BMW : World's first emission-free foundry

Press release
Source: BMW

Landshut/Munich. From 2010, BMW’s Landshut plant will boast the world’s first foundry with emission-free sand core production. The light-alloy foundry at the BMW plant is introducing a new sand core production method for gravity die-casting, whereby conventional organic binders will be replaced by highly eco-friendly inorganic binders, which generate virtually no pollutant emissions. The introduction of this innovative production method will allow the light-alloy foundry to reduce its emissions of combustion residues by 98 per cent. The plant will completely decommission its current waste air treatment systems by 2010.

BMW Plant Landshut, light-metal foundry, production of inorganically bonded cores, water jacket zylinder head, 6-cylinder-diesel-engine, quality testing

The Landshut light-alloy foundry’s approximately 1,300 employees currently produce around 1.8 million aluminium and magnesium castings a year, with a total weight of 45,000 tonnes. The product range includes engine components such as cylinder heads and crankcases, structural components and chassis parts such as suspension strut supports, tailgate frames, corner castings and casting nodes for the front and rear axle.

Approximately half the castings produced are gravity die-cast using sand cores. The light-alloy foundry uses some 120 tonnes of sand daily in sand core production. 90 per cent of this volume is recycled. Following an initial pilot operation phase, the BMW Group is now poised to become the world’s first manufacturer to use inorganic sand cores in volume production of all engine core components. The inorganic binders used are based on water-soluble alkali silicates (i.e. a water/silica sand solution), resulting in significantly reduced resource consumption.

“Inorganic sand core production positions us at the forefront of the foundry industry,” says Dr Wolfgang Blümlhuber, head of the light-alloy foundry. “We see inorganic sand core production as key to competitive operation, particularly in highly industrialised countries with stringent environmental regulations, where manufacturing costs are correspondingly high.”

The light-alloy foundry first introduced this reduced-emission production process for use in the manufacturing of aluminium crankcases and cylinder heads for six-cylinder diesel engines. Now inorganic sand core production is gradually being extended to the foundry’s entire product range.

BMW plant Landshut, light-metal foundry, production of aluminium crankcases, six-cylinder diesel engine.