John is a physicist, with 2 masters and 2 doctors degrees, as clear signs of a misspent youth, and has written far too many papers, patents and books. Having become a foundryman by mistake, he has bulldozed foundries, built them, run them, owned them, and has made plenty of really bad castings. Being now definitely older but less certainly wiser, he is nevertheless keen to make better castings, promoting the cause of better castings, better profits and a better industry. The targets of better castings, consisting of better metals, metals which cannot fracture, will be products which, for the first time, engineers can trust.

PRESENTATION:

Click on the following link – Bifilms for Beginners

Tomorrow’s Castings

The recent discovery that metals without defects cannot fail by cracking has enormous implications for the foundry industry.  Suddenly, all the normal failure mechanisms of metals are eliminated.  Gone are the problems of fatigue, creep, stress corrosion cracking and hydrogen embrittlement. Tensile test samples should always extend until 100% reduction in area (RA). Castings are the route to achieving metals which cannot fracture.  Requirements for forging will be largely eliminated.  Initial attainments in aluminium alloy and steel castings are discussed.
In contrast, previously unsuspected defects in secondary remelted steels and superalloys have been predicted, looked for, and found.  They are currently causing tragic failures, particularly of aircraft.  The potential remedies are outlined.

PRESENTATION:

Click on the following link – Todays Castings

Where are we along the road to Tomorrow’s Castings?

The evolution of melting and melt handling systems to deliver defect-free metal to deliver the highest productivity (mould filling every 5 seconds) has been demonstrated with counter-gravity delivery systems which appear to be by far the lowest cost, high quality, automated high productivity metal casting system.  Counter-gravity for Al alloys is being developed in the UK for aerospace and automotive products and a new robust system for automotive steel products has been developed by Daimler Benz in Germany.

The latest developments of naturally pressurised running and gating systems will be explained.  The successes and problems of implementing contact pour will be discussed. The use of ceramic filters sited flush with the direction of flow (as opposed to transverse to the flow) as bubble diverters is proving to be a breakthrough, as is the implementation of spin traps at the end of high speed (non-reduced velocity) runners. These gravity-fill systems are being used with great success for steels and Ni superalloys. Further developments for thin-wall flake iron castings are in progress for grey irons cast on a Disamatic.

PRESENTATION:

Click on the following link – Tomorrows Castings

Sulfi is an experienced business leader with 25+ years’ experience across several industries – mining,steel, building & construction, and transport & logistics across the Asia-Pacific with BHP, BHP Steel Asia, BlueScope and the Housing Industry Association.

He is currently State Manager VIC/SA/TAS with the Australian Steel Institute (ASI), Australia’s peak industry body representing the entire steel supply chain from the manufacturing mills right through to end users. Steel is the backbone of Australia’s construction, infrastructure, heavy engineering, and manufacturing sectors.

TITLE OF PRESENTATION:

Steel Scrap Export Restrictions

ABSTRACT:

Scrap metal in Australia is either baled and exported unprocessed (sold to overseas pre-processors) or alternatively it is domestically processed into furnace ready materials sold to either domestic or foreign steel manufacturers.

Recently the National Waste Recycling Industry Council (NWRIA) and the Australian Steel Institute (ASI) called for a national ban on the export of unprocessed scrap metal and instead, called for onshoring of Australian processing of ferrous scrap metal.

The arguments to ban the export of unprocessed scrap metal are far reaching as it increases industry capacity, secures locally made steel supply in which scrap metal is a critical input to steel production, economy and jobs, carbon footprint reduction, eliminate environmental impacts on others, local Industry reduction in GHGe, and positive budgetary impacts.

PRESENTATION:

Click on the following link – Scrap Steel Exports

Jeremy Trotman is the Director of JTA Health, Safety and Noise, a broad based OHS consulting company operating throughout Australia and New Zealand.  He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists (AIOH), a Certified Industrial Hygienist (USA), a Certified Occupational Hygienist (AUS) and is the current AIOH President Elect, he also is a Chartered Generalist OHS Professional and Chartered Fellow of the Safety Institute of Australia.

Possessing limited business skills Jeremy remains “on the tools” operating as a consultant to a wide range of businesses in the industrial, commercial, construction and retail sectors engaged in the identification, assessment and control of chemical, biological and physical hazards.  Prior to establishing JTA in 1988, Jeremy was the OHS&E technical advisor in the Australian Chamber of Manufactures advising circa 7000 member organisations, including several foundries, where he was involved in noise, metal fume, gas and dust monitoring.  Before that Jeremy started his career as a graduate environmental scientist with the SECV working in the Latrobe valley Victoria learning the ropes on a wide and varied range of OHS challenges, including monitoring in the SECV foundry for metal fume, crystalline silica, noise and the assessment of manual handling risks.

TITLE OF PRESENTATION: 

Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) in Foundries

ABSTRACT:

Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) exposures, responsible for what has been called “an epidemic” of occupational respiratory disease and fatality in the engineered stone processing industry in particular, is also coming under scrutiny in other industries using silica-based sands and related products with the potential to produce RCS exposure.

Foundry moulding sands include high grade silica sands with the potential to generate RCS and coarser, inhalable dusts which, along with ferrous and other metal dust and fume, are known occupational hazards. Safe Work Australia’s plan to halve the current RCS exposure standard (subject to an impact assessment) representing a fourfold decrease in three years, has the potential to require workplaces meeting current Workplace Exposure Standards to introduce more effective control.  The push to reduce the welding fume exposure standard may also have implications for foundries.

This presentation looks at these legislative initiatives across Australia, exposure data on foundry silica exposures and their relationship to past, current and proposed exposure standards, potential RCS related health risks in foundry operations, requirements for risk control including respiratory protection and the role of the Occupational Hygienist in exposure assessment and control.

PRESENTATION:

Click on the following link – RCS in Foundries

Gary Savage believes that castings can be made defect free provided principals developed and published by John Campbell are adhered to.  With over 40 years of experience working within the field of casting and with foundries in Australia, Gary has a passion for making better quality castings and helping the industry benefit from doing so.

In 2020 Gary was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to support his passion and learn from overseas companies that have adopted John Campbell’s methods so as to gain practical experience to assist Australian foundries with their adoption.  Gary recently retired after 24 years at CSIRO working in various fields of casting.

TITLE OF PRESENTATION:

Churchill Fellowship Outcomes

ABSTRACT:

Churchill Fellowships were established in the mid-60s after the death of Sir Winston Churchill. They assist individuals from all walks of life to “learn globally and inspire locally”.

Gary’s Fellowship focuses on gaining practical experience from overseas foundries that have embraced and adopted John Campbell’s methods to reduce bifilms and produce superior quality casings.  This experience will be shared with Australian foundries by working with individual companies on adoption, presentations at conferences and inclusion of John’s methods in apprentice training.  An overview of findings from overseas foundry visits will be presented.  Case studies from adoption by Australian foundries of John’s methods will also be provided.  Finally, a draft plan for apprentice training will be presented.

PRESENTATION:

Click on the following link – Churchill Fellowship Outcomes

A former systems, software and simulation engineer, Adam now co-directs his family business Hasco Foundry in Ballarat with his brother Paul. He also co-directs Quicksand 3D with Shane Corish, home of Australia’s only sand printer, the Voxeljet VX1000. Adam is passionate about our industry, in particular, the ways in which we can combine the traditional casting methods with modern methods, simulations and additive manufacturing.

TITLE OF PRESENTATION:

Production of 3D Sand Printing

ABSTRACT:

People often associate 3D printing technology with rapid development, prototyping and small volume manufacturing. This mindset is typically also the case for the VX1000 sand 3D printer. Whilst additive manufacturing is well suited to those requirements, there is huge potential to exploit the technology for production castings. Hasco Foundry does this every week. Over 90% of the sand Hasco prints is to assist with production castings, NOT prototypes. This presentation will demonstrate some cost / benefit case studies for both low and higher volume production casting runs.

PRESENTATION:

Click on the following link – 3D Sand Printing

Craig Hilton manages Talent Attraction and recruitment for the Australian Industry Group’s Apprentice & Trainee Centre. Over the last 17 years Craig has been a part of a national team that has recruited and employed thousands of apprentices and trainees for the metals trades, and manufacturing industries and more.

TITLE OF PRESENTATION:

Employee Retention and Skilled Labour

ABSTRACT:

Craig sits on several employment focused committees to ensure apprenticeships and vocational training is continued to be recognised as a vital part of Australia’s skills and training for the labour force.  He is particularly passionate about ensuring manufacturing apprenticeships are promoted in a positive and vital part of our economy.

Craig has challenged a few stereotypes around apprenticeship and trade skills programs and would like to share ideas to challenge ways we can upskill the future workforce.

PRESENTATION:

Click on the following link – Employee Retention

Hank Sciberras started his career in engineering and developed an early interest in developing high tech devices. After completing his doctoral studies at the University of Western Australia, Hank worked with an Australian technology start-up followed by a global leader in laser development. At EY, Hank specialises in advising on R&D activities, and government incentives.

TITLE OF PRESENTATION:

Government Incentives

ABSTRACT:

In any given year there are a number of government-based programs that are designed to assist business and other organisations address existing and emerging challenges. In this presentation we delve into the relevance of some of these programs for an Australian based Foundry.

PRESENTATION:

Click on the following link – Government Incentives

Richard carries the responsibility for casting process problem solving, the design and manufacture of new casting tooling and introduction of new processes / materials to the foundry.

Richard is a Physical Metallurgist and Industrial Engineer and has worked in the steel and foundry industry since 1991. He has worked in a range of foundry environments working with non-ferrous and ferrous alloys, for industries ranging from Agriculture to Automotive. When working as an industry consultant, he contributed to the design and construction of brownfield and greenfield foundry sites in South Africa, ranging from family owned medium sized jobbing operations to high volume automotive foundries. He is a past president of the South African Institute of Foundrymen and a past chairman of the Aluminium Casters Association – an association within the Aluminium Federation of South Africa.

He still considers himself a student in metal casting and looks forward to learning from the industry everyday !

TITLE OF PRESENTATION:

Aspects of the 10 Rules: Applications in a Real World Environment.

ABSTRACT:

Key elements of the 10 rules of casting established by Prof Campbell that have a significant influence on casting outcomes will be discussed. Practical examples of implementation as well as learning from non-implementation, will be included in the presentation with before and after examples.

PRESENTATION:

Click on the following link – Aspects of the 10 Rules

Matthew has been in industry for 39 years and lives by a doctrine of continuous improvement.  During his time, he has implemented numerous “lean” transformations. His work has saved 10’s of millions of dollars in waste and improved flow in multiple industries including Aerospace, Automotive, Bio-Medical, Building Products, Foundry, Glass, Healthcare and Waste. A self-avowed manufacturing tragic, he believes that any company can be successful if they develop better products and processes than their competitors and maintain their success through continuous improvement.

TITLE OF PRESENTATION:

Investigating Lead Free Copper Alloys

ABSTRACT:

Lead has long been recognised as a cumulative toxicant and there is no level which is considered safe. Even small amounts of Lead can cause serious health problems. Once lead enters the blood, it is distributed to organs such as the brain, kidneys, liver, and bones. At high lead exposure, lead has been known to cause coma, convulsions, and death.  The current bronzes that are cast for plaques contain anywhere from 1.8% to 5% Lead.  Lead was originally added to improve machinability and increase its strength and resistance to corrosion.

Regulatory bodies around the world are increasing rules and regulations regarding Lead use, increasing compliance costs. As a result, there are a number of industries working to ban Lead use altogether. Both the automotive and plumbing industries have put steps in place to eliminate Lead (In the automotive industry it is listed as a “substance of concern” along with Mercury, Cadmium, and Hexavalent Chromium).  Because of this change, there are newer “no-lead” alloys that can perform the same function.  This presentation covers what we are doing at Arrow Bronze to eliminate Lead to improve our product and the safety of our employees.

PRESENTATION:

Click on the following link – Lead Free Alloys

Since joining HAA in 2001, Ryan has been dedicated to the sales and technical division, with his career path leading him to the role of sales and technical director in an industry he’s passionate about. In this role, Ryan has been able to lead projects that push and innovate the consumable technology that is used in the Australian foundry industry. Expanding on this foundation, Ryan took on the responsibility of director of sales and technology for HA Southeast Asia from 2015 to 2020. During this time, he focused on strategic initiatives that enhanced the organisation’s market presence, positioning HA as a key player in technological advancement within the Southeast Asian foundry landscape.

TITLE OF PRESENTATION:

Technology Trends of Foundry Consumables

ABSTRACT:

In the ever-evolving landscape of foundry consumables, staying ahead of technology trends is paramount for sustainable growth and competitiveness. This presentation will look into the latest advancements and innovations that are reshaping the foundry consumables industry. We will explore cutting-edge developments in materials, processes, and digital technologies that are revolutionising the way foundries operate, and discover some key trends driving efficiency, quality, and environmental sustainability.

PRESENTATION:

Click on the following link – Technology Trends

Nick commenced his foundry career over 40 years ago in quality control and production at a secondary aluminum producer.  He joined Foseco within a year and has enjoyed many functions including research and development, production, sales, product management and marketing.  A major achievement has been the development, industrialisation and commercialisation of Foseco’s ceramic foam filters for steel castings. Always close to filter technology and application Nick has also focused on molten metal transfer and investment castings.

TITLE OF PRESENTATION:

Additive Manufacturing Technology in Casting Filtration

ABSTRACT:

It is now understood that casting cleanliness has an enormous impact on casting integrity and casting performance. Ceramic foam filters are established as a tool for aiding the production defect free castings. Understanding of the effect of filters has moved from the initial concept of sieving to the arguably more important function of turbulence control and the prevention of bifilm formation and bubble damage.

Additive manufacturing technologies (3D Printing) are allowing the next major advance in casting filtration technology. Different structures will become available that will enable further optimisation of filters for specific alloys, casting types and even specific foundries. The next step will be to understand the benefits to inclusion capture and flow control derived from the structures available. Multiple structures will be available in one filter.

Additive manufactured filters extend the range of castings that are filterable. Large castings are commonly not filtered due to the complexity of applying the large number of filter units required.  With the advent of alternative structures to foam, the capacities of filters will be increased so a more manageable number of filters will be required.

PRESENTATION:

Click on the following link – AM Trends in Filtration

With a passion for the automotive industry, Shane has experience manufacturing everything from truck and bus bodies to complete bespoke engines for low volume supercars and hotrods.

TITLE OF PRESENTATION:

Australian Designed and Made Engines.

ABSTRACT:

Quicksand Pty Ltd, co-owned by Racecast and Hasco foundry, last year purchased the Voxeljet VX1000 3D sand printer from CSIRO.  This presentation will cover Rapid prototyping, CAD design, 3D printing benefits including ease of applying optimised methoding, and low volume production.  Examples cited that incorporate John Campbell’s naturally pressurised runner systems include the V12 LS engine block and the remanufacturing of the 1966 Repco Brabham Formula 1 winning engine cylinder head.

PRESENTATION:

Click on the following link – Australian Made Engines

Andrew has over 30 years energy industry experience including senior roles working in retail sales and marketing, renewable energy project development, stakeholder engagement, policy and regulatory reform and consumer advocacy.

For the last 7 years Andrew has been Chief Executive Officer of the Energy Users Association of Australia (EUAA) during which time he has positioned the organiSation as a progressive, respected thought leader and advisor to industry, regulators, governments and member companies.

In the 16 years prior to his current role Andrew worked with leading Australian renewable energy company Pacific Hydro where he negotiated the connection and revenue contracts for Australia’s first non-government wind farm and played a key role in establishing the Australian renewable energy industry.

TITLE OF PRESENTATION:

Managing The Energy Transition

ABSTRACT:

An overview will be provided of the current state of energy markets and some insights into where we think it is heading.  I will also try to provide some practical advice to help AFI members navigate their way through what is becoming a turbulent energy transition.

The EUAA is the nation’s leading advocate for commercial and industrial energy users.  Our membership is a broad church and includes multi-site retail, food processing, steel, aluminium, glass, cement, bricks and mining (plus more).   The thing that binds our members together is that reliable, affordable and sustainable energy is essential to the success of their business.

The energy transition is not really a transition at all; rather it’s a complete re-build of the energy system in a very short period of time, moving from a highly centralised (out of mind, out of sight) to a highly decentralised (in your backyard) energy system.

Recent government gas market reforms are hard but necessary; the gas industry aren’t “victims” of government over-reach and only have themselves to blame.

What can you do as a business to help navigate this transition?  Become better informed – the more you understand about the potential future state of the energy industry the better your decision making.

PRESENTATION:

Click on the following link – Managing the Energy Transition

Dickinson’s is proudly celebrating 30 years of operation this year with Andrew a key member for 26 of those years. Starting his career with Dickinson’s in 1997 in a blue-collar role, driving forklifts and front-end loaders, he quickly progressed to a production management role overseeing the alloy crushing, screening and blending operations.

Andrew has worked on a number of strategic business transformation projects within the company including navigating complex international supply chains and the key to commodities trading. He has worked hard to strengthen and build long standing relationships with global leaders within the international Ferro Alloys markets.

Aspiring to greater things Andrew took lead of the company 4 years ago as General Manager and together with the Director and staff, has continued to grow the success of the company.

During his free time, you will find Andrew fishing, 4-wheel driving and searching for lost treasure, joining expeditions as a technical deep underwater diver.

TITLE OF PRESENTATION:

Market Conditions and the Impact to Foundries

ABSTRACT:

During this short talk several market conditions will be covered, both current and historical, that have significantly impacted alloy supply and costs.  Logistics, war, pandemic, tariffs, the environment have all shaped the global market conditions and the talk will focus on alloys used in the Ferrous Foundry environment. Nickel / Chrome / Molybdenum and Ferro Silicon.

PRESENTATION:

Click on the following link – Market Conditions

From reconditioning to manufacturing, Chris’s journey is one of relentless innovation. He began his trade as an Engine Reconditioner, but the desire to create burned within him. Chris equipped his shop with 5 axis CNC machines and a cutting-edge CAD/CAM package, he has crafted billet blocks and cylinder heads that pushed the boundaries of what was possible and gained some world records along the way. Notably, Chris’s billet block played a pivotal role in powering the world’s fastest 6 Cylinder R35 GTR, generating over 3500HP, as well as multiple Subaru records (fastest Subaru in the world)

Supplying billet blocks and cylinder heads to Subaru Motorsports which has been used in the latest Gymkhanas driven by Travis Pastrana is also worth mentioning.

Now, his passion has evolved to include casting which has captured his imagination, and Chris is on a mission to manufacture high-powered cast engines that redefine the industry.

Chris’s story is a testament to the power of determination and the limitless potential of human ingenuity.

TITLE OF PRESENTATION:

Transition from Billet to Casting

ABSTRACT:

Traditionally, Crest CNC has manufactured engine componentry using wrought materials, primarily due to their excellent mechanical properties. In the world of super high-performance engines, mechanical properties are of utmost importance.

However, after discovering John Campbell’s rich casting history, passion, and easy to read books, we embarked on a mission to explore the possibilities of casting high-performance engines. This transformative process was partly fuelled by a desire to break free from the constraints of machining water jackets that consumed precious machine capacity.

Key to this transition was the application of John Campbell’s renowned methods. By leveraging Campbell’s insights and techniques, we are able to cast high-quality engine parts swiftly and efficiently. One of the most inspiring aspects of this journey is the ability to sidestep the often-protracted process of revisions that plagues the realm of new castings.

PRESENTATION:

Click on the following link – Transition from Billet to Casting

Richard is responsible for Castings Technology International’s (Cti) global business activities and following on from a successful Management Buy Out with Chairman Kevin Parkin, is the Managing Director and majority shareholder of the Company.

After his successful completion of Ordinary and Higher National Certificates in the mid-eighties, he went on to gain a BSc (Hons.) degree in Mechanical & Production Engineering, graduating in 1996. Starting out as a shopfloor Apprentice, Richard has worked extensively in the aerospace and rotating equipment sectors; specialising in change management with complimentary expertise in complex machining (of nickel-based alloys), high-performance engineered coatings, capital equipment manufacture, automotive mechatronics and latterly, castings.

With 30 years of experience at board level undertaking roles as diverse as operations to personnel management, Richard has a genuine passion for business excellence, driven via technological exploitation and robust people advancement. He networks extensively through the South Yorkshire Region, the UK and globally and is a Freeman of the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire.

TITLE OF PRESENTATION:

A Century of Founding & Global Sector Support Services

ABSTRACT:

Richard will briefly describe the eclectic history of both Cti and its current, redeveloped location in South Yorkshire’s Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District along with the wide range of services offered by the Company. Whilst there will be an emphasis on the breadth of their portfolio, the main focus will be on their passion for the cast metals sector as a whole and the support they are able to provide to foundries, casting users and casting buyers.

Cti is proud of its heritage as a members-based organisation, many of whom remain part of the structure today, despite the significant challenges faced by the sector in recent years. From research to exploitation, through to series production, Cti is a prominent supplier to the defence sector and honoured to be a (sole source) supplier to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme and hopes to play a significant role in the AUKUS alliance.

PRESENTATION:

Click on the following link – A Century of CTI

Dr Roger Lumley is Senior Technical Specialist at AWBell Pty Ltd. He has 30 years’ experience in materials science & engineering, manufacturing, research, and project management.  Roger has qualifications from the University of Queensland.

Roger’s areas of expertise include advanced manufacturing, ferrous and non-ferrous production, foundry technology, advanced heat treatment, non-destructive testing, welding, powder metallurgy, quality systems and additive manufacturing. He has authored over 110 technological publications including patents, journal and conference papers, and a book.  He has been the editor of two books on aluminium metallurgy.

TITLE OF PRESENTATION:

Titanium Investment Casting at AW Bell

ABSTRACT:

Casting titanium alloys presents a complex and intriguing challenge in materials processing. Titanium’s unique combination of high strength, low density and corrosion resistance has led to its widespread use in aerospace, medical, and industrial applications. For castings, titanium typically requires unique facilities and equipment due to its very high reactivity with the atmosphere.  This presentation explores the intricacies of casting titanium alloys, focusing on the methods, challenges, and opportunities that have been encountered within AWBell. Consideration is made of the complexities of achieving proper melt control, mould materials and design, as well as solidification behaviour to ensure desirable mechanical properties and microstructures are achieved. Furthermore, the significance of understanding the influence of various casting parameters and cooling rates on the final product’s performance is critical. Emphasis is placed on the critical role of technological innovation in optimizing casting processes for titanium alloys, enabling enhanced product quality and wider adoption.

PRESENTATION:

Click on the following link – Titanium Investment Casting

In 2007, Sam joined Furniss and White, his family’s business, after earning a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Nottingham. He initially spent two years in the foundry, learning the ropes of melting and methoding. Sam then established a dynamic R&D department, later partnering with Prof. John Campbell in 2011. Together, they applied Campbell’s “10 Rules of Casting” to improve steel casting methods.

In 2017, Sam became Operations Director and, in August 2023, he was promoted to Managing Director. Furniss and White remains a tight-knit family operation, with Sam’s brother Jack as foundry manager, father John as Sales Director, and uncle David Furniss and David’s wife Sue also serving as company directors. Their collective expertise and dedication continue to drive Furniss and White’s success.

TITLE OF PRESENTATION:

Casting Excellence Unveiled: A Decade-Long Partnership with Prof. John Campbell for Superior Quality

ABSTRACT:

Embark on a journey through a decade of casting excellence. Discover our partnership with Prof. John Campbell and how his methods transformed our steel foundry. Explore the highs and sometimes lows in the integration of his groundbreaking techniques, leading to unprecedented casting quality. Join us in celebrating collaboration, innovation, and our pursuit of perfection in this inspiring tale of our foundry’s evolution.

After studying metallurgy in the UK, John Hughes has since worked in the world iron foundry industry for more than 30 years, holding positions of Chief Metallurgist, Methods Engineer and Foundry Manager. Since 1997, John has worked in the supply of all types of metallurgical products and technical solutions to foundries across North America, Europe and Asia. He joined Elkem in 2017 and currently hold the position of Technical Director Asia-Pacific.

TITLE OF PRESENTATION:

An Introduction to Thermal Analysis of Cast Irons

ABSTRACT:

The use of thermal analysis has increased in recent years, as a means of understanding and controlling the metallurgical properties of grey and ductile irons. This presentation assists foundries on how to interpret the most important elements of the cooling curve, which are be related to metallurgical quality control and avoidance of casting defects.

PRESENTATION:

Click on the following link – Introduction to Thermal Analysis