Indian foundry units use sensors and reclaimed sand in production

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SME Times News Bureau | 18 Aug, 2018
One of the emerging trends in the Indian foundry industry is that some players have started using sensors and data analytics to optimise the use of materials and also reclamation of used sand, said an official of industry body, the Institute of Indian Foundrymen.

He also said the industry is also looking at putting up a common sand reclamation or recycle unit for the benefit of small players while bigger units have their own systems.

"The use of sensors enables the casting manufacturer to optimise the use of resources and cut waste. For instance there is a metric called sand:metal ratio. Sensors help in optimum use of sand. Similarly is the case with other input materials. As a result there will be standardisationn in the use of inputs," Sanjay Shroff, Vice President, The Institute of Indian Foundrymen, told media here on Friday.

Agreeing that foundry units in Tamil Nadu faced difficulty in getting sand, Shroff said units are now going for reclamation-recycling of sand used in casting production.

"Through a process of washing, heating and others, the used sand are cleaned of bonding agents and reused in casting production. The recovery is about 70-80 per cent," Shroff said.

Queried about the probable impact on the about $18 billion castings industry due to the push given for electric vehicles, Shroff said it may take some more time for the passenger cars to turn electric-powered.

"Bigger vehicles like trucks and buses getting electric-powered will take a long time. The electric vehicles do not have the power to carry heavy load over long distances," he said.

While automotive industry contributes a major chunk of the industry's turnover, Shroff said there are other industries like aerospace, oil, fast moving consumer goods that need castings.