04.06.2025
International
Texmo Blank has put a new remelting system into operation at its Riedlingen site. The unit, which was developed with an external partner, now makes it possible to reproduce a central work step in the foundry internally.
A remelting unit processes metal by remelting circulating material that is separated from the final precision cast parts after casting, and prepares it in ingot form for future use. Previously, this process was carried out externally, explains Andreas Schmid, Plant Engineering & Automation Manager at Texmo Blank. "By bringing it in-house, we are now able to reduce both time and cost." In addition, fewer lorry journeys are necessary - reducing the company's CO2 emissions by approximately 40 tons annualy, adds Thomas Rindert, Vice President Quality.
Functionality and plant technology
The new remelting unit features an advanced exchange system designed for optimal efficiency and cycle time. It includes three melt boxes, each with a capacity of 350 kg, enabling rapid switching during loading and unloading. Three mould tables operate in parallel, each accommodating up to 13 moulds per cycle, yielding up to 26 ingots.
The melting process begins once the chamber is sealed and a vacuum is applied. An initial 160 kg load is melted, followed by 10–15 kg increments added via a dedicated charging chamber, repeated up to 20 times per cycle to reach the 350 kg target. Simultaneously, the tundish (casting channel) is preheated to 900 °C. Once the melting temperature of up to 1,400 °C is achieved, casting begins. The molten metal is precisely poured into the moulds using a joystick-controlled system.
After casting, the chamber is ventilated and opened, allowing the removal of the empty melt box and mould table. The system is then reloaded to start the next cycle. Outside the chamber, components are cooled and prepared for the next casting. This highly efficient and precise process sets new benchmarks in in-house alloy production.
Featured photo: Texmo Blank