Simple Solutions That Work! Issue 7

2017 is Acetarc’s 50th year and we’d like to share with you some of the tricks of the trade that we have learned over the years. As a family owned and managed company, it’s a matter of personal pride that we do a good job. As you may be aware, we are a British company specializing in the design and manufacture of foundry ladles plus associated equipment and have formed long term working relationships with many American, Mexican and Canadian foundries, STEVE HARKER Technical Director ACETARC ENGINEERING CO. Ltd ARTICLE TAKEAWAYS: 1. Buy the ladle size for your capacity 2. Maintenance of ladle and refractory linings for longevity FOUNDRY LADLE GUIDELINES 10 including the US Navy. To use a British phrase we were “well chuffed ” to supply equipment to NFPC. While we sell internationally, regarding basic ladle care and maintenance, something’s are simply the same, no matter where the foundry is located. As with anything, proper evaluation, maintenance and care of your ladle should yield years of successful pours. Our suggestions: Ladle Size First and foremost, buy the ladle that has the correct capacity for the job that it’s going to do. It’s not recommended to get a 4400 lb capacity ladle if 9 times out of 10 you only want to use it with 2200 lb of metal. The ladle centre of gravity will have been calculated, taking into account the rated working capacity. If the ladle is frequently used under capacity it can cause problems. Over Filling Alternatively don’t try to stretch the capacity by over filling the ladle. This is especially the case with ductile treatment ladles that have an extended freeboard so, if brimmed, could hold possibly up to 25% more than the rated working capacity. Lubrication & Maintenance Remember to regularly lubricate the ladle. Grease all the points at least weekly and check the gearbox oil at the recommended intervals. We’ve just received a ladle back for repairs and it doesn’t look like it’s had any lubrication since it left the factory in July 2013. It’s repairable but, with the correct maintenance, it should have been good for several more years and then only possibly requiring the changing of a couple of wearable parts. However, due to poor maintenance and a lack of proper lubrication, the ladle will need to be fitted with a new gearbox, trunnions, and sidearm bearings. Planned preventative maintenance is always preferable to dealing with a breakdown situation. Refractory Linings Make sure that the refractory lining is correctly maintained. As a rule of thumb we work on a lining allowance of approximately 10% of the shell top inside diameter. So, if the top diameter is Ø36”, we would assume a side lining thickness of 3-1/2” as a