Increased Competition - Forcing the Foundries to Reduce Running Costs

During the last decade or so, foundries are facing a big challenge to survive and stay in the business. Companies are striving to find an ever cheaper manufacturing base and are trying to buy the consumables products they require to operate their business as economically as possible.

As the customers are looking to buy at ever lower costs, the crucible business is becoming tougher day by day.

Some companies are adopting innovative approaches to tackle this problem. They are working on methods and practices to optimize the life time of their products. Some of the highlights of the findings are -

* Long and stable service life of products

* Good conductivity of crucible over the use period

* Protection glaze, which can withstand the longer time in use

* Isostaically pressed to give an even and consistent material structure

Some companies have successfully taken up these challenges to reduce their running costs. Generally, these companies include organizations with long experience in foundry industry and have technical teams with extensive knowledge of ceramics. These organizations are backed by sophisticated laboratories that have facilitated the testing and proving of ideas to attain the desired results.

One company has been working with the products for many years now, the biggest zinc alloy plant in the UK, using two ton and one ton capacity crucibles. During this period, the company has achieved highly stable operating conditions. The structural unity of the crucibles is maintained even after the complete service life, ensuring the safe and easy removal of a used crucible.

Improving Energy Efficiency The most energy-intensive process in metal casting is melting. Companies are working on methods and practices to improve melting efficiency as well as to improve yield, thereby reducing the amount of metal that must be melted and hence the production cost.

Energy Use in Metal Casting How to measure success?

* Increased yield and reduced scrap - By improving the yield and reducing scrap, the amount of metal that must be melted decreases and in turn saves energy.

* Melting efficiency - Melting represents 55% of the cost of process energy. Improvement in melting efficiency helps save energy and reduce production costs.

For more articles related to metal casting and manufacturing technology, log on to Manufacturing Technology. A reliable source of vast information on metal casting, The Metal Casting. (Article written by Gary Emerson - A graduate in mechanical and materials engineering with about 12 years experience in manufacturing industry, including - tooling design, casting methods, cast product design, machining initialization, and manufacturing techniques. I've expertise in metal casting, including centrifugal casting, die casting, permanent mold casting, sand casting, and investment casting.

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