Grovetown Facility Expansion: Full Speed Ahead!
As reported on Mining.com, “global mining suppliers and equipment manufacturers should see the market expanding more than 8% per year through 2017 to $135 billion.”
KSB saw this coming: The company is in the midst of a major expansion at KSB’s GIW Industries site in Grovetown, Georgia, in order to better meet our mining industry customers’ need for more efficient and durable large-capacity pumps and systems. The expansion is designed to increase the capacity for large flask sizes — up to 20 feet square. The new facility will double the foundry capacity in the short term and allow for greater expansion in the long term.
“When this project is complete, the Grovetown facility will be the only foundry in the world that has this capacity to make white iron parts this size,” says Richard Sterzen, GIW’s Industrial Engineering Manager. The completed facility will be 78 feet high (with an under-crane height of 50 feet) by 400 feet long by 100 feet wide.
Expansion process
The expansion is occurring in two phases and will be invisible to customers; it will not impact current operations and facilities or cause any delays in deliveries. Phase one of the expansion, the construction of the foundry facility, is currently in progress. The goal of this new facility is to reduce outsourcing and to improve safety of the casting process. Phase two of the facility expansion will begin in 2015 and will include construction of a large distribution center.
KSB expects the construction to be completed in late December, with the equipment installation to be completed by June of 2015. Equipment to be installed includes heat-treating equipment, shakeout systems, and two 15-metric-ton induction melting furnaces, all of which are currently being manufactured.
The site work has been done to prepare for soil excavation and installation of the foundation. Site utilities and the shaker pit will also be installed. The pilings for the shakeout system are sunk 30 feet deep; 175,000 cubic yards of soil were removed to prepare the ground for the foundry.
KSB has been extremely safety conscious during site construction. All the pits are designed by registered professional engineers, and safety mechanisms are in place for all trenches deeper than five feet to protect workers from cave-ins.
More resources to serve customers
Another goal of the expansion project, in addition to increasing KSB’s foundry capacity, is to reduce outsourcing, but not eliminate it completely. Expanding in-house manufacturing and distribution capacity allows KSB to keep close control of materials, quality, and turnaround while still maintaining relationships with outsource partners that provide valuable flexibility in production.
Long term, this expansion will give KSB a significant advantage in the global mineral processing industry and will allow KSB to continue to provide market-leading quality products, services, and solutions for our customers. Customers can look forward to seeing a sizable increase in the casting capabilities that KSB can perform in-house once the facility has opened.
[cta]KSB has the experience, the capacity, and the best and longest-wearing slurry and process solutions to meet your needs. If we can assist you in any way, please contact us at 1.888.TECHGIW (832-4449) or visit our website.[/cta]
