoxidation and air entrainment 

ideally by a ceramic shroud. 

Semi-liquid metal is still sufficiently 

fluid to fill up the mold cavity but pouring 

time must be very short to avoid 

cold shuts and misrun defects. Oxide 

films and entrained air bubbles are not 

able to float up to the casting surface 

through semi liquid steel. 

It may not be possible to produce 

every casting at ultralow pouring temperature 

but massive, thick-walled castings 

which benefit from fast solidification 

process are exceptionally well 

suited to this technology. The limit to 

how far below the liquidus the molten 

metal stays fluid enough to be cast by 

gravity is determined by the chemical 

composition of the steel being cast. Carbon 

and high strength low alloy steels 

having a narrow solidification range 

and high heat conductivity are more 

sensitive to ultra-low pouring temperature 

than medium and high alloy steel 

having solidification ranges that are 

much wider and heat conductivity that 

is lower. The feasibility of casting at 

ultra-low pouring temperature will 

need to be considered based on the 

casting size and shape, and individual 

foundry experience. Nevertheless any 

superheat reduction reduces primary 

grain size and segregation and consequently 

improves mechanical properties. 

Casting defects detected by ultrasonic, 

X-ray or magnetic particle 

inspection (MPI) are significantly 

40

STEEL MELTS 

reduced and castings achieve the higher 

grades of quality acceptance demanded 

by final customers. 

a 

b 

Use of the Rotoclene process 

More than one thousand steel melts in 

range from 3 to 20 tons have already 

been treated by the Rotoclene process. 

Overall casting results show significant 

improvement in terms of casting surface, 

internal homogeneity and metal 

cleanliness followed by higher mechanical 

properties compared to conventional 

technology (table 2, fig. 10 a and b). 

Molten metal exposed to atmospheric 

oxygen forms oxide films at any 

time. (fig. 11 a and b). Super clean and 

temperature homogenous metal in the 

pouring ladle contaminated during the 

pouring process may still contribute to 

casting defects [9, 10, 11]. The Hollotex 

Shroud is highly recommended to protect 

cast steel from air entrainment and 

metal re-oxidation within the casting 

process. especially in combination with 

molten metal treated by Rotoclene in 

the pouring ladle. 

Case study: piston 

This thick piston casting from carbon 

steel (GS-70) was produced regularly 

last 10 years and never passed inspection 

without excessive welding. It’s 

shape is apparently simple (fig. 12a) but 

solidification time of about 15 hours 

(fig. 12b) leads to excessive dendrite 

growth and severe segregation complicates 

feeding within the last solidification 

stage. 

Primary shrinkage has never been 

present, but ultrasonic echo was always 

lost within inspection of the bottom 

hub and upper part under the riser. 

Repeated heat treatment has been 

applied to try to refine the grain size 

and allow ultrasonic inspection but 

unsuccessfully. Defective parts from the 

drag (fig. 13a) and under the riser 

(fig. 13b) were machined out by carousel 

to a depth of 135 mm until porosity 

detected by penetration was removed 

(fig. 14a and b). Excavated diamater 

was 300 mm in the drag and 400 mm 

under the riser. Porosity detected by 

penetration test was finally much bigger 

than identified by ultrasonic test. 

Additional annealing heat treatment 

had to be applied after the welding. 

The Rotoclene process has been 

applied to clean up the molten metal 

and reduce pouring temperature to liquidus 

level. 7400 kg of steel from EAF 

was treated in an 8.5 ton capacity ladle 

for 32 minutes until the temperature 

Fig. 12: a) Shot blasted casting, b) Magma simulation of solidification time. 

a 

Fig. 13: a) Porosity in bottom hub, b) porosity under the riser. 

a 

Fig. 14: a) Defective part excavated up to 135 mm, b) defects on the diameter are still present 

and needs to be further machined. 

b 

b 

dropped to 1495 °C, then the ladle was 

transferred to the molding shop for 

pouring which took 7 minutes from the 

end of rotary treatment. Pouring temperature 

was 1480 °C which was calculated 

as the liquidus temperature of this 

melt. Casting was through the Hollotex 

Shroud to protect cast steel from reoxidation 

air entrainment and bifilm formation. 

The mold was filled within 44 

seconds. Cast weight was 6400 kg and 

weight of the casting 3700 kg. There 

was no trace of molten metal freezing 

in the ladle. This casting passed ultrasonic 

inspection successfully without 

welding (fig. 15). 

Operation of the Rotoclene process 

even under the liquidus temperature 

has been tried for other castings. The 

challenge is to measure metal temperature 

when it drops under 1500 °C. 

Thermo probes for steel suffer from 

slag freezing on the metallic cup protecting 

the thermocouple and mostly 

does not record the temperature. Metal 

was treated until the temperature 

dropped under 1480°C before casting. 

There was some residual metal frozen 

42

Fig. 15: Sound casting. 

in the ladle bottom but this could be 

cleaned up by oxygen lance when the 

ladle was emptied. One mold from the 

ladle can be cast from such ultra low 

pouring temperature significantly 

under the liquidus, but the casting must 

be thick and not sensitive to cold shuts 

or mis-runs. Pouring of more than one 

mold from the ladle might be problematic 

as metal may start to solidify at the 

nozzle to shroud connection. 

Summary 

Rotoclene – Rotary treatment of molten 

steel is an innovative technology allowing 

higher level of metal purification 

and temperature homogenization at 

the pouring ladle. Rotating molten steel 

heats up the ladle lining and stopper 

avoiding premature metal solidification 

at the ladle and stopper freezing risk. 

Treatment can be continued until metal 

temperature cools down to the desired 

pouring temperature regardless the 

metal holding time. Steel may be further 

desulfurized by synthetic slag stiring 

and alumina inclusions modified to 

less harmful globular shape by pure Ca. 

In combination with Hollotex Shroud 

pouring temperature may be significantly 

reduced and cleaner castings 

achieved with finer grain size and 

higher levels of homogeneity. 

www.vesuvius.com 

[2] Chao Fan, Alexis Gosa, Lifeng 

Zhang, Qingcai Liu and Dayong Chen, 

The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society 

(2018) Mathematical Modeling on 

the Fluid Flow and Desulfurization 

During KR Hot Metal Treatment 

[3] N. Verma, Petrus C. Pistorius, Richard 

J. Fruehan, Michael Potter, Minna 

Lind and Scott R. Story, Transient Inclusion 

Evolution During Modification of 

Alumina Inclusions by Calcium in Liquid 

Steel: The Minerals, Metals & Materials 

Society and ASM International (2011) 

[4] Upendra Kumar Mohanty, Hrushikesh 

Sarangi, Solidification of Metals 

and Alloys (2020) 

[5] M. Strouhalova, Studium Fazovych 

Zmen v Oceli Behem Jejiho Tuhnuti – 

VSB TU Ostrava – Doctor Thesis (2018) 

[6] E. Munsterova, Obecne Udaje o 

Fazovych Premenach Behem Tuhnuti, 

Brno (2005) 

[7] R. WLODAWER, Directional Solidification 

of Steel Casting book. (1966) 

[8] M. Amirthalingam, E. M. van der 

Aa, C. Kwakernaak, M. J. M. Hermans, I. 

M. Richardson, Elemental Segregation 

During Resistance Spot Welding of 

Boron Containing Advanced High 

Strength Steels (2015) 

[9] D. Hrabina, P. Filip, Foundry Practice 

267, Advances in the pouring of 

steel castings with a shrouded metal 

stream (2019) 

[10] Ch. Beckermann & S. H. Majidi, 

University of Iowa, Simulation of Air 

Entrainment during Mold Filling: Comparison 

with Water Modeling Experiments, 

Steel Foundries Society of America, 

Chicago IL, USA 2017 

[11] K. T. Kiger & J. H. Duncan, Air 

Entrainment Mechanism in Plunging 

Jets and Breaking Waves (2012) 

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for the 

Casting 

David Hrabina, Colin Powell, Foseco, 

Dalibor Čáp, Milan Turták, Jiří Kolár, 

UNEX 

References 

[1] J. Campbell (2015), Complete Casting 

Handbook: Metal Casting Processes, 

Metallurgy, Techniques and Design (2nd 

ed.). Oxford, UK: Elsevier 

Industry 

Your Contact: Suzanne Abetz 

E-mail: info@filtech.de 

Phone: +49 (0)2132 93 57 60

COMPANY 

German ship propellers for the 

largest ships in the world 

Mecklenburger Metallguss GmbH is a dynamic company specializing in the large-scale 

production and international distribution of ship propellers. With a wealth of experience 

spanning 75 years, the company is one of the global players and operates successfully 

among the top ten international propeller manufacturers. The company is 

 

product lines. 

By Christian Thieme 

44

About an hour‘s drive south of 

Rostock lies Waren, the center 

of the Mecklenburg Lake District. 

The spa town, with around 21,000 

inhabitants, borders on the Müritz, the 

largest lake within Germany. The local 

harbour serves as the starting point for 

numerous passenger ships that call at 

the banks of the Müritz and attract tourists 

to the region all year round. 

Although Waren is known as a maritime 

town, many visitors do not immediately 

realize that ship propellers for 

the world‘s largest container ships are 

also manufactured here. 

Today‘s Mecklenburger Metallguss 

GmbH (MMG) has been producing ship 

propellers at this location for 75 years. 

Although the site can look back on an 

even longer history, the maritime focus 

only developed in the post-war period. 

In 1948, the Soviet military administration 

demanded an increase in shipbuilding 

capacity. Due to its favorable location 

near the coast and its extensive 

expertise with qualified personnel, the 

foundry in Waren was commissioned to 

produce cast parts for mechanical and 

plant engineering as well as propellers 

and equipment such as portholes and 

hatch covers for shipbuilding. Today, 

MMG is an internationally renowned 

high-tech company and is one of the 

world‘s leading manufacturers of ship 

propellers. Looking confidently to the 

future, the foundry is endeavoring to 

further strengthen its position and 

develop additional business areas. 

„We celebrated our anniversary on September 

23, 2023 celebrated here at the site“ 

Lars Greitsch 

Lars Greitsch is 

one of the managing 

directors of 

MMG and responsible 

for 

Research & 

development in 

the company. 

Photos: Christian Thieme 

The green product attracts 

employees 

„We celebrated our anniversary here at 

the site on 23 September 2023,“ reports 

Dr. Lars Greitsch, Managing Director of 

the company. „We were able to welcome 

over 3,000 guests to the open day 

and showcase our company“. The company 

is currently growing, is proud of 

its expertise and employs just over 200 


COMPANY 

„In the last 18 months, we have hired 

about 40 new employees and have had 

no staff shortage.“ 

The smaller workpieces are produced 

directly next to the melting store. 

The large propellers require considerably 

more space, which is located in the 

adjoining halls. 

people. „In the last 18 months, we have 

taken on around 40 new employees and 

have had no staff shortages“, adds 

Greitsch proudly. More jobs are to be 

created in the future by opening up 

new business areas. 

„The region offers us the advantage 

that we don‘t have to compete with 

many industrial companies for employees, 

and we have an outstanding product. 

In dialogue with other companies, 

we have noticed that young people 

tend to want to work in green industries. 

In contrast, traditional mechanical 

engineering and the automotive sector 

are having far more difficulties“, 

Greitsch notes. He attributes this to the 

company‘s own contribution to more 

environmentally friendly shipping on a 

global scale, particularly in the retrofit 

sector. 

46

Growth course thanks to 

international regulations 

This year, the company is approaching 

the turnover mark of 100 million euros, 

its second-best result since 2015. „The 

business situation is positive, as shipping 

companies worldwide are under 

pressure to reduce their energy costs 

and CO 2 

emissions“, explains Greitsch. 

This pressure on owners is the result of 

various factors. According to the guidelines 

of the International Maritime 

Organization (IMO), a specialized 

agency of the United Nations, new ships 

have had to meet an Energy Efficiency 

Design Index (EEDI) for many years. 

„This means that every new ship has to 

go through a certification process to 

ensure that its efficiency meets certain 

standards. This is checked during the 

final model test before the ship is built. 

In addition, the IMO has started to 

apply the energy efficiency index to 

existing ships on the same mathematical 

basis, which has led to the Energy 

Efficiency eXisting ship Index (EEXI)“, 

says Greitsch. 

The first retrofit pilot project was 

carried out in Waren in 2013. This involved 

replacing old propellers with more 

efficient ones or adding efficiency-enhancing 

measures, for example. There 

are now two different regulations in 

this area that shipping companies must 

comply with. „The IMO has issued an 

index for all larger merchant ships, 

which must be verified once and is not 

fulfilled by most ships“, summarizes 

Greitsch. „However, engine throttling is 

often sufficient to comply with the 

limit values“. MMG benefits from the 

resulting lower top speed, as more efficient 

propellers are required for a faster 

journey. 

„The Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) 

is added to the one-off index on an 

ongoing basis“, adds Greitsch. The CII is 

a measure of a ship‘s energy efficiency 

and is expressed in grams of CO 2 

emissions 

per load capacity and nautical mile. 

This is not calculated from the ship‘s 

technical data, but from the fuel 

consumption, which is set in relation to 

the theoretically possible cargo volume. 

„It is therefore a kind of transport efficiency“. 

There are five different efficiency 

classes. Ships labelled E, for 

example, must submit an action plan 

that must be implemented within one 

year. 

In addition to the internationally 

applicable regulations, there is further 

pressure from major customers who 

supply end customers. „Containers are 

SHIP PROPELLERS 

Ship propellers are giants in the truest sense of the word. Propellers with an 

impressive weight of up to 110 tons and a diameter of more than ten meters 

are manufactured in Waren. These imposing models are later used on the largest 

container ships. The largest container ship in the world has space for 

24,000 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit). TEU stands for „Twenty-Foot Equivalent 

Unit“ and refers to a 20-foot standard container. Internationally, TEU 

serves as a standardized unit for counting these standardized ISO containers. 

Around 12,000 lorries would be needed to unload a ship of this size. 

booked by companies such as Amazon 

and Co. End customers, on the other 

hand, expect environmentally friendly 

transport“, explains Greitsch. As a 

result, shipping companies have to 

achieve better efficiency classes so that 

the ships continue to be booked. However, 

the managing director notes that 

the classic B2B sector, such as oil tankers, 

is not under as much pressure. 

The variety of alloys used in the maritime 

sector is extensive and must be of high 

quality. In our own materials laboratory, 

we pay close attention to the composition 

of the materials, especially as scrap 

from old propellers from other foundries 

is recycled. 


COMPANY 

The foundry benefits from the continuous 

improvement processes. In the 

immediate term, it offers solutions 

through retrofit projects, while in the 

long term there is demand for new ship 

propellers. Currently, the production 

quota in the retrofit sector in Waren is 

around 60 percent, and the trend is 

rising, as Greitsch explains. 

Between 70 and 90 propellers leave 

the factory every year. The export quota 

is 95 percent, with numerous shipyards 

in Asia being supplied. „We see a 

further increase next year. However, 

development also depends on the new 

construction sector. We are already talking 

about projects that will start at the 

end of 2024 and beyond. We hope that 

things will then continue at a steady 

pace“. 

The shipping industry 

in transition 

Efficiency is the key word in the industry. 

In addition to traditional optimizations 

to the drive train, supporting drive systems 

such as Flettner rotors and 

wingsails are increasingly being used. 

However, the foundryman is certain that 

they will not be able to completely 

replace the classic engine. The requirements 

for maneuverability and redundancy 

in various ship categories make 

emission-free shipping practically impossible. 

New engines that run on synthetic 

fuels such as methanol are therefore 

particularly in demand. „Maersk recently 

commissioned the first container ship 

that can run on methanol. Further ships 

have already been ordered“, adds 

Greitsch. The lower energy density of 

the fuel makes efficiency a key driver of 

innovation. MMG is already contributing 

its own expertise to the construction 

process at an early stage. 

In shipbuilding, it is customary to 

carry out a model test with a true-toscale 

model. However, MMG has been 

using simulations in the design process 

for ten years. „Simulation for Design 

(SfD) has many advantages, as we don‘t 

have the negative scale effects from the 

model test, for example“, explains the 

foundryman. The use of simulations significantly 

reduces costs for the owner 

when it comes to new construction projects. 

Greitsch emphasises: „It is particularly 

important for us to always consider 

the overall system in the ship, especially 

when auxiliary systems support the 

drive. We have to do a lot of convincing 

here so that we are involved in the 

design process at an early stage in order 

to achieve optimum efficiency“. 

Challenges in Germany as 

a business location 

As far as Germany is concerned, the 

company is skeptical about the future. 

„Although we are currently also affected 

by rising energy costs, we can pass 

these on to our customers. In the long 

term, however, I see problems, as it will 

become a disadvantage for the location“, 

states the Managing Director. The 

company is particularly concerned 

about the issue of heavy goods transport. 

„It has to be said quite clearly that 

we have a problem in the transport sector. 

With our unit weights of up to 110 

tons, some bridges in need of renovation 

are becoming impassable for us 

and we are receiving light-hearted cancellations. 

What‘s worse is that there is 

(top right) Flanges 

must be attached to 

the propellers for 

transportation and 

later assembly in the 

shipyard. 

(bottom right) The 

drinking fountain 

was manufactured 

using the WAAM 

process. The company 

is using new 

additive processes 

to create flexibility 

for new product sectors. 

FOTO: IONDESIGN 

no time horizon for when relevant bridges 

will be renewed. We would like to 

see much more solution-orientated 

cooperation in this area. Mecklenburger 

Metallguss GmbH supplies the ship propellers 

mainly by land to Hamburg, 

from where they are shipped all over 

the world. Alternatively, the company 

could use Rostock as an alternative, but 

this would incur high additional costs 

for reloading – costs that not every 

customer wants to bear and which 

would further increase the price pressure 

on the suppliers, as many of their 

48

competitors are located directly in the 

Asian shipyards. 

The company has no problems with 

raw material shortages, as it has 

developed an effective model: „Basically, 

we have the advantage that we can use 

all kinds of scrap, as we have our own 

laboratory and can therefore alloy it 

ourselves. With the quantities that we 

produce here, we prefer to use old propellers 

that are melted down. In the 

retrofit sector, we negotiate with our 

customers that we get the old propeller 

back when we deliver a new one”. This 

process has a double benefit: The shipowner 

saves money and does not have 

to worry about disposal. MMG takes care 

of the scrapping and returns the metal 

to its own plant, where it is reused in the 

material cycle. Thanks to the international 

alloy standard, foundries often only 

have to alloy minimally in order to fulfil 

their own high requirements. 

Additive manufacturing and 

new product branches 

In addition to its established business, 

MMG is also working on future-oriented 

projects. „On the one hand, we will 

offer aluminum in large castings in the 

future. We have gained a lot of experience 

in centrifugal casting and are now 

expanding our portfolio to include larger 

tonnages. We are also introducing 

additive manufacturing“, explains 

Greitsch. Additive manufacturing is 

starting with copper-based materials 

and will later include stainless steel and 

aluminum. „In collaboration with a 

partner, we will offer stainless steel 

propellers, which are necessary for 

ice-going ships, for example“. However, 

the company would also like to be able 

to offer smaller propellers at better 

prices in the future and thus tap into 

another market. 

MMG is using the Wire Arc Additive 

Manufacturing (WAAM) process for 

this. The first models of the propellers 

were presented at Formnext in Frankfurt 

(GIESSEREI 12/2023, page 26 ff.). 

„The challenge is to involve the classification 

societies that have to certify the 

product. There are now dedicated 

departments that specialize in additive 

manufacturing. It is important that the 

material properties meet the requirements. 

We are currently working on 

providing full proof that we have mastered 

this production method,“ explains 

Greitsch. Another milestone was reached 

with a drinking fountain for the 

customer Hamburg Wasser. „The designer 

created a beautiful shape with 

internal water channels“, says Greitsch. 

The challenge lay in the organic design 

of the workpiece produced using the 

WAAM process. The drinking fountain 

received a special mention from the 

Baden-Württemberg International 

Design Award FOCUS OPEN 2023. A 

continuation with similar projects is 

planned, as MMG sees further potential 

in this new business field. 

The implementation of large-scale 

robotics is also in full swing in Waren. In 

collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute 

for Large Structures in Production 

Technology (IGP) in Rostock, the company 

is casting and building its own 

robot, which will later be used to 

machine ship propellers. Greitsch 

emphasizes that the aim is to build up 

expertise that can later be made available 

to other companies. Thanks to its 

broader focus, the company believes it 

is well positioned for the coming years 

and is looking ahead with confidence. 


GGT 2024 

50


“Salzburg has committed us“ 

Salzburg 2024 – 25 specialist presentations in front of more than 600 participants, an 

attractive and well-booked trade exhibition – and two keynote speeches plus a panel 

discussion, which formed the main framework. All in all, an extremely successful event, 

organized by the foundry associations of Austria, Germany and Switzerland. 

By Kristina Krüger, Martin Vogt, Monika Wirth (text) and Christian Thieme (photos) 

The right mix of program items is 

crucial for a good conference. Of 

course, high-quality and exciting 

specialist presentations are essential. 

But the operational professionalism in 

the industry naturally takes place 

under conditions that are not decided 

within the industry, but are set from 

outside. 

Clemens Küpper, President of the 

Federal Association of the German 

Foundry Industry (BDG), also referred to 

this at the end of the two-day event, 

summarizing the Conference with the 

words: ”Salzburg has prepared us for 

what lies ahead. We may have become 

more confident. Ask your politicians the 

crucial question: What do you think 

about the industry? We want our state 

to make a commitment to industry“. 

And Lars Steinheider, newly elected President 

of the German Foundrymen‘s 

Association (VDG), said: ”We are transforming 

ourselves every day in our 

industry, and we should go out with 

this message“. 

All crises happen simultaneously 

Earlier on the opening day, Franz Kühmayer 

had provided an excellent introduction 

to the conference. In his keynote 

speech, the futurologist 

confidently outlined global developments, 

which he repeatedly broke 

down to European and even entrepreneurial 

levels. An incredibly 

thought-provoking, intellectually 

Futurologist Franz Kühmayer gave an excellent introduction to the conference. 

valuable impulse. ”It feels like all crises 

happen at the same time – and we 

don‘t have the feeling that we‘re 

coming to rest“, said Kühmayer, at the 

same time triggering the auditorium: 

”But coming to rest is not an entrepreneurial 

task. Anyone who wants to calm 

down is less suitable as an entrepreneur“. 

The futurologist said very clearly: 

”This phase is no pony farm. Many sectors 

– including yours – are facing hard 

times. Things are not going to get better 

any time soon“. 

With this mental toolkit, the more 

than 600 participants then spread out 

across the parallel sessions in the 

Europa and Mozart halls. The lecture 

program reflected the subtitle of the 

conference ”Future Casting – Transformation, 

Young Talent, Technology“. The 

presentations showed once again that 

there are many interlocking adjustments 

that need to be made if you 

want to lead your company and the 

industry into a successful future. And 

they increasingly go beyond the pure 



casting process and concern topics that 

are not only important for the foundry 

industry, but which will nevertheless 

have a significant impact on the future 

of casting. 

Energy lecture and panel 

conclude the conference 

It is well known that the topic of energy 

– availability, and above all prices, of 

course – is an extremely important one 

for the industry – and one of its own at 

Closing panel, with, among others, 

the presidents of the BDG and VDG, 

Clemens Küpper and Lars Steinheider, 

as well as energy expert Prof. Karl 

Rose. 

The conference offered technical 

solutions for iron, steel and non-ferrous 

metal casting. 

the conference. Professor Karl Rose 

spoke on the future of the energy markets. 

Rose‘s presentation was probably 

more appealing to large sections of the 

audience than Kühmayer‘s the day 

before. He began by emphasizing how 

high the share of fossil energy production 

still is worldwide at around 80 

percent. However, Europe and Germany 

have committed themselves to achieving 

climate neutrality by 2050 and 

2045 respectively. Rose: ”This means 

that the industry must decarbonize 

quickly, because it can be caught out 

quickly by politicians, unlike citizens, 

who are voters“. 

The concluding panel provided positive 

impetus for the future, apparently 

also under the impetus of two days of 

industry community: at the beginning, 

the moderator had asked for the most 

pressing topics, from which a word 

cloud ultimately emerged: the larger 

the term, the more frequently it was 

mentioned. In the end, digitalization, 

sustainability, circular economy, innovation, 

recycling and lightweight construction 

stood out. And what the panel 

participants also emphasized: More and 

open communication of industry topics, 

transparency when it comes to their 

own transformation. Dynamism from 

within the workforce were also some of 

the keywords. 

52


All sessions at a glance 

What was the main content of the specialist lecture sessions? What impetus 

did the speakers provide? Here is our overview. 

Iron and steel casting 

”Quality improvements in iron casting 

through holistic analysis of process 

data“ – under this title, Frank Brehm, 

Daimler Truck, reported on a data-driven 

process optimization that has been 

carried out in the company‘s Mannheim 

foundry over the last two years. After 

the Monetizer prescribe-tool from the 

partners Norican and DataProphet was 

used to identify process areas of a cylinder 

head production line with good 

quality, existing but previously isolated 

data from the component family was 

linked. The system has now been in 

regular operation for three months. 

Rejects and rework have been reduced 

by around 40 percent. The company is 

currently working on weighting the 

selected parameters. The method is also 

to be extended to other component 

families. 

With ”Replacing a cupola furnace 

with induction furnace technology“, 

Dr. Marco Rische, ABP Induction Systems, 

addressed a key topic in iron and 

steel casting. The associated switch 

from fossil fuels to electrical energy is 

crucial for the decarbonization of the 

casting process. However, the greatest 

reduction in the carbon footprint only 

occurs when green electricity is used. 

The availability of affordable green 

electricity is therefore essential, along 

with the availability of certain scrap 

Special moments: After her FRED presentation, 

BDG environmental expert Elke 

Radtke received a gift from Adolf ”Adi“ 

Kerbl, Managing Director of the Austrian 

Association of the Metalworking Industry 

and fellow campaigner. In gratitude for 

Radtke‘s tireless efforts in the tough BREF 

process. 



qualities. But even if there is enough 

green electricity available, generation 

will always be intermittent and it will 

be offset by intermittent use on the 

consumer side. This can be compensated 

for by battery storage. Or by storing 

the energy in the primary product, i.e. 

in liquid iron. ”I don‘t know of any 

other industry that can do this“, said 

Rische. This makes it possible to increase 

energy efficiency in a process-specific 

manner, reduce energy costs by utilizing 

high availability and at the same time 

keep the process more flexible. 

The last presentation before the 

break dealt with Foseco‘s Rotoclene 

process. This combines metallurgical 

knowledge from the foundry industry 

and the steel industry to produce clean 

steel castings at extremely low casting 

temperatures. As Andreas Baier from 

Foseco explained – his colleague David 

Hrabina joined him for the final discussion 

– the metal in the ladle is set in 

rotation with a rotor, finely distributed 

argon bubbles are fed into the metal 

via the rotor, flux is added and wire 

treatment is carried out. How this leads 

to the removal of oxide skins and inclusions 

formed during tapping and the 

homogenization of the temperature of 

the metal in the ladle can be read in 

detail in this issue. 

Non-ferrous metal casting 

Current customer requirements extend 

far beyond technological needs. In addition 

to mechanical and casting technology 

properties, increased energy and 

resource efficiency requirements must 

also be met. 

Dr. Philip Pucher outlined AMAG 

Casting GmbH‘s roadmap for implementing 

the EU taxonomy requirements 

without sacrificing product quality. In 

order to produce largely green aluminum 

castings, the company wants to 

maximize the secondary content of its 

alloys in addition to switching to electric 

melting processes with renewable 

energies and has invested in sophisticated 

sorting systems for this purpose. 

The aim is to produce certifiable and 

auditable secondary alloys that comply 

with the scrap calculation according to 

ISO 14021. In order to continue to guarantee 

the required component properties, 

a precise understanding of the processes 

and their influencing factors is 

necessary, while at the same time alloy 

tolerances must be widened and clarified 

with the customer in accordance 

with the individual product requirements. 

In the example of a wheel rim 

presented, it was crucial to set the ratio 

of the interfering elements (Fe:Mn and 

Cu:Zn) correctly. 

Increased demands on alloys and cast 

components are also changing the requirements 

profile for molds. Dr. mont. 

Christoph Turk, voestalpine BÖHLER 

Edelstahl GmbH & Co KG, presented 

corresponding tool steel concepts for 

the die casting industry. During 

development, it is particularly important 

to know the damage behavior 

during use. The tendency to heat 

cracking, for example, can be simulated 

using the laser flash method. If, for 

example, large molds are made of a 

steel with good through-hardening 

properties, 3D-printed core inserts are 

recommended for particularly complicated 

geometries. 

Magnesium components are particularly 

suitable for precision components 

in aerospace technology due to their 

ratio between low weight and high 

component stability. Peter Rauch, Rauch 

Furnace Technology, presented a 

54

low-pressure system with which complex 

near-netshape components 

weighing up to 300 kg of magnesium 

can be cast in small series with very 

little waste. Pumping in the melt from 

below enables a very laminar flow and 

a shorter gating system with an exact 

casting curve. This also allows the casting 

temperature to be lowered and 

material to be saved. 

Transformation and Circular 

Economy 

Both sessions showed that manufacturing 

processes and industries are so 

interwoven today that only a view of 

the big picture can lead to greater climate 

friendliness and economic success. 

The Transformation session started with 

FRED. The BDG initiated the Catena- 

X-compliant and certified CO 2 

calculation 

tool for the supplier industry 

together with other associations and 

the Institut für Massivumformung, 

Hagen, Germany, and developed a 

module specially tailored to foundries. 

”The PCF will come to foundries, you 

can‘t sit it out“. Urgent words from Elke 

Radtke, responsible for FRED at the 

BDG. The interest shown by the audience 

after the presentation showed 

that the message had been heard. The 

special thing about FRED: entire decarbonization 

strategies can be developed 

via the CCF. Tobias Hain, Managing 

Director of the Industrieverband Massivumformung 

and FRED GmbH, which 

was founded specifically for FRED, followed 

the theoretical explanations with a 

live demonstration of the CO 2 

calculation 

tool. 

How can a large hand-molding 

foundry for components with a unit 

weight of 3 to 300 tons made of ductile 

cast iron successfully overcome 

bureaucracy and a shortage of skilled 

workers, limit energy costs, secure 

energy supply and supply chains and at 

the same time face the transition to climate 

neutrality? Dr. Georg Geier, Siempelkamp 

Giesserei, used his own company 

as a case study. He wanted to see 



the strategy and its implementation in 

day-to-day business as an inspiration. 

The presentation was engaging, a call 

to the industry to get moving, to 

develop new business models based on 

portfolios. In short: to become resilient. 

Just like Clemens Küpper in his welcoming 

speech, Geier‘s focus is on communication 

– with the public, regional 

and national stakeholders, with the 

people in the company and with potential 

specialists. ”Suddenly we find ourselves 

in a world where we don‘t just 

have to be the best in our process“, he 

said. We have to accept the challenges. 

The circular economy is in the DNA 

of the metal industry. The FEhS Institute 

for Building Materials Research has 

been working with by-products from 

the steel industry for decades, but has 

also carried out two projects with 

by-products from the foundry industry. 

Thomas Reiche from FEhS wanted to 

inspire the audience to think about the 

circular economy of their by-products 

too. ”Scrap recycling is great storytelling, 

but if you don‘t take care of the 

recycling of your by-products, the picture 

is no longer quite right“, he 

emphasized. His presentation also 

showed how interwoven industries are. 

The conversion of steel production to 

fossil-free processes also has an impact 

on the usability of the by-products 

generated. The latent hydraulic granulated 

blast furnace slag (GBS) that has 

been produced in blast furnace steel 

production for around 140 years has so 

far been used as a cement additive in 

the cement and concrete industry, halving 

the PCF of the respective cement. 

However, ”green“ steel production now 

not only produces less slag, it also differs 

from blast furnace slag. Reiche 

reported on current projects that 

should make it possible to continue 

offering the cement and concrete 

industry a reactive material. And, as is 

so often the case, it is not technological 

feasibility but cost-effectiveness and the 

anchoring of innovations in the regulations 

that are often the challenge. ”We 

have therefore been engaging in targeted 

interface communication with politicians 

for a long time, looking for stakeholders 

who can help communicate 

the topic“, he says and advises them to 

come up with proposals themselves and 

to argue with decision-makers on the 

basis of facts. 

The circular economy is an important 

part of the transformation and can 

hardly be separated from it. CO 2 

-free 

aluminum by 2050 – to achieve this 

goal, Hydro Aluminium is pursuing four 

paths in parallel: the use of renewable 

energy and electrification with Verdox 

technology, recycling and the use of 

post-consumer scrap (PCS), the decarbonization 

of aluminum electrolysis 

through carbon capture storage (CCS) 

and direct air capture (DAC), and the 

HalZero process. In the first presentation 

of the next day, Friederike Feikus, 

Hydro Aluminium, reported primarily 

on the influence of Fe, Cu and Zn on 

the tensile and bending properties of 

HPDC alloys. This is relevant if you want 

to increase the amount of scrap (PCS) in 

aluminum. And you have to, as this is a 

requirement of customers who in turn 

want to keep the PCF of their end product 

low. And here too the dilemma: 

technologically no problem – 100 

percent scrap can already be used. But 

they have to be particularly clean. This 

is not economically feasible and, incidentally, 

not in the spirit of the circular 

economy either. After all, less highquality 

scrap should also be returned 

to the circular economy. However, the 

customer specifications for the accompanying 

elements Fe, Cu and Zn do not 

permit higher complete PCS proportions. 

An extension of the limit values is 

therefore unavoidable, but only possible 

if the effects of the accompanying 

elements on the metal properties are 

known. 

Dr. Christof Dahmen, Otto Junker 

Solutions, turned his attention to the 

recycling route of aluminum from the 

perspective of plant engineering. He 

focused on induction-heated solutions 

for the melting process and resistance 

heaters for the heat treatment process. 

”We can only make a change if we start 

with the fuels“, so his conviction. The 

cost and availability of green energy are 

the key factors for economic decarbonization. 

The company is therefore working 

on flexible solutions for existing 

furnaces in which the vortex is replaced 

by an inductor. The results in Speira‘s 

test pilot plant in Bonn look very promising. 

As a next step, the partners are 

planning an industrial-scale furnace. 

”It doesn‘t make sense to first convert 

green electricity into hydrogen and 

then turn it into heat“, says Dahmen, 

moving on to the company‘s power-toheat 

solutions. He is convinced that this 

56

is a more economical solution, especially 

as hydrogen will primarily be used 

in other industries. The power-to-heat 

systems from Otto Junker therefore 

electrify existing systems by installing a 

resistance heater. The first plant in 

Europe has already been sold – to 

PepsiCo. 

”Electrification is the only viable 

path to decarbonization, hydrogen is 

needed for other industries that have 

no other alternative“. Prof. Dr.-Ing. 

Gotthard Wolf, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, 

agrees with the previous speaker. 

He has even clearer words on what he 

calls an ”energy policy mirage“. He considers 

the use of hydrogen in heat treatment 

to be downright grotesque. ”We 

produce expensive hydrogen and then 

burn it again – that can‘t be the solution“. 

The TU Bergakademie Freiberg 

has therefore developed an inductive 

hot gas torch, among other things. The 

Ultra High Temperature (UHT) Thermo 

Jet is already being operated successfully 

in a pilot plant. The idea behind it: 

An electric-inductive heating system is 

used to generate a hot gas flow, the 

natural gas burner can be replaced by 

the Thermo Jet and the furnaces used 

for heat treatment or melting, for 

example, can largely be retained. Next 

Steps: Commissioning of a test hall in 

Freiberg at the end of May, completion 

of an industrial prototype up to 200 kW 

by the fall and first industrial applications 

with partners such as the Mitsubishi 

Group. Purely commercial systems 

up to 500 kW are then planned from 

2025. 

The last presentation of the circular 

economy session dealt with a cross-cutting 

topic: the circular economy of all 

energy flows in a foundry. Dr. Holger 

Wagner, KMA Umwelttechnik, used the 

example of the Andreas Stihl AG magnesium 

die-casting foundry in Weinsheim 

to show how the foundry‘s own 

energy efficiency can be improved and 

CO 2 

emissions reduced. A combination 

of exhaust air purification, heat recovery 

and heat utilization, energy-efficient 

filter and heat recovery systems 

and a professionally designed ventilation 

concept can lead to energy savings 

of up to 90 percent. In view of stricter 

EU emission limits and the subsequent 

adaptation of national legislation and 

the associated stricter monitoring, these 

are valuable levers outside the actual 

production process that help to stay 

below the threshold values. ”Think 

beyond the usual management amortization 

periods; after all, you want to 

operate your foundry for longer“, Wagner 

concludes his presentation. 

Digitalization 

Production plants must produce in a 

quality-oriented, resource and environmentally 

friendly and economical manner. 

Digital solutions are now 

indispensable for mastering all these 

tasks. The experience of those involved 

shows that digitalization is more than 

just an investment in machinery, it 

requires real change management: 

from absolute commitment from company 

management to transparency and 

the involvement of every employee 

through to patience when it comes to 

ROI. 

Rudolf Wintgens, Laempe Mössner 

Sinto GmbH, presented the hybrid and 

digital core shop of the future. Here, 

foundries and core manufacturers 

decide which cores are shot, additively 

manufactured or possibly purchased, 

depending on their individual product 

portfolio. With its own software 

”Laempe Digital Cockpit“, the company 

offers an evidence-based decision-making 

tool. This offers the opportunity to 

move from ”master book knowledge“ 

to ”intelligent consistency“ if there is a 

high level of interactivity between 

departments. 

Thin-walled, fragile cores in particular 

are subjected to high thermal loads 

during casting and even small deformations 

can incorrectly reflect the wall 

thicknesses in the castings. Jörg Zimmermann, 

Magma Gießereitechnologie 

GmbH, presented how new developments 

in the field of modeling the thermal 

behavior of mineral materials now 

make it possible not only to reliably 

predict the warpage of molded parts 

and cores, but also to calculate a 

defined pre-deformation of the core. 

This results in a reliably and correctly 

mapped casting geometry. 

Prof. Markus C. Krack, Institute for 

Business Engineering, Foundry Center 

of the University of Applied Sciences 

Northwestern Switzerland, concluded 

the session of the first day of the event 

and presented a concept using the 

example of the Georg Fischer JRG AG 

foundry to connect existing data silos in 

order to determine the causes of casting 

defects through automated, cons- 



tant monitoring and evaluation of all 

process parameters that have an impact 

on casting quality. In future, potential 

sources of error are to be identified and 

corrected by detecting process fluctuations 

in real time. 

Dr. Kai Kerber, Oskar Frech GmbH, 

started the second day on the topic of 

digitalization and reported on the 

REGAIN research project (Resilient automotive 

foundries through the use of 

AI-supported assistants for sustainable 

processes) with 26 participating companies 

and institutions. The aim is to 

develop key results for improving efficiency, 

sustainability and resilience for 

the sand, permanent mold and die casting 

processes. The networking of 

foundries in the supply chain and the 

components of in-house production 

play a special role here. The systems to 

be developed and optimized for recording 

and processing process, machine 

and operating data will lay the foundation 

for the development of AI-based 

assistance systems. The initiative started 

with the BDG Compass Foundry 4.0 is 

thus being continued in order to keep 

the foundry industry fit for the future. 

Many companies, especially small and 

medium-sized enterprises, still have a 

long way to go, for example because 

only a few or at least not all processes 

are recorded by sensors. 

Kempten University of Applied 

Sciences is working together with the 

Kempten-based iron foundry Adam 

Hönig AG on automated solutions to 

optimize environmental compatibility 

and sustainability. Depending on availability, 

the operational processes were 

recorded digitally or entered manually 

into a specially developed app. This 

made it possible to identify the main 

influencing parameters, evaluate 

energy and resource consumption and 

make recommendations for ideal process 

management. Prof. Dr. Dierk Hartmann 

demonstrated potential energy 

savings of up to 40 percent with the 

resulting intelligent utilization of the 

machine molding line. 

Pores in cast components can be 

easily identified using computer tomography. 

However, their analysis and 

evaluation still depends heavily on individual 

interpretation. Dr. Florian Röper, 

Verein für praktische Gießereiforschung 

Österreichisches Gießerei-Institut, and 

Georg Haaser, Aardworx GmbH, presented 

their work on more efficient automatic 

detection of the correct reference 

volumes in CT component examinations 

in accordance with BDG guideline 

P 203. By superimposing CT and simulation 

data, it is possible to generate a 

quasi-realistic three-dimensional porosity 

image. 

How the changes in the electrical 

and electronic architecture of the automobile 

affect the brake subsystem was 

the subject of Mustafa Ata, Continental 

Automotive Technologies GmbH. In 

order to do justice to the increasingly 

software-based vehicle functions and to 

remain safe, braking systems must also 

become intelligent. The foreseeable 

future will lie in electronically controlled 

individual modules. 

58

SUPPLIERS GUIDE 

© DVS Media GmbH 

Contact person: Britta Wingartz 

Aachener Straße 172 : +49 211 1591-155 

40223 Düsseldorf : +49 211 1591-150 

: britta.wingartz@dvs-media.info 

: www.keytocasting.com 

1 Foundry Plants and Equipment 

17 Surface Treatment and Drying 

2 

Melting Plants and Equipment for Iron and 

Steel Castings and for Malleable Cast Iron 

18 

Plant, Transport, Stock, and Handling 

Engineering 

3 Melting Plants and Equipment for NFM 

4 Refractories Technology 

19 Pattern- and Diemaking 

20 Control Systems and Automation 

5 

6 

7 

8 

Non-metal Raw Materials and Auxiliaries for 

Melting Shop 

Metallic Charge Materials for Iron and Steel 

Castings and for Malleable Cast Iron 

Metallic Charge and Treatment Materials for 

Light and Heavy Metal Castings 

Plants and Machines for Moulding and 

Coremaking Processes 

21 Testing of Materials 

22 Analysis Technique and Laboratory 

23 Air Technique and Equipment 

24 Environmental Protection and Disposal 

9 Moulding Sands 

10 Sand Conditioning and Reclamation 

11 Moulding Auxiliaries 

12 Gating and Feeding 

13 Casting Machines and Equipment 

25 Accident Prevention and Ergonomics 

26 Other Products for Casting Industry 

27 Consulting and Service 

28 Castings 

29 By-Products 

14 

Discharging, Cleaning, Finishing of Raw 

Castings 

30 Data Processing Technology 

15 Surface Treatment 

16 Welding and Cutting 

31 Foundries 

32 Additive manufacturing / 3-D printing 



08 Plants and Machines for Moulding and 

Coremaking Processes 

10 Sand Conditioning and Reclamation 

12 Gating and Feeding 

08.02 Moulding and Coremaking Machines 

▼ Multi-Stage Vacuum Process 3223 

10.01 Moulding Sand Conditioning 

▼ Aerators for Moulding Sand Ready-to-Use 4470 

▼ Breaker Cores 5340 

Pfeiffer Vacuum GmbH 

35614 Asslar, Germany 

+49 6441 802-1190 

E-Mail: 

andreas.wuerz@pfeiffer-vacuum.com 

Internet: 

www.pfeiffer-vacuum.com 

09 Moulding Sands 

Maschinenfabrik Gustav Eirich GmbH & Co KG 

Walldürner Str. 50, 74736 Hardheim, Germany 

Internet: 

www.eirich.de 

▼ Sand Preparation Plants and Machines 4480 

GTP Schäfer GmbH 

41515 Grevenbroich, Germany 

+49 2181 23394-0 7 +49 2181 23394-55 

E-Mail: 

info@gtp-schaefer.de 

Internet: 

www.gtp-schaefer.com 

▼ Exothermic Products 5360 

09.01 Basic Moulding Sands 

▼ Chromite Sands 3630 



Internet: 

www.eirich.de 

▼ Mixers 4520 



+49 2181 23394-0 7 +49 2181 23394-55 

E-Mail: 


Internet: 


▼ Insulating Sleeves 5375 



+49 2181 23394-0 7 +49 2181 23394-55 

E-Mail: 


Internet: 


▼ Ceramic Sands/Chamotte Sands 3645 



Internet: 

www.eirich.de 

▼ Sand Mixers 4550 



+49 2181 23394-0 7 +49 2181 23394-55 

E-Mail: 


Internet: 


▼ Exothermic Mini-Feeders 5400 



+49 2181 23394-0 7 +49 2181 23394-55 

E-Mail: 


Internet: 


09.06 Moulding Sands Testing 

▼ Moisture Testing Equipment for Moulding Sand 4410 



Internet: 

www.eirich.de 

▼ Aerators 4560 



Internet: 

www.eirich.de 

▼ Scales and Weighing Control 4590 



+49 2181 23394-0 7 +49 2181 23394-55 

E-Mail: 


Internet: 


▼ Exothermic Feeder Sleeves 5420 



Internet: 

www.eirich.de 

▼ Moulding Sand Testing Equipment, in general 4420 



Internet: 

www.eirich.de 



Internet: 

www.eirich.de 

10.04 Sand Reconditioning 

▼ Sand Coolers 4720 



+49 2181 23394-0 7 +49 2181 23394-55 

E-Mail: 


Internet: 


▼ Exothermic Feeding Compounds 5430 



Internet: 

www.eirich.de 



+49 2181 23394-0 7 +49 2181 23394-55 

E-Mail: 


Internet: 


60

13 Casting Machines and Equipment 

20.02 Measuring and Control Instruments 

▼ Immersion Thermo Couples 9230 

20.03 Data Acquisition and Processing 

▼ Numerical Solidification Analysis and Process Simulation 

9500 

13.02 Die Casting and Accessories 

▼ Multi-Stage Vacuum Process 5876 

Pfeiffer Vacuum GmbH 

35614 Asslar, Germany 

+49 6441 802-1190 

E-Mail: 

andreas.wuerz@pfeiffer-vacuum.com 

Internet: 

www.pfeiffer-vacuum.com 

MINKON GmbH 

Heinrich-Hertz-Str. 30-32, 40699 Erkrath, Germany 

+49 211 209908-0 7 +49 211 209908-90 

E-Mail: 

info@minkon.de 

Internet: 

www.minkon.de 

▼ Laser Measurement Techniques 9310 

MAGMA Giessereitechnologie GmbH 

Kackertstr. 16-18, 52072 Aachen, Germany 

+49 241 88901-0 

E-Mail: 

info@magmasoft.de 

Internet: 

www.magmasoft.com 

▼ Numerical Solidification Simulation and Process Optimization 

9502 

17 Surface Treatment and Drying 

▼ Heat Treatment and Drying 7398 

POLYTEC GmbH 

76337 Waldbronn, Germany 

+49 7243 604-0 7 +49 7243 69944 

E-Mail: 

Lm@polytec.de 

Internet: 

www.polytec.de 

▼ Positioning Control 9345 



+49 241 88901-0 

E-Mail: 


Internet: 


▼ Simulation Software 9522 

Gebr. Löcher Glüherei GmbH 

Mühlenseifen 2, 57271 Hilchenbach, Germany 

+49 2733 8968-0 7 +49 2733 8968-10 

Internet: 

www.loecher-glueherei.de 

18 Plant, Transport, Stock, and Handling 

Engineering 

18.01 Continuous Conveyors and Accessories 

▼ Vibratory Motors 7980 

POLYTEC GmbH 

76337 Waldbronn, Germany 

+49 7243 604-0 7 +49 7243 69944 

E-Mail: 

Lm@polytec.de 

Internet: 

www.polytec.de 

▼ Temperature Measurement 9380 



+49 241 88901-0 

E-Mail: 


Internet: 


22 Analysis Technique and Laboratory Equipment 

FRIEDRICH Schwingtechnik GmbH 

Am Höfgen 24, 42781 Haan, Germany 

+49 2129 3790-0 7 +49 2129 3790-37 

E-Mail: 

info@friedrich-schwingtechnik.de 

Internet: 

www.friedrich-schwingtechnik.de 

20 Control Systems and Automation 

MINKON GmbH 


+49 211 209908-0 7 +49 211 209908-90 

E-Mail: 


Internet: 

www.minkon.de 

▼ Thermal Analysis Equipment 9400 

▼ Sampling Systems 9970 

MINKON GmbH 


+49 211 209908-0 7 +49 211 209908-90 

E-Mail: 


Internet: 

www.minkon.de 

20.01 Control and Adjustment Systems 

▼ Automation and Control for Sand Preparation 9030 

MINKON GmbH 


+49 211 209908-0 7 +49 211 209908-90 

E-Mail: 


Internet: 

www.minkon.de 

▼ Thermo Couples 9410 

26 Other Products for Casting Industry 

26.02 Industrial Commodities 

▼ Joints, Asbestos-free 11120 



Internet: 

www.eirich.de 

MINKON GmbH 


+49 211 209908-0 7 +49 211 209908-90 

E-Mail: 


Internet: 

www.minkon.de 

MINKON GmbH 


+49 211 209908-0 7 +49 211 209908-90 

E-Mail: 


Internet: 

www.minkon.de 



▼ Sealing and Insulating Products up to 1260 øC 11125 

▼ Heat Treatment 11345 

30 Data Processing Technology 

▼ Mold Filling and Solidification Simulation 11700 

MINKON GmbH 


+49 211 209908-0 7 +49 211 209908-90 

E-Mail: 


Internet: 

www.minkon.de 

27 Consulting and Service 

▼ Simulation Services 11310 

Gebr. Löcher Glüherei GmbH 

Mühlenseifen 2, 57271 Hilchenbach, Germany 

+49 2733 8968-0 7 +49 2733 8968-10 

Internet: 

www.loecher-glueherei.de 

28 Castings 

▼ Aluminium Pressure Diecasting 11390 



+49 241 88901-0 

E-Mail: 


Internet: 




+49 241 88901-0 

E-Mail: 


Internet: 


Schött Druckguß GmbH 

Aluminium Die Casting 

Postfach: 

27 66, 58687 Menden, Germany 

+49 2373 1608-0 7 +49 2373 1608-110 

E-Mail: 

vertrieb@schoett-druckguss.de 

Internet: 

www.schoett-druckguss.de 

62

Index to Companies 

Company Product Company Product 

Maschinenfabrik 4410, 4420, 4470, 4480, 4520, 

Gustav Eirich GmbH u. Co KG 4550, 4560, 4590, 4720, 9030 

Friedrich Schwingtechnik GmbH 7980 

GTP Schäfer 3630, 3645, 5340, 5360, 5375, 

Giesstechnische Produkte GmbH 5400, 5420, 5430 

Gebr. Löcher Glüherei 7398, 11345 

GmbH 

MINKON GmbH 9230, 9380, 9400, 9410, 9970, 

Geschäftsleitung 11120, 11125 

Pfeiffer Vacuum GmbH 3223, 5876 

Polytec GmbH 9310, 9345 

Schött-Druckguß GmbH 11390 

MAGMA Gießereitechnologie GmbH 9500, 9502, 9522, 11310, 11700 

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64

INTERNATIONAL FAIRS AND CONGRESSES 

Fairs and Congresses 

64th IFC PORTOROZ 2024 

September, 18-20, 2024, Portoroz, Slovenia 

www.drustvo-livarjev.si 

ANKIROS/TURKCAST 

September, 19-21, 2024, Istanbul, Turkey 

www.ankiros.com 

Metal Expo 2024 

September, 24-26, 2024, Kielce, Poland 

www.targikielce.pl/en/metal 

Aluminium 

October, 8-10, 2024, Düsseldorf, Germany 

www.aluminium-exhibition.com 

GIFA Mexico 

October, 16-18, 2024, Mexico City, Mexico 

https://fundiexpo.mx/congreso 

Formnext 2024 

November, 19-22, 2024, Frankfurt/Main, Germany 

https://formnext.mesago.com/frankfurt/de.html 

InCeight Casting C 8 

March, 5-7, 2025, Stockstadt am Rhein, Germany 

www.inceight-casting.com 

Advertisers‘ Index 

AAGM Aalener Gießereimaschinen GmbH, 

Bopfingen/Germany 

InsideBackCover 

ABP Induction Systems GmbH, 

Dortmund/Germany 

Title 

AGTOS GmbH, Emsdetten/Germany 11 

ASTI Gießereigeräte GmbH, Sinsheim/Germany 33 

FAT Förder- und Anlagentechnik GmbH, 

Niederfischbach/Germany 23 

Filtech Exhibitions Germany GmbH & Co. KG, 

Meerbusch/Germany 43 

Hannover Messe Ankiros Fuarcilik A.S., 

Istanbul/Türkiye 41 

Maschinenfabrik Gustav Eirich GmbH & Co. KG, 

Hardheim/Germany 35 

Hüttenes-Albertus Chemische Werke GmbH, 

Düsseldorf/Germany 

Back Cover 

IROPA Elektrotechnik GmbH, Bottrop/Germany 13 

Optris GmbH, Berlin/Germany 27 

Rudolf Uhlen GmbH, Haan/Germany 19 

Heinrich Wagner Sinto Maschinenfabrik GmbH, 

Bad Laasphe/Germany 9 

CASTING PLANT & TECHNOLOGY 2-3 / 2024 65

PREVIEW/IMPRINT 

A self-collapsible core as an example 

of new applications for 

advanced casting opened up by 

slurry-based 3D printing. 

BOOK 

YOUR 

AD! 

Photo: IGCV 

Preview of the next issue 

Selection of topics: 

Deadline: 

22.11.2024 

Contact: 

Telephone: +49 211 1591-142 

E-mail: 

markus.winterhalter@dvs-media.info 

Slurry-based binder jetting of ceramic casting cores 

Slurry-based binder jetting allows the processing of fine powders and the economical production of sinterable ceramic cores. 

Its performance, potential, and challenges are presented in the context of the foundry process chain. As drying affects material 

properties and process efficiency, detailed investigations are carried out to control the properties via drying. 

Saving energy when melting metals in induction furnaces 

Induction furnaces are ideal for melting all metals in a carbon-neutral way. If the induction furnace is designed as a coreless 

furnace, achieve efficiencies of over 80 % for ferrous materials and over 70 % for highly conductive materials such as copper or 

aluminum. 

Switch to induction: 62% less CO 2 

, 80% less water consumption 

In Foug, France, an old cupola furnace system from Saint Gobain PAM is being decommissioned and replaced by a more climatefriendly 

induction furnace system from ABP Induction. 

Imprint 

Publisher: 

German Foundry Association 

Editor in Chief: 

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Dr.-Ing. Monika Wirth 

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66

AAGM Aalener 

Gießereimaschinen GmbH 

> Continuous whirl mixers > Reclamation plants 

for cold-resin-bonded mouldingsands > Moulding plants 

Continuous whirl mixer 3-10t/h 

double joint, stationary 

Technical data of the continuous whirl mixer 

Version: 

Double joint, stationary 

Geometry: Transport screw 2,5m 

Whirler 2,0m 

Performance: 

3-10t/h 

Discharge height: 1,8m 

Media: 

Optionals: 

Furan resin (2 components), 1 type of sand 

Fully automatic flow control for binder, 

Temperature-dependent curing agent dosing, 

Dosing pressure monitoring, 

Pump cabinet 

www.aagm.de 

Gewerbehof 28 

D-73441 Bopfingen 

Tel.: +49 7362 956037-0 

Email: info@aagm.de

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