Duport Harper install new moulding line.

Duport Harper instal New Moulding Line

UK-based Duport Harper Foundries, Limited, the large West Midlands foundry and supplier of specialist castings to the automotive and commercial vehicle markets, are completing the installation of a 2 million [pounds] high-pressure moulding line at

their Tipton works for the production of heavy automotive type castings. Duport Harper, a subsidiary of Haden MacLellan Holdings have been extremely profitable over the past four years and have increased turnover from 9.8 million [pounds] in 1986 to 16 [pounds] million in 1990 increasing employment from 186 to over 300. In spite of the recession, the Company remains profitable and has recently tooled up for three large axle-support castings for Ford New Holland's redesigned tractor. This new business will be worth 1.8 million [pounds] in 1982, and was won against worldwide competition, the current parts being imported from Spain. The Company has been a supplier to Ford for 30 years and this new order was due in part to an excellent quality performance leading to the prestigious award of QI Worldwide Preferred Supplier in 1987 and 1990.

The new plant incorporates a new high-pressure moulding machine integral with a fully automated computerised box handling system to produce 80 moulds per hour. The moulding box size for the system will be 1,200 by 820 by 712mm. New sandplant facilities include sandmilling, high technology batch weighing and moisture control with fully automatic sand feed and return systems which will ultimately link into the SPC system currently in operation as part of the foundry's quality assurance scheme.

Metal for the new line will be fed from water-cooled cold-blast cupolas equipped with oxygen enrichment facilities. The 30-ton-capacity channel holding furnace which operates in conjunction with this melting plant will ensure consistent high quality metallurgical conditions throughout the operation of the new layout. Castings from the new line are to be handled by a high powered hydraulic manipulator unit for the transfer to final finishing processes.

PHOTO : The new automated moulding line, based on a Moldmaster machine, installed in the UK works of Duport Harper Foundries, Limited.