The possibility of cast components being replaced by other production technologies is a constant threat to the foundry industry. As a company renowned over seventy years for our prolific innovation in products and services, we take our leading responsibility for research and development seriously. We see it as a key part of our role to fuel and fund the innovation needed to drive metals industries' competitiveness.

This commitment is evident in our new product and process development programme, supported by basic research projects outsourced to universities and private laboratories, with whom we establish licensing agreements.

Pioneering Better Productivity

The quest for innovative products, increased productivity and new technologies is vital in today’s competitive industrial world and we support our customers by focusing Foseco’s innovative strengths on their needs.

We have a record of pioneering many of the most successful developments in the industry. For example, we are a pioneer and world leader in feeding systems and molten metal filtration technologies that improve productivity and casting quality. In particular, our ingenuity and expertise in metal filtration is increasingly underpinning the foundry industry’s search for lighter stronger components, by enabling casting sections to be reduced whilst maintaining their mechanical strength.

Our development of insulating molten metal transfer systems and new mould and core binders has led to significantly improved productivity and quality, and improved working environments.

Two examples are:

1. New sand binders such as the ECOLOTEC product provide a better working environment, higher quality surface finish and improved productivity compared to traditional furanes and silicates.
2. The KALPUR direct pouring filter / feeder technology enables casting yields above 90% by the total elimination of sprues and runners.
   

Iintellectual Property

By the end of 2003, Foseco held in the region of 650 live patents and almost 4,000 individual trademark registrations covering some 350 brand names.