produce more frack sand and less metalcasting sand. In addition to affecting the pricing in all sand-consuming industries, this can lead to the production of metalcasting sand that is slightly different than the material to which buyers are accustomed and result in casting defects. “People have approached us saying
what’s now available from their pro- ducer isn’t the same,” Jablonski said. Compounding the problem is the
fact that metalcasters are some of the lowest men on the totem pole when it comes to the sand supply. “Another thing to note is that the glass industry, which remains the larg- est consumer of industrial sand, is also being affected by the shortage induced by the frack industry, putting even more pressure on the supply side,” Jablonski said. But some in the industry wonder
how long the good times will roll for frackers—will oil and gas harvesters always be using sand-based slurries to suck the earth dry? “Te sand deposits at this point are
not really an issue,” Jablonski said. “It comes down to this: when you build a new [sand processing] plant, you can’t build just for today. Eventually, all industries have down cycles.” Miners and processors of specialty
Frack sand costs more to produce, and customers are willing to pay more.
sands also are cognizant of this fact. So olivine, zircon and other producers aren’t necessarily clambering to build new processing facilities, either.
The Metalcaster’s Recourse So what are metalcasters to do as
the casting sand supply constricts? Industry experts point to two options— use different sand or use less sand. “[Metalcasters] can look at using
what I would call less than ideal sands,” Jablonski said. “Tere are a lot of other sands that can be used—lake sands, bank sands, etc. Tey are not as round, so you might have to change your processes to use them.” G&W Electric Co., Blue Island,
Ill., a small nonferrous shop, has done some research into alternative materi- als in case the olivine issue doesn’t resolve favorably. Geary Smith, the company’s vice president, said he has contacted a supplier that produces recycled olivine and purchased a sample of the material to test it within the company’s processes. While the price of the sand is currently equal to that of standard olivine, the supplier
claims it is more durable and will last longer within the system. “When I saw [the product]
some time ago, the price was pretty much the same, but now that this [olivine situation] has occurred, I
wanted to check to see see what the deal is on it,” Smith said. Peaslee said his company would use
a multi-pronged approach to combat- ting a sand shortage. First, it would explore the possibility of adjusting processes to meet the requirements of a new material. Second, it would rely on good old fashioned manners. “Getting the material has never been an issue for us because we have been loyal to our suppliers. We don’t go shopping,” he said. “If a shortage did occur, we would keep our eyes or ears open for alternative suppliers, but we would also like to stay with suppli- ers and build a relationship.” Jablonski suggests metalcasters look
closer at sand reclamation in their facilities to keep sands from becoming spent as quickly. “If you called today and asked us
for sand supply, we would need to know your volume requirements,” he said. “From the foundry standpoint, we are at capacity. What this should do in my mind is [make metalcasters] think more actively about reclamation.” Jablonski said he has a number of
major types of metalcasting sand: • Silica Based (predominant mineral is silica, quartzite, or silicon dioxide) • High Purity Silica Sand (very abundant, mined from the ground, angular to rounded grains)—Fusion Point: 2,900-3,200F
• Lake/Dune Sand (found in dune formations along lakes, unconsolidated, impure, high in calcium)—Fusion Point: 2,600-2,850F
• Bank Sand (sand accumulated by lakes and rivers, common in the Mid- west)—Fusion Point: 2,600-2,850F
• River Sand (also called dredge sand, sand pumped from the bottom of rivers and lakes and stockpiled for use and distribution) • Desert Sand
• Specialty Sands (identified by the predominant mineral) • Zircon (ZrSiO4
—Adapted from information supplied by the technical department of the American Foundry Society, Schaumburg, Ill.
• Olivine (MgFe2 • Chromite (Cr2
O3
)—Fusion Point: 3,700-4,000F SiO)—Fusion Point: 2,800-3,200F FeO)—Fusion Point: 3,200-3,600F
customers that are increasing their reclaiming efforts. While the technol- ogy can be expensive and a govern- ment regulatory issue is on the table that will classify thermal reclamation units as waste incinerators (in turn threatening to classify reclaimed sand as a waste material), the new economic reality of the sand market could force a reappraisal of how cost effective it is. For the anonymous procurement engineer at the major North American OEM’s casting facility, that appraisal has been a no-brainer. “Tere’s not much we can do about [suppliers] not meeting our needs,” he said. “We’re installing sand reclaimers in all—or almost all—our sand facili- ties. It might not have [represented] a good payback in traditional times, but it’s the right thing to do, and [market conditions are] making it a financially sound thing to do.”
July 2011 MODERN CASTING | 31
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