ECONOMY INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION |
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NEWS RELEASE 15 September 2004 New Process Announced
for Casting High Carbon Ferrochrome Ambridge, PA,
USA Economy
Industrial Corporation, Ambridge, PA, USA have filed patent
applications for a new process for casting high carbon ferrochrome on
its casting machines. Economy Industrial is represented in Southern
Africa by Redwing Technologies. The conventional
practice of casting ferrochrome in large blocks in sand moulds or iron
chills requires substantial energy in breaking and crushing the
product, and risks alloy segregation from slow solidification, as well
as silicon contamination from the sand beds.. The new
technique utilizes controlled process design to achieve controlled
breakage of the cast product and to maximize casting machine mould
life. The rapid solidification occurring in the new process results in
smaller grain size, and in more uniform product composition. Laboratory
tests, conducted earlier this year at the Center for Iron and Steel
Research at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, verified that
the mould peak temperatures could be effectively controlled, even at
casting temperatures as high as 1650 deg. C. By casting the
alloy in thin slab form, breakage at discharge was achieved that can
minimize or eliminate the need for crushing. Even when limited
crushing is required, the fractured pieces require only
two-dimensional size reduction, since the thickness is uniform. Economy
Industrial had previously installed three of its casting machines in
South Africa, at Iscor Steel Pretoria (now decommissioned), Ticor S-A
(Kumba), and Anglo Platinum in Polokwane. The Anglo Platinum
installation, including a hydraulic ladle tilter, was the first
installation to successfully cast nickel-sulphur matte on a modified
pig casting machine. Other
ferroalloy, pig iron and ingot casting machines have been supplied by
Economy Industrial to ferroalloy, iron and non-ferrous metals
producers in Australia, Canada, Dominican Republic, Europe, Saudi
Arabia, South American, and USA. The most recent installation was a
Magnesium Ferrosilicon casting machine for Elkem Metals Canada,
similar in design to that supplied earlier to Elkem Bjølvefossen in
Norway. All of Economy
Industrial’s casting machines incorporate its proprietary and
previously patented process control design. The current control system
achieves a high degree of automation with extensive safety interlocks,
to increase productivity, yield, and product quality. # # # |
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