A combined approach for service and support and a real passion for the UK foundry industry are enabling Omega Sinto Foundry Machinery Ltd to champion its commitment to British foundries during an “exciting but tough time” for everyone, says the company’s new technical sales engineer.
Speaking exclusively to Foundry Trade Journal, Sam Garner said the “misconceptions” concerning the cost competitiveness of Omega’s sophisticated equipment has led to negative and unjustified feedback, something he is keen to address. “We do not compromise on quality and yet we stay competitive,” he said. “We do this by having hard working people behind the scenes constantly looking at the costs of materials, suppliers and making us work as efficient as possible. This in turn enables us to keep costs down for customers whilst being able to continue supplying quality equipment.”
Garner is best placed to comment having joined Omega in November 2021, following twelve years working in a foundry, giving him a practical understanding of customer needs. His arrival at the leading manufacturer of chemically bonded sand was instigated because of re-evaluation during the global pandemic. “It was identified during Covid that Omega Sinto wanted to have a better presence in the UK and an ‘on the ground’ approach. We are a proud UK manufacturer and we wanted to show this,” he enthused. “My job title at Omega Sinto is technical sales engineer. My job role is to primarily get back in touch with UK foundries and continue to build a dedicated presence back into the UK. Also, to build relationships with old and new generations of people coming through the industry. It is an exciting but also a tough time for the industry in the UK and we are here to fully support when and where we can.”
With the company’s roots firmly based in the UK, Omega Sinto orders have also grown in other parts of the world over recent years to be widely recognised as a global brand, but the company recognises the need to re-iterate its support for the home market. Garner explains: “I think there has been a perception that Omega Sinto is only interested in international work. I can assure you from conversations with people within Omega Sinto such as our chairman Mark Fenyes and managing director Mark Lewis that we are passionate about the UK foundry industry and are committed to support this. I think you can see that from how we support the Institute of Cast Metals Engineers with sponsorship and with presentations and seminars as just one example of additional things that we do to further support the industry in the UK.”
When asked if the company’s support of ICME in the regions help with maintaining a leading supplier status for British foundries, Garner said there was an aspect of that. “This certainly helps, and we will continue to support the ICME,” he noted. “But we retain the role of the leading supplier with a few different approaches – providing the highest quality, most efficient equipment, all designed with the operators in mind, also providing a good aftersales service which we are continuously improving. We also provide a very good spares service to support our customers. I think this combined approach puts us in good stead as the leading supplier for British foundries. “We are constantly improving what we do, for example the launch of our new spares website gives our customers complete control and ease of use to order spare parts with quick delivery. This is just one of many examples.”
During his travels around the UK this year, Garner says he has been surprised at some comments. “I have visited a lot of foundries in my first nine months with Omega Sinto and I have come across some feedback that we are an expensive supplier. From this feedback, I have had a closer look at competitors’ products and prices and overall, when you break it down, we are very competitively priced. A lot of our equipment comes with many items as standard. When you add up the ‘optional extras’ of competitors compared to what we offer as standard, the face value of costs are different, this is where I think some of the misconception lies.” Garner says that despite the current economic situation, the industry is coping well. “There are a lot of challenges currently in the UK market with rising energy, material costs and recruitment amongst many others, but having said that, a lot of foundries are busy with good order books. For many it has been a good time to invest to meet the demand.”
Garner says it’s time to set the record straight. “There have been a lot of perceptions in the UK market about Omega Sinto and we wanted to address those myths. We are constantly improving what we do whether this is looking at prices to stay competitive, improving our after sales service and being ready and available with the supply of spares for our equipment. “Coming from a foundry background myself, I want to help other foundries improve their current processes, I have seen the improvements Omega Sinto’s equipment can make first hand and I want to show this to others. I will be continuing to travel the UK and visit as many foundries as I can to introduce myself and be available whenever we may be needed.
EQUIPMENT BENEFITS – AT A GLANCE
Omega Sinto Foundry Machinery Ltd offers a wide variety of equipment from manual to automated and all accompanying equipment such as manipulators, floodcoat unit, rollovers and compaction tables etc. Garner says: “There are many advantages to our equipment versus competitors, even simply down to the weight of machines. This shows the thickness of steel used for example.”
Mixers
The company’s mixers are compatible with all binder systems and offer an efficient way of mixing sand and chemicals. They benefit from the use of tungsten tipped half-moon or turbo blades combined with features such as air assist to atomise chemical delivery to the sand, while keeping inlets clean. The pump systems consistently deliver the correct percentage of binders/esters/acids etc. With the Omega 3 series design, easy opening side doors allow good access for operators keeping downtime to a minimum. Offering a wide range of tph from 3 to 100tph.
Mould handling
There are three types of mould handling options: the Omega Carousel, Fast Loop and Shuttle System. All systems use minimal operators and maximum efficiency and productivity. Carousel is used for efficient use of space and is a great alternative to the more traditional fast loop. It is a high productivity machine that offers low maintenance and easy set ups. The Fast Loop is a robust system for production of moulds with varying fill times. It provides easy configuration, good productivity, and offers greater flexibility for design and mould sizes. The Shuttle System is designed for semi-automatic production of large, boxed moulds of varying sizes and strip times. It allows the control of mould curing times and maximises efficiency to increase productivity; it can be personalised for customer’s requirements.
Primary reclamation
These are very robust machines, built with thick steel and Hardox decks and liners. They provide highly efficient reclamation with up to four stages of scrubbing and screening and they process the sand at the desired rates. There are different options from 1 to 45tph. All are low maintenance and easy to clean out with features such as powered clean-out doors. Good access makes it easier for operators to get to the castings. From the GV and low level (LL) units to high level (HL) and shakeout decks, there is a range of reclamation to suit any need. Followed up by the company’s Cooler Classifiers. Garner says: “These are the most efficient Cooler Classifiers on the market and have some great features, such the inlet mesh drop out to prevent particles and metallics entering the system. There is a high efficiency heat exchanger to cool sand within six degrees of water inlet temperature.”
Secondary reclamation
“This is something we believe can help all foundries save money, especially in the current climate,” Garner tells us. “We have the USR for no-bake and greensand to core shop reclamation, thermal reclamation, chromite separation.
“The USR has excellent binder removal, typically over 50 per cent reduction to lower the LOI to under one per cent with one pass. This gives the customer the potential to re-use 90 per cent reclaimed sand in no-bake. This system also rounds the sand grains to improve the sand characteristics and lower the binder needed for reclaimed sand.
“Our thermal is also a very efficient system and is a generally maintenance free unit. It is very efficient on gas consumption and guarantees VOC emissions meet EU Legislation. The LOI will not be higher than 0.1 per cent after processing. The heat that’s taken out of the sand after processing is also re-used and sent back to the furnace to help with efficiencies. The burners and lining will both last for a minimum of three years. We use our unique dead bed and bubble-cap systems.
“Using the chromite separator. Utilising high performance magnets and an inclined fluidised bed, high purity levels of chromite sand can be recovered from a silica sand system. Up to 99 per cent purity of chromite sand is achievable.”
Other technologies
- IRIS – automatic control of sand, chemical and vibration recipes using RFID technology.
- Omega Sinto Connect –a web-based monitoring system that enables Omega Sinto equipment to be monitored and adjusted remotely. Giving full production reports and preventative maintenance alerts.
Omega Sinto Foundry Machinery Ltd moved to its current site in Peterborough (UK) in 2012. This provided larger and improved factory facilities and enhanced office space, with additional meeting and conference rooms. A pilot plant and lab was also installed to enable the company to test customers’ sand, to show the positive results of Omega Sinto equipment. Sam Garner explained: “We insist on a visit with customers so they can see the equipment running in real time with their own sand. We are currently in the process of upgrading our pilot plant and adding solar panels to the building. “Following Omega’s integration with Sinto we operate as we always have but with added support if required. We have been able to offer new products such as the USR for reclaiming sand, which helps foundries save money in the long term.”
Contact: Sam Garner, technical sales engineer, Omega Sinto Foundry Machinery Ltd, Morley Way, Peterborough PE2 7BW UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1733 232231, email: [email protected] web: www.ofml.net