UNEX has the most advanced foundry of its kind thanks to massive investment

Uničov, February 3, 2010

The UNEX engineering-metallurgical complex has completed an extensive modernisation project that should result in creation of the most modern foundry plant in the Czech Republic and one of the most advanced foundries currently in Europe. In total, 14 contracting companies were involved in the project and the Mining College - Technical University Ostrava, and the Metallurgical Department of the Engineering Technology Institute of the Technical University in Brno also participated in it significantly. The modernisation of the foundry production plant represents an investment exceeding CZK 80 million. The completed technological equipment will allow an extension to the manual production of large castings by approximately 3,600 tons annually. The total installed capacity of the production of castings in the UNEX Group will exceed 40 thousand tons a year.

The essence of the project consists in the utilisation of the latest method of production of moulds that influences the quality of the final cast products substantially. All the related technologies have also been modernised. While the former method of mould production placed high demands on the qualification, skills and physical fitness of the personnel, the use of the organic (furan) binding system will reduce the laboriousness of the production of castings. It will allow productivity growth in the production of castings whilst the properties of the technology used guarantees the improvement of their quality from the viewpoint of accuracy and other parameters. Energy demands for finishing operations will also be reduced which will result in making the complete production process cheaper.

The technological unit also includes perfect exhaustion and separation of dust products from the technological process which means a considerable reduction to the negative effect upon the environment. Another ecological benefit of the modernisation is also important - the furan moulding mixture can be made from up to 85 per cent recycled materials which leads to a reduction of the quantity of landfill waste. The process also means a reduction of the dustiness and noise within the working site, an improvement to work safety and, ultimately, of working conditions as such. The complete technology does not require water so its potential contamination cannot occur.

The complete process has been verified carefully during a one-month trial operation; the expected process values have been achieved in all the required parameters and utilisation of the equipment for the production of castings with the most demanding customer requirements has been commenced.