FUTURE FOUNDRIES IN EASTERN REGION A TEACHERS PERCEPTION

FUTURE FOUNDRIES IN EASTERN REGION- A TEACHER’S PERCEPTION Prof. A. K. Chakrabarti

§ FOUNDRY SECTOR IS A KEY SEGMENT OF THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY. § A PRIME MOVER OF THE FOUNDRY INDUSTRY IS THE AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY. THIS IS NOT GROWING IN THE EASTERN REGION. § THE EXISTING CI AND DI FOUNDRIES CONCENTRATE MOSTLY ON PRODUCTION OF MUNICIPAL CASTINGS AND TO A SMALLER EXTENT ON JUTE MILL / POWER TRANSMISSION CASTINGS. § STEEL FOUNDRIES ARE MOSTLY CATERING TO THE NEEDS OF THE RAILWAYS.

§ FUTURE POTENTIAL AREAS OF GROWTH: • FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES • SPARES FOR STANDARD AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY • INCVSTMENT CASTINGS FOR IMPLANTS • MINING AND MINERAL BASED INDUSTRIES • HUGE POTENTIAL FOR NONCONVENTIONAL ENERGY GENERATION, PARTICULARLY IN COASTAL AREAS

STATUS OF EXISTING CI AND DI FOUNDRIES § DUCTILE IRON PRODUCTION STARTED FIRST IN HOWRAH § AT THE MOMENT, MAJOR DUCTILE IRON ITEMS CONSIST OF PIPES, PIPE BENDS, MANHOLE COVERS, BRACKETS etc. § IN CI SEGMENT ALSO RAIN WATER PIPES, SLAG POTS, INGOT MOULDS, MISCELLANEOUS MUNICIPAL CASTINGS, POWER TRANSMISSION COMPONENTS, BRAKE BLOCKS, VALVES etc. ARE MAJOR PRODUCTS § THERE IS SCANTY DEMAND FOR SOPHISTICATED AUTOMOBILE/ENGINEERING INDUSTRY ITEMS

FUTURE PROJECTIONS § WITH THE EXISTING KNOWLEDGE, THE CI FOUNDRIES MAY VENTURE INTO PRODUCTION OF HIGH DUTY IRONS AND HIGH ALLOY Al CI/Cr CI/HIGH Si IRONS § THE DUCTILE IRON FOUNDRIES ALSO NEED TO DIVERSIFY INTO PRODUCTION OF CASTINGS FOR THE MINING INDUSTRY § BIOMATERIAL CASTINGS OF HIGH ALLOY IRONS, Ti ALLOYS, Mg ALLOYS etc. OFFER HUGE POTENCIAL FOR DIVERSIFICATION. THE DHOKRA CASTING ARTISANS OF WEST BENGAL MAY EASILY BE TRAINED TO PRODUCE NEAR NET SHAPE BIOMATERIAL INVESTMENT CASTINGS

HOW ACADEMIC AND R&D COMMUNITY MAY HELP? § ENERGY CONSERVATION MEASURES. THE RECENT CONTRIBUTIONS OF TERI ARE GOOD EXAMPLES § WASTE UTILISATION § PROBLEM SOLVING § DEVELOPMENT OF DIVERSIFED PRODUCTS § TECNOLOGICAL INTERVENTION CLASSIC EXAMPLE “TIFAC SPONSORED PROJECT FOR UPGRADATION OF HOWRAH FOUNDRY CLUSTER” IN THE SCHOOL OF AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING, JADAVPUR UNIVERSITY

ENERGY CONSERVATION § ALTHOUGH MANY FOUNDRIES HAVE CONVERTED THEIR CUPOLAS TO DUAL BLAST FURNACES, STILL THERE IS ENOUGH SCOPE FOR ENERGY CONSERVATION. DURING SUCH CONVERSION TO DUAL BLAST CUPOLAS JADAVPUR UNIVERSITY RECORDED THE FOLLOWING BENEFITS: Ø REDUCTION IN COKE CONSUMPTION AROUND 30% Ø REDUCTION OF SPM LEVEL , ELETRICITY, FUEL AND LABOUR COST Ø IMPROVEMENT IN MELTING RATE AND PRODUCTION

§ A RECENT STUDY BY TERI HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT SIMPLE MEASURES MAY REDUCED ENERGY CONSUMPTION APPRECIABLY. Ø EXAMPLES: v. CONSTRUCTION OF A SHED OVER COKE STORAGE AREA v SIZING OF BED COKE, LIME STONE CHARGE v PREVENTION OF LEAKAGE OF AIR BLAST etc.

§ JADAVPUR UNIVERSITY DEMONSTATED THAT USE OF A SIMPLE EQUIPMENT LIKE CARBON EQUVALENT METER MAY IMPROVE QUALITY OF PRODUCTION AND SAVE ENERGY Ø EXAMPLES: v PREVENT LOW TEMPERATURE TAPPING FROM CUPOLA v ASSIST PROPER INOCULATION v MAINTAIN CORRECT CARBON EQUAVALENT

WASTE UTILISATION § HUGE QUANTITY OF DUST IS GENERATED IN EAF §THE DUST MAY BE SEPARATED FROM THE FUME BY APPRAPRIATE DEVICES § NON METALLIC CONSTITUENTS OF THE DUST MAY BE EASILY SEPARATED BY MAGNETIC SEPARATION § THE REMAINING DUST MAY BE AGGLOMERATED, PREREDUCED AND FED BACK INTO FURNACE AS CHARGE

OTHER WASTES § WASTE SAND §CUPOLA SLAG §INDUCTION FURNACE SLAG §BURNT AND BROKEN REFRACTORIES §POLYTHENE PACKETS, BAGS etc.

HOW TO UTILISE SUCH WASTES § FOUNDRY CLUSTERS MAY TRY TO CONVERT SUCH WASTE INTO WEALTH § POSSIBILITIES Ø CEMENT BONDED HEAVY DUTY GRANITE LIKE BRICKS MAY BE MADE FROM WASTE SLAG DUST, WASTE SLAG AND CUPOLA EMISSION PRODUCTS Ø POLYTHENE PACKETS, BAGS etc. MAY BE SHREDDED, AGGLOMERATED AND CHARGED INTO CUPOLA. IT IS AN ENERGY SOURCE AND MAY HELP TO REDUCE COKE CONSUMPTION

RAW MATERIAL QUALITY UPGRADATION § RESEARCH AT BE COLLEGE AND IIT KHARAGPUR DEMONSTRATED THE POSSIBILITY OF REMOVAL OF P FROM MOLTEN IRON IN VAPOUR PHASE. § ACTUAL INDUSTRIALS HAVE SO FAR NOT BEEN SUCCESFUL. STILL POSIBILITIES EXSIST.

Tertiary iron/carbon/phosphorus (200 X) eutectic in a predominantly pearlite matrix gray cast iron; (400 X) Matrix associated with void.

Metal treatment for S & P removal with bleaching powder Ca(o cl) cl in rotary ladle.

FUTURE DIRECTION OF GROWTH § R&D ON FOUNDRY TECHNOLOGY CAN NOT BE CARRIED OUT IN ISOLATION IN ACADEMIC/R&D INSTITUTES ALONE §PRACTISING FOUNDRY EXPERTS AND R&D PERSONNEL NEED TO SIT TOGETHER TO DEFINE THRUST AREAS FOR GROWTH IN NEXT FIVE YEARS. § THE SEED MONEY SHOULD BE FUNDED BY FOUNDRIES THEMSELVES. REST OF THE FUND MAY BE SOUGHT FROM PUBLIC SECTOR/GOVT. FUNDING AGENCIES.

TECHNICAL HURDLES § DEARTH OF SKILLED MANPOWER. JU TRIED TO ASSIST FOUNDRIES IN USE OF BRANDED SIMULATION PACKAGES. The different colours shown above correspond to different temperature zones during solidification of molten metal in the mould.

§ SIMILAR PROGRAMMES NEED TO BE OFFERED ON REGULAR BASIS IN POLYTECHNICS/ITI’s/PRIVATE ORGANIZATION. § FUNDING FOR CREATION OF THE NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE HAS TO BE ARRANGED THROUGH FOUNDRY CLUSTER-GOVERNMENT AGENCY PARTNERSHIP.

IMPROVING THE AVAILABILITY OF QUALITY FOUNDRY SAND § BANKURA SAND IS ALREADY BEING USED IN STEEL FOUNDRIES. § SAND DEPOSITS OF NORTH BENGAL RIVERS HAVE GOOD PROSPECTS. IT IS NECESSARY TO CHARACTERISE SUCH SAND STUDY ITS WASHABILITY. § IN EXISTING FOUNDRIES, LOT OF IMPROVEMENT IS POSSIBLE THROUGH IMPROVEMENT OF MOULDING SAND, METHODING AND PATTERN MAKING. THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF GOOD PATTERN MAKERS IN THIS AREA. THE FUTURE PATTERN MAKERS MAY BE TRAINED IN BOTH SIMULATION AND CARPENTRY SKILLS.

SUMMARY § A TEACHER IS A THINKER § I ALSO ENJOY THINKING BIG, PARTICULARLLY ABOUT THE FOUNDRIES IN THE EASTERN REGION. §I SHALL BE HAPPY IF IT HELPS TO KINDLE SOME ENTHUSIASM ABOUT FUTURE FOUNDRIES AMONGST MY STUDENTS.

Thank you