Waste Treatment for an Automated Grai
and Nodular Iron Foundry
A. J. BADER, Staff Engineer
Design and Construction Division
Caterpillar Tractor Company
Peoria, Illinois 61601
C. L. MEYER, Design Engineer
Stanley Consultants, Inc.
Muscatine, Iowa 52761
INTRODUCTION
Caterpillar Tractor Co,
"The bold tread of an earthmover's tire and the distinctive mark of a track-
type tractor have made their imprints across the world. These marks spell
progress -- progress on a modern road through the Midwestern United States, progress on a huge dam rising from a moraine in British Columbia, progress on a new
iron ore mine in Brazil, and progress in converting a Costa Rican jungle into productive farmland. Such progress is desperately needed -- for the world is constantly expanding its requirements for transportation, water, minerals, food and
other material needs that are served by the productive machines that Caterpillar
builds" -- thus begins the Caterpillar 1966 Annual Report.
At the end of 1966 Caterpillar had 23 manufacturing plants in 10 countries.
Two additional plants are under construction --a factory in Gosselies, Belgium
and a new foundry in Mapleton, Illinois. It is this last facility --a modem,
automated gray and nodular iron foundry -- and its related waste treatment systems, that is to be described.
Mapleton Plant
In 1965, Caterpillar purchased a 400 acre site located 170 miles southwest of
Chicago and 15 miles south of Peoria, on the Illinois River. This site is strategically located in relation to Caterpillar's six Midwestern plants, and to a major,
dependable water supply -- the Illinois River.
The Mapleton Plant(Figure 1) will consist of a 1,030,000 sq ft foundry building, an office and locker room building, pattern shop, and miscellaneous support
buildings -- including a utility building. It is this last building that houses the
waste and water treatment facilities.
This Mapleton Plant will be a clean, well lighted and ventilated foundry employing the latest technology to produce gray and nodular iron castings for use at
Caterpillar's manufacturing plants. This all-electric foundry will require approximately 70,000 KVA capacity for the 12 induction furnaces. This method of
melting permits the production of iron with exacting metallurgical and chemical
specifications. Scrap metal, most of which will be collected from Caterpillar's
Midwestern plants, will be melted into castings weighing from four to 3600 lbs.
Approximately 500 tons of sand per day will De used in core and mold making.
The eight molding systems will employ high pressure, hydraulically operated
molding machines capable of exerting 400,000 lbs squeeze pressure to produce
accurate, stable molds resulting in castings of consistent and accurate dimensions.
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