CSIR OPCO Meeting

30 October 2009

Technology Assistance to Companies in the South African Foundry Industry

Willie du Preez

Manager: Metals & Metals Processes

20 May 2010

Slide 2 © CSIR 2009 www.csir.co.za

Overview

• Introduction• Knowledge Generation over past decade with DST support

• Established Competence Platforms• CSIR and its Collaborators

• Our Offerings• Lean and Clean Manufacturing• Casting Process Knowledge

• Our Approach• Collaborative

Introduction

Slide 4 © CSIR 2009 www.csir.co.za

Introduction

DST initiatives and support for knowledge generation and dissemination into industry over the past decade:

• National Product Development Centre (NPDC) (2001 - 2005)• From National Casting Technology Centre to National Foundry

Technology Network (NFTN)

• National Tooling Initiative (NTI): Institutes for Advanced Tooling, supported by DST

• Technology Stations, now the Tshumisano Programme (2000)• UJ’s Metal Casting Technology Station

• CUT’s Product Development Technology Station

• Advanced Manufacturing Technology Strategy (AMTS) (2003)• Advanced Metals Initiative (AMI)

• PRIME Lean Manufacturing lead by the AIDC

Established Competence Platforms

Slide 6 © CSIR 2009 www.csir.co.za

Competence Platforms

• Lean and Clean Manufacturing• Production Monitoring

• Advanced machine design and robotics

• Visual inspection systems for quality control

• Automation of production machinery

• Shop floor programmes by AIDC industrial engineers

• Cleaner production intervention programmes of the NCPC

• Casting Process Technologies and Know-how• Semi-Solid Metal Casting (SSM) & High Pressure Die Casting

• Investment Casting of Titanium alloys

• Metallurgical Laboratory

• Mechanical Testing Laboratory (ISO 17025 accredited)

• High Temperature Materials Laboratory (ISO 17025 accredited)

• Network of national and international collaborators

Slide 7

© CSIR 2009 www.csir.co.za

Dosing Furnace

630 Ton LK shot control die casting machine

SSM billet machine

Industrial HPDC Cell at CSIR

Slide 8

Equipment Upgrades for Ti Investment Casting

Dipping facility

• Small dip tanks for experimental slurries

• Robotic dipping facility including instrumentation for data collection

• Testing facility to characterise refractories and slurry

• Sealed dip tanks for extended life of face coat slurry

Slide 9

Equipment Upgrades for Ti Investment Casting

Melting and casting facilities

Vacuum melting and casting

Requirements for Titanium:

• Melt temperature: 1850ºC

• Mould pre-heating: 1500ºC

• Leak rate < 1 x 10-4 mbar.l/s

• Base pressure: 10-5 mbar

• Argon partial pressure: 200mbar

Slide 10

UCT

CUT

ULim

CSIR

UP

Mintek

Necsa

UJ Wits

NMMUCPUT

UKZN

SU

NLC

VUT

Aerosud

CSIR’s Collaborators

International R&D

Institutions:

NIMS(Japan)

Univ of Birmingham(UK)

Univ of Freiburg (Germany)

Slide 11 © CSIR 2009 www.csir.co.za

• Automotive Industry Development Centre (AIDC)• Extensive experience in the Automotive Industry

• Have done some work with the NFTN in foundries

• National Cleaner Production Centre (NCPC-SA)• Implementing agent of cleaner production in SA

• Pilot programmes in Automotive and Metals & Allied Processes sectors

• Leading consultants, such as• Dr Morris Murray (Member of MMP’s Research Advisory Panel)

• Mr Carl Reinhardt• Mr Dave van Niekerk

CSIR’s Collaborators (continued)

Our Offerings

Slide 13 © CSIR 2009 www.csir.co.za

Lean & Clean Manufacturing Offerings

• Production Efficiency• Production monitoring

• Machine design and robotics

• Visual inspection systems for quality control

• Automation for improved efficiency

• Process Knowledge• Permanent Mould Casting (HPDC and Gravity)

• Investment Casting

• Efficient Toolmaking• Optimisation of tooling design

• Tooling for automated fettling systems

• Die proving on CSIR machines

Slide 14 © CSIR 2009 www.csir.co.za

Lean & Clean Manufacturing Offerings (2)

• Material and Product Characterisation• Metallurgical characterisation

• Mechanical testing• Refractories testing

• Sustainable production practices• Scrap reduction

• Optimised energy consumption• Waste management

• Quality Management Systems• Implementation and maintenance of ISO 9000

• Implementation and maintenance of ISO 17025

• Environmental health and safety systems• Implementation and maintenance of EHS systems (ISO 14000 &

18000)

Our Approach

Slide 16 © CSIR 2009 www.csir.co.za

Our Approach

• Focused on individual company’s needs• Collaborating with company staff

• Jointly work towards continuous improvement

• Work closely with the NFTN• Recognised in the Foundry Industry

• Led the Benchmarking that was previously done

• Play a facilitation role

• Initial planning per individual company• Meeting of Foundry, CSIR, Mintek and NFTN

• Jointly develop improvement plan

• Sign off the agreed assistance plan

Slide 17 © CSIR 2009 www.csir.co.za

Our Approach (continued)

• Provision of technology assistance to agreed plans• Schedule intervention with the company

• Intervention will be lead by our core team

• Support will be provided by the broader expertise base as required

• Progress evaluation and monitoring• Agreed collaborative evaluation

• Evaluation immediately after intervention

• Monitoring one to two years later

Slide 18 © CSIR 2009 www.csir.co.za

Our Core Team

• Duncan Hope: Project Manager

• Pierre Rossouw: Casting Specialist

• Martin Williams: Tooling Specialist

• Sagren Govender: Research Group Leader – Advanced Casting Technologies

• Willie du Preez: Manager: Metals & Metals Processes

We are looking forward to assisting the foundry industry!