Speakers plot a course for success via reduced energy, melting costs.

The organizers of the 47th annual AFS Northwest Regional Conference, held March 12-14 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, took inspiration from the city's majestic waterfront when coming up with the event's nautical theme, "Destination: Profit-ability...Innovative Routes to Success." The conference, which was co-sponsored by the AFS Washington and Oregon Chapters, boasted almost 40 exhibitors in its well-attended mini exposition.

The British Columbia Chapter, which hosted the event, promised to make the meeting's 270 registrants "captains" of the industry with technical sessions geared toward improving management techniques, implementing value-added services and improving productivity. Foundry representatives who attended the conference were interested in steering their businesses toward success, and many were concerned with cutting costs along the way.

Energy Costs

In covering the topic "Buy Smart, Run Smart to Reduce Electrical Costs," Grad Ilic, B.C. Hydro Power Smart, Burnaby, British Columbia, and Laurence Whiting, MTL/CANMET, Ottawa, explained how to reduce power costs by looking at typical inefficiencies in the foundry.

Whiting said that, during the melting process, foundries waste energy by holding a metal for too long, by using inefficient coils or the wrong charge materials, and by paying electric rates that are not tailored to their particular usage style. "If you're going to use the full power of your furnace, you should use it all the time because you're paying for it," he said. "If you push your peak usage back, then you can save money."

According to Ilic, steel foundries that have electric arc melting furnaces can use their cooling water and exhaust gas to preheat scrap. In addition, steel foundries that have coreless induction melting furnaces can use solid state stepless power controls to more accurately track demand.

"You should consider your energy providers as partners," Ilic said. "That way you can negotiate all kinds of deals."

Foundries can save energy costs by using off-peak melting, minimizing the time that the furnace lid is open for slagging and installing a furnace cover, according to Ilic.

Whiting also said that foundries can economize on the amount of power they use by examining their compressed air systems. "Your sand transport system could be on too long, and even when the sand has been sent to its destination, it could still be running," he said.

Foundries also can cut energy costs by maintaining their lighting standards and using the proper wattage. "Lighting is your line of defense in quality," Whiting said. "Use proper lighting, and workers will perform better and catch defects quickly."

Melting Costs

In his presentation "Reducing Melting Costs in Finished Castings," Gene Muratore, Rio Tinto Iron & Titanium America, Rosemont, Illinois, explained how foundries can work to reduce costs associated with the melting process.

"To survive and prosper, foundries must understand their total costs and the components of these costs," Muratore said, adding that the cost of metal in good castings includes the cost of scrap, heat treating, charge materials, processing and net yield. "You need to devise a strategy to reduce costs while maintaining quality, a good work environment and meeting environmental standards."

Muratore said that, to reduce melting costs, management should re-examine high-cost melting procedures. These high-cost processes provide the best opportunity for savings, he said, especially when implementing new procedures will not significantly impact safety or casting quality.

In addition, foundry management can save money by looking at its charge cost, processing cost and overall yield. "When selecting charge materials, don't just look at the material costs," Muratore said. "Look at the residual level, the silicon level, control, energy, density, nucleation value and metallic recovery."

Foundries can waste money by using cheaper charge materials that would require early inoculation to get the same qualities as more expensive charges, Muratore said. "Cheaper" charges may have hidden costs because they require more energy to melt or result in a higher scrap rate. "Metal returns are the most expensive part of a charge because they are valued at the cost of the completed castings," he said.