Kimura Foundry America Inc., Shelbyville, IN, has installed a fourth induction melting furnace to enhance its speed and flexibility in producing quality castings. At 2,000-lbs. capacity, the new furnace is larger than the combined melting capacity of the three (300 lbs., 300 lbs., and 500 lbs. by volume) induction furnaces in operation there since the plant started operation in November 2018.
The larger furnace allows Kimura Foundry to produce heavier castings, for example parts required for construction projects, agricultural machinery, power generation, oil-and-gas drilling and processing, pumps, and compressors. With the four furnaces available, the foundry can produce individual castings up to 1700 lbs.
In addition, the new furnace is seen improving pouring efficiency, with higher volumes of metal being cast for multiple parts at once.
The new furnace is melting gray and ductile iron, but also is available for melting steel, stainless steel, heat-resistant steel, and compact graphite iron. Each of the four furnaces is connected to a furnace monitoring system for safety and stabilized operation.
Kimura Group, a Japanese manufacturer, initiated the U.S. plant as a start-up in 2017. The Indiana plant relies entirely on 3D-printed sand patterns and molds to produce rapid prototypes and small-lot castings, for automakers and their suppliers; manufacturers of engines, industrial pumps, and machine tools; suppliers of agricultural, mining, and off-road equipment; and oil-and-gas and renewable energy projects.