Simple Solutions That Work! Issue 8

Although Acetarc supplies a range of molten metal pouring and handling equipment; first and foremost we design and manufacture foundry ladles. What I’ve found is that ladle and pouring systems installation work typically falls into two main categories: full installation projects and site supervision projects. Full Installation Projects Full installation projects are projects whereby we send our own team, usually during a shutdown period and take responsibility for the entire installation, often of a molten metal pouring system or monorail handling system. We provide our own tools and lifting equipment etc. Sometimes the nature of the project means that we work in isolation and at other times we are working along side other companies; with each company supplying its own specialized equipment, and contributing to the success of the complete project. Although there is obviously a need to coordinate STEVE HARKER Technical Director ACETARC ENGINEERING CO. Ltd ARTICLE TAKEAWAYS: 1. Difference between Full installation & Site Supervision 2. Bolt-on trunnions versus welded trunnions POURING SYSTEMS & LADLE INSTALLATION PROJECTS 22 with the foundry and any other companies who we may be working alongside, typically we are left to get on with the installation, retaining direct control of our part of the project. The foundry’s concerns being that the work is completed as desired, safely and to a high standard in the allotted time. Site Supervision Projects The second main category, site supervision, tends to arise with regard to ladles and is when the foundry effectively retains control and that the installing engineer is there in an advisory role only. While both the foundry and the engineer are still working to the same successful conclusion, it does put a completely different spin on the working relationship. Site supervision mostly occurs when ladles have been shipped dismantled and the foundry requests our supervision for the reassembly of the equipment. We send a senior technical engineer to the foundry, where he will instruct a foundry’s own maintenance team on how to reassemble the equipment, with all tools and lifting equipment etc., being provided by the foundry. Acetarc ladles are based on two main types; the medium duty Westminster design and the heavy-duty Workhorse design. The Westminster ladle design only goes up to 4400 lb capacity therefore, shipping a fully assembled Westminster ladle is seldom an issue. However, the Workhorse ladle design goes up to 130,000 lb capacity and once we start getting around the 10,000 -15,000 lb capacity, transporting a fully assembled ladle can become a problem and/or very expensive. This is why our Workhorse ladles are designed to be easily disassembled and re-assembled. A long time ago we determined that that it is to nobody except the shipper’s advantage to transport large capacity ladles fully assembled. Shipping fresh air is expensive especially if the shipping dimensions mean that the ladle cannot be shipped using standard transportation methods. Therefore our Workhorse ladles are designed so that they can be dismantled and re-built without the need for special tools and without the need to have to strip down and rebuild the ladle gearbox. The key to this is our use of “bolt-on” trunnions. Other ladle manufacturers weld the trunnions to the ladle shell. While it is cheaper and