Sand recovery additive for all foundries

⇒ Why thermal recovery?

Today, all modern foundries use some form of chemically bonded sand systems, as they are under increasing pressure to reduce their manufacturing costs, reduce their impact on the environment, but at the same time improve the quality of the foundry. One of the ways to meet these requirements is to invest in sand reclamation. Although most foundries already have mechanical reclaimers, many are looking to further reduce costs and invest in thermal sand reclamation.

HELPS TO REDUCE COSTS

Typically, the thermal unit runs on natural gas or LPG and operates at temperatures of between 670ºC and 720ºC, depending on the type of binder used. Sizes offered within Omega’s range of heat recovery units range from 250kg/hour up to 12 Tons/hour, with a 3 year warranty on burners and furnace lining.

Omega’s patented “Dead Bed” system ensures total thermal insulation and therefore lower running costs, and also a longer life for the ceramic fibre insulation of the furnace. This is due to the protection the “Dead Bed” provides for the insulation and the erosion caused by the movement of the sand in its processing.

⇒ HOW ARE LOW OPERATING COSTS ACHIEVED?

They are achieved through the combination of excellent furnace insulation with the “Dead Bed” system, as well as an installed heat recovery module, which takes the heat from the hot sand air leaving the furnace and reintroduces the heat as hot air to the furnace fluidised bed. This means that the fluidisation air is always hot, which leads to lower gas consumption.

⇒ WE TALK ABOUT SECURITY

Safety is also a primary concern, so multiple safety systems are employed to monitor fluid bed ignition, temperatures of all components (including dust collector) and the level of sand available for processing. In addition, a touchscreen panel is provided, complete with status and fault location and indications.

⇒ HOW DO WE HELP THE ENVIRONMENT THIS TIME?

Emissions from the heat recovery plant are guaranteed to be lower than the requirements of local legislation, without the need to install an afterburner. The hood installed on the furnace ensures that the air leaving the furnace is clean.

For the Alkaline Phenolic system, a special inhibitor must be pre-mixed with the sand to prevent the alkaline salts from causing low melting temperature of the thermally recovered sand.

It is now also possible to thermally recover green sand for re-use in the foundry’s core-making process. A system of mechanical attrition is employed, before and after the furnace, to ensure that all the clay is removed, but essentially the thermal regeneration is the same as that used for the recovery of sand from chemical moulding.

NOW, YES, IT IS PROFITABLE

Thermal recovery has existed for many years, but now it has reached a point where it is profitable, economical, reliable and therefore viable for most foundries to consider.

Both OMEGA and our Representative/Distributor for the Spanish market, EUSKATFUND, S.L., will be delighted to analyse, offer and carry out a viability and amortisation study of your investment.