StrikoWestofen presents new Westomat series and control at the Euroguss 2014 in Nuremberg

Off to new frontiers

Efficiency, process reliability and ease of operation: at the Euroguss 2014, the StrikoWestofen Group (Gummersbach, Germany) will present its completely redesigned Westomat dosing furnace with the new “ProDos 3” control system. “Constant model upgrading and options developed according to customer requirements have made our Westomat series a worldwide benchmark for economical and process reliable dosing systems. Our latest development raises the standard, in particular with regard to simplified setup and operation,” promises StrikoWestofen manager Rudolf Riedel. The Euroguss 2014 in Nuremberg from 14 to 16 January will see the market leader present the latest technologies for melting furnaces and dosing systems to interested experts from the light metal casting industry at booth 354 in Hall 7.

There are many cost drivers in everyday foundry operation: besides energy consumption and metal loss, these are mainly machine downtimes and high reject rates. Against this background, the StrikoWestofen Group has been concentrating for years on offering systems which achieve maximum efficiency and process reliability. The company will present its latest developments at the Euroguss 2014.

Westomat dosing furnaces with new ProDos 3 control
The centrepiece of the company presentation will be the new “ProDos 3” control. The new system will replace the current “ProDos XP” control in the first quarter of 2014 and will offer additional dosing precision and process reliability. Considerably improved computing power reduces the reaction time by a factor of three, thus adjusting the dosing weight to altered process parameters in a highly efficient way. “The most important innovation is probably the integration of our patented biscuit correction,” explains Rudolf Riedel, manager of StrikoWestofen. This has proved to be an effective practical tool for improving the dosing accuracy by another 35 percent. Its direct integration into the control means that biscuit correction as well as the standardized DISPO 035 interface to the die-casting machine are now available to all customers as economical options. Electrically and mechanically, the ProDos 3 is completely compatible with the current ProDos XP and DPC control units.

The new control system is especially resistant to electromechanical disturbances and is operated via a capacitive touchscreen. This no longer needs to be calibrated and is effectively protected in everyday foundry operation via a pane of toughened glass. “2014 will also see the introduction of further options which can be retrofitted in the control. Our Westomat dosing furnaces with the new ProDos 3 control can be ordered from the Euroguss 2014 onwards,” Riedel explains.

Slimmer furnace body
The often extremely restricted space in foundries and around the die-casting machine is taken into account by a new furnace body. A completely revised design allows StrikoWestofen to reduce the space requirements by about 15 percent in comparison with the predecessor model. The slim dimensions allow the dosing furnace to be positioned closer to the die-casting machine. “The shortened inlet cools the melt down less than before. Also, contact with the oxygen in the air is reduced, and this supports a very high metal quality. Another aim of re-designing was to increase occupational safety,” explains Peter Reuther, Sales Director Europe at StrikoWestofen. “The new Westomat dosing furnaces have an innovative heating system with an extended service life. In addition, assembly no longer requires any space at the side of the furnace. Our flanged riser tube – now available as standard equipment – and the high-performance insulation have allowed us to significantly increase the performance of our dosing systems yet again.”

PurEfficiency: the name says it all
As usual, StrikoWestofen will also be giving comprehensive information and consultations with regard to its StrikoMelter melting furnaces at the Euroguss. Now, experts are in a position to provide information and performance data obtained in practical foundry operation for the two latest models PurEfficiency and Plus+. “More than 50 percent of the total energy consumption in aluminium die-casting go to the melting and holding of the aluminium alloys. For this reason, energy and material efficiency of these systems continue to be highly up-to-date,” Riedel explains. “Our StrikoMelter PurEfficiency melting furnaces reduce the gas consumption by up to 50 percent in comparison with other technologies, thus allowing them to achieve significant competitive advantages. More and more customers around the globe have come to appreciate this.”

More details are available from the StrikoWestofen Group in Gummersbach (Tel.: 0049-2261-70910), in the Internet under www.strikowestofen.com or at booth 354 in Hall 7 at the Euroguss.

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