GIFA

Last Updated 8/6/01

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August 2001 News
 Supplier Briefs    Foundry Briefs
  Who's News
e-Briefs    Certifications
Partners Meeting Proves Foundry Sand Recycling Comes "FIRST"
Demonstrating the initiative's continuing growth, nearly 90 people attended
the Foundry Industry Recycling Starts Today (FIRST) Annual Partners Meeting
in Huron, OH, June 12-14. Represented were foundries, sand recycling
operations, researchers, state and federal agencies, construction engineers,
and other current and potential markets for spent foundry sand.
Charles Cole, Cleveland manufacturing site estate manager for Ford Motor
Co., outlined his facility's extensive program through which some 96% of
foundry sand is recycled.
Bill Haas, Riefler Concrete, described his company's experience with
processed foundry sand as an ingredient in flowable fill, including a
demonstration project rehabbing War Memorial Stadium in Buffalo. Haas
described specific applications and benefits for Controlled Low Strength
Material (CLSM). Spent foundry sand is becoming a more attractive as a
ready-mix aggregate due, in part, to environmental concerns that are
limiting mineral mining and the availability of virgin sand. He touted the
use of CLSM for general backfill, utility backfill, underground tank fill,
under foundations, slab jacketing, and bridge rehabilitation. CLSM is
readily available, accelerates construction schedules, has flexible material
properties, requires no additional labor or equipment, reduces construction
problems, and is environmentally safe. Haas has found that CLSM can be
installed at least six times faster than conventional fill.
Joe Alexander, Kurtz Bros., and Athar Khan, Indiana Dept. of Transportation,
each described the use of processed foundry sand for geotechnical
applications such as highway construction embankment applications.
Dr. Terry Logan outlined research at Ohio State University that supports
foundry sand as soil amendments. He summarized the principles of topsoil
manufacture, regulatory issues in various states, and risk assessment
factors for the use of spent foundry sand in topsoil.
"Ask the Experts" panelists Tom Hartman, Process Recovery Corp.; John Kurtz,
Kurtz Bros. Inc.; and Dave Walborn, Resource Recovery Corp. provided
valuable insight into the intricacies of developing markets for recycled
foundry sand. Collectively their three organizations provide recycling
services to more than 100 foundries and have helped create many sustainable
markets for foundry sand. The first place to start, they agree is with state
regulatory agencies. "If you don't have the political process in place, it
isn't going to happen."
Environmental liability and indemnity are real issues and require careful
selection of uses, processes, and controls. There is constant concern about
misuse by contractors as a potential to create negative public relations for
the foundry industry. Ultimately, they agree, spent sand must deliver
greater performance for a lower cost. It must equal or exceed virgin
material.
Attendees were treated to field tours of several Kurtz Bros. recycling
operations in the Cleveland area, as well as a concrete plant at which the
manufacture of CLSM was demonstrated.
The next day, FIRST's strategic partnerships with federal and state
agencies, including USDA, DOE, and FHWA, were examined. Dr. Steven Shafer,
national program leader, USDA­Agricultural Research Service (ARS) described
current research thrusts, specific experimental projects, and requirements
for formulation of soil substitutes from spent foundry sand.
Dr. Hussain Bahia, University of Wisconsin­Madison, outlined research into
the validation of foundry by-products in hot mix asphalt and CLSM.
Jeff Loeffler, environmental coordinator, Waupaca Foundry Inc. detailed his
company's commitment to recycling spent sand. He described several specific
projects.
Representatives of the foundry industry from Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana,
Pennsylvania, and Illinois described various initiatives, efforts,
successes, and challenges they have encountered in their individual states.
They agreed that if we hope to continue to develop new uses for spent sand,
we need to police our own industry and ensure that contractors use best
engineering practices.
The event concluded with an enlightening "Environmental Roundtable"
featuring Paul Ruesch, environmental engineer, EPA Region 5; Peter Truitt,
metalcasting program manager, USEPA; Jon Stone, manager-Environmental, Heath
& Safety, HA International; Dan Oman,v.p., RMT Inc.; and Dale Thompson,
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Ruesch said he has been impressed with the brotherhood within the industry
and AFS and the willingness to work together to find solutions to the
challenges we face.
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ICMA Celebrates Silver Anniversary
The Illinois Cast Metals Association (ICMA) held its 2001 Annual Meeting
June 28-29 in Peoria, IL.
This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the ICMA, and the group invited its
former presidents to the Annual Banquet in celebration of the ICMA's silver.
The meeting also brought members and legislators together for networking and
discussions on current topics, such as new legislation and technological
breakthroughs, that affect the metalcasting community.
One of these technological issues is developing ways to use lighter
materials. This topic was up for discussion at the meeting. "Over the past
25 years, the foundry industry has been shrinking. Our focus now is on more
lightweight materials," said Jack Wymer, Jr., current ICMA president.
In conjunction with the meeting, Executive Director Jim McGill retired after
five years at the helm. Prior to leading the ICMA, McGill worked for
Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, IL.
Following McGill's retirement, the Illinois Manufacturers' Association will
take over management duties for the ICMA.
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BP Sells Foseco Chemicals Unit
BP has reached agreement with Cinven, a European private equity firm, for
the sale of a number of Burmah Castrol's speciality chemicals businesses.
The businesses will be purchased from Burmah Castrol plc for ÂŁ204 million,
to be satisfied in cash and the assumption of debt, and held by a newly
established company funded by Cinven.
The businesses to be sold include: Foseco, which provides products and
services to the foundry and steel industries; Foseco's stake in Fosbel, a
joint venture company which provides services to operators of coke, glass
and other furnaces; Chem-Trend, a manufacturer of specialised mold and
diecast release agents; and Remet, which supplies products to the investment
casting industry.
Subject to regulatory and other approvals, the parties expect to complete
the transaction in the third quarter of 2001.
In March 2000, when BP announced its intention to buy Burmah Castrol, the
company also said it intended to dispose of Burmah Castrol's speciality
chemicals businesses. This recent announcement marks a significant step in
that process.
BP is being advised by Credit Suisse First Boston with regard to the sale.
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Industrial Engineering Handbook Available
The third and newest edition of the Handbook of Industrial
Engineering:Technology and Operations Management, edited by Gavriel
Salvendy, is now available from John Wiley & Sons.
97 of the book's 102 chapters have been revised, with three new sections on
project management and seven new chapters on supply-chain management and
logistics. In addition, the 3rd edition expands its coverage beyond
traditional industrial engineering into the areas of manufacturing,
operations research, and technology management.
For more information or to order, contact Dominic Brown at 212-850-6358,
Fax: 212-850-6799, e-mail dbrown@wiley.com, or click www.wiley.com.
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Alcoa Awarded Rolls-Royce Contract
Alcoa's Howmet Castings business, Darien, CT, and British aero-engine firm
Rolls-Royce PLC, have agreed to a five-year contract for the supply of
high-technology, single-crystal investment castings for the Rolls-Royce
Trent 500 engine program.
The agreement covers high-pressure and intermediate-pressure turbine
components, both nozzle guide vanes and seal segments. With this contract,
Howmet will be supplying 90% of Rolls-Royce's investment cast turbine
components for the Trent 500 engine.
Howmet supports Rolls-Royce production, engine development and design
programs from manufacturing facilities in Exeter (United Kingdom), Dives sur
Mer and Gennevilliers (France), Wichita Falls, TX, Winsted, CT, Whitehall,
MI, and La Porte, IN. Howmet will also provide support from its Corporate
Engineering Center in Hampton, VA.
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American Air Liquide Completes ACI Acquisition
American Air Liquide, Houston, TX, has completed the acquisition of the
intellectual property of American Combustion Inc. (ACI). The transaction
aims to enhance Air Liquide's oxy-fuel combustion business, which supplies
the metals industry.
In November 1999, Air Liquide America and ACI entered a formal marketing
alliance to jointly promote their products, which include a number of
patents in the field of oxygen combustion. The two companies had also
pursued joint development of new proprietary equipment and systems using
combustion technologies existing at both facilities.
ACI, now a division of Air Liquide America, will continue to market its
Pyrejet burner technology and to provide oxy-fuel combustion solutions to
the iron and steel industries and other markets, including nonferrous
metallurgy.
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ACC Awarded Transit Contract
Atchison Casting Corporation (ACC), Atchison, KS, will supply Nippon Sharyo
with their required 600 sets of undercarriage truck castings, according to a
company announcement. Engineering is also underway for the project.
The castings will be applied to Metra New Gallery cars. The Atchison Steel
Casting & Machining (ASCM) division will be involved in producing the
castings, machining, parts and final assembly.
The program is valued at over $27 million and deliveries will extend through
December 2004.
ACC produces iron, steel and nonferrous castings for a wide variety of
equipment, capital goods and consumer markets.
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AFS Sponsors Lost Foam Conference
The American Foundry Society (AFS) Lost Foam Conference will be held October
23-24 at the Bavarian Inn Lodge in Frankenmuth, MI.
The conference's goal is to inform design engineers and buyers of engineered
metalcastings about the capability of the lost foam process to reduce part
count, improve dimensional tolerance, eliminate secondary machining
operations, and produce geometric shapes that are not possible using other
casting processes.
Gene Hagedorn, materials vice president at Baldor Electric, will provide a
keynote address. The two-day conference will also feature speakers from GM
Powertrain, Mercury Marine, and the CASTI Group, S.p.a.
All attendees of the AFS Lost Foam Conference will be eligible to
participate (subject to space limitations) in plant tours of GM's Saginaw
Metal Casting Operations (SMCO).
For more information, contact AFS by phone (800-537-4237 or 847-824-0181),
or by Fax (847-824-7848).
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ABB to Supply Melting System for Pleissner
Pleissner GmbH has awarded a contract to ABB Automation Systems GmbH,
Eschborn, Germany, to supply a crucible-type induction furnace installation
for the company's Elze works in Lower Saxony.
The contract is for two type IFM 6/8.4 medium-high frequency crucible
induction furnaces of 8.4 MT capacity each, and 6.1 MW power supply of the
Twin Power configuration. The new melting unit will replace Pleissner's
existing cupola furnace.
The order is valued at approximately $1.1 million. Delivery is scheduled for
September of this year.
The Twin Power approach has been substituted in recent years for the system
of power sharing among two furnaces. The new approach permits fully variable
and continuous electricity distribution to both melters as desired. The
plant operator benefits from this electronic power sharing approach in terms
of a favorable energy yield. Moreover, infinitely variable power control is
adapted to preclude both superheating of the melt and excessive bath
agitation while holding, facilitating accurate temperature control.
Pleissner GmbH is a member of the GeorgsmarienhĂźtte Group. The company
produces gray cast iron and nodular iron, relying on hand molding as well as
machine molding methods.
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Spanish Machine Tool Exports On the Rise
The Spanish machine tool industry's exports in the year 2000 accounted for
52% of the total production value, according to a report by the Machine Tool
Manufacturers' Association of Spain (AFM). The total exported by the Spanish
sector came to 80,352 million pesetas (483 million euros), a 1.4% increase
over the 1999 figure.
The main purchasing countries for sales abroad were: Germany (18.5% of total
sector exports), France (12.6%), Italy (10.2%), United States (9.7%),
Portugal (8.4%), Mexico (7%), United Kingdom (4.5%), and Brazil (3.4%).
The top four customer countries-with the world's highest technology-industry
levels-purchased 51% of the exports made by the sector, while the top ten
purchased 79%.
Spain's production of machine tools in 2000 came to 932 million euros.
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Eaton Acquires Mexican Truck Clutch Business
Eaton Corporation, Cleveland, OH, has acquired the heavy- and medium-duty
truck clutch manufacturing assets of Transmisiones TSP, S.A. de C.V., for an
undisclosed amount.
TSP, located in Queretaro, Mexico, reached $10 million in sales in 2000, and
has been a licensee of technology from Eaton and its predecessors since
1973. TSP, an indirect subsidiary of DESC, S.A. de C.V. and Dana
Corporation, sells its products to original equipment manufacturers and the
independent aftermarket in Mexico.
Eaton plans to relocate the acquired assets to its newest facility in San
Luis Potosi, Mexico. The company said this transition will occur as the San
Luis Potosi plant becomes operational over the next several months, and that
consolidation of its Mexican transmission and clutch production at the San
Luis Potosi facility will provide a cost-efficient, focused approach to
manufacturing from internally shared resources in Mexico.
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Nissan Eyes Teksid
Sources at Nissan North America announced that the company would probably
choose Teksid SpA, an Italian manufacturer of automotive castings, to supply
aluminum cylinder heads for its line of V-6 engines built at its Decherd, TN
plant.
If Teksid officially gains the contract, it will manufacture 18 million lb
or more per year of the cylinder heads out of secondary specification alloy
A319. The heads would be cast at one of Teksid's North American facilities,
located in Dickson, TN, Sylacauga, AL, or Monclova, Mexico.
Nissan plans to boost its U.S. production of V-6 and I-4 engines at its
Decherd plant to about 750,000 units per year beginning in 2003. The
automaker currently imports many engine components to its Tennessee plant
from Japan.
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Tupy and SinterCast to supply New Engine Program
Ford Motor Company has awarded the production contract for the compacted
graphite iron (CGI) cylinder block of its new V6 diesel engine to Tupy
Fundicoes of Brazil and SinterCast of Sweden.
The 2.7-litre V6 engine will be the first volume engine produced with a CGI
cylinder block. The use of CGI allows for better engine performance, size,
weight and cost than with traditional engine materials, according to Ford.
The engine satisfies Euro IV (2005) emissions requirements.
Scheduled to begin production in 2003, the new V6 engine will be a key part
of the combined Ford-PSA (Peugeot- Citroen Group) global diesel engine
strategy. Target applications for the new engines include Jaguar, PSA, Land
Rover, and Ford vehicles.
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CEC, Ford Settle Patent Dispute
Consolidated Engineering Company (CEC), Kennesaw, GA, has amicably settled
its patent dispute with The Ford Motor Company.
Ford now openly endorses and acknowledges CEC's Sand Lion foundry system
technology, which is patented in 64 countries. Ford has incorporated CEC
technology into its Essex, Windsor and Cleveland manufacturing facilities.
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DOE OIT Reports Status of Metalcasting Initiative
"The Metalcasting Team's R&D portfolio has been making important
contributions to industry-identified roadmap priorities and OIT's energy
efficiency goals," concludes Team Leader Harvey Wong of the U.S. Department
of Energy's Office of Industrial Technologies (OIT).
Wong was reporting on the status of OIT's Metalcasting Initiative, a program
that creates partnerships between industry, government, and supporting
institutions to accelerate technology research, development, and deployment
for energy-intensive industries.
One project led by The Materials Technology Laboratory is helping industry
to better understand copper alloys. It has created the first comprehensive
database on these materials, which details the mechanical, fracture
toughness, impact, and fatigue properties of 13 copper alloys. Use of this
information is expected to contribute to processing efficiencies saving 1.2
trillion Btu and reducing CO2 emissions by 120,000 tons.
Led by the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the "Lost Foam Casting"
project is improving process controls for the emergent casting technique.
The lost foam method offers significant cost and environmental advantages,
and enables metalcasters to produce complex parts that are often not
possible using other methods. Compared to traditional green sand or
resin-bonded sand molding methods, the potential energy savings of lost foam
amount to about 27% (4.7 trillion Btu/year by 2020), with a 46% improvement
in labor productivity. The Team's work has made lost foam a practical
reality, and its use is increasing by as much as 20% per year.
Finally, another project is exploring new steel die technologies. Steel dies
can take months to manufacture and cost over $1 million. Moreover, die
testing and manufacturing can be energy-intensive. A team led by Case
Western Reserve University is identifying composition and processing
techniques that lead to improved thermal fatigue resistance, increased die
life, and reduced die cost. Die life improvements of 50-100% have been seen,
resulting in considerable energy savings.
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Norton Creates Online University
Norton Company, Worcester, MA, has launched Norton Online University,
www.nortonabrasives.com, an online source for classroom materials for
industrial manufacturing instructors at community colleges and vocational
schools.
Norton has prepared lesson plans for abrasives in three general categories,
bonded, coated, and superabrasives. The lessons cover proper selection, use
and safety procedures and are supplemented by pictures and illustrations.
They are available for instructors to download off a password-protected
site.
Norton worked with professors from community colleges and vocational schools
to determine the content and organization of the lesson plans and
accompanying materials.
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Employees Acquire DISA Operation
DISA Industries Inc. North America, Oswego, IL, has announced that the
employees of its Engineering Operation, Alpharetta, GA, have purchased the
assets of the operation, forming a new company.
The company will be called Foundry Solutions & Design, LLC (FS&D), and will
be headed by Ralph Perkul, formerly General Manager of the Alpharetta
division, and Larry Ernst, Vice President. FS&D will work closely with DISA
to ensure the highest degree of customer satisfaction in foundry planning,
project engineering, systems development, and other engineering services.
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Looking Forward to GIFA 2003
>From June 16-21, 2003, the fairgrounds in DĂźsseldorf, Germany will once
again be the venue for GIFA 2003, the 10th International Foundry Trade Fair
and World Foundry Organization (WTO) Technical Forum.
Exhibit categories will include foundry machinery and plant construction,
casting machinery and equipment, and melting processes, as well as molding
and core making. GIFA 2003 will also include a North American Pavilion.
Joachim H. Laempe, managing director of Laempe GmbH in Germany, was elected
as the new president of the event.
For more information about GIFA 2003, contact Messe DĂźsseldorf North
America, Tel.: (312) 781-5188; Fax: (312) 781-5188; e-mail: info@mdna.com;
or visit their Web site: www.mdna.com.