Pyrotek reinforced fiberglass material (RFM) ladles can reduce the frequency of ladle-change stoppages caused by metal sticking and wear.
Pyrotek reinforced fiberglass material (RFM®) ladles are helping foundries around the world cut way down on inclusions flowing into their finished castings, and reducing the frequency of ladle-change stoppages caused by metal sticking and wear.
New Case Study
A global foundry operation in Europe that casts engine blocks and transmissions was relying on cast iron ladles to transport metal in its high-pressure die casting area. The cast iron ladles performed poorly because of the excessive buildup of metal that stuck to them. The stuck metal was far too often breaking off and flowing into castings, and customers were regularly complaining of inclusions in the finished product.
“It’s critical that aluminium doesn’t stick to the bottom or sides of a ladle,” says Nicola Goulbourne, a Pyrotek Sales Engineer. “As the metal is poured out, pieces can break free and enter the shot sleeve and eventually the casting.”
The poor-performing cast iron ladles forced too many work stoppages.
Using cast iron ladles, the foundry had 893 ladle change stoppages annually, each taking 20 minutes to complete and producing three rejected parts per stoppage.
Working with Pyrotek to create a custom-designed RFM ladle, they discovered a large annual savings of more than USD$170,000 by reducing the number of ladle changes to nine per year.
RFM ladles are made of a composite ceramic material that is tough, erosion resistant, and has high-fracture resistance. Lightweight and offering a smooth pour, RFM ladles last many times longer than cast iron ladles.
Posted in Product Spotlight, Case Study.