Cortem Group foundry department:
Advanced manufacturing technology, product engineering and high quality Cortem Group boasts a production process handled internally which...
Advanced manufacturing technology, product engineering and high quality
Cortem Group boasts a production process handled internally which consists of a foundry, a machine shop, a carpentry department and a washing and painting department. In particular, it’s one of the few European manufacturers of explosion-proof electrical equipment with an internal foundry.
Elfit foundry, a company of Cortem Group along with Cortem, is one of the few in Italy to have three different technologies for aluminium processing available:
- Die casting
- Low pressure
- Chill technology.
In the course of time, Elfit acquired a vast experience in the light alloys transformation process, focusing more and more on the use of the most advanced applicable technologies to the production cycle. On completion, it offers the best expertise in the design and manufacture of moulds, in the maintenance of them and of the equipment in use.
At any time of the development of the order, Elfit provides a comprehensive service in terms of technical assistance on the product engineering. Thanks to the experience in the aluminium smelting process, it’s able to provide the best advice on:
- the geometry of the jet compatible with the transformation process applied, directing the choice of the aluminium power systems and the evacuation of the gases in the mould;
- the use of light alloys with components (possibly with mechanical and structural characteristics);
- in the design of moulds and surface coatings of the same, assuming the process parameters: melting, processing and treatment on castings and more.
Elfit transforms about 100 tons per month of aluminium primary alloys with low copper content and with high resistance to corrosion. The 40.000 square meter production area is equipped with three melting furnaces, which allow to work simultaneously different types of alloys, a degassing facility and 4 presses with closing power from 380 to 750 tons, newly renovated and robotized for increasing automation of the production processes, in addition to 3 low pressure presses and 4 installations for the chill-shaped castings. The department is completed by cutting, deburring, finishing and tumbling machines. Through collaborations with partners, it can provide polished or chrome-plated items. The whole is planned to retain the necessary flexibility, to increase the productivity and the quality of the product.
Elfit foundry offers a range of products ranging from small parts with a weight of 1-5 g, with limited printable surface, in greater details with weight up to 45-50 kg and extended printable surface, from the simplest to the most complex, with the option to perform undercuts, multi-cavity moulds and the introduction of inserts of any type.
In compliance with ISO 9001:2008 and OHSAS 18001 certifications, Elfit realizes scheduled tests, monitoring all stages of the process: the control in acceptance of light aluminium alloys, controls of samples and during all processing stages up to the finished product with the aid of monitoring and measurement equipment of the latest generation. Thanks to the proper management of the Quality System, Elfit is able to issue quality certificates on chemical compositions of the alloys and certificates of conformity of the product to customer requirements.
To certify products, Elfit uses a wide range of equipment that undergoes periodic calibration, such as:
- Optical spectrometer for the analysis of the composition of light aluminium alloys;
- Fluoroscopy X-Ray system of last generation, with a processor for processing and programming of control cycles;
- Coordinate-measuring machine;
- Rooms for salt spray tests, climatic chamber, overpressure and waterproof tests.