INDUSTRY NEWS
TKW Completes Pouring System Upgrade ThyssenKrupp Waupaca (TKW),
Waupaca, Wis., has completed a two-year program to upgrade the pouring systems in its Plant 1 met- alcasting facility. Te company has installed six new
pouring mechanisms provided by Vi- king Technologies, Madison Heights, Mich. Te final system was installed in February. Te completion of the upgrade has allowed Plant 1 to have all six pouring lines operating the same system for the first time. Te new lines are laser-based auto- matic pouring systems manufactured by Koins Ltd. Inc. Te version of the systems installed at TKW’s Plant 1 in-
cludes mold mapping, cooling control and host interfacing, which allows the plant to keep track of all poured molds, ensure proper cooling, and transfer data to and from the pouring system. In addition to Plant 1, TKW oper-
ates two other metalcasting facilities in Waupaca, as well as one in Marinette, Wis., Tell City, Ind., and Etowah, Tenn. According to company Presi- dent Gary Gigante, TKW’s sales have strengthened in all market sectors and are expected to reach pre-recession levels in 2011. Te company has several other major capital invest- ments, mostly focused on automation, planned for the near future.
TKW’s new pouring system is laser-based and automated to reduce variation.
EPA Approves 73 Additional Copper Alloys as Antimicrobial The U.S. Environmental Protec-
tion Agency (EPA) has approved the registration of an additional 73 cop- per alloys as antimicrobial, bring- ing the number of EPA-registered copper alloys to 355. Potential uses for the alloys include door and furniture hardware, bed rails, intravenous dispensers, faucets, sinks and work stations. Many of the applications include or are primarily composed of metal castings. The EPA registration allows public health claims to be made re- garding the efficacy of the alloys in killing certain harmful, potentially deadly bacteria. According to a press release issued by the Copper Devel- opment Association, the registration was granted based on independent laboratory tests showing that, when cleaned regularly, copper, brass and bronze kill greater than 99.9% of the following bacteria within two hours of exposure: MRSA, Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and E. coli O157:H7. A clinical trial funded by the U.S.
Department of Defense has found that copper surfaces decrease contami- nation in intensive care unit rooms. Researchers are currently evaluating whether this decrease means fewer
May 2011 MODERN CASTING | 11
hospital acquired infections. Te Copper Development Asso- ciation is the information, education,
market and technical development arm of the domestic copper, brass and bronze industries.
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