4. The Reduction of Casting Scrap
Skills Development Assistance with Design
and Improvement Packages
Improving
Reduction of Scrap In-house
Metallurgical
Expertise
Improvement of Mould, Pattern and
Fettling Sophistication Tooling Improvement
5. Mintek Competences
Casting Technology:
A dedicated foundry pilot-plant facility
Staffed by Senior Metallurgists, Technicians and Artisans
Green Sand and CO2 sand capability
6. Mintek Competences (cont)
Skills Development and Improvement:
Incidental and tailored to the needs
Linked directly to skills gaps that impact on the
Reduction of Scrap
Short training courses for operators carrying jobs such as
mechanical testing and specimen prep for QC purposes
7. Mintek Competences (cont)
Improving In-house Metallurgical Expertise:
This service to be provided by the Metals Technology Centre (MTC)
at Mintek
Metallurgical Testing Services:
• Includes characterization of castings to ensure integrity
8. Mintek Competences (cont)
Improving In-house Metallurgical Expertise:
This service to be provided by the Metals Technology Centre (MTC)
at Mintek
Metals Information through a Web-based Helpline
• Mechanical and physical property data for cast alloys
Failure Investigations
• To identify the causes of casting defects and suggest
remedies
Project Investigation, Evaluation and Management
Assist firms in auditing, improving and establishing their own facilities
9. Mintek Competences (cont)
• Assistance with Design Packages:
Service to be provided in partnership with technical experts and
service providers
Capability Proposed Service Provider
o Metallurgical Testing & Consultation (MTC):
MagmaSoft, COMSOL - RSA
o UJ (MCTS): QuickCast - RSA
o FOSECO – the service usually provided for
free to long-standing customers - RSA
Casting Simulation and o SimLogic – providers of software solutions for
Modelling Software simulating metals and minerals processes -
RSA
o University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB):
Casting Engineering Laboratory (UAB - CEL)
– USA
o SINTEF Group - Norway
10. Mintek Competences (cont)
Improvement of Fettling Sophistication:
Local Technical Specialists: Mr. Dave van Niekerk (DVN Marketing cc)
and Mr. Percy Dalton
International Technical Specialists: Dr-Ing. Hartmut Polzin (Freiberg
Technical University, Germany) and Dr-Ing. Gotthard Wolf (Federal
Association of the German Foundry Industry)
Additional Technical Specialists are being identified during the course of
the DST-TAP progress.
Mould/Pattern/Tooling Improvements:
Institute of Advanced Tooling (IATs): e.g. TUT Tooling Station, etc.
CSIR
Local and International Technical Experts
11. Planning and Implementation
• Planning of the Rollout Process – Phase 1:
– Benchmarking Validation Session with NFTN, Mintek, CSIR and Benchmarking
Specialists
– Visits to Companies for Face-to-Face Meetings by the end of 31stJuly 2010
– Development of TAPs for each company
– Agreement on the Development Plans
• Phase 1 Progress:
– Benchmarking Validation - Completed
– Completed Engagements– Development Plan being Finalized
• Steloy
• PDC
– Meetings already had with a number of service providers and technical specialists
• DVN Marketing, SimLogic, Casting Services
– Face-to-face meetings currently ongoing
– Phase 1 to be completed by 31st July 2010
12. Planning and Implementation
• Implementation of the TAPs – Phase 2
– Implementation of the agreed development plans
– Involvement of Technical Specialists, particularly for remote foundries
– Implementation already in progress in some foundries:
• PDC, Steloy and Boschpick
• Monitoring and Evaluation
– Non Disclosure Agreements (NDA) to be signed between the company, Mintek and
service provider
– Bi-weekly Client Survey Forms during the progress of the project
– Should there be problems, an emergency meeting will be convened for re-planning
– Regular progress reports
– On Completion: Final Report and Impact Assessment Survey to rank the quality of
the service
13. Facilities and Equipment
Mintek:
– Melting and Casting:
– Sand Foundry Pilot Plant
– Air and Vacuum Induction Furnaces
– Heat Treatment Furnaces
– Spectrometer: SpectroMaxx for ferrous and
non-ferrous analysis
14. Facilities and Equipment (cont)
– Mechanical Working: Forging Presses and Rolling Mills
– Mechanical Testing:
– Instron 1175: 100 kN Static Capacity (Tension and Compression)
– Tinius Olsen: 500 kN Static Capacity (Tension and Compression)
– Instron 1342: 250 kN (dynamic) and 300 kN (static) in both tension
and compression
– Instron 1361: Servo-Electric with 250 kN (dynamic) and 300 kN
(static) capability in both tension and compression
15. Facilities and Equipment (cont)
Heat Treatment: A range of furnaces
Metallurgical Characterization Equipment:
HR-SEM, XRD, Complete range of
metallographic equipment
16. Facilities and Equipment (cont)
Others: May be required (not available at Mintek)
A Fully Equipped Pattern Shop
Sand Testing Equipment
High Volume Induction Melting Furnaces: 300-500kg units
Vacuum with a High Volume Capacity: ≈ 200kg
Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) Services
Capability Proposed Service Provider
1. Fully Equipped Pattern Shop TAP Programme Participating Companies
2. Sand Testing Equipment UJ-MCTS (Metal Casting Technology
Station)
3. High Volume Induction Melting TAP Programme Participating Companies
Units
4. High Volume Vacuum Furnace TAP Programme Participating Companies,
CSIR
5. NDT Services NDT Society Member Companies, SAIW
Member Companies
