High Value Manufacturing For The Castings Technology International (CTI) Large Scale Titanium Casting Facility

AMRC铸造公司的新熔炉是一项1500万英镑投资的一部分，该投资将使英国能够在全球范围内竞争，生产一些世界上最大的钛航空铸件。新熔炉将能够浇注1000公斤钛，这是制造500公斤铸件所需的量，并有三个可互换的坩埚。钛在航空航天工业中非常有价值，全球需求量达34亿美元，用于各种飞机发动机和结构部件。钛比钢强30%，比钢轻近50%。与铝相比，它的强度是铝的两倍，并且在500摄氏度以上具有出色的强度保持。除了对航空航天工业有利外，对其他工业也有重大价值。这已经在核能领域得到了证明，大大降低了成本，这对塞拉菲尔德来说可能价值高达1.5亿英镑。几家领先的英国企业已经表达了在不久的将来利用钛铸件能力的兴趣，其中包括：劳斯莱斯（Rolls-Royce）、空客（Airbus）和GKN Aerospace。此前，美国主导着这个市场，是唯一有能力生产如此大型铸件的国家。然而，AMRC的投资将使英国能够在全球范围内竞争，建立在该组织在制造小型钛铸件方面的广泛专业知识上。AMRC铸造公司商务经理Richard Gould评论道：“我们计划在英国建立世界级的钛铸造能力，发展必要的技能基础，使公司能够在非常非常具有挑战性的过程中获得回报。”熔炉的建设将在培训和冷调试前及时完成，将于2016年11月开始，随后将进行热调试，并于12月进行第一次测试熔化。

AMRC Castings’ new furnace is part of a major £15 million investment that will enable the UK to compete on a global scale, producing some of the biggest titanium aerospace castings in the world. The new furnace will be capable of pouring 1000kg of Titanium, the amount required to make a 500kg casting and has three interchangeable crucibles.Titanium is very valuable in the aerospace industry, with $3.4 billion of worldwide demand, used in a variety of aircraft engine and structures components. Titanium is 30% stronger than steel and nearly 50% lighter. Compared to aluminium, it is twice as strong and has excellent strength retention to over 500 degrees celsius.In addition to the benefit for the aerospace industry, there is also significant value for other industries. This has already been demonstrated in the nuclear sector, delivering significant cost reductions, which could be worth up £150m for Sellafield. Several leading UK businesses have already expressed their interests in utilising the titanium castings capability, in the near future, including: Rolls-Royce, Airbus and GKN Aerospace. Previously, the United States dominated this market and was the only country capable of producing such large castings. However, the investment at the AMRC will, enable the UK to compete globally, building on the organisations extensive expertise in manufacturing smaller titanium castings.“We plan to create a world class Titanium casting capability in the UK developing the skills base necessary to enable companies to reap the rewards of carrying out a process that is very, very challenging,” commented AMRC Castings’ Commercial Manager, Richard Gould. Furnace construction is due to finish in time for training and cold commissioning, to start during November 2016, and will be followed by hot commissioning and the first test melts in December.