Grainger & Worrall has installed two new partially automated melting towers as part of a £6m (US$7.73m) investment plan to expand its Bridgnorth Series facility. The latest addition to the facility cost the automotive casting specialist £1.5m (US$1.93m).
The company hopes that the investment will significantly increase efficiency, reduce process time and improve energy consumption, thus further enhancing the company’s capability and capacity.
The melting towers can now process two tons of dual alloy ingot types per hour simultaneously, up from 800kg. The semi-automated process is also fully traceable, providing precise timing and temperature control to help optimize the melting process.
“Installation of the two melting towers, which required the facility’s roof to be raised by 2m, negates the downsides traditionally associated with batch processes,” said Andrew Hough, Grainger & Worrall facilities director. “The melting tower design enables the pre-heating of the next batch of alloy ingots using the waste heat from the furnace below.”
