Inductotherm Pouring Pressure Pour Systems, VISIPOUR & Holding Furnaces

Core Mission of the Inductotherm Pouring & Holding Division

Within the global Inductotherm Group (founded by Henry M.

Rowan in 1953 in Rancocas, New Jersey, USA; first furnace built in 1954, first overseas facility in Australia in 1968; ISO 9001 certified since 1993, currently ISO 9001:2015; encompassing 40 companies, 50 product lines, 10 brands, and over 41,000 installations), the Pouring & Holding division

engineers automated molten metal buffering and precision mold-filling systems.

Designed to synchronize with high-speed vertically parted flaskless and horizontally parted flask molding lines, Inductotherm pouring furnaces integrate induction temperature holding, pneumatic siphon level control, servo stopper actuation, and optical camera vision to deliver consistent pouring

temperatures and exact shot weights on every mold.

Pressure Pour and MULTI-POUR Heated Automated Pouring Furnaces

For continuous high-output iron foundries, Pressure Pour inductor-heated pouring furnaces (1.8 to 25 metric tons usable capacity) serve as the industry benchmark.

A lower replaceable channel inductor maintains exact liquid metal temperature while regulated air or inert gas pressure applied above the bath forces clean metal from deep below the slag layer up into the pouring spout, holding the spout metal level constant regardless of furnace bath weight.

Because the filling siphon and pouring siphon are isolated from the pressurized chamber, operators can refill the furnace from transfer ladles without interrupting mold pouring.

For twin-sprue molds or dual-cavity molding lines, MULTI-POUR furnaces (2 to 5 metric tons usable capacity) utilize two independently controlled servo stopper rods to pour two streams simultaneously.

VISIPOUR Optical Vision Control and P3 Predictive Pour Performance

Stopper rod positioning on Inductotherm pouring machines is governed by the VISIPOUR optical vision system combined with the P3 (Predictive Pour Performance) control algorithm.

A high-speed digital camera housed in a water-cooled protective enclosure locates the sprue cup on each incoming mold, commands the X- and Y-axis furnace travel drives to align the nozzle over the cup center, and measures the molten metal meniscus area inside the pouring cup in real time.

The P3 algorithm automatically adapts to stopper tip and nozzle wear, commanding rapid initial stopper opening to choke the downsprue immediately and tapering flow toward the end of the pour to prevent cup overflow, splashing, and excess runner scrap.

Flexi-Pour, TILT-POUR Rotary Ladles, and Unheated Tundishes

Foundries requiring rapid alloy turnarounds—such as alternating between gray iron and magnesium-treated ductile iron—deploy 4-axis Flexi-Pour machines (coordinated X, Y, Z, and tilt motion) or TILT-POUR lip-axis servo rotary ladles with vessel capacities from 250 to 1,500 kg.

By pivoting precisely around the pouring lip, TILT-POUR maintains a stationary stream entry point into the mold cup across the entire tilt arc.

For dedicated ductile iron lines where magnesium fade and inductor channel build-up must be avoided, Unheated Tundishes deliver throughput rates from 3 to 13 metric tons per hour using servo stopper control and quick-change ladle bodies that can be swapped by overhead crane in minutes.

iNOC Late-Stream Inoculation and Visinoc Vision Verification

Consistent graphite nodularity and carbide prevention in thin-wall iron castings depend on accurate late-stream inoculation.

The iNOC dispensing unit injects precisely metered granular ferrosilicon inoculant directly into the pouring stream in real-time proportion to the instantaneous metal flow rate dictated by the VISIPOUR stopper profile.

To provide 100% quality assurance, the Visinoc optical camera system monitors the inoculant trajectory as it enters the molten stream on every mold, logging mold-by-mold verification data and signaling the molding line PLC if inoculant flow is interrupted.

Channel Holding Furnaces up to 170 Tons and Coreless Mini-Heel Holders

To decouple batch melting furnaces from continuous molding line demand, Inductotherm manufactures drum-type and vertical channel holding furnaces with capacities up to 170 metric tons.

Equipped with single-loop or twin-loop jet-flow water-cooled inductors, channel holders homogenize bath chemistry and temperature with minimal kWh holding losses and allow hot inductor exchange without draining the main vessel.

Where production schedules require complete vessel emptying for weekend shutdowns or alloy changes, Coreless Holding furnaces (350 kg to 100 metric tons) utilize the Mini-Heel sectioned coil design, enabling efficient temperature holding down to a 30% molten metal heel.

OEM Replacement Channel Inductors, Stopper Actuators, and VISIPOUR Spares

To keep automated pouring lines running without unplanned downtime, we supply genuine Inductotherm replacement components: water-cooled copper channel inductor coils, stainless cooling jackets, laminated magnetic cores, servo stopper linear actuators, and furnace weighing load cells.

For optical and pneumatic control loops, available spares include VISIPOUR camera modules and heat-shield glass lenses, iNOC dosing augers and Visinoc sensors, proportional air pressure control valves, ceramic stopper rods and nozzles, and VIP inductor power supply boards.