News 2018

December 2018

Use of thermochemical data in inductive melting – ABP Induction

Minimising the energy consumed during inductive melting of metal alloys is an ongoing concern for plant and equipment manufacturers and operators. Surprisingly enough, little thought is given to the potential provided by the enthalpy of the melt in question. It is demonstrated that the composition of the input materials has a considerable influence on the heat content of alloy melts and therefore on their energy consumption.

Workhorse Bronze Foundry – Creating a space for artisans and artists

The term ‘craft’, when referring specifically to the niche recreation of a certain product normally already in existence, but reimagined and produced by someone or a group of people on a smaller but more artisanal scale, for example craft cheese or craft beer, solidifies the characterisation of the bronze sculpture work produced at Workhorse Bronze Foundry.

In memory of a true visionary – Professor Dimiter Marinov Dimitrov (1944 – 2018)

It was with great sadness that we learned about the passing of Professor Dimiter (Dimitri) Marinov Dimitrov on Thursday 8 November 2018 after a short illness. The timing of his passing was poignant as it happened during the RAPDASA 2018 Conference – an association and conference where he had a great influence.

Scamont Group optimises its foundry project in partnership with ChemSystems Foundry Division

At just over 25% complete, it’s a project that clearly demonstrates how forward-thinking leadership, sustainable technology, and strategic partnerships can be used to create value internally and for customers alike. Over the past four decades, the Scamont Group has emerged as an engineering powerhouse in Southern Africa.

Metals Trader App launched

Metals are commodity assets, which are initially mined from the earth and then converted and processed via different methods. For hundreds of years, governments have been using metals as indicators of value and mediums of exchange, making metals an ideal trading instrument. Precious metals such as platinum, silver, gold, and industrial metals such as copper are listed for trading based on price movements for each metal.

Atlantis Foundries casts its one-millionth Daimler HDEP engine block

Earlier this year, the Bosnian family conglomerate Hastor acquired the Saarbrücker Foundry Group Neue Halberg-Guss (NHG) through its Prevent Group. A further restructuring of Atlantis Foundries within the new group means that Atlantis Foundries is now 100% owned by a South African based investment company Ukuvela Holdings (Pty) Ltd.

SK Capital completes acquisition of SI Group

SK Capital Partners, a private investment firm focused on the specialty materials, chemicals and pharmaceuticals sectors, has announced an agreement to acquire SI Group, a leading global developer and manufacturer of performance additives and intermediates. Headquartered in Schenectady, New York, US, SI Group operates 20 manufacturing facilities on five continents with more than $1 billion in annual sales and over 2 800 employees worldwide.

GIFA, NEWCAST, METEC and THERMPROCESS 2019: Theory and practice go hand in hand

2 000 exhibitors and 78 000 metalworking professionals are expected to attend from around the world and Düsseldorf, Germany will once again become a hotspot for international foundry and metalwork technology from 25 to 29 June 2019. “The Bright World of Metals”, the trade fair quartet, comprising GIFA, NEWCAST, METEC and THERMPROCESS, covers the entire spectrum both in-depth and with a wide scope, ranging from foundry technology, casting products, metallurgy and thermal processing technology.

Trade Fair Tours and Castings SA tour to GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS and NEWCAST 2019

Now with more hotel options added – five to choose from. Trade Fair Tours, a specialist travel agency for trade fairs internationally and in particular Germany, in conjunction with the SA German Chamber of Trade and Industry and Castings SA have put together a very reasonable tour package to visit this exhibition.

SAIF 2018 Annual Golf Day

The South African Institute of Foundrymens’ Annual Golf Day took place on Thursday 15th November 2018. The event was held at the Reading Country Club. Coming in first on the day with 98 points were Brad Simpson, Twaine Stewart, Gareth Dane and Michael Welman. Coming in second, also on 98 points were Duan Maritz, Leon Joubert, Gerrie Pretorius and Werner Joubert and in third place were Charles McGeer, Louis Miller, Riaan van Tonder and Garth Tosh on 97 points.

October 2018

No bake workshops – cost saving methods: SI Group | HA

As with many industries across South Africa, the foundry industry is plagued by numerous factors that have forced the foundries to look at ways to minimise costs and maximise efficiencies in the workplace in order to survive. The macro and micro environmental factors are limitless, escalating raw material costs, increasing energy and labour costs, amongst others.

Flexibility and speed the core at Ukuthela Foundry Projects

While Minika van Aswegen – wife of Ukuthela Foundry Projects owner Cobus van Aswegen – describes herself as being a jack-of-all-trades but a master of none, the same cannot be said of husband Cobus. Within the company he has had to take on the role of jack-of-all-trades while at the same time being master of all of them, right down to driving the forklift.

Insimbi increases stake in scrap metal recycling industry with the acquisition of Group Wreck for R120 million

The company has also changed its name to Insimbi Industrial Holdings Limited. JSE-listed Insimbi Industrial Holdings has announced that it is acquiring another scrap metal recycler, this time Group Wreck International, for R120 million. In 2016 Insimbi acquired Amalgamated Metals Recycling (Pty) Ltd for R284 million.

Mitak targets the imported cast mill liner business

Like most industries in South Africa the foundry industry has suffered due to the influx of cheap imports from countries such as China. South Africa is not unique to this problem though. However, unlike most first world countries South Africa has not addressed the threat to its manufacturing base despite the government claiming that it had put in place localisation rules, which are largely ignored for very obvious reasons to most of us.

The sun is shining on Duvha Foundry

“Starting your own business is not easy especially when you need to seek finance to fund capital equipment and working capital to get the business operational. The biggest problem is that most of the banks don’t understand what manufacturing in the metal environment is all about and even less so in the foundry industry. Their interest wanes even more if you don’t have a track record and assets to back-up your business plan,” explained Stanley Tshivhase, director and owner of Duvha Foundry.

Steel Best Group puts new life into Zealous

The long-established Springs based aluminium foundry operations Zealous Automotive and Zealous Pressure Castings have been given a lifeline by the Steel Best Group, a company with manufacturing facilities in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape but with its head office in Pretoria, Gauteng. Zealous Pressure Castings was established as a zinc die casting company in 1970 before changing emphasis to the aluminium die casting industry in 1996.

Renewal of the policy directive on the exportation of ferrous and non-ferrous waste and scrap metal

On 10 May 2013 the Minister of Economic Development (the Minister) issued a Trade Policy Directive to the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (lTAC) in terms of Section 5 of the International Trade Administration Act 71 of 2002 (the ITA Act) on the exportation of ferrous and non-ferrous waste and scrap metal.

Eskom offers free load profile audits

Eskom, the South African power utility, has announced that it was offering its business customers free electricity load profile audits, which would assist businesses to free up existing electrical capacity without having to invest in new points of supply and/or upgrades in supply. Eskom said that sufficient capacity enabled customers to optimally improve their productivity and expand their operations.

Dti pledges support for companies implementing Industry 4.0

The Department of Trade and Industry (dti) will over the next few years focus on supporting companies that are actively participating in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Speaking at the 20th anniversary celebration of the Workplace Challenge programme hosted by the dti and Productivity South Africa in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga, Deputy Director-General of Special Economic Zones and Economic Transformation at the dti, Sipho Zikode, said the department would support these companies.

August 2018

When you can’t afford metal mistakes

When it comes to metals specifications, the news is full of wrong measurements, mistakes, and scandals in a host of industries. It’s increasingly clear that quality-conscious organisations can’t afford to give off their responsibility for metals verification. Inspecting the metals makeup of incoming and outgoing components has become a critical quality control (QC) task for companies worldwide.

Boschpick Engineering announces new business partners

Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal-based Boschpick Engineering has announced that it has concluded a successful agreement with local entrepreneurs Bongani Khumalo and Phillip Majali and their company Lipsobex, a 100% black youth owned industrial investment company backed by the IDC, whereby the new partners will acquire a 70% shareholding in the company. The remaining 30% shareholding will continue to be held by existing directors.

Acquisition by Sinto opens doors for Endeco Omega Sinto

The recent acquisition of UK manufacturer Omega Foundry Machinery by Sintokogio, Ltd (Sinto), located in Nagoya, Japan, has opened up doors for Omega’s South African subsidiary Endeco Omega, which in future will be known as Endeco Omega Sinto Pty Ltd. Sinto acquired a majority shareholding in Omega in February this year.

JC Impellers transforms into a jobbing foundry

“While orders for impellers and other pump components from the South African wear resistant engineered product manufacturers were strong, we could compete and survive in specialising in these areas of component manufacturing. We always knew that we were limiting ourselves but we also knew that our focus brought other benefits to our clients,” said Greg Smith, owner of the Wadeville, Gauteng based foundry.

Insimbi confirms improved results

In the June 2018 issue of Castings SA it was indicated that JSE-listed Insimbi Refractory and Alloys Supplies expected an improvement of between 55% and 65% in both earnings per share and headline earnings per share, according to a SENS announcement. The actual release of the company’s year-end results at the end of May 2018 was too late for publishing in the June 2018 issue.

Modern foundry on Gary Bell’s wish list as he hands over CEO position to Leon Goosen

For the first time in its 64-year existence, there will be no one with the Bell surname at the helm of the Richards Bay-based equipment manufacturer and distributor, Bell Equipment. After 34 years of steering the company as CEO, Bell retired at the end of May 2018, taking over the position of nonexecutive chairperson. COO Leon Goosen has taken over as CEO from Bell.

Mineral Zone opens new doors with Amava Mining Investments partnership

Mineral Zone, a specialist supply partner servicing the metallurgical and mining sectors in South Africa and internationally with a range of metals and minerals, ore and services, has entered into an agreement with Amava Mining Investment. The agreement means that Amava has acquired a 26% shareholding in Mineral Zone as of July 2018. “This strategic partnership is beneficial to Amava and ourselves, for many reasons,” explains Mineral Zone’s Managing Director Brendan Homann.

SAIF’s 55th Annual Awards Dinner

The South African Institute of Foundrymen’s 55th Annual Awards Dinner was held at Summer Place (Boksburg), Gauteng on Friday 1 June 2018. 188 foundrymen, guests, wives and award winners attended this year’s event. The dinner was well supported by sponsors in the form of prizes for the award winners, and ticket sponsors for the award winners and VIP guests invited by the Institute. The SAIF would like to thank their sponsors for their valuable contributions.

Agni Steels SA given the green light to expand

Additional furnaces will double production and allow the company to produce 180 000 tons of steel billets per year. Steel recycling and processing plant, Agni Steels SA located in Zone 6 of the Coega SEZ recently received authorisation for its Phase 2 and Phase 3 expansion plan from the Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs & Tourism (DEDEAT). In 2009, DEDEAT authorised Agni Steels SA’s Phase 1 development with amendments done in 2011.

DataProphet: Building smart factories with AI

Vehicle manufacturing companies are looking for cost-effective ways to painlessly transition into the cutting-edge, data-driven world of smart factories, and AI integration represents a significant part of this process. Numerous AI providers are jostling for the privilege of unpacking manufacturers’ hard-earned process data; however, few can guarantee automakers the real, quantifiable ROI they are looking for.

United Scientific appointed partners for Presi sample preparation equipment

“The preparation of samples for the materialographic investigation includes working steps such as cutting, mounting, grinding, polishing, and etching,” said Jaco le Roux, National Sales Manager of United Scientific. “Metallography is the study of the physical structure and components of metals, by using microscopy. In materialography, a sample obtained from a work piece is referred to as a specimen,” continued le Roux.

Global casting production growth stalls

In 2016, worldwide casting production was 104.4 million metric tons, a near match to 2015’s reported 104.1 million metric tons, according to this year’s Census of World Casting Production conducted by Metal Casting Design & Purchasing’s sister publication Modern Casting. Casting growth from 2014 to 2015 was 0.4%, and from 2015-2016, it was 0.2%. This year’s census includes 36 nations from four continents. Of the 32 countries with data for the last two years, 14 reported an uptick in production.

June 2018

Future proofing foundries: How ChemSystems makes sure tomorrow’s relevance starts now

Foundries have long since been considered one of society’s oldest businesses, originating from the time when man first began casting tools and weapons from metal. Hundreds of years later, foundries continue to make an important contribution to economies around the world.

Matt Cast Supplies modernises its sand mixing equipment

“Foundries that want to remain competitive casting suppliers must adapt to changing developments in the industry, and react to domestic and international challenges deriving from increased automation and lower labour costs,” says Allan Bruggeman, CEO of Matt Cast Supplies. “A business owner has to look at other areas of the operation and one area is modernising your equipment and production processes.”

Competition Commission approves Amsted Rail Company Inc’s merger with the Cast Products Division of Scaw SA (Pty) Ltd

South Africa’s Competition Commission has approved the proposed merger, with conditions, whereby Amsted Rail Company Inc. (Amsted) intends to acquire the Cast Products Division of Scaw South Africa (Pty) Ltd (Cast Products SA). Amsted is an American company, ultimately a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amsted Industries Incorporated.

Larger than life Velona tackles a man’s world

The foundry industry is probably the least glamorous of all the manufacturing engineering industries you can choose to make a career move into when you have very little experience to speak of, and especially if you are a woman. However, these days it is not that unusual anymore to find a woman heading up or finding herself in a senior position in the male-dominated world of foundry production.

Insimbi expects improvement of between 55% and 65% in both earnings per share and headline earnings per share

In an updated trading statement posted on SENS on the 11th May 2018 Insimbi shareholders were referred to the trading statement issued on the 15 March 2018 wherein they were advised that the company expected an improvement of between 55% and 65% in both earnings per share (“EPS”) and headline earnings per share (“HEPS”), for the period ended 28 February 2018.

IMP appointed agents for Metkon sample preparation equipment and Akasel consumables for metallography

IMP, suppliers of laboratory equipment and services for the analytical, biological, industrial, metallography, pharmaceutical, coal and construction industries since 1987 has announced that they will now be marketing and supplying the Metkon sample preparation equipment and Akasel consumables for metallography.

“The Bright World of Metals” is just over a year away

GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS and NEWCAST 2019 to take place in Düsseldorf, Germany from 25 to 29 June 2019. The time has come round again to start preparing for the four trade fairs GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS and NEWCAST. From 25 to 29 June 2019, everything will be focussing on foundry technology and castings, metallurgy and thermoprocess technology in Halls 3 to 5 and 9 to 17 at the exhibition site, where the joint motto will be “The Bright World of Metals”.

Trade Fair Tours and Castings SA tour to GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS and NEWCAST 2019

Trade Fair Tours, a specialist travel agency for trade fairs internationally and in particular Germany, in conjunction with the SA German Chamber of Industry and Castings SA have put together a very reasonable tour package to visit this exhibition. The tour includes return airfare Johannesburg/Düsseldorf, airport taxes, airport/hotel transfer, accommodation, full breakfast daily and medical and travel insurance.

Naledi commissions new heat treatment plant for grinding media production

Just under three years ago Naledi Foundry, the foundry division of the Naledi Inhlanganiso Group, began implementing a plan that had increased capacity, improved quality and diversification as the pillars of its strategic blueprint. In order to achieve this the foundry embarked on a restructuring process that included investment in new equipment as part of an approximate R100 million investment programme in the foundry.

In memory of the ‘Sand Man’ – Vic du Plooy

It is with regret and great sadness that we learned of the passing of Christiaan Martin Lodewyk du Plooy (Vic) in April 2018 at the age of 78. Vic du Plooy was born in the small farming town of Makwassie situated in the North West Province on 20 December 1939. Vic first attended school in the nearby town of Leeudoringstad before continuing his schooling at Brentwood Park Primary School and thereafter at Brandwag High School in Benoni, Gauteng.

Struers appoints Advanced Laboratory Solutions as agents

Advanced Laboratory Solutions have announced that they have been appointed the sole distribution agents for Struers products in Southern Africa, effective from 1 May 2018. Struers is a manufacturer of equipment and consumables for materialographic surface preparation and analysis of solid materials. Advanced Laboratory Solutions has more than 25 years’ experience in the materialography industry as a supplier of laboratory and scientific instrumentation in South Africa.

Car exports bring in R164 billion

South Africa’s automotive industry achieved total export sales of vehicles and components worth R164.9 billion last year, which represented almost 14 per cent of the total South African exports according to newspaper reports. This enabled the domestic automotive industry to register its third consecutive annual trade surplus at R10.3 billion despite a 3.6 per cent decline in the total export value from R171.1 billion in 2016.

April 2018

The development of Stelex ZR Ultra – Foseco

Through a combination of filter framing and ceramic technology, Foseco is introducing Stelex ZR Ultra 10 and Stelex ZR Ultra 15 to complement their other steel filtration offerings, which include Stelex ZR, PrO, Kalpur and Hollotex. Many steel castings are sophisticated, high technology components, and are often an important part of complex assemblies and systems for a huge range of applications. The castings are used in many industries.

Atlantis Foundries well advanced in Smart Foundry ambitions

Last year Atlantis Foundries revealed that the company had embarked on an ambitious plan to turn the company’s Atlantis, Western Cape facility into a Smart Foundry. The announcement attracted worldwide attention in the foundry industry, from both equipment suppliers and other interested foundries.

Foundry revolution

DataProphet is a Cape Town, Western Cape based company that provides consulting and product development services to a wide range of industries. As machine learning specialists they are comprised of a diverse team of skilled computer scientists, statisticians, actuaries, engineers and mathematicians that are poised to deliver something which has previously been unavailable to entities – actionable artificial intelligence solutions.

Mondeco Solutions and the Norican Group of companies launch partnership

In February 2018 Mondeco Solutions and the Norican Group of companies held an event to announce the appointment of Mondeco Solutions as the new agent for the Norican Group of companies in Southern Africa to foundry owners and operators. Provided was information on product news and available services from all four companies within the Norican Group.

PCS Foundry increases capacity with installation of new mechanised moulding line

Doubles floor space by adding 4 000m² to its existing facility. Brakpan, Gauteng based foundry PCS Foundry has recently completed a major expansion that will enable the company to expand its stainless steel and steel alloy production capacity. It will also diversify into other manufacturing industries other than the ones that the company already services and allow the foundry to offer production runs.

GOM and RGC Engineering conference

New developments in optical measuring techniques for industrial casting processing presented. GOM, a global industrial company that develops, produces and distributes software, machines and systems for industrial and automated 3D coordinate measuring technology and 3D testing and local partner RGC Engineering held a one day conference in March 2018.

Cast Products South Africa established as IDC awaits Competition Commission approval

Last year South Africa’s state-owned Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) announced that the restructuring of its steel subsidiary Scaw Metals into three standalone entities was at an advanced stage, as were plans to secure strategic equity partners (SEPs) for each of the units.

Changes at Malleable Castings: Now part of West Rand Engineering Group

When Ben Dyson joined Malleable Castings as Managing Director at the beginning of 2011, one of his briefs was to look at all areas of the foundry and to come up with solutions to improve productivity, improve quality, reduce costs and scrap rates. The foundry was established in May 1963 to manufacture malleable iron castings by Ben’s grandfather Joe Peers.

Omega Foundry Machinery sells out to Sinto

Omega Foundry Machinery Ltd. is a manufacturer of no-bake foundry equipment with subsidiaries in the United States, India, South Africa, Malaysia, and other countries. Omega and Sinto have enjoyed a working relationship since 2006 and the next step will allow both companies to benefit from the expanded equipment range in the field of chemically bonded sand and the combined global reach of the two companies.

Prevent Group acquires Neue Halberg-Guss

Earlier this year, the Bosnian family conglomerate Hastor acquired the Saarbrücker Foundry Group Neue Halberg-Guss (NHG) through its Prevent Group, as reported by the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (FAS)”. A publication of the German Federal Cartel Office shows that the NHG Group was sold to the investment company Castanea Rubra Assets, based in Berlin, Germany. Castanea Rubra belongs to the Prevent Group.

February 2018

Endeco Omega Foundry Machinery joint venture realising results

“South Africa is a very important market for Omega and since gaining some significant projects in the region it was obvious that we needed to take the next step and establish a local presence. I am very pleased that an agreement to partner with Endeco has been reached and we will be looking to build on the synergies between our companies,” stated Mark Fenyes Chairman of Omega Foundry Machinery.

Family ethos still high on the agenda at High Duty Castings

“There might have been changes in some of the shareholders recently but as one of the original shareholders I am still very much involved in the day-to-day operations of High Duty Castings and have been since the company was established in 1991,” said Fred Venter.

Connectivity deepens operators’ understanding of events and sharpens decision-making at Pressure Die Castings

Adopting the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Industry 4.0 and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to become a Smart Factory has long been part of the company’s culture. However, the challenge for industry in South Africa in the future is educating and getting employees to adopt and understand the technology.

ArcelorMittal South Africa welcomes designation of local steel for rail sector

ArcelorMittal South Africa welcomes the decision by the Department of Trade and Industry (dti) to regulate the designation of locally produced services and goods or locally manufactured goods with a stipulated minimum threshold for local production and content in the Rail Permanent Way sector.

Mondeco Solutions appointed new agent for Norican Global Group of companies

Mondeco Solutions have announced that they have been appointed the new agent in South Africa for the Norican Global Group of companies as of January 2018. The Norican Global Group is home to five leading globally active brands: DISA, Italpresse, Gauss, StrikoWestofen and Wheelabrator.

IDC assessing 21 applications under R1.5 billion downstream steel incentive

The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) is currently assessing 21 potential transactions, worth a combined R437 million, arising from applications for support under a R1.5 billion industrial financing scheme set up in 2017 to support manufacturers of value-added steel products.

Kutana Steel purchases Saint-Gobain Pipelines

Verdant Capital has facilitated selling Saint Gobain Pipelines, a subsidiary of Saint Gobain South Africa, to Kutana Steel, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Kutana Group. Saint Gobain South Africa is a subsidiary of Compagnie de Saint Gobain, one of the largest top100 industrial companies in the world, is listed on the Euronext Stock Exchange and has a market capitalisation of USD 32 billion.

Focus on digital skills. Technology to reignite South Africa’s manufacturing sector

“The manufacturing industry’s role in the South African economy has seen a long and sustained decline. From contributing nearly a quarter of GDP in the 1980s, the sector added a mere 13% to the country’s GDP in 2016. Job creation has also not materialised,” says Daniel Schwartzkopff co-founder of DataProphet.

Acerinox to install $6million cutting line at South African stainless mill

Spanish stainless steelmaker Acerinox will invest €5 million ($6 million) in a new cutting and slitting line at its Columbus stainless steel mill in South Africa. The new line will allow the Columbus mill, which has capacity for 500 000 tons per year, to increase exports by 3 000 tons per month, Acerinox said.

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