by Tyrus Tenold, President Foundry Divisions
Spokane Industries is a world leader in the manufacturing of high quality wear parts for the impact rock crusher industry. Spokane Industries has for over 40 years been developing new and better alloys, processes and controls to improve product quality consistency and wear life year after year. We have demonstrated a long term commitment of excellence to this industry and specifically for this important product line.
Bob Tenold, current Board Chairman and former Chief Metallurgist for developing new alloys for these applications in the 60s, 70s and 80s observed, "Spokane Industries made a commitment in the early years of the impact crusher machines to develop and continuously improve alloys for wear parts. We also recognized that this passion for excellence can never end, so our current team of metallurgists and engineers are continuing this commitment."
In the business of impact crusher wear parts alloys, the phrase one size fits all does not apply! The very unique application of each crusher site must be understood before a correct match of metallurgy and machine can be made. Included in the analysis is type of machine running, type of rock to be crushed, size and volume of incoming material, is the material dry or wet, speed the rotor or table is running, and how many hammers or shoes are configured just to mention a few of the variables. The engineering and sales specialists at Spokane Industries have years of experience with these applications and impact machines and can assist the operators with the best parts for their unique operation.
Don Riley, Spokane Industries Wear Parts Sales, began his career building vertical shaft impact machines. He knows and understands how they work and what the strengths and weaknesses are with the different manufacturers. His knowledgeable recommendations have been extremely beneficial to Spokanes customer base as they assess the best parts for each application. As Don says, "no two machines or applications are the same. Spokanes Industries' history of matching the right parts with each machine has saved our customers money and reduced downtime which creates real value. That's what we bring to the operator."
For more information, please visit us at www.spokaneindustries.com or give our Wear Parts Sales Team a call at 1-800-541-3601. Youll be glad you did!
Monday, April 22, 2013
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Dimensional Verification of Steel and Iron Castings.
by David Jolin, Quality Assurance Manager, Spokane Industries
One key benefit of steel and iron castings is the ability to be formed into complex, organic shapes that are not easily duplicated in fabricated, or even forged parts. Because of this, significant cost and labor savings can be achieved with castings, but these complex shapes can be quite difficult to inspect with traditional dimensional inspection techniques. The typical dimensional testing toolbox requires for numerous specialty items to complete the task adequately.
In addition to the complex shapes that are common for castings, an iron or steel cast surface will be textured by the molding material that the molten metal was poured into, usually bonded sand. This surface texture can affect the accuracy and repeatability of the inspection if care is not taken during the measurement process.
One important issue that complicates the dimensional inspection of iron and steel castings is the draft angle that is required on patterns that are used in sand molds. Draft angles are a manufacturing requirement of the sand mold process that allows the pattern to be drawn back out of the sand after the impression is made. These draft angles are rarely shown on casting blueprints and solid models but are usually noted on the prints as: Draft not to exceed 1.5 Degrees, or something similar.
The dimensional inspection of castings has traditionally relied on the standard hand-tools that reside in most inspectors toolboxes: height gauges, calipers, radius gauges, snap gauges, tape measures, etc. These hand tools continue to play an important role in the inspection process, but, because of the unique issues with castings as noted above, they cant always be relied upon for the complete dimensional inspection that may be required. In addition to standard hand tools, Spokane Industries uses both a traditional, table-based Mitutoyo CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine) that has a 24x24x18 working volume and a Faro-Arm with an 8-foot sphere working volume.
The traditional CMM is primarily used for the measurement of smaller, investment castings produced in our lost-wax facility as well as for the castings that are further processed by machining. The Faro Arm is a portable, articulating-arm CMM that allows for much more complete and detailed measurements than would be possible with either hand tools or the traditional CMM. Spokane Industries uses a Faro Arm that has an accuracy of plus or minus .003 of an inch. Although this accuracy is not as precise as a standard, table-based CMM it is more than acceptable for the tolerances usually applied to iron and steel castings.
The Faro Arms measurement software contains all the standard measurement tools that are common in most measurement software packages: plane, line, distance, circle, etc., but the Faro Arm gives the dimensional inspector the ability to digitally trace the contours of the casting and compare the CAD data directly against the trace. This tracing capability of the Faro Arm is accomplished by moving the tip of the arm against the feature of the casting that needs measuring.
The software will record the path of the tip as small, stitched-line segments or digital points. These line segments or points can then be measured in the software. Because of this free-form recording of the actual shape of the casting within the software, the dimensional inspector is able to record the true shape of the casting that can be measured, viewed on-screen, reviewed via email, and rechecked even if the casting is no longer present. These features allow Spokane Industries more accurate and quicker dimensional inspections of castings that can be communicated with our customers via traditional dimensional reports, CAD/actual casting scan overlay, or a combination of both.
David Jolin, Quality Assurance Manager at Spokane Industries states, "another advantage of this scanning capability is to reverse-engineer existing castings that may not have a blueprint or cad-data. This is especially helpful if a customer has only a casting to provide to Spokane Industries to copy. Spokane Industries can scan the casting with the Faro Arm, generate a blueprint and CAD model and submit these back to the customer for review and approval. Once approved, Spokane Industries would then create the pattern for the molding operation, and then pour a first part sample. This sample can then be confirmed back against the scan of the original part or to the created and approved blueprint as well."
The realm of dimensional inspection has moved far beyond the days of hand-written dimensional reports listing the results to the nearest fraction of an inch. The advancements that the digital age and computer-aided inspection systems have spawned allow us to produce parts and inspect them with more detail and precision than ever before. This increased detail results in a broader understanding of the casting process that encourages engineers to design even more complex castings. As customer expectations mature, so does the ability of our QA department to meet and exceed them.
One key benefit of steel and iron castings is the ability to be formed into complex, organic shapes that are not easily duplicated in fabricated, or even forged parts. Because of this, significant cost and labor savings can be achieved with castings, but these complex shapes can be quite difficult to inspect with traditional dimensional inspection techniques. The typical dimensional testing toolbox requires for numerous specialty items to complete the task adequately.
In addition to the complex shapes that are common for castings, an iron or steel cast surface will be textured by the molding material that the molten metal was poured into, usually bonded sand. This surface texture can affect the accuracy and repeatability of the inspection if care is not taken during the measurement process.
One important issue that complicates the dimensional inspection of iron and steel castings is the draft angle that is required on patterns that are used in sand molds. Draft angles are a manufacturing requirement of the sand mold process that allows the pattern to be drawn back out of the sand after the impression is made. These draft angles are rarely shown on casting blueprints and solid models but are usually noted on the prints as: Draft not to exceed 1.5 Degrees, or something similar.
The dimensional inspection of castings has traditionally relied on the standard hand-tools that reside in most inspectors toolboxes: height gauges, calipers, radius gauges, snap gauges, tape measures, etc. These hand tools continue to play an important role in the inspection process, but, because of the unique issues with castings as noted above, they cant always be relied upon for the complete dimensional inspection that may be required. In addition to standard hand tools, Spokane Industries uses both a traditional, table-based Mitutoyo CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine) that has a 24x24x18 working volume and a Faro-Arm with an 8-foot sphere working volume.
The traditional CMM is primarily used for the measurement of smaller, investment castings produced in our lost-wax facility as well as for the castings that are further processed by machining. The Faro Arm is a portable, articulating-arm CMM that allows for much more complete and detailed measurements than would be possible with either hand tools or the traditional CMM. Spokane Industries uses a Faro Arm that has an accuracy of plus or minus .003 of an inch. Although this accuracy is not as precise as a standard, table-based CMM it is more than acceptable for the tolerances usually applied to iron and steel castings.
The Faro Arms measurement software contains all the standard measurement tools that are common in most measurement software packages: plane, line, distance, circle, etc., but the Faro Arm gives the dimensional inspector the ability to digitally trace the contours of the casting and compare the CAD data directly against the trace. This tracing capability of the Faro Arm is accomplished by moving the tip of the arm against the feature of the casting that needs measuring.
The software will record the path of the tip as small, stitched-line segments or digital points. These line segments or points can then be measured in the software. Because of this free-form recording of the actual shape of the casting within the software, the dimensional inspector is able to record the true shape of the casting that can be measured, viewed on-screen, reviewed via email, and rechecked even if the casting is no longer present. These features allow Spokane Industries more accurate and quicker dimensional inspections of castings that can be communicated with our customers via traditional dimensional reports, CAD/actual casting scan overlay, or a combination of both.
David Jolin, Quality Assurance Manager at Spokane Industries states, "another advantage of this scanning capability is to reverse-engineer existing castings that may not have a blueprint or cad-data. This is especially helpful if a customer has only a casting to provide to Spokane Industries to copy. Spokane Industries can scan the casting with the Faro Arm, generate a blueprint and CAD model and submit these back to the customer for review and approval. Once approved, Spokane Industries would then create the pattern for the molding operation, and then pour a first part sample. This sample can then be confirmed back against the scan of the original part or to the created and approved blueprint as well."
The realm of dimensional inspection has moved far beyond the days of hand-written dimensional reports listing the results to the nearest fraction of an inch. The advancements that the digital age and computer-aided inspection systems have spawned allow us to produce parts and inspect them with more detail and precision than ever before. This increased detail results in a broader understanding of the casting process that encourages engineers to design even more complex castings. As customer expectations mature, so does the ability of our QA department to meet and exceed them.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Spokane Steel Foundry Division - Melting and Pouring
by Dave Davis, Pouring Operations
Spokane Industries Steel Castings Division boasts two electric arc furnaces. We utilize one for our steel casting products and we use the other one for our high chrome iron wear parts. Each furnace has been updated with a touch screen computer which controls the tap position, amperage, and also controls all of the roof movements for charging the furnace. We also can keep track of which alloys are used in each heat, which heats we have run along with brick life for each furnace which helps maintain and control furnace life.
Our Steel Castings Division averages 5 tons of material per heat. We use only recycled steel in the charge that is loaded from the scrap pile once it is weighed. Our overhead crane transports it down to the furnace area and using an orange peel type bucket it is positioned over the furnace for loading. Once the furnace is loaded and running it takes about ninety minutes from start to finish during which time we monitor temperature and also the chemistry of the melt.
There are three different samples taken by the melters. The first is to check for carbon content and chemistry for the blow down. We blow down at least 30 points - this is to ensure proper cleansing of the metal. The melters then take the chemistry and calculate exactly what alloys are needed to meet our customers steel casting specification. After we tap the furnace, another final sample is taken to make sure that each and every element is within customer specification.
At Spokane Industries Steel Castings the melters use an ARL 3,460 spectrograph to analyze each sample taken. Once the final sample is taken and verified to be within customers specification the steel casting is then allowed to be poured.
The metal is transferred to the proper designated station by an overhead crane. First the crane retrieves up the holding ladle from the ladle area and transports it to the furnace for filling. Once the chemistry sample has been taken it travels to the designated pouring station to wait for verification that everything is within specification before continuing on and pouring.
Spokane Industries Steel Castings Divisions' ladle department is equipped to pour an array of weights from 50Lbs to 11,500Lbs. We have many different ladles at our disposal. The side pour ladles range from 500Lb capacity to 1,200Lbs and our bottom pours can accommodate 1,200Lbs and all the way up to 12,000Lbs. We also have a 3,000Lb lip pour and a 3,000Lb tea pot.
Our ladles are prepared using the board lining materiel that in turn provides a cleaner metal with less refractory. It also allows ease of building and faster turnaround times. This method accommodates both steel and iron pours. Each heat poured is monitored for which ladle is used, who poured, and we keep track of temperature to insure that a quality casting is produced.
Our pouring ranges vary by part and specifications. The steel can be anywhere from 2,850 to 2,920 degrees and the high chrome iron range is 2,500 to 2,560. The temperature is taken throughout the heat so as to maintain quality and consistency.
Andy Kruse, Process Control Engineer states "we also utilize a digital scale on our crane to monitor and capture weights which allows us to be more accurate with pour weights and allows us to not have short pours or a lot of end metal. This information also helps the melt side as well. We can maximize the heat size to what has to be poured and reduce end metal. We can also capture melt loss - all of which helps us to be more efficient and conserve power in this ever-changing steel casting industry."
Spokane Industries Steel Castings Division is a well managed, state of the art facility prepared to meet and exceed our customers expectations and specifications. On-time delivery, fast turn-around and industry leading quality controls are what our customers expect and exactly what we deliver.
Spokane Industries Steel Castings Division boasts two electric arc furnaces. We utilize one for our steel casting products and we use the other one for our high chrome iron wear parts. Each furnace has been updated with a touch screen computer which controls the tap position, amperage, and also controls all of the roof movements for charging the furnace. We also can keep track of which alloys are used in each heat, which heats we have run along with brick life for each furnace which helps maintain and control furnace life.
Our Steel Castings Division averages 5 tons of material per heat. We use only recycled steel in the charge that is loaded from the scrap pile once it is weighed. Our overhead crane transports it down to the furnace area and using an orange peel type bucket it is positioned over the furnace for loading. Once the furnace is loaded and running it takes about ninety minutes from start to finish during which time we monitor temperature and also the chemistry of the melt.
There are three different samples taken by the melters. The first is to check for carbon content and chemistry for the blow down. We blow down at least 30 points - this is to ensure proper cleansing of the metal. The melters then take the chemistry and calculate exactly what alloys are needed to meet our customers steel casting specification. After we tap the furnace, another final sample is taken to make sure that each and every element is within customer specification.
At Spokane Industries Steel Castings the melters use an ARL 3,460 spectrograph to analyze each sample taken. Once the final sample is taken and verified to be within customers specification the steel casting is then allowed to be poured.
The metal is transferred to the proper designated station by an overhead crane. First the crane retrieves up the holding ladle from the ladle area and transports it to the furnace for filling. Once the chemistry sample has been taken it travels to the designated pouring station to wait for verification that everything is within specification before continuing on and pouring.
Spokane Industries Steel Castings Divisions' ladle department is equipped to pour an array of weights from 50Lbs to 11,500Lbs. We have many different ladles at our disposal. The side pour ladles range from 500Lb capacity to 1,200Lbs and our bottom pours can accommodate 1,200Lbs and all the way up to 12,000Lbs. We also have a 3,000Lb lip pour and a 3,000Lb tea pot.
Our ladles are prepared using the board lining materiel that in turn provides a cleaner metal with less refractory. It also allows ease of building and faster turnaround times. This method accommodates both steel and iron pours. Each heat poured is monitored for which ladle is used, who poured, and we keep track of temperature to insure that a quality casting is produced.
Our pouring ranges vary by part and specifications. The steel can be anywhere from 2,850 to 2,920 degrees and the high chrome iron range is 2,500 to 2,560. The temperature is taken throughout the heat so as to maintain quality and consistency.
Andy Kruse, Process Control Engineer states "we also utilize a digital scale on our crane to monitor and capture weights which allows us to be more accurate with pour weights and allows us to not have short pours or a lot of end metal. This information also helps the melt side as well. We can maximize the heat size to what has to be poured and reduce end metal. We can also capture melt loss - all of which helps us to be more efficient and conserve power in this ever-changing steel casting industry."
Spokane Industries Steel Castings Division is a well managed, state of the art facility prepared to meet and exceed our customers expectations and specifications. On-time delivery, fast turn-around and industry leading quality controls are what our customers expect and exactly what we deliver.
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