Calculating Furnace ROI
Improving your aluminum melting department’s furnace efficiency will help you produce better castings, and it doesn’t have to take 10 years to pay off. RICHARD SCHAEFER, THE SCHAEFER GROUP INC., DAYTON, OHIO
competition have made melting and holding efficiency a prime concern for aluminum casting facilities. Yet, it can be difficult to make furnace choices that work with existing and future infrastructure, volume and market demands. Metalcasters must make a smart choice that will provide improved efficiencies with a palatable return on investment. If you want improved performance
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from a new furnace installation, first you need to know what you are comparing it to. You can do this by measuring energy usage per pound of metal melted (meter your present usage and meter the new furnace), checking maintenance records and expectations, considering your plant’s safety and environment, tracking metal quality and gauging metal melt loss. You must evaluate the total related costs, including logistics and ancillary energy and maintenance. Tis macro view of the operation often can be the most significant part of a new furnace decision.
Gas or Electric? Aluminum casters can gain
Reverb gas-fired furnaces can come with low headroom (top) or high headroom (bottom). August 2013 MODERN CASTING | 23
limate change legisla- tion, fluctuating util- ity costs and global
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