Pressure die casting is one of the most efficient moulding processes. Hundreds of thousands of castings can be produced quickly with just one mould. But like so many industrial processes, this production method is extremely energy-intensive, with crucible furnaces leading the charge in terms of considerable energy consumption. Such furnaces are used to melt metal ingots which are then pressed into a metallic mold at high pressure and speed. The total energy consumption of German light-metal foundries is accordingly high; it was recorded at 4.4 terawatt hours by the German Federal Statistical Office in 2019. The concept of making the production process energy-flexible creates the possibility of balancing out fluctuations in the electricity grid and thus reduce their production costs.
Bivalent furnace technology is the key to energy-flexible operation. „Furnaces are typically operated using only one energy source — either fuels such as gas and oil or alternatively electricity. Bivalent crucible furnaces, however, can switch dynamically between electricity and gas during operation. This technology has not been available until now,” explains Alexander Mages, a researcher at Fraunhofer IPA in Stuttgart. “It means that we can use different energy sources to cover the energy requirements of crucible furnaces in any operating state.”
