Commercial Transport Systems (CTS), a subsidiary of Russia's ICT Group (a conglomerate of industrial operations) is planning a rail-car manufacturing complex near St. Petersburg to produce 10,000 car sets annually, and has ordered a plant design from Atlanta-based Foundry Solutions & Design.

The plant will produce railcar sideframes, bolsters, and end-of-car castings, in a single, highly automated molding line. This 70,000-metric tons/year line will have a flask size of 1,900 x 2,800 x 500/500 mm, and use flexible automation for sand and mold preparation, and coremaking, handling, and setting.

Advanced material handling, including automated storage/retrieval, will eliminate much of the manual and forktruck material handling. Pouring will be mechanized, too.

More automation will be designed into the casting cleaning and finishing operation, including specially engineered, precision cut-off and impact machines for gate and riser removal prior to shot blasting; CNC grinders for consistent material removal; and robotic finishing cells for casting finishing and gauging.  

Each robotized finishing cell will be outfitted with an automated tool-changing cartridge; casting gauging that's automated with touch probes; laser scanning; and vision systems.

Construction has begun for the new building, according to FS&D, and manufacturing is due to start late in 2008.