Nodularization Treatment Optimization
In the production of ductile cast iron, each ladle presents unique metallurgical conditions. However, FeSiMg treatment strategies are typically based on predefined recipes that must be sufficiently conservative to ensure quality.
While this approach provides reliability to the casting process, the real challenge is to apply the right amount of nodulizer in each treatment: enough to achieve the target residual magnesium level, while avoiding overtreatment that increases material consumption and the potential negative effects associated too adding too much nodulizer.
Adding the Optimal Nodulizer Dose
Dosing Track System calculates, in real time, the optimum treatment amount required for each ladle based on the actual metallurgical conditions of the process.
Integrated with the plant’s metallurgical quality-control and process-monitoring systems, it replaces fixed recipes with an ad hoc, data-driven dynamic dosing strategy, enabling the application of the exact amount of treatment required to achieve the target residual magnesium content.
This system can be applied to both tundish cover and FeSiMg cored wire systems, adapting the calculation model to the specific characteristics of each foundry.
FURESA, a manufacturer of ductile cast iron components, operates an automated FeSiMg cored wire nodularization system and has a well-established treatment process.
With the aim of optimizing cored wire consumption through the integrated analysis of a larger number of process parameters, Dosing Track System was implemented and linked to Thermolan® (thermal analysis tool) and other plant process-control systems.
Implementation Highlights
1. Process Study
Analysis of treatment conditions and the metallurgical behavior of FURESA’s casting process to identify the influence of process variables on the magnesium recovery of the production metal.
2. System Parameterization and Setup
Implementation of Dosing Track System and ad hoc parameterization based on:
- Target residual magnesium content
- Metal temperature
- Sulfur content
- Ladle weight
- Holding time
- Residual metal in the pouring unit
- FeSiMg cored wire characteristics
- Other process variables
3. Optimum Dosing Calculation
For each ladle, Dosing Track System provides the exact FeSiMg product length required to achieve a predefined Mg content, allowing the data to be sent directly to the automatic treatments feeding system of the plant.
Dosing Track System implemented in FURESA.
- Optimization of nodulizer consumption by adjusting the FeSiMg addition to the actual requirements of each treatment and reducing the use of unnecessary safety margins.
- Improved process robustness, maintaining residual magnesium within the target range even when production conditions change.
- More consistent metallurgical quality thanks to adaptive and repeatable dosing.
- Full traceability, with automatic recording of process variables, calculation results, and the dose applied to each ladle.
- Knowledge preservation and digitalization, transforming the plant’s accumulated expertise into a reproducible and shared decision-making model.