Specialist UK-based
foundry expert Grainger & Worrall (G&W) is hoping it can attract
business from the commercial vehicle (CV) powertrain market following the purchase
of a second digital sand printer.
This latest purchase by G&W, based in
Bridgnorth, Shropshire, a company which claims to be the UK’s leading provider
of high-precision casting technologies, brings the investment in the company’s
facilities to €2 million.
It follows on from the installation
in 2013 of a S-Print HHS hot cure machine.
The new sand printer – an S-Max cold
cure system - expands G&W’s scope and capacity in line with increasing
customer demand. The new printer allows for much larger sand castings,
meaning G&W is able to cater for a wider range of projects in the areas of
commercial vehicle powertrain and complex structural castings.
Also, by using the furan cold cure
process – a chemical setting binder system – the new S-Max printer requires no
additional post process stages, thus increasing speed and throughput.
The S-Max cold cure printer provides
a seven-fold increase in the build rate of printed cores to around three tonnes
per day. This investment demonstrates the company’s clear vision for the
future; based on the principles of upscaling and cost optimisation of
processes.
G&W is well known for its
pioneering work in the provision of prototype and small-run automotive engine
cylinder blocks in compacted graphite iron (CGI), an area in which it has
established market leadership. Ford Motor Company is just one the key names on
its customer base, many of which cannot be named.
G&W also produces precision aluminium
alloy castings for the automotive sector.
This year marks the 70th year of
Grainger & Worrall, with more than 550 employees. This privately-owned
family company, now run by co-founder Vernon Grainger’s three grandsons James,
Matthew and Edward Grainger, is a recognised market leader in the field of
prototype and small series complex high integrity structural castings, working
within a diverse range of industries including automotive, commercial vehicles,
motorsport, aerospace and defence.
The company was founded in 1946 by
brothers-in-law Vernon Grainger and Charles Worrall, who set up business in
post-war Britain as pattern makers and casting manufacturers in the Midlands.
Keith Denholm, engineering and technology
director at Grainger & Worrall, said: “Our combined offering of two 3D sand
printers provides customers with an unrivalled choice of process; both the hot
and cold cure systems have an optimal application and G&W is able to
combine and tailor these to best and fastest effect.”
As part of the 3D printing process,
G&W employs laser scanning to provide dimensional controls to the printing
cores further confirming the ‘Digital Factory’ approach from the point of
customer supplied data, process simulation, core and casting manufacture and
verification.
Denholm added: “Our growing digital
capability enables a completely new dialogue with our customers, who are all
interested in the future need for higher performance, lighter products, particularly
in the dynamic areas of next generation engine, and vehicle castings.”
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