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A Complete Concept-to-Production Method for Metalcasting Projects

Jan. 1, 2019
For greenfield and brownfield foundries, project specifications, engineering, and management services benefit from a one-stop approach

A greenfield foundry is what its name implies: a foundry conceived, engineered, and built from scratch on a previously undeveloped property. On the other hand, a brownfield foundry is built within the constraints of existing facilities. Though very different with regard to planning and execution, both types of projects require extensive coordination, vast resources, and considerable expertise to come together. Vulcan Engineering has all that covered.

Since the 1970s, Vulcan Engineering has designed and built many successful greenfield and brownfield foundries. Vulcan is a seasoned leader in the field, in no small part due to a staff of experienced engineers, project managers, trades workers, and executives.

Vulcan is proud to take on projects in the most efficient manner possible. A typical project will use six to eight project managers and engineers that assign and use other resources as necessary during the course of a project. This efficient use of resources allows each project team member to focus on each of their respective areas of expertise, delivering the best foundry designs possible.

The first step in a greenfield or brownfield foundry project is to understand the customer’s application. What castings are produced, and at what volume? Do they have equipment preferences? Are there special process requirements?

Next, begins Level One engineering, which produces an engineered concept drawing of the new foundry, tailored to suit the customer’s specific application. Level One engineering also generates a unit list, schedule, specification document, coordination plan and budget for the project. All of these documents are combined into a consolidated package, which gives the customer a comprehensive view of the project scope.

Once approved by the customer, the construction phase begins. Then, the metalcaster will purchase the main process equipment directly from OEMs, while concurrently Vulcan begins final design, manufacturing, and procurement of the items to be integrated, such as conveyors, bucket elevators, bins, special foundations and structures.

As the equipment is being prepared off-site, Vulcan will work to ensure the site is ready for its arrival by overseeing not only our own on-site preparation work, such as special foundation construction and structural erection, but also site development, main building construction, and more.

Vulcan coordinates equipment deliveries to follow the carefully laid master project plan. Once the deliveries begin, the site having been prepared accordingly, Vulcan performs the installation, startup, and commissioning quickly and efficiently. This translates into lower capital cost to the metalcaster, and the return on their investment begins quickly.

While other engineering teams may provide specifications, engineering or project management services, Vulcan Engineering handles all of these aspects of a project, and provides the integration equipment and controls necessary to make all the different processes and systems of a new foundry work together. Vulcan provides, installs and commissions all these different elements, making it a one-stop shop for greenfield foundry and foundry expansion projects of any size.
Greenfield foundry and expansion projects are the focus of a new Vulcan Engineering presentation, available at:
blog.vulcangroup.com/greenfield-foundry-and-expansion-projects