60 foundry technicians share experiences and knowledge on ADI-CADI materials and advanced solutions in casting technologies at IK4-AZTERLAN

This technical working frame took place on February 21st with the participation of Mr. Arron Rimmer (Technical Director of ADI Treatments Ltd.), IK4-AZTERLAN researchers Asier González and Ph.D. Jon Sertucha and the General Secretary of the Tabira Foundry Institute, José Javier González.

In a globalized market, where the evolution of production strategies is marked by digital transformation, Foundry industry must innovate to gain competitiveness.

In collaboration with the company ADI Treatments Ltd. and organized by IK4-AZTERLAN Metallurgy Research Centre and by the Tabira Foundry Institute, the technical meeting “Development of advanced components and technical solutions in the Foundry industry” has gathered 60 technicians and professionals around an outstanding work program.

Finding new market niches through ADI (Austempered Ductile Iron) and CADI (Carbidic Austempered Ductile Iron) materials, improving the properties and the applications of castings and introducing 4.0 technologies based on artificial intelligence that allow to control zero defect manufacturing processes have been some of the fields discussed during the meeting.

New materials and process data management to improve the competitiveness level of the Foundry Industry

Mr. Arron Rimmer, Technical Director of ADI Treatments Ltd., has analyzed the evolution of the European market of ADI components and their applications in diverse industrial sectors, already consolidated for transport (mainly industrial vehicle), agriculture, energy or railway.

Regarding CADI materials (Carbidic Austempered Ductle Iron), Mr. Arron pointed out their main metallurgical characteristics and presented them as “appropriate materials for high wear and corrosion resistance applications”, sharing, as well, some specific demands and applications of these materials.

Afterwards, Asier González, researcher from the Artificial Intelligence area at IK4-AZTERLAN, presented some of the developments from the technology Centre for the predictive control of foundry processes “oriented to achieve zero defects manufacturing”. In the words of Mr. González, process control tools based on artificial intelligence allow foundries to gain knowledge and control over their own processes, even though “a deep knowledge of the technology and an exhaustive implementation effort are required to set them as a part of the process. Also, a certain level of maturity is required in the field of data capture and analysis to define relevant and critical process parameters”.

In the same direction, Ph.D. Jon Sertucha, foundry technologies researcher at IK4-AZTERLAN, highlighted the importance of “identifying the key parameters and the correlations existing between them” to solve defect problems in the production of cast components. Dr. Sertucha presented a working methodology that can be followed to approach this kind of manufacturing issues, along with a study case where a 50% reduction of rejected parts was achieved.

The technical session also offered the possibility to know some of the most recent working lines proposed by the World Foundry Organization. A worldwide institution that is making a remarkable effort to bring value and to share strategies that will help the competitive improvement of the foundry industry. This last presentation was given by José Javier González, General Secretary of the Tabira Foundry Institute (Spanish representative in the World Foundry Organization, that provides also an active support to the WFO Secretariat).

A moment of the presentation of Mr. Arron Rimmer.