Abstract
The past twenty to twenty–five years has been a period of considerable change for the foundry industry during which established practices and ingrained attitudes have required critical re–appraisal and occasionally drastic revision. The energy related industries, demanding higher quality components of proven integrity as service conditions have become progressively more exacting, have played an important role over this period as castings specifications have been subject to frequent revision to reflect changing requirements. Founders have been required to respond, first in order to exploit the buoyant market of the 1960's and early 1970's, and second to survive in the depressed international market of the late 1970's and early 1980's. This paper reviews developments in ferrous castings for large steam turbines during this period, and outlines the manner in which specifications for this type of casting have become progressively more stringent. The impact of these changes on the foundry industry is reviewed, and an outline is given of the response of one UK castings manufacturer to the challenge of competing in the international marketplace of the 1980's.
MST/164
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.