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Article: Cupola vs electric a battle for melting efficiency.(iron foundries)(Statistical Data Included)
- Article from:
- Modern Casting
- Article date:
- July 1, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 American Foundry Society, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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For the first half of the 20th century when a foundry melted iron, it was melted in a cupola. However, with the development of electric melting in the 1960s, the landscape for melting iron changed. Iron foundries were presented with a simpler process, reduced environmental concerns and lower energy costs.
In today's foundry world, however, higher melt rates, upcoming Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) environmental standards and increased energy costs have reconfigured the landscape yet again. The result for foundries is a decision between cupola or electric melting that isn't clear.
A Comparative Analysis
When a foundry is choosing ...