Simple Solutions That Work! Issue 11

Contact: STEVE HARKER [email protected] 26 adjust the design to suit your exact needs. Ease of use is not just limited to how the ladle performs when transporting and pouring metal but also includes the re-lining of the ladle and when carrying out general maintenance on the ladle. We are also happy to suggest design changes that could reduce ladle downtime. The point is, don’t be afraid to tell us about your challenges, as chances are we have solved this similar problem for others. As I’ve said, Acetarc ladles are designed for ease of maintenance, especially the Workhorse design that has the bolt-on trunnions. However the repair and replacement of the refractory lining is just as critical, if not more so. So our ladle designs also take this into account. The following being a case in point. I recently visited a foundry to discuss providing them with new ladles to replace existing ones that were coming to the end of their working life. The foundry had used the ladles for many years and over time, had made several modifications which they wanted incorporated into the new ladles. Therefore, they were actually looking at their working practices but only with respect to the actual metal handling and pouring. Following the inspection of the existing ladles, and after making notes of the necessary changes, I was talking to the foundry manager about general matters and he mentioned that the re-lining of the ladles was a problem, especially with respect to the length of time it took to remove the cast lining and the amount of effort involved. This is of course an unpleasant task as the worker has to climb inside the ladle shell with a jackhammer to break up the cast refractory. I suggested that they fit a loose base plate in the bottom of the ladle that would enable the lining to be pushed out using a hydraulic cylinder. The ladle has a pair of preps on the base that allow it to be clamped and then the base plate is pushed out, so the removal of the cast lining becomes a relatively quick and clean task. We’ve done this for many foundries and have not had any problems reported back to us. The cast lining holds the base plate in place so that it can only move when pushed out. With respect to this foundry, they hadn’t had the need to change their ladles for possibly 15 or more years and it simply hadn’t occurred to them that this was an option. This was all accomplished with a simple design change that has enabled the foundry to significantly reduce the time taken to re-line the ladles while improving the working environment for the people tasked with carrying out the re-lining operation. While the ladle isn’t as sexy as a robotic workstation, it will be one the longest running pieces of equipment in your foundry. Just like a robotic work station is customized to your exact needs, your ladle too can have this customization to make your pouring more efficient, easier to clean, and less wasteful.