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ASHLAND-SÜDCHEMIE-KERNFEST GmbH

IFEX 2008 - High-Tech Innovations From The Same Mold

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Network-of-competency

With "network-of-competency" as their motto, all five partner companies in the Süd-Chemie AG foundry products network made their first joint appearance at IFEX 2008 in Chennai India: ASK Chemicals, AS Lüngen Foundry Chemicals, WD-Giesserei-Technik, SKW Giesserei and Süd-Chemie Foundry Additives presented at the booth of Ajay Metachem Pltd their entire range  of  foundry  products  at  a  single exhibit.

The purpose of this network of companies is to work with foundry customers on complex problems, providing solutions that go well beyond any single discipline. With core binders, coatings, risers, filters, bentonite, metallurgical  products  for  iron  casting and everything in between, the Group possesses a comprehensive array of foundry products.

In addition to a focus on products, the "network-of-competency" motto is also a reference to client consultation services embodied by the "specialist  on  site" program and to the vigorous interaction among  experts from each of the individual companies who share their experience in a variety of fields.

For foundry customers this means having someone they can contact for any metal casting issue from melting to the finished cast part—someone with colleagues in all metal-working fields who can be consulted at any time.

The Group consists of five companies:

  Ashland-Südchemie-Kernfest GmbH (ASK Chemicals) provides environmentally friendly binder systems and coatings.
  AS Lüngen GmbH manufactures a wide array of  risers, release agents and filters.
  WD Giesserei  GmbH contributes nearly 25 years of experience manufacturing cores.
  Thanks to SKW Giesserei GmbH, metallurgy is now represented in this foundry technology group.
  Süd-Chemie AG Foundry Chemicals provides bentonite and additives.

This unique alliance of companies makes the "network-of-competency" group the only provider of its kind that also serves as an interface between molding materials and metallurgy.

Underscoring its guiding principle— uniting economic feasibility with environmental protection in foundries— are numerous new products.

Ecosure® HC, for instance, is a highly reactive cold-box binder system that reduces emissions and odors in core manufacturing and casting  processes. Plus, it also makes it possible to work with reduced coating thicknesses or, in borderline cases, with no coating at all.

 


Fig. 1: The Inotec® inorganic binder system from ASK Chemicals has proven a success for series production of water-jacket cores.

Inorganic binders in series production.
The new Inotec® inorganic binder system (fig. 1) drastically reduces emissions vis-à-vis organic systems: measurements of pollution produced by the casting process have shown that the use of inorganic binders reduces emissions by 98%.

This new binder is especially well suited to light-metal casting, thanks to its outstanding shakedown characteristics. When used for permanent mold casting, it leaves molds free of condensate and extends tool availability.

Inotec ® consists of a modified Silicate solution with additives known as promoters, which contain high concentrations of minerals. Cores are cured using heat-able tools and by flushing with hot air. Promoter composition can also be selectively modified to meet the specific needs of individual clients.

While employees and area residents are the primary beneficiaries, reducing emissions also represents a  way of lowering the costs of air handling and treatment. Another major advantage is the improvement in casting quality: significantly fewer pores and bubbles form when inorganic cores break down during the casting process.


Burning water
New coating  products were also on display at GIFA, including Trioflex® HP hybrid coatings: the result of a fundamentally new approach successfully developed by ASK Chemicals, these water-based coatings can be used for brush or flow coating applications. If needed, they can also be diluted with isopropanol, which makes them flammable. Sometimes cores or molds do not need to be used  right away—they are sometimes held over the weekend, for instance—and thanks to this water-based product their coatings can now be left to air dry. When holding times are short, however, this coating can be used in its alcohol version and burned off. Their high degree of efficiency cuts material costs. Plus, Trioflex® HP is not classified as a hazardous substance, thereby eliminating the need for hazardous material storage—another benefit to the bottom line.

Miratec® cuts cycle time in half
The new Miratec® W3 JH coating exhibits higher levels of gas permeability and has proven successful at preventing veining and penetrations. This coating also cuts cycle times in the dipping plant by half when compared to the coatings used originally. The quick-drying Solitec® W3 A coating for hand molding makes it possible to use simple drying systems (such as  heat guns) to dry cores  within roughly 15 to 45 minutes, thus saving energy and protecting the environment.

 


Fig. 2: The new "Klick-Klack" breaker-edge risers from AS LÜNGEN

Razor-sharp breaker edges directly on the cast part
AS Lüngen recently presented a new generation of Lü KinG® breaker-edge risers which are able to produce a razor- sharp breaker edge. The riser breaks directly at the casting, saving reworking time and making processes reproducible. The solution is surprisingly simple: the riser on the spring pin moves with the sand towards the cast part during the ramming process. A loose piece that is then stationary forms a constriction along with the accelerated molding sand; this constriction develops into a breaker edge. The motion of the riser converts the  energy of the molding equipment into useful compaction energy; this energy, in turn, provides optimum compaction in the areas below the riser. The loose piece serves as a lost tube which dissolves during casting. AS Lüngen developed steel tubes years ago and since then they have proven highly successful thanks to the strength of the material and its ability to dissolve without producing  emissions. The steel tube, which is mounted directly on the molding equipment, is inserted into the riser before molding and then positioned onto the molding plate.

 

"Klick-Klack": out of the package and straight into the mold
The new "Klick-Klack"  risers (fig. 2) also accelerate handling when positioning the risers, because they eliminate the need to insert a tube. This means that they save time, since the tube is preassembled—just take them out of the package and use them right away. As a result, the "Klick-Klack" riser combines easy handling with the well- known advantages of  Lü KinG® risers, which include a small contact area, defined breaker edge, a dynamic principle and high compaction below the riser. And because they produce few emissions and contain no fluorine, no fibers and no hazardous  materials, the new risers also contribute to environmental protection and on-the-job safety.

WD uses inorganic technology
WD-Giesserei-Technik  GmbH, a sand core manufacturer specializing in small- to-medium scale series  production and in producing prototypes on a contract basis, is currently embarked on a comprehensive modernization program at its site in Fuldabrück, Germany  (fig. 3). The aim of this investment plan is to optimize its cold-box core production processes.


Fig. 3: Core packages that are ready forcasting—ultra-high precision sand cores


At the heart of the project is a core sand preparation plant that will set a new standard in manufacturing and allow WD to respond to a wide range of customer needs with greater flexibility and precision. Customers are primarily interested in formulation precision, flexibility in terms of implementation and  combinations of different binder systems, additives and sands.

In addition, in the third quarter of 2007 WD will start up additional cold-box core shooters capable of handling  core boxes weighing up to 5,000 kg and tools measuring  1,600 x 1,400 x 1,000  mm (width x depth x height).

As a core manufacturer, WD is already making serious use of the new products offered by its network partners: the company has now established itself as an expert provider of cores produced with inorganic binders, having already firmly anchored the Inotec binder system from ASK Chemicals in its production process.

 


Fig. 4: Cored  wires: SKW develops solutions tailored specifically to the needs of each and every customer.

Molding materials and metallurgy all under one roof
As a manufacturer of alloys and  cored wires, SKW Giesserei GmbH of Unterneukirchen, Germany, represents metallurgy within the Group (fig.4), supplying a full line of metallurgical products used in iron casting. These products range from foundry pig  ron, alloys and cored wire through to slag binders, and include the following: special and hematite pig iron, preconditioners, magnesium alloys, cored wires, ladle and pouring stream inoculants, mold inoculants and melt cleaning agents.SKW has recently begun offering an expanded line of products for mold inoculants, so that the inoculation process can be tailored more readily to casting weight, casting time and to metallurgical characteristics: parameters are individually adapted  to the specific task in hand.

Another innovative product is the preassembled pouring basin, which comes complete with the mold inoculation block. SKW also places a premium on individuality, developing customized solutions tailored to the unique needs of each customer.


 

 

Catalogue of Suppliers: <link _top>Ashland-Südchemie-Kernfest GmbH
Catalogue of Suppliers: <link _top>AS Lüngen GmbH
Catalogue of Suppliers: <link _top>Süd-Chemie AG Foundry Chemicals
Catalogue of Foundries: <link _top>SKW Giesserei GmbH
Catalogue of Suppliers: <link _top>WD Giesserei GmbH

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