Using Cut-wire Shot in your Foundry Cleaning Application
How can a consumable product that is 2.4 times more costly save me money? The short answer is the microstructure is superior. Due to this defect-free microstructure, the consumption rate is lower and the transmitted impact energy is higher. This results in shorter cycle times and less abrasive consumption. With all the parameters affected by cycle time and consumption, you cover every cost associated with the process with the exception of depreciation.
| Monitored Parameter for One Week | S-390 Before | CW-35 After | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tons blasted this week (15 Tons x 5 days) | 75 | 75 | 0.0% |
| Pounds of shot used in week | 1,800.0 | 600.0 | -66.7% |
| Tons blasted per pound abrasive | 0.042 | 0.125 | 200.0% |
| Pounds of shot per ton of castings | 24.00 | 8.00 | -66.7% |
| Total blast time in seconds | 60,000.0 | 36,000.0 | -40.0% |
| Total blast time in minutes | 1,000 | 600.0 | -40.0% |
| Total blast time in hours | 16.67 | 10.00 | -40.0% |
| Abrasive price per ton | $900.00 | $2,200.00 | 144.4% |
| Price per pound | $0.45 | $1.10 | 144.4% |
| Weekly abrasive cost per blasted ton | $10.80 | $8.80 | -18,5% |
| Abr. cost per week | $810.00 | $660.00 | -18,5% |
| Weekly electricity @ .11 / Kwh (29.8KW = 40 HP) | $54.63 | $32.78 | -40.0% |
| Labor @ $40 / hour (1 person) | $666.67 | $400.00 | -40.0% |
| Wear Parts @ $1.50 / hour | $25.00 | $15.00 | -40.0% |
| mach. parts @ $0.25 / hour | $4.17 | $2.50 | -40.0% |
| Dust disposal @ $0.04 / lb ($80 / ton) | $72.00 | $24.00 | -66.7% |
| Freight @ $0.05 / lb | $5.40 | $3.00 | -44.4% |
| Maint. Labor @ $0.047 / hour | $0.78 | $0.47 | -40.0% |
| Total blasting cost / week | $1,638.65 | $1,137.75 | -30.6% |
| Annual cost (=total cost / hr*BT hours*50) | $81,932.50 | $56,887.50 | -30.6% |
| Marginal cost per ton of castings | $364.14 | $151.70 | -30.6% |
The production and consumption data was provided by our customer and entered it into this spreadsheet above. The results tell the story for them. There are some things to consider but in many cases, cut-wire shot can provide additional cleaning capacity for less money. Contact us at Sinto/Frohn and we can provide assistance needed to determine if cut-wire is the right fit for you.
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