Multi-award-winning, Thomas Dudley Foundry has installed a Disamatic D3–Z–425 moulding line as part of a major new investment in excess of ￡10 million that will see a brand new foundry constructed alongside the existing foundry in Tipton (UK), a stone’s throw from the Dudley operation.

The major investment will enable significant business benefits to be delivered to existing and prospective customers. The new Disamatic moulding line will increase manufacturing capacity by 50 per cent and castings produced via the 60-metre AMC will have twice the cooling time reducing stress relief to the mould and optimising ductile iron integrity. In addition, the new facility will have the capability to produce SiMo castings to customer specifications. Thus, the new Disamatic moulding facility will further enhance Thomas Dudley’s capability to engineer high quality castings to extremely tight tolerances whilst delivering higher quality and an even better service.

The installation also means a whole new sand plant, with pouring/casting handling systems. Extraction and ventilation is of key importance as air quality within a foundry needs to be of the highest standards. With this in mind, the foundry has provisioned extremely stringent procedures in place regarding its filtered air extraction, therefore a new extraction system is to be fitted throughout.

In 2019 work will commence to provide dedicated finishing facilities including shot blast, core making, warehousing, a filtration plant, compressors and robotic fettling.

Mick Cramphorn, foundry director at Thomas Dudley Foundry said: “We have now invested over ￡25million (in the last ten years) in our foundry capabilities. This third new Disamatic moulding line will produce approximately 425 moulds per hour within a fully integrated facility.

“It gives us a competitive advantage as this investment combines safety, quality and productivity into a world-class manufacturing technological and flexible foundry solution. We take on our values and are extremely committed to the investment in our people and therefore with this new foundry, it will generate future job opportunities, and further support our commitment to the Elite Centre for Manufacturing Skills.”