Chicago White Metal Casting Inc. has ordered a new StrikoMelter furnace for its aluminum, magnesium, and zinc diecasting operation, according to StrikoWestofen America, the furnace supplier. The investment should have immediate returns, as the metalcaster will be able to claim fuel-savings thanks to the new furnace, which will entitle it to claim credit on its fuel purchases up to 50% of the project cost.
The Bensenville, IL, producer of cast metal parts, offers design for manufacturing (DFM) services, machining, and various custom surface treatments. It also provides assembly of finished parts under turnkey contract.
StrikoWestofen America is an operating unit of StrikoWestofen, manufacturers of melting and holding furnaces for light metal diecasting, sand casting, permanent mold casting, and low-pressure casting.
The StrikoMelter is a shaft furnace design with a patented system (ETAmax) that combines charge preheating, heating, and melting phases efficiently in a single melting channel (or “shaft”). As metal returns and ingots are melted in the lower section, the combustion gases preheat the new charge material in the shaft area above it.
Molten metal is transferred to the holding bath, without turbulence, the designer emphasized, which reduces waste maintains a preset holding temperature with accuracy. According to StrikoWestofen, the recuperative concept is simple and effective, providing significant savings in fuel consumption and reductions in metal loss.
By adopting the new melting furnace Chicago White Metal will qualify for the Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program, an energy-purchase rebate program funded by Nicor Gas Company of Northern Illinois. While there are similar rebate programs offered by different utilities, the Nicor program currently rebates $1 per therm saved, per anum, up to $500,000 or 50% of the total project cost, whichever is lower.