“At EURAC, we have a sharp competitive focus on productivity and quality based on DISA moulding technology. In August 2014, we started production on our new DISA 231-X FAST after an installation time of just five weeks, enabling us to achieve full utilization of our 14.5 tonnes an hour melting capacity”, says General Manager Michal Sembdner.
The newest development in vertical moulding, the DISA 231-X FAST runs five days a week in three shifts with an uptime of 98 per cent, producing 7.5 tonnes of brake discs an hour.
The DISA Double Index System (DIS) has boosted moulding speed by almost 10 per cent from 430 to an unprecedented 475 cored moulds an hour.
The EURAC foundry produces 45,000 tonnes of castings a year, corresponding to about 4.5 million pieces across a product range of more than 700 references in 20 different material grades.
The DISA 231-X FAST primarily produces brake discs.
“Our ISO TS 16949 automotive quality certification requires exceptional standards of precision. The DISA 231-X FAST has given us a new level of precision, flexibility and reliability as well as high capacity, superior quality and rock-steady performance. All of these factors spell out two things: Unmatched productivity and profitability”, Michal Sembdner explains.
“Together with our new DISA 231-X FAST moulding machine, we also chose to install a DISA Double Index mould transport system. This enables us to extend pouring time and fully utilize the output of the DISA 231-X FAST without waiting for pouring. The new gating system with combination size ‘A’ to ‘X’ increased a yield of up to 25 per cent”, Michal Sembdner continues.
The vast variety of casting types means that the EURAC foundry in Hradec uses around 700 different patterns. On top of that, a 15 pattern change over three eight-hour shifts is the rule of the game.
“Normally, this would be a major challenge to maintaining high productivity”, says DISA General Product Manager Bo Wolff Haugboelle. “The issue was resolved, however, by incorporating a DISA Automatic Pattern Changer (APC) to reduce pattern changing time and match the output from the DISA 231-X FAST”.
“At DISA, we are committed to working together with our customers to help them optimise their competitive power. Our aim is to provide customised, future-proof solutions that meet their specific needs – not only today, but also for many years to come”, emphasizes Bo Wolff Haugboelle.
“DISA partnered with us from the very start to find the best solution for our particular needs. The combination of the DISA 231-X FAST, The Automatic Pattern Changer and the DISA Double Index mould transport system were exactly what we needed to achieve our goal”, says Michal Sembdner before concluding: “We have grown enormously since 2002, and we are already making plans for a new foundry. I am looking forward to working with DISA on that project to utilise the latest innovations in foundry technology”.