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Manufacturing growth targets in the Black Country
Trevor Ayre ( Institute of Cast Metal Engineers ), Professor Ian Oakes ( Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Wolverhampton ), Martin Dudley ( Joint Managing Director of TDL ) and Ninder Johal ( Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership Board member ).
Manufacturing is set to grow as work begins on one of the hubs of a flagship manufacturing skills centre in the heart of the UK ’ s Black Country . The Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership ( LEP ) approved £ 8.04 million funding for an Elite Centre for Manufacturing Skills ( ECMS ) in Wolverhampton , with training hubs due to open in Tipton , Dudley , West Bromwich and Wolverhampton . Demolition work is about to begin on a derelict building at the proposed site of the hub in Dudley Port , Tipton , which will focus on foundry and patternmaking skills . A purpose-built training block will be built adjacent to an existing foundry run by Thomas Dudley , where students will have access to industrial facilities . Led by the University of Wolverhampton , the hubs will provide employer-led training centres designed to improve productivity and growth in the high value manufacturing ( HVM ) sector , bringing together business partners and education providers including Dudley College , the Confederation of British Metalforming , Cast Metals Federation and the Institute of Cast Metals Engineers . The partners are investing an additional £ 4.15 million , bringing the total project value to £ 12.19 million . Collectively the manufacturing hubs will provide specialist training in toolmaking , foundry , patternmaking , metalforming , forging , manufacturing management and leadership and project management . The Elite Centre for Manufacturing Skills ( ECMS ) is set to open for business in August 2017 at the University of Wolverhampton ’ s Springfield Campus . www . icme . org . uk
Chinese 3D printing technology developments
Transition section of an aircraft engine .
There have been several interesting developments in additive manufacturing coming out of China recently , in the areas of architecture , in space travel , in medicine and even in environmental protection . The Chinese 3D printing industry is growing quickly after a long period of stagnation . As is well known , one of the biggest keys to growth in the 3D printing market is the continued development of metal 3D printing and it looks like China is on top of that area as well . Researchers from Huazhong University of Science and Technology have developed a method of metal 3D printing , one that could eliminate several of the issues that still plague much of the technology . Zhang Haiou , leader of the 3D printing technology research team at the university , has been developing the method for over a decade , along with his fellow researchers . Dubbed ‘ intelligent micro casting and forging ’, the technique combines aspects of traditional metal casting and forging technology along with 3D printing to create stronger , more ductile and stable parts . According to Zhang Haiou , the method eliminates common problems such as porosity , cracking and the crumbling or dropping of fused materials due to gravity or rapid heating and cooling . “ In the past , conventional 3D printing has been fatally flawed in the following
areas . First , without forging , metal parts have a serious chance of wearing . Second , the performance of 3D printed parts has not been high . A third problem is the presence of pores and unfused portions and the fourth is that using a laser or electron beam as a heat source is very costly ” he said . The printer , called the Micro Forging & Casting Sync Composite Device , is already being used to make parts – titanium joints – for China ’ s stealth jet fighter planes . The research team expects that the technology , which can also be used to make thin-walled parts without excess material , will have a big impact on the aerospace industry , as well as the automotive , medical and general manufacturing sectors . It should deliver a significant boost to the Made in China 2025 initiative , which aims to update and overhaul the country ’ s manufacturing industry with a focus on advanced and green technology . According to the team , intelligent micro casting and forging uses metal wire that is 90 % cheaper than the powders used in most metal 3D printing techniques . It is also 80 % more efficient than SLM printing and can create parts up to 5.5m x 4.2m x 1.5m , with a surface roughness of 0.02mm . While several hybrid technologies have been developing recently , combining 3D printers with CNC machines and other methods of production , this appears to be the first time 3D printing has been merged with forging and casting . Parts created with the intelligent micro casting and forging technology will be more reliable and longer-lasting , the team says and they have already been awarded multiple patents , both in China and internationally .
In brief ...
The 2016 Die Casting Congress and Tabletop will be held on 26-28 September 2016 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus , Ohio . This event will include three days of congress sessions given by experts from around the world . These presentations will expose foundry personnel to the latest technology , ongoing research and successful management tools that will assist companies in enhancing their competitiveness . www . diecasting . org
ASCO CARBON DIOXIDE LTD recently announced its modernised visual market presence , unveiling a redesigned corporate identity and a user-friendly website that help to make all positive changes within the company in recent years outwardly visible . “ ASCO is an established company with many long-term customers ” explained CEO Marco Pellegrino . “ We felt it was very important to combine the values and the fact of high recognition of our existing appearance with the new features and innovations of recent years . The more modern appearance should represent our enhanced strategy , as well as our increased competences in the wide field of CO 2 applications .” www . asco2 . com
A 90,000ft 2 , $ 3.5 million expansion project at the Sun Prairie Business Park in Wisconsin will allow Madison- Kipp to house all of its Sun Prairie warehousing and manufacturing operations at a single location . It also positions Madison-Kipp for additional products for both domestic and foreign customers . The company is a major producer of precision machined components and system subassemblies for customers in the transportation , industrial , lawn and garden and leisure markets . www . madison-kipp . com
Europe ’ s latest grey and ductile iron foundry to be opened in 2017
Macedonia ’ s Prime Minister , Deputy Prime Minister , Minister of Foreign Investments and the Mayor of the city of Probishtip were among those present at the Cranfield Foundry groundbreaking ceremony .
Cranfield Foundry recently staged a groundbreaking ceremony at
Probishtip in The Republic of Macedonia to mark the start of construction of a modern foundry . It is anticipated that production will begin at the 8000m 2 greenfield site in 2017 . Designed by GEMCO , the turnkey solution provider for Cranfield Foundry , this factory will be able to produce grey iron castings of EN-GJL 150-350 and other related grades , as well as ductile iron castings of EN-GJS 350-800 and other related grades . Foundry equipment will be sourced from some well known industry brands . DISA and ABP will provide the key components to produce a wide range of products such as fittings , valves , decorative and other custom-made quality castings to serve customers in diverse industries such as automotive , agriculture , railway , construction , oil and refinery . www . gemco . nl
Cast Metal & Diecasting Times July / August 2016