The big view

He captured this image, entitled Tapping: a close-up view, in furnace “C”. The light from the melt gives the scene a special touch of colour that stands out against the otherwise light-grey drabness of the foundry. The liquid molten metal flows at a temperature of up to three thousand degrees Fahrenheit (1,650°C).

Small-sized casts like the ones shown here require special precision when it comes to pouring in the exact quantity for casting. Tapping is therefore of vital importance to the final quality of the casting. If the ladle moves during the pouring procedure, the scales are likely – under certain circumstances – to supply an incorrect weight reading. Each casting demands the highest levels of concentration and precision to match another of Kuhn Special Steel’s unique selling points: the diversity and variety of its components in terms of materials, dimensions and weights. The induction furnace shown here is the smallest of a total of seven that the foundry operates, designed for weights of between 500 kilos and 2.2 metric tons. Kuhn Special Steel can nevertheless handle castings weighing up to 5 tons. In standard practice, a thirty-kilo component is cast after a session involving 3.5 metric tons from various furnaces. All our furnaces are equipped with the latest heat-recovery technology, thereby letting them contribute to the cost-efficient and environment-friendly production of high-quality steel.

The Kuhn calendar initiative, a creative project carried out jointly with the painter Cindy Kuhn-Chuang and employees of Kuhn Special Steel, aims to capture photographic impressions of our working environment.

Photos: lessingtiede