Tilting mould casting: Brückner Metal Foundry expands into new markets
Zeulenroda-Triebes, Germany – Brückner Metal Foundry, based in eastern Thuringia, approached Kurtz Casting Solutions with a specific request. The Brückner foundry, which has decades of experience in gravity casting, required more precise, top-quality filling following a customer enquiry. Kurtz Ersa provided Brückner with the perfect solution in the form of a tilting casting machine.
New customer relationships between Kurtz Ersa and foundries often begin with specific customer requirements.
In this instance, the Brückner metal foundry received an enquiry in the summer of 2023 for five different castings weighing between 3 and 5 kg.
As the new customer was expecting an annual order volume of at least 2,000 pieces per type, the existing production method using sand casting was called into question. The company considered production using a permanent mould.
Permanent mould casting is ideal for the cost-effective production of large quantities.
As the castings are produced to an outstanding, reproducible standard of quality, this type of manufacturing is particularly well-suited to parts that must meet the most stringent dimensional accuracy requirements. Kurtz’s casting solutions were therefore an excellent fit for Brückner’s new customer, whose castings had to meet high quality requirements for propulsion technology in boat building. A view of the moulding area of the Kurtz tilting casting machine, showing the housing of an electric inboard motor for motorboats (image courtesy of MOLABO GmbH and Helmut Hechinger GmbH & Co. KG).
Brückner secures the deal
The Brückner metal foundry is characterised by short lead times, flexibility and high quality.
Brückner’s castings are primarily manufactured for the pump industry, the electrical engineering sector, the furniture industry and the railway sector.
Thanks to ongoing investment, Brückner has been able to weather the current crises and will therefore retain its production site in Germany.
In October 2023, following several preliminary discussions and the presentation of its references, the Brückner metal foundry received an order for the first three castings for boatbuilding. Initial simulations at Brückner revealed challenges with the feeding behaviour, in particular the formation of shrinkage cavities in areas where they were not permitted. These shrinkage cavities occur when the molten aluminium shrinks as it cools and solidifies. However, the tilt-casting process offers significantly better quality than traditional gravity casting. To ensure the highest quality, Brückner proposed manufacturing three of the five parts using the tilt-casting process.
It took several meetings to convince the customer of the benefits of tilt casting. During these discussions, the advantages of the process were explained in detail. The most important advantage is the controlled filling made possible by the machine’s tilting motion. This allows for a moderate filling speed and reduces foaming. The process requires a lighter sprue and feeder, which reduces aluminium consumption and leads to significant cost savings. Furthermore, tilt casting facilitates the production of heavier parts with greater complexity and thinner walls. The improved degassing in tilt casting also results in fewer air entrapments.
Tilt casting successfully completes simulation test
Once the customer was convinced of the tilt casting process, an external toolmaker provided valuable insights into the optimal gating technique through simulations. The mould maker confirmed that tilt casting is the ideal process for the three selected castings. In November 2023, the Brückner metal foundry began the search for a tilt casting machine that could be made available quickly. Until 2023, Brückner had used only the gravity casting process. Expanding the foundry to include tilt casting had been under consideration for some time, but until then there had been no orders for this process that would have justified such an investment.
A reliable tilting mould casting system with a monitored and controlled casting process not only increases efficiency and part quality, but also opens up new market opportunities through an expanded machine fleet.
Kurtz Ersa was approached
In December 2023, the time had finally come. Brückner approached Kurtz Ersa, outlined the requirements and specified the customer’s exact casting specifications. This led to a detailed discussion about the requirements for the tilt-casting machine, with the focus on the need for rapid production.
A precise outcome: on 22 December 2023 – the last working day before the Christmas break – Brückner received confirmation from his new customer that the castings were to be produced using the tilt-moulding process. Kurtz Ersa subsequently received the order for this machine on the very same day. In the new year, the project was in full swing.
Following numerous discussions between Brückner, the toolmaking department and Kurtz Ersa, the optimal casting design was finalised. Meanwhile, production of the machine had begun at Kurtz Ersa’s main plant in Wiebelbach. By mid-June 2024, the new tilting casting machine was ready for delivery to the Brückner metal foundry in Zeulenroda-Triebes. The machine was installed, anchored to the floor and commissioned. Following the successful casting of the first samples in July, series production began without any problems.
The team at Kurtz Casting Solutions would like to express its gratitude for the excellent cooperation and the relationship built on trust throughout the entire project. We look forward to a long-term partnership and many more successful joint projects.
Good luck!
About the Brückner Metal Foundry
The Brückner Metal Foundry was founded in 1967 in Zeulenroda-Triebes in eastern Thuringia. The company, which was located in the former GDR, was established by master toolmaker Heinz Brückner. Brückner ran the company for 51 years. Brückner Metal Foundry is now managed by Ina Schmidt, representing the second generation of the family, who took over the management in 2018. Schmidt had already been working at the foundry for over 20 years.
Today, Schmidt runs the company alongside her husband Thomas, who manages the foundry. Their two sons also play a part in ensuring the family business’s continued success. Dominic Schmidt is a master precision engineer, whilst Dustin Schmidt holds a bachelor’s degree in foundry engineering.
At the parent company’s site, high-quality aluminium castings are still produced using the permanent mould casting process.
The Brückner metal foundry specialises in aluminium permanent mould casting followed by machining. The foundry has its own casting finishing shop, a machining department and a heat treatment facility. Brückner offers its national and international customers a wealth of experience in traditional craftsmanship as well as state-of-the-art machinery.Source: Tenova