Waupaca Foundry is starting a $20-million modernization at its Marinette, WI, iron foundry, a project that will include complete replacement of the furnace charging system. A vibratory shaker will be replaced with a steel slat conveyor systems, and new weigh scales will be installed. An integrated drying system for charge material will feed furnace-charge buckets directly, streamlining material handling and improving melting efficiency at the foundry, known as Plant 4 in the Waupaca organization.
The group produces gray, ductile, and austempered ductile iron castings at five foundries in Wisconsin and Indiana, along with a machining and assembly operation in Waupaca, WI. It supplies cast parts to automotive and commercial vehicle manufacturers, agriculture and construction builders, and industrial markets.
The Marinette foundry project is scheduled to be complete in late January. The group did not identify the project contractor or system suppliers in its announcement.
Waupaca Foundry described the project as the final stage of a more-than-$100-million program, initiated in 2016 under previous ownership.
One of the projects carried out was replacement of a vibratory system for gates and sprues at the Marinette plant, with two conveyors to conduct waste materials from the mold shakeout line. It also completed a multiyear power service upgrade there, in 2023.
Prior to that Waupaca overhauled an air-compressor system at Plant 1 in Waupaca, WI; installed a dehumidification system at the Tell City, IN, foundry; and adopted a “smart” exhaust-fan system at Plant 2/3, also in Waupaca, WI.
In its announcement, Waupaca Foundry emphasized that the preceding projects have ensured plant safety (safety PLCs and enhanced lockout protocols); energy-efficient technology; improved workplace enforcements; and advanced manufacturing equipment and automation.
"American manufacturing excellence requires continuous investment in people, processes and technology," stated Waupaca Foundry CEO Mike Hawthorne on October 3. "Manufacturing Day provides the perfect opportunity to showcase our unwavering belief in the strength of U.S. manufacturing and producing the highest quality iron castings here at home. When our customers choose Waupaca Foundry, they're choosing products made by skilled American workers using the most advanced foundry technology in the world."
