Foseco Upgrades Feeding Systems Production with €1.9m Investment

 

Foseco Europe has just completed an investment programme of more than €1.9m to improve quality and increase feeding systems capacity at its plant in Borken, Germany.

The investment programme consisted of two main phases. The first phase was an upgrade to the automatic gluing of breaker cores. The gluing station has a visual recognition system that enables more accurate location of product and can also reject out of specification sleeves or breaker cores. Robotic gluing ensures a more precise and concentric positioning of breaker cores and has been operational since December 2002.

Friedhelm Demey, Supply Chain Manager for the Borken site said, “Foseco produces over 240 different types of breaker cores for a wide range of sleeve shapes and sizes. At the same time, the specification for breaker core positioning is becoming narrower as the foundry industry moves towards harder moulds and more automatic placement of feeder sleeves. The new gluing facilities will enable Foseco to offer greater product consistency despite the increasing complexity of our feeding business.”

The second phase of investment involved the installation of a brand new production line for Foseco’s FEEDEX feeder sleeves, increasing capacity by an additional 50%. The increase in impact moulding, a greater need for feeding in isolated sections and an increasing need to minimise contact areas to optimise fettling and cleaning operations have all contributed to continuous growth in the demand for high-strength, exothermic feeding products.

Carsten Hieby, Foseco’s European Supply Chain Director commented, “Throughout the recent downturn in European casting production, demand for our FEEDEX sleeves continued to grow. This investment, plus the investment in breaker core gluing demonstrates our ongoing commitment to feeding systems and our desire for continuous improvement in product quality.”