ENT 500 NOTES

Metal Casting as a Practice

Metal casting which is one of the earliest manufacturing processes known to humans, generally
involves pouring molten metal into a refractory mould with a cavity of the shape to be made, and
allowing it to solidify. When solidified, the desired metal object is taken out from the refractory
mould either by breaking the mould or taking the mould apart. Common metals that are cast
include cast iron, aluminium, magnesium, and copper alloys. This process is ideal for complex
items that are small to medium-sized. The origins of this process date back about 5,600 years to
ancient Mesopotamia – and except for a few modern innovations in the molds themselves – the
process has remained relatively unchanged since then.

Metal casting also known as founding or foundry is extensively used in manufacturing and could
be regarded as substantial bedrock for a nation’s industrial growth. The importance of metal
casting products in the society and in the world of today is indicated by how societies depend
extensively upon metals and metal products. Practically all metal products start by first being cast
in ingot. For instance, metal ingot from which other areas of metal shaping starts must first be cast.
Therefore, without the casting process of metal casting (foundry), there would be no metals, and
if there were no metals, there would be virtually nothing.

Many products would be nonexistent if it were not for metal casting, as metal cannot be obtained
in a useable form from the earth. Major components of machine tools, power plants, industrial
machinery and equipment, automobile, agricultural and textile industry and several others are
products of the foundry industry. The development of foundry technology therefore, should be of
strategic concern to planners of rapid industrialization of any nation. One can therefore rightly say
that the acquisition of foundry technology is basic to economic development and self reliance.

In Nigeria however, little attention has been given to the development of the casting industry for
too long. This is one of the reasons for our over dependence on imported spare parts and machine
components for such vital sectors of the economy as ship-building, automobile, railways,
agriculture, cement industry, food processing, power generations.
Demand for Foundry Products

The consumption of foundry products in Nigeria is rising as economic growth takes off. Raj Gupta
calculates the size of the Nigerian market for steel products at about 2.5 million tonnes annually.
Of this, 1.77 million are long steel products like rebars. Domestic output in these product groups
is estimated at 1.2 million tonnes. The rest, supplied from abroad, consists mainly of higher quality
steel products (FINNFUND, 2010). An average of steel products such as standard plates, hot-rolled
coil, cold-rolled coil and rebar is $464.7 using Chinese prices, which means Nigeria imports
roughly 7.1 million metric tonnes of steel annually.

Steel makers, made up of players in the basic metal, iron and steel and fabricated metal, invested
N202.97 billion in the second half of 2016 as against N37.05 billion in the first half (MMSD,
2017).

According to Okundaye (1995), the National Demand for cast metal products in Nigeria increased
steadily from 72, 000 tonnes to 292, 000 tonnes (1985) to 425,000 in (1990s) and 794, 000 tonnes
by the turn of the century, for which the National Committee on Foundry Development estimated
40% of these requirements as automotive components. In Nigeria, 120,000 tons of foundry
products are required to meet industrial demand and at present only four foundries have managed
to survive out of the sixty registered active ones as of 1995 to cater for this huge demand
(Barberopoulos, 2012). This gap (over 70%) in casting products supply has only been met through
importation over the years. Infact, the Nigerian Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development,
Abubakar Bawa Bwari, at a Mines and Money event in London, with the theme: “The Business
Case for Nigeria, as a Mining Destination”, has recently disclosed that Nigeria still imports an
estimated $3.3 billion worth of steel and associated derivatives annually (Abah, 2018). And in
2017, ores and metals import for Nigeria was 3.3 %. Though Nigeria ores and metals imports
fluctuated substantially in recent years, it tended to decrease through 1991 - 2017 period ending at
3.3 % in 2017. According to World Steel Association (2018), Nigeria imports of ingots and semis
was at level of 51 thousand tonnes in 2017, down from 65 thousand tonnes previous year, this is a
change of 21.54 % as shown in Figure 1. Ocheri et al (2017) identify the following areas which
depend on foundry products:
Agricultural Sector: Machine components of agric-machines: (tractors, harvesters, tillers etc.)
among which are, shafts, pulleys, flywheels, couplings, rollers, pump and compressor, impellers
pump casings, parts of mowers, ploughs and cultivating equipment, corn mills parts and plates, oil
expellers parts, water pumps and hand pump.

Petroleum Industry: Machine components and mechanical parts, including: Valves, pipes
fittings, bearings and bearing housings, cast-iron couplings, heat exchanger sheets, conveyor
components etc.

Power Industry: Machine components and mechanical parts, including: Pump and compressor,
impellers, pump casings, ducting, power distribution structural parts, and furnace and boiler parts
etc.

Automobile Industry: Machine components and mechanical parts including: Engine blocks,
cylinder heads, brake discs, brake drums, manifolds, axles, gear boxes, crank shafts, pinions,
rollers, steering knuckles, callipers, rock arm carburettor bodies, connecting rods, piston, fuel
pumps, intake manifold, master cylinder body, transmission housing, Valve rocker arm, crank
cases, Engine block, cylinder heads, etc. Currently installed vehicle assembly capacities in Nigeria
stands at more than 70,000 vehicles per year, in total 7 companies have started to assemble
vehicles. According to Global Auto Industry Market Report (2015), automotive industries where
Vehicles are assembled such as Stallion Motors assemble vehicles for Hyundai, Nissan, Tata and
Ashok Leyland at the former Volkswagen of Nigeria (VON) plant in Lagos, which the company
took over in 2012 and Nissan have increased their sales from around 1,000 new vehicles in 2012
to around 6,000 in 2014 assembled in the country. Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) has an
installed capacity of 10,000 vehicles. Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN), currently targeting to
assemble around 3,000 vehicles, but having much space for growth at its plant in Kaduna which
was originally built in the 1980s. Also assembling passenger cars, Dana Motors, which is part of
Nigerian Dana Group revealed current capacities plans to assemble the whole Kia range of
passenger cars in 2015. The company assembles Kia Rio, Cerato and Optima at its plant in Lagos.
Also, Anammco, Leventis and Sinotrucks Nigeria are assembling trucks in the country. The total
vehicles capacity in Nigeria as of 2014 was 78,000 with Truck assembly capacity of 3,000 and car
and bus assembly capacity of 75,000. This just accounted for 8.7% of the vehicles produced on
the continent and 0.078 % of global production in 2015. This production is negligible for a country
of 170,000,000 people with the largest economy in Africa; the country GDP of $520bn in 2013 as
compared to $350bn of South Africa as the continent’s number two.

Defence Industries: Machine components and mechanical parts including: Munitions shells for
grenades and land mines rocket war-heads components for tanks and artillery bodies, etc.

Electrical Equipment: Motor frames heads, Refrigerator compressor part for power lines, cast
resistor, Electric base change over switch bodies, gear switch bodies, Gland (dating) etc.

Ceramic and Refractory Industry: Extrusion press dies, impellers, Ceramic press arm, stone
polishing spirals, dies for tiles and bricks, etc.

From the foregoing, it becomes clear that every other manufacturing industry depends on foundry
for their machine component parts and spare parts.

Government Efforts Toward Foundry Industries in Nigeria

Successive governments in Nigeria since the 70’s had tried to put in the country’s developmental
plans guidelines to diversify the economic base of the country from the dependence on oil which
accounted for over 90% of Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings in the last three decades. The
objective was to evolve a new industrial policy which would lead to the much-desired
technological development and sustainable economy in Nigeria and self-reliant with the metal
manufacturing sector being a vehicular medium for bringing this lofty policy into reality. The
foundry industry was therefore envisaged to play a pivotal role as a major metal manufacturing
activity in line with the independent study reliably conducted by the following bodies: The Federal
Office of Statistics, National Committee on Industrial Development (NCID) and the National
Committee on foundry Development under the auspices of United Nations Industrial Development
(UNIDO) from 1965 to 1985. From these studies, it shows how the National Demand of cast metal
products in Nigeria steadily increased from 72, 000 tonnes to 292, 000 tonnes (1985) to 425,000
in (1990s) and 794, 000 tonnes by the turn of the century, for which the National Committee on
Foundry Development estimated 40% of these requirements as automotive components.
In view of this, the Nigerian government has formulated some policies aimed at enhancing
increased foundry practice in Nigeria. The national policies on Foundry development are very
laudable. They include:

a) The promotion of growth and spread of foundries and allied metal forming industries in
the country.

b) The promotion of metal forging and spare parts manufacturing industries.

c) The development and promotion of machine tools industries.

d) The development of indigenous engineering capabilities for the design and manufacture
of plants and machinery

Realizing, the important role of the engineering subsector, the Federal Government established the
National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) in 1992, to remedy the
nation's previous mistakes and map out strategies to develop the level of Nigeria's capability in the
production of delivery systems and components. NASENI organized the existing Foundries
companies to form the Foundry Association of Nigeria (FAN), a forum for favorable government
foundry policy. NASENI has assisted FAN enormously to channel the views and aspirations of
the foundry men to government. Through their joint efforts and that of the Nigeria Society of
Engineers, NSE, it was possible to win the mandate of government to ban the exportation of metal
scraps, one of the major raw materials for foundries.

Problems Facing Nigerian Foundries

The Nigerian foundry industries like other industries in the country are not without its own
problems, which tend to restrain the growth and development of foundries. Several attempts have
been made to discuss the present status of the metal casting technology in Nigeria and the future
prospects for the growth and development of technology vis avis the nation. These problems are
given as follows:

1) Grant of Inadequate Finance: Adequate finance is required by the foundries, because these
industries required installation, of heavy and costly machines and large investment of capital in
land and building at the initial stage are to be started a large scale to make the investment paving.
2) Problem of Working Capital: Current assets or working capital is required for the purchase
of raw materials with a view to processing the materials into castings and founder for meeting the
day today expenses of the industries, such as payment of salaries stationary, rent, rates, working
capital generally involves the use of short term funds in business in quickly convertible into cash
through a regular cycle. The materials are changed into castings, castings are sold out to realize
cash and cash is utilized in purchasing of materials or for other purposes Adequacy of working
capital helps a lot in maintaining industry.

3) Release of Subsidy and other Incentives: There is a need to release huge amount of subsidy
and other incentives to foundry industries as they require huge amount of adequate amount of
working capital to carry its operations smoothly. Incentive like packages should be provided for
the development of these foundry industries.

4) Raw Material Problems: The price of raw material goes on increasing, Due to this fact it is
not possible for the foundry men to produce casting as per the specification of the customer at a
competitive price. The arrangement should be made to produce and distribute the raw materials at
a reasonable price to the foundry industries to produce a good quality casting which is helpful to
the foundry people.

5) Electricity problems: The consumption of power is very high for foundry units. As electric
power is relatively cheaper to generate and what is easier to transmit over a long distance.
Therefore, it is necessary to avoid load shedding and supply electric power on a continuous basis.
This also provides a good measure of size and growth of foundry units.

6) Labour Problems: Availability of skilled, semiskilled, and unskilled labours are the major
problems to the foundry industries. Sometimes production of casting is hampered due to the non
availability of skilled workers. Due to this it is not possible to the specification of the unskilled
working which is an extra burden the part of foundry man.

7) Design problems: Indeed, the challenge for today’s foundry is to develop new and more
efficient processes and material designs that will meet the technology of tomorrow. Until now, the
process of perfecting a part for mass production has required the development of a mold, casting
a prototype, testing, and then a series of refinements until the end product meets the exact
specifications. It can take anywhere from a week to a month to cast a specific metal part, depending
on the complexity of the design. That process, if duplicated several times, can cost thousands of
dollars as well as many weeks or months of lost time. Preventing defects and avoiding what can
be extraordinarily costly rework is the key to efficiency at an operation where single manufactured
pieces can weigh up to a tonne. New technologies such as 3D scanning and 3D measurement
instruments along with 3D printing are dramatically changing the way products are designed,
constructed, and perfected. By using point-cloud software with a 3D scanning attachment, exact
measurements are uploaded to a computer, modifications are made, and a 3D printed model is
produced within hours or a day. This technology enables supremely fast, accurate, and reliable
prototypes to be made.

The 3D design and printing process increases the total design time but dramatically reduces the
overall cost of the end product. By reducing the number of prototypes that are needed to perfect
the design you’re left with an increased supply of viable prototypes as well as less wasted product.

Conclusion and Recommendation

Major components of machine tools, power plants, industrial machinery and equipment,
automobile, agricultural and textile industry and several others are products of the foundry
industry. These are essential tools, equipments and parts urgently and constantly needed in every
developing and developed country. Hence foundry industries are profitable ventures and can serve
as a source of employment to graduates, and is thus of strategic importance in a nation’s strive for
industrialization. The development of foundry industry therefore, should be of strategic concern
to planners of rapid industrialization of any nation. In Nigeria however, little attention has been
paid to the development of the foundry for too long. This explains the country's over dependence
on imported spare parts and machine components for such vital sector of the economy. Therefore,
any study and government effort that focuses on this important subsector is invaluable. To this
end, the following are recommended.
 Government should encourage indigenous foundry practice in Nigeria by embarking on
foundry programs, giving incentives to trainees and providing enabling and conducive
environment for such practice
 The foundries need to urgently do more than pay lip service to technological changes if
they must compete favorably with foreign manufacturers and induce sales, thus the state-
of-the-art machines and equipment for production must be acquired.
 The urgent need to put in place growth driven policy that will lead to sustainable
development of the foundries cannot be overemphasized. Government can support
patronage by encouraging its agencies and other private sector end-users to look inward
and source their castings locally. This can only be achieved by the enactment of the local
content policy for foundry products.
 For Nigeria foundries to compete favorably, government should also initiate special credit
schemes for foundries in Nigeria. This will boost their ability to respond to technological
changes, thereby improving the quality of their products.
 Government should encourage indigenous production of spare parts, machines and make a
legal pronouncement that 30-40% of our spare parts production must have local content,
this will further encourage our foundry men to step up their productions to meet our
demands
 Industrial Banks should provide loans to genuine foundry men and foundry industries to
assist them take off with production
 Government should try as much as possible to remove tariff on imported foundry
machineries and equipments.
 Research and Development (R & D) in foundry materials to aid total input substitution
should be encouraged.
 Nigeria should toe the developmental steps taken by India, Malaysia, Brazil, Mexico and
other newly industrialized nations (NIN)

Wishing You Success in Your Exams and a Happy Graduation Celebration in Advance!!!

Dr O.O. Taiwo
(MME)