Cored Wire treatment for high SGI and CGI production rate
YEAR
2017
COMPANY
Cast Iron Foundry Germany
EQUIPMENT INSTALLED IN THIS FOUNDRY
Installation of new concept of ITACA Wire
Target
Provide 3 tons treated iron every 3’30”.
Achievements
Completely automated treatment process ensuring constant iron quality.
Some significant data
3
tons ladle
3
working ladles in cycle
2
treatment chambers
4
active feeders
The customer
Based in Amberg, Germany, LuitpoldHütte GmbH was established in 1911 and, from 2016, is a part of Ogepar group.
The foundry produces high-quality iron castings in small and medium-sized series for renowned companies throughout the world, with a production capability up to 60.000 tons per year.
Ascertained the increasing request for higher ductile and vermicular iron quality and higher production rate, LuitpoldHütte GmbH had the necessity to improve the nodularization process capability, focusing on the most advanced available technologies.
ProService solution
Following the foundry requests, ProService engineered a completely new ITACA Wire™ for Mg treatment.
The plant is provided with:
– Double treatment cabin, each one with 2 feeders for Mg cored wire;
– Roller conveyor system, working in a completely automatic way, to make the treatment in the first or second cabin;
– Loading/unloading ladle stations for forklift;
– Hydraulic tilting system to transfer the treated iron to pouring ladle;
– 2 ITACA Stream XL to inoculate the iron during the transfer to pouring ladle granting the quality of the iron;
– Fumes extraction system with valve to partialize the power during the treatment;
– Security area with light barrier.
– 3 ladles (3 tons capacity) especially designed for the machine.
Redundant Controls
The solution with 2 ITACA Wire™ stations is needed to fulfil the productivity of the moulding line.
Safety is also one focal point during the Mg Treatment process.
ITACA Wire™ guarantees a fast treatment cycle for CGI and, mainly, for nodular iron and a good degree of redundancy in case of 1 feeder is broken or blocked (main cause is the wire blockage). If 1 station is broken/stopped, productivity decreases only 50% (100% on the other approach). If 1 FeSiMg feeder is broken/stopped on one ITACA Wire™ station, the other feeder can compensate automatically increasing the cycle time only 10-15%.
For the nodular iron production, the 2 feeders system guarantees minimum 45sec less each cycle with the same Mg recovery.
The ladles have been designed for a 2 wires Mg-treatment in order to avoid too high Mg vapor pressure and, as a consequence, lower recovery.
Inoculation follows automatically the Mg-treatment, and it’s made by automatic ITACA Stream XL™ during the transfer to transport ladle.
