Tupy orders SinterCast Ladle Tracker® technology

Second Ladle Tracker installation reinforces Tupy’s commitment to quality and foundry leadership for automation, process control and Industry 4.0 traceability

[Joinville and Stockholm, 23 May 2018] – Tupy, the world’s largest cast iron cylinder block and head foundry group, has ordered an automated ladle tracking system from the Swedish process control specialist SinterCast.  Under the terms of the agreement, the SinterCast Ladle Tracker® technology will be installed at Tupy’s production facility in Joinville, Brazil.  The installation is planned to be commissioned during the third quarter of 2018.

Building on more than two years of production experience with the Ladle Tracker technology at the Tupy foundry in Saltillo, Mexico, the Tupy and SinterCast engineers jointly developed a bespoke Ladle Tracking solution for the layout, process flow and production demands in Brazil.  The installation is based on the proven Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, with RFID tags affixed to each ladle and RFID antennae installed at key locations throughout the foundry.  For each ladle, the system compiles process data including temperature, weight and chemistry, together with the time that the ladle arrives at, and departs from, every step in the production process.  The Ladle Tracker database provides a single source of information for process traceability, while the on-line process control ensures that every ladle reports to every step in the process and that each step is completed within the pre-set process limits and the allocated time.

“The SinterCast Ladle Tracker technology is an important part of our ongoing campaign for growth and to establish Tupy as the cast iron foundry leader for quality, automation, process control and traceability.  The automatic lock-outs ensure that all ladles remain within our process limits while the database improves our process optimisation, troubleshooting and traceability.  Together, these features provide improved efficiency for Tupy, and improved quality and confidence for our customers” said Mr. Fernando de Rizzo, President and C.E.O. of Tupy.  “Our experience with more than two years of Ladle Tracker operation in Mexico has allowed us to identify and implement process improvements and to quantitatively measure the effect of these improvements on our productivity.  We will continue to work together with SinterCast to develop and implement new control measurements and traceability solutions for our processes and our products.  Everything that is measured improves.”

“Our Ladle Tracker technology measures and controls every step of the process on the liquid metal side of the foundry, while our Cast Tracker technology provides traceability and process control on the moulding and coremaking side of the foundry.  Together, these technologies bring Industry 4.0 traceability and connectivity to the foundry industry” said Dr. Steve Dawson, President & CEO of SinterCast.  “Our first installation at Tupy was commissioned eighteen years ago.  Today, the Ladle Tracker order marks our seventh installation at Tupy.  Repeat business is the strongest endorsement of any technology, and this second order for our Ladle Tracker technology is an important affirmation of the benefits and the value of our Tracking Technologies.”

For more information:

Mr. Fernando de Rizzo                                        Dr. Steve Dawson

President and C.E.O.                                           President & CEO

Tupy S.A.                                                               SinterCast AB (publ)

e-mail: fernando@tupy.com.br                              e-mail:  steve.dawson@sintercast.com

Headquartered in southern Brazil, Tupy has more than 12,000 employees and a production capacity of 748,000 tonnes per year of cast iron components.  With manufacturing facilities located in Joinville in the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil, and in Saltillo and Ramos Arizpe in the State of Coahuila, Mexico, Tupy is the largest cast iron cylinder block and head foundry in the world, and the global CGI leader with 17 CGI components in series production.  Tupy has established sales and engineering offices located in Brazil, United States, Germany, Mexico and Japan to support its main customers, including: Cummins, Ford, Mercedes Benz, Perkins, Audi, Iveco, DAF Trucks, MAN, John Deere, Komatsu, Kubota and Peugeot and many other premier automotive and diesel engine manufacturers. For more information: www.tupy.com.br

SinterCast is the world’s leading supplier of process control technology for the reliable high volume production of Compacted Graphite Iron (CGI). With at least 75% higher tensile strength, 45% higher stiffness and approximately double the fatigue strength of conventional grey cast iron and aluminium, CGI allows engine designers to improve performance, fuel economy and durability while reducing engine size, weight, noise and emissions. The SinterCast technology, with 45 installations in 13 countries, is primarily used for the production of petrol and diesel engine cylinder blocks and exhaust components for passenger vehicles, medium-duty and heavy-duty cylinder blocks and heads for commercial vehicles, and industrial power engine components for marine, rail, off-road and stationary engine applications. SinterCast supports the series production of components ranging from 2.7 kg to 9 tonnes, all using the same proven process control technology.  As a specialist supplier of precision measurement and process control solutions to the metals industry, SinterCast also supplies a suite of tracking technologies, including the SinterCast Ladle Tracker®, Cast Tracker™ and Operator Tracker™, to improve process control, productivity and traceability in a variety of applications.  The SinterCast share is quoted on the Small Cap segment of the Nasdaq Stockholm stock exchange (SINT). For more information: www.sintercast.com

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