Released on June 6, 2011

Ferrous caster Fonderie Saguenay, Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada, recently added the capability of producing real size castings without the use of permanent tooling.

The company’s Nopatech fabrication technique uses robotics and software technologies to produce gray and ductile iron parts within one or two weeks of receiving a customer drawing.

“The process was very useful to us,” said Jean-Philippe Lefebvre, pattern shop supervisor for Baldor-Maska, Sainte-Claire, Quebec, Canada, one of the first clients to use the technology. “When we received the cast part, one week after ordering, we measured it and the dimensions were as good as it would have been with a pattern.”

Nopatech is a 9-axis robotic cell that machines blank sand molds in sizes from 20 x 20 in. to 115 x 115 in. It also produces cores. The technology can be used as an alternative to weldments and polystyrene foam patterns.

Fonderie Saguenay produces castings from 200 to 15,000 lbs. for the aluminum smelting, metal and alloy production, power transmission, utility plant and mining industries, among others. The metalcasting facility serves clients in Canada, the U.S., Europe and the Middle East.