Sustainable Practices for Improved
Environmental Compliance by the
Foundry Sector
Prof. G. L. Datta
Formerly: Professor in Mech Engg at IIT
Kharagpur
Presently: Chancellor, K L University, AP
gldatta_05@yahoo.co.in
The Talk
Foundry Sector
Sustainable Practices
Environmental Compliance
FOUNDRY INDUSTRY
8 to 10 thousand years old
Presently there are 40 to 50 thousand
foundries in the world
World annual production is about 90
million tonnes of castings worth about
250 billion US$
About 2 million people are working in
the foundries globally.
FOUNDRY INDUSTRY
First foundry was set up in China during
the Shang dynasty about 3500 years ago.
First cast iron foundry was established in
England by Abraham Darby in 1709 AD.
John Wilkinson of England obtained a
Patent on cupola furnace in the year
1794 AD.
FOUNDRY INDUSTRY IN INDIA
Castings were made in the Indus Valley
Civilization in the middle ages.
Presently there are about 4500
foundries in India.
India’s annual production exceeds
about 7 million tons of castings.
India ranks fourth in the world in terms
of annual production.
India’s annual production is about 15
billion US$.
FOUNDRY INDUSTRY
Global average casting productivity: 34
tons/man.year.
Casting productivity in Japan: 97
tons/man.year.
Casting productivity in India: 16
tons/man.year
FOUNDRY INDUSTRY IN HOWRAH
Once Howrah used to take pride in being
called the ‘Manchester of India’ with a strong
industrial base in Howrah.
It possessed once about 500 foundry units.
There are now about 300 left.
Traditionally the foundries were run as family
business enterprises.
Some units had the privilege of having
professional expertise while others did not.
FOUNDRY INDUSTRY IN HOWRAH
Total employment is about 50,000
including about 40,000 contract
laborers
Some of the common practices:
Green sand manual molding
Cast iron castings
Divided blast cupola
Why Sustainable Practices?
Activities in a Foundry are prone to
creating various kinds of pollutants –
the degree of pollution depends on the
practice
The Foundry Sector in Howrah has a big
stake in terms of generation of
employment and wealth
Thus the question of sustainable
practices.
Before we talk about the sustainable
practices, let us have a look at the
profile of the Howrah Foundry Industry.
SWOT ANALYSIS ON HOWRAH FOUNDRIES
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
STRENGTHS OF HOWRAH FOUNDRIES
It has a good legacy, which needs to be
sustained.
Given proper coordination and cooperation, 300
odd foundries employing about 50,000 workers
directly and an equal number indirectly –
providing livelihood to a few lakhs of people.
There is abundant cheap labor, thanks to the
large migrant population in this area.
There exist good quality technical institutions in
and around this region, which can supply
trained human resources needed at different
levels.
STRENGTHS OF HOWRAH FOUNDRIES Contd…
The foundries have capability to take up both
ferrous and nonferrous castings practically of
any size and complexity.
There are many experienced and capable
foundrymen in this region capable of taking
any challenge.
Availability of quality pig iron in this region is
an added advantage to the ferrous foundries.
STRENGTHS OF HOWRAH FOUNDRIES Contd…
Good quality support industries needed for
running the foundry industry (e.g., foundry
equipment and consumable manufacturers)
exist in this region.
With the ‘Foundry Park’ in sight the Howrah
Foundries will soon find it easier to derive
benefits of working together and produce
castings.
There exists a strong, motivated and committed
‘Foundry Association’ working for the
welfare of the Howrah Foundries.
WEAKNESSES OF HOWRAH FOUNDRIES
Most of the foundries in this region still
practice old and obsolete technology and
hence are not capable of fulfilling the
quality, supply deadline and competitive
price requirements.
There is a concept of “gala mal” in some of
these foundries.
Foundry rejections are rather high ranging
from 12 to 20% or more making productivity
low and price noncompetitive.
WEAKNESSES OF HOWRAH FOUNDRIES
‘Brand Name’ situation is mostly
nonexistence.
The physical environment and pay
packages are not sufficiently attractive to
‘lure’ young talent to work in the foundries.
Some of the foundry units operating in this
region are too small (tiny), which may not
be economically viable.
WEAKNESSES OF HOWRAH FOUNDRIES Contd..
No foundry has any R & D section
worth its name.
Automation, and use of IT and
CAD/CAM softwares can be found only
to a limited extent while foundries
elsewhere have been able to improve
their productivity by adopting some of
these technologies.
WEAKNESSES OF HOWRAH FOUNDRIES Contd..
Many foundries are working under the threat
of closure due to noncompliance with
pollution control norms.
In many foundries again, the need for HRD
finds low priority.
In-house testing and inspection facilities
are mostly nonexistent. Opportunity for
outsourcing these facilities is also considered
inadequate.
WEAKNESSES OF HOWRAH FOUNDRIES Contd..
The environment inside and outside the
foundries is polluted:
Air pollution from fumes, gases, and
dust,
Water pollution from use of chemical
binders,
Sound pollution.
WEAKNESSES OF HOWRAH FOUNDRIES Contd..
Till the Howrah Foundries move to the
Foundry Park, they would be working in
isolation and would not be able to derive
the benefits of services like ‘sand
reclamation’, ‘sand testing’, ‘non-destructive
evaluation of castings’, ‘heat treatment’, ‘CNC
machining’, and so on.
Labor productivity and installed
capacity utilization are rather low as
compared to some of the Southern States of
our country not to speak of countries like
China, Japan and Germany.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR HOWRAH FOUNDRIES
The Indian Foundry Sector is presently
experiencing a boom, which is being aided
by a thriving economy and an exponential
growth in the Automobile and Engineering
sector.
With the boom in the automotive sector in
the country, in general, and in Bengal, in
particular, demand for automotive castings
made of aluminium alloys, grey iron and
ductile iron is predicted to double in the next
five to ten years.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR HOWRAH FOUNDRIES Contd..
The economic growth of the country coupled
with the favorable industrial policy of our
Government, has given a fillip to the demand
for castings to meet various industrial needs.
Our foundries in this region have to gear up to
meet the present and the future demand.
With financial banks adopting more ‘loanfriendly’ attitudes, fund raising for expansion
and modernization of foundries has become
easier than ever before.
THREATS TO HOWRAH FOUNDRIES
Availability of castings from elsewhere
at a price lower than that Howrah
Foundries can afford has to be
overcome by improving overall
productivity.
Incapability to produce quality castings
would shy away even the existing
customers.
THREATS TO HOWRAH FOUNDRIES Contd…
Non-adherence to pollution control
norms would invite demand for closure
from appropriate authorities.
Types of Pollutants Created by
Foundries
Gaseous – CO, CO2, SO2, Nox
Suspended Particulate Matter
Water Pollution
Pollution due to solid waste
Standard Norm
Cupola Capacity
(Melting rate)
Less than 3 tonne
per hour
3 tonne per huor or
more
Particulate
Concentration
(mg / m3)
450
150
Why Environmental Compliance?
Compliance is a must to improve and to
sustain quality of life of all living beings.
Pollution Prevention
Reducing Pollution – Sustainable Practices
By use of energy efficient practices
Check efficiencies of all machines –
blowers, pumps, compressors, air
conditioners, lighting systems, molding
machines, sand conditioning plant, mold
drying ovens, heat treatment furnaces,
Reduce wastages – air and oil leakages,
running machines when not required,
spillage of liquid metal.
Reducing Pollution – Sustainable Practices
------contd
By improving productivity:
Reduce casting rejection
Reduce wastage of liquid metal –
increase metal temperature by
exothermic reaction
Improve liquid metal casting yield –
better methoding practice, improved
mold design.
Reducing Pollution – Sustainable Practices
---- contd
Operating cupola in the most efficient way by
ensuring:
 Correct blast rate and blast pressure
 Correct distribution of air between the top and
lower tuyeres
 Non-turbulent entry of air into the cupola
 Correct sizing of the cupola parameters such as
tuyere area, well depth, stack height
 Good operating and maintenance practices
 Feed material control – shape, size, weight,
sequence.
Reducing Pollution – Sustainable
Practices---- contd
By using improved design of furnaces
and equipment – cupola height, divided
blast, furnace lining, use of
recuperators, exhaust system, dust
catcher,
Employing induction furnace for melting
Employing efficient heat treatment and
mold drying ovens.
Good Practices
Practice “Green Foundry” – energy efficient
practices and use of renewable sources of
energy
Practice ‘lean casting manufacturing
techniques’
Reduce waste and recycle waste
Protect workers, the public and the
environment
Reduce risk of spills, accidents and
emergencies
Good Practices
Pursue quality of life through human
resource development,
Have faith in science, technology and
human resources,
Promote a work culture symbioting world
of knowledge and work through
reengineering, participation and
motivation,
Build a partnership between industry, govt
agencies, funding agencies and academia.
CONCLUSION
To understand sustainable practices needed
for environment compliance, SWOT analysis
of Howrah Foundry industry has been
presented,
Possible common measures have been
identified and discussed.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH
FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION