COURTESY: DANIEL INDUSTRIES, INC., USA

This Ductile Iron casting houses the operator for a special plug valve performing the function of two valves. The new housing was redesigned from a steel fabrication into Ductile Iron, saving Daniel Industries $2,300,000 annually.

Material and fabricating costs dropped from $467 per unit to $67. Another benefit of the redesign was better appearance, and reduced manufacturing problems.

COURTESY: JOHN DEERE PLOW & PLANTER WORKS

This support provides vertical and horizontal safety spring attachments for a coulter blade and arm assembly, used on moldboard plows. The new Ductile Iron and steel composite design replaced a weld fabrication, reducing total cost 37%, for a first-year saving of $167,500. Cited by the designer as additional advantages of the redesign were improved reliability and appearance. By careful attention to design, a Ductile Iron casting was conventionally welded to a sheet steel stamping. In the design, provision was made for an internal welding ear to be added to the casting in order to place the weld material in shear at the tension side of the joint.

COURTESY: SIEMPELKAMP GIESSEREI GMBLH & CO., KREFELD,WEST GERMANY

World's heaviest Ductile Iron casting weighting 160 tons. Frame for 40MN press. Dimensions 11300 x 3800 x 3000 mm.