Are you having metal components casted? Consider if sheet metal working could be an alternative. Here is why.
Casting is expensive in resources
Casting is a method that produces objects of solid metal. The process is expensive in terms of both energy and material consumption.
When casting objects, you need large amounts of energy to melt the casting iron. The iron is then poured into a mould, and you end up with a component of solid metal. This is sometimes an advantage but often it is unnecessary.
Not only is casting expensive in energy it also uses an often unnecessary large amount of metal.
In some cases, cast iron is the only and best way to go but often there are good alternatives in other metal workings.
What alternatives are there?
One area where we have seen big savings is handwheels. In most cases, there is no need for handwheels to be made of solid metal. In addition, we have developed methods and tools to manufacture handwheels of high quality as high, if not higher, as the casted ones.
Let’s say you need handwheels Ø200. For these, we use 1,062 kg less metal. With an annual consumption of 8,000 handwheels, you save 8,496 kg of metal. A kilo price of 1.60 EUR for steel in quality S235 results in savings of 13,593 EUR. And this is for metal alone. Imagine how much less the shipping costs will be if the handwheels weigh only a third.
Consider your options
You can probably save money. In any case, it is important to consider all possibilities.
In summary, consider the following:
- Casting requires a lot of energy and material. If it is not necessary for your metal component, you should consider another process.
- In the production of handwheels, you can save money.
- Consider whether deep drawing or punching is more profitable.
Read more about punching, deep drawing and handwheels.
