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Issue 52 | May 2009
(L-R) Markus Oswald (o.d.t.),
Pat Rohan and Vu Nguyen (CSIRO)
with the CASTfill spout wheel
Technology developed by CSIRO scientists in collaboration with an Australian Small to Medium Enterprises (SME) and Rio Tinto Alcan (RTA) is boosting global sales of Australian ingot casting machines.
The technology helped o.d.t. Engineering, a specialist supplier of aluminium casting equipment owned and run by the Oswald family, secure a contract to supply six machines to an international aluminium producer.
o.d.t. is based in Dandenong, Victoria, and employs 55 people.
'This sale demonstrates the importance of companies like ours investing in development of technology to become competitive in the global market', said Kurt Oswald, o.d.t. Engineering, Managing Director.
The collaboration between CSIRO's Light Metals Flagship (LMF), o.d.t. Engineering and the Pacific Technology Centre of RTA was undertaken through the CAST Cooperative Research Centre.
CAST provides a framework for ongoing development of a portfolio of projects with research-receptive companies, which has been particularly effective in brokering the uptake of technology by small businesses.
'As a partner in CAST, CSIRO has opportunities to work with smaller companies to undertake development and evaluation of technologies through prototyping or trial runs. This enables us to establish trust and build strong working relationships', said Raj Rajakumar, LMF Director.
'Both strong working relationships and a longer timeframe are critical to successful uptake of technologies, as they result in better understanding of market opportunities and smooth the path to market.'
Materials Science and Engineering researcher Vu Nguyen, who led the project, said o.d.t. Engineering understood the potential value of the project and were fully committed to it.
'We worked together to fine-tune the design of the pouring system and improve its efficiency using an ingot casting machine provided by o.d.t.', Vu said.
The patented pouring system, together with the patented high performance mould design also developed by CSIRO, are now integrated into the design of o.d.t.'s ingot casting machines, and o.d.t. are confident that the technology provides a market advantage.
'The global market has responded positively to the new technology', said Markus Oswald, o.d.t. Engineering, General Manager.
The pouring system (CASTfill) incorporates a custom-designed spout wheel that produces higher quality ingots by significantly reducing dross formation during ingot casting.
The mould design (CASTmould) increases casting process productivity by almost twenty percent by reducing the time required for solidification.
CSIRO researchers in the Light Metals Flagship lead several CAST projects designed to generate improved aluminium casting technologies, both for production of ingots in smelters and die cast components for downstream automotive applications.
