Milwaukee-based Mid-City Foundry Co. ordered a Mini-System 3000 process control system for compacted graphite iron production, to upgrade its use of the SinterCast process and begin independent series production of CGI parts. The foundry has been operating the CGI process control system with on-site engineering support from SinterCast AB for three years as part of its niche production of cylinder heads, compressor housings, and other custom parts the industrial power market.

CGI is a specialty grade of cast iron that has greater tensile strength, stiffness, and fatigue strength than gray iron or aluminum. It’s gaining popularity with designers who seek to reduce engine weight, noise, and emissions, and the SinterCast process has been adopted for series production of more than 46 different CGI components by major automakers and engine manufacturers worldwide.

Mid-City Foundry’s new process control package will be installed in December. "We have worked together with SinterCast since 2004 and have combined their CGI process control know-how with our specialty alloy melting and molding experience to establish an efficient and robust CGI production process," stated Mid-City Foundry president Richard Wieland.

"As the market demand for high-quality CGI components continues to increase, we have invested in a permanent installation of the SinterCast process control technology to increase our production capability and to improve the flexibility and lead time with which we can serve our customers," Wieland continued.

The Mini-System 3000 is a scaled-down version of SinterCast AB’s latest-generation process control package. It includes hardware and software in a modular package that monitors CGI production in real-time, for product development, prototyping, and niche-volume production.

Mid-City Foundry produces gray iron, ductile iron, and iron alloy castings for industrial engine, compressor, gear and transmission, and specialty machinery manufacturing. It specializes in complex, thin-wall, pressure-containing castings. Its products range from 1 to 3,000 lb. Its CGI products range from 220 to 1,200 lb., mainly for offshore oil-and-gas drilling operations.

"Building the successful CGI production history at Mid-City, we will pre-program all of the current product calibrations into the Mini-System 3000 control software to provide a seamless and rapid transition to fully independent series production," SinterCast AB president and CEO Steve Dawson explained.