Hi all
A press head that we made some time ago, It's just been pulled from the molding/casting pit, Can't remember what it weighed but the crane has a 300t lifting capacity, We also have a 200t crane on the same track (And a 60 tonner)
The two larger cranes can be joined as we have a lifting beam that fits both cranes and makes them in to one, As the beam weighs 25tonnes we can pick up castings to 475 tonnes but we make castings (In the black) to around 580tonnes so we have to burn heads (Risers) whilst the job is still in the pit until it drops within the capacities of the cranes..

A job in the pit that we were cleaning at the time..

After the ancilliaries have dug the sand away and we're burning the heads to get the weight down for lifting, By the way, We have to cut the heads at temps between 150°c and 450°c, If it's too cold then large cracks can appear, If it's too hot lots ansd lots of smaller cracks show so we have to keep within the parameters, Only trouble is that I was on the cutter standing about a foot away from the 450°c and had to get loads of leather on (As well as tin sheets against the casting) to keep me from scorching!

The years of doing this has taken it's toll and now i'm over the moon to not have to do this any more as i've been given a cushy job reclaiming sand so I sit in a bucket truck all day loading lumpy sand in to a shaker to break it down for reuse!, There was a condition though that if the burners were short handed, I had to make the numbers up, I've only had to go back on the job once for a week though in the last year!!!
A 90tonne ladle being purged and alloys added to aid running of the metal..

A 250tonne press leg ready for delivery to the customer..

This was me cleaning the nozzles of a ladle after pouring, My mate used to do this job, He must have been off that day!

Cheers, John
