Foundry technology is an industrial sector, where progress is still the important aspect for reducing the environmental impact and increasing competitiveness. Master's thesis is focused on the possibilities of influencing residual strength of the core moulding mixtures with the biogenic binders, which forms a new group of binder systems.

Este trabalho teve como objetivo traçar um panorama do gerenciamento dos processos das indústrias de fundição ferrosa no estado do Rio Grande do Sul que utilizam areias de fundição, com ênfase nas alternativas buscadas por estas empresas quanto à minimização, recuperação e destinação final dada às areias usadas. Esta avaliação foi feita enfocando desde a recepção das areias virgens, armazenamento, preparação da mistura para fabricação dos moldes e machos, até o descarte nos setores de desmoldagem e retirada dos fundidos, recuperação e reutilização das areias no próprio processo ou descarte, e a procura de possibilidades de reúso em outros processos. No gerenciamento dos processos foram abordadas ainda, questões relativas às emissões geradas durante o manuseio, armazenamento, mistura, operações de moldagem e macharia, bem como no resfriamento e desmoldagem. Procurou-se relacionar o gerenciamento ambiental adequado dos processos acima mencionados ao licenciamento ambiental e à existência de certificação ambiental. O trabalho iniciou com pesquisa no Banco de Dados da FEPAM, sendo verificado o número de fundições no estado, elaborados e enviados questionários para essas empresas, utilizando-se o método survey. Os resultados obtidos possuem uma boa representatividade, considerando resposta de 85% dos mesmos. Através dos resultados verificou-se que, apesar de 81% das empresas descartarem as areias geradas em aterros industriais licenciados pelo FEPAM, somente uma delas está procurando alternativas de reúso das areias geradas. Também verificou-se que não há uma preocupação com a minimização da geração desses resíduos. O licenciamento ambiental no Rio Grande do Sul é hoje a única ferramenta através da qual é possível exigir das empresas a adequação de suas atividades de forma a não impactar o meio ambiente. Quanto às demais questões ambientais relacionadas aos processos envolvendo areias, a percepção das empresas ainda é bastante incipiente. / This work aimed to present a preliminary evaluation of foundry sand processes management in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, with emphasis in alternatives related to sand reduce, regeneration e final destination. This evaluation was made with focuse since sands reception, their storage and preparation, till the discharge in the shakeout system, regeneration e their reuse. It also aims to relate the proper waste management to environmental license as well to the existence of environmental certification. Attempt was made to verify if the companies, in regard of their costs with new sand and molding sand disposal in specialized landfills, as well as to the requirements of environmental agency, are working in sense of seeking and implant new recycling technologies and reuse of used sands. In adition to that, it was verified if it would exist a relation between environmental license and/or certification with the sand used correct management and proper foundry sand destination. Or still, within the approach of cleaner technologies and best available techniques if the alternatives for recycling sand into their own processes or reuse in other process are being pursuited. Within the sand management, it was still approached questions related to emissions generated during handling, storage, mixing, molding and coremaking, as well as cooling and shaking. This work was developed inicially through research on FEPAM, the environmental state agency, database, where it was verified the number of foundry industries in Rio Grande do Sul state, being elaborated and sent to the companies, questionnaires using the survey method. The gotten results have good representation considering that 85% of the questionnaires had been answered.Through the gotten results it was verified that, although 82% of the companies discharge used sands in licensed landfills, in accord with regulamentation, only one of them is seeking for reuse alternatives out of the process. It also was verified that there isn’t any concernig about reducing the sand generation. The environmental licence here in Rio Grande do Sul is in fact, the only way to make the companies adequate their installations aiming at environmental protection. To the other questions related to the processes using sands, the companies perception are very incipient.

Este trabalho teve como objetivo traçar um panorama do gerenciamento dos processos das indústrias de fundição ferrosa no estado do Rio Grande do Sul que utilizam areias de fundição, com ênfase nas alternativas buscadas por estas empresas quanto à minimização, recuperação e destinação final dada às areias usadas. Esta avaliação foi feita enfocando desde a recepção das areias virgens, armazenamento, preparação da mistura para fabricação dos moldes e machos, até o descarte nos setores de desmoldagem e retirada dos fundidos, recuperação e reutilização das areias no próprio processo ou descarte, e a procura de possibilidades de reúso em outros processos. No gerenciamento dos processos foram abordadas ainda, questões relativas às emissões geradas durante o manuseio, armazenamento, mistura, operações de moldagem e macharia, bem como no resfriamento e desmoldagem. Procurou-se relacionar o gerenciamento ambiental adequado dos processos acima mencionados ao licenciamento ambiental e à existência de certificação ambiental. O trabalho iniciou com pesquisa no Banco de Dados da FEPAM, sendo verificado o número de fundições no estado, elaborados e enviados questionários para essas empresas, utilizando-se o método survey. Os resultados obtidos possuem uma boa representatividade, considerando resposta de 85% dos mesmos. Através dos resultados verificou-se que, apesar de 81% das empresas descartarem as areias geradas em aterros industriais licenciados pelo FEPAM, somente uma delas está procurando alternativas de reúso das areias geradas. Também verificou-se que não há uma preocupação com a minimização da geração desses resíduos. O licenciamento ambiental no Rio Grande do Sul é hoje a única ferramenta através da qual é possível exigir das empresas a adequação de suas atividades de forma a não impactar o meio ambiente. Quanto às demais questões ambientais relacionadas aos processos envolvendo areias, a percepção das empresas ainda é bastante incipiente. / This work aimed to present a preliminary evaluation of foundry sand processes management in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, with emphasis in alternatives related to sand reduce, regeneration e final destination. This evaluation was made with focuse since sands reception, their storage and preparation, till the discharge in the shakeout system, regeneration e their reuse. It also aims to relate the proper waste management to environmental license as well to the existence of environmental certification. Attempt was made to verify if the companies, in regard of their costs with new sand and molding sand disposal in specialized landfills, as well as to the requirements of environmental agency, are working in sense of seeking and implant new recycling technologies and reuse of used sands. In adition to that, it was verified if it would exist a relation between environmental license and/or certification with the sand used correct management and proper foundry sand destination. Or still, within the approach of cleaner technologies and best available techniques if the alternatives for recycling sand into their own processes or reuse in other process are being pursuited. Within the sand management, it was still approached questions related to emissions generated during handling, storage, mixing, molding and coremaking, as well as cooling and shaking. This work was developed inicially through research on FEPAM, the environmental state agency, database, where it was verified the number of foundry industries in Rio Grande do Sul state, being elaborated and sent to the companies, questionnaires using the survey method. The gotten results have good representation considering that 85% of the questionnaires had been answered.Through the gotten results it was verified that, although 82% of the companies discharge used sands in licensed landfills, in accord with regulamentation, only one of them is seeking for reuse alternatives out of the process. It also was verified that there isn’t any concernig about reducing the sand generation. The environmental licence here in Rio Grande do Sul is in fact, the only way to make the companies adequate their installations aiming at environmental protection. To the other questions related to the processes using sands, the companies perception are very incipient.

Este trabalho teve como objetivo traçar um panorama do gerenciamento dos processos das indústrias de fundição ferrosa no estado do Rio Grande do Sul que utilizam areias de fundição, com ênfase nas alternativas buscadas por estas empresas quanto à minimização, recuperação e destinação final dada às areias usadas. Esta avaliação foi feita enfocando desde a recepção das areias virgens, armazenamento, preparação da mistura para fabricação dos moldes e machos, até o descarte nos setores de desmoldagem e retirada dos fundidos, recuperação e reutilização das areias no próprio processo ou descarte, e a procura de possibilidades de reúso em outros processos. No gerenciamento dos processos foram abordadas ainda, questões relativas às emissões geradas durante o manuseio, armazenamento, mistura, operações de moldagem e macharia, bem como no resfriamento e desmoldagem. Procurou-se relacionar o gerenciamento ambiental adequado dos processos acima mencionados ao licenciamento ambiental e à existência de certificação ambiental. O trabalho iniciou com pesquisa no Banco de Dados da FEPAM, sendo verificado o número de fundições no estado, elaborados e enviados questionários para essas empresas, utilizando-se o método survey. Os resultados obtidos possuem uma boa representatividade, considerando resposta de 85% dos mesmos. Através dos resultados verificou-se que, apesar de 81% das empresas descartarem as areias geradas em aterros industriais licenciados pelo FEPAM, somente uma delas está procurando alternativas de reúso das areias geradas. Também verificou-se que não há uma preocupação com a minimização da geração desses resíduos. O licenciamento ambiental no Rio Grande do Sul é hoje a única ferramenta através da qual é possível exigir das empresas a adequação de suas atividades de forma a não impactar o meio ambiente. Quanto às demais questões ambientais relacionadas aos processos envolvendo areias, a percepção das empresas ainda é bastante incipiente. / This work aimed to present a preliminary evaluation of foundry sand processes management in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, with emphasis in alternatives related to sand reduce, regeneration e final destination. This evaluation was made with focuse since sands reception, their storage and preparation, till the discharge in the shakeout system, regeneration e their reuse. It also aims to relate the proper waste management to environmental license as well to the existence of environmental certification. Attempt was made to verify if the companies, in regard of their costs with new sand and molding sand disposal in specialized landfills, as well as to the requirements of environmental agency, are working in sense of seeking and implant new recycling technologies and reuse of used sands. In adition to that, it was verified if it would exist a relation between environmental license and/or certification with the sand used correct management and proper foundry sand destination. Or still, within the approach of cleaner technologies and best available techniques if the alternatives for recycling sand into their own processes or reuse in other process are being pursuited. Within the sand management, it was still approached questions related to emissions generated during handling, storage, mixing, molding and coremaking, as well as cooling and shaking. This work was developed inicially through research on FEPAM, the environmental state agency, database, where it was verified the number of foundry industries in Rio Grande do Sul state, being elaborated and sent to the companies, questionnaires using the survey method. The gotten results have good representation considering that 85% of the questionnaires had been answered.Through the gotten results it was verified that, although 82% of the companies discharge used sands in licensed landfills, in accord with regulamentation, only one of them is seeking for reuse alternatives out of the process. It also was verified that there isn’t any concernig about reducing the sand generation. The environmental licence here in Rio Grande do Sul is in fact, the only way to make the companies adequate their installations aiming at environmental protection. To the other questions related to the processes using sands, the companies perception are very incipient.

The diploma thesis deals with the current financial situation of the firm DSB EURO s.r.o. Master's thesis is focused on using statistical tools, time series and regression analysis, as an effective tool for assessing enterprise characteristics, especially economic indicators. The aim of this work is to analyze economic data, using regression analysis to assess prognosis and to draw conclusions, which should serve the company for a stable and economic growth.

The aims of the studies underlying this thesis were to assess the exposure to quartz in Swedish iron foundries and to determine the cancer morbidity for Swedish foundry workers. A cohort of 3,045 foundry workers and a final measurement database of 2,333 number of samples was established. The exposure measurements showed high levels of respirable quartz, in particular for fettlers and furnace and ladle repair workers with individual 8 hr TWA (GM=0.041 and 0.052 mg/m3; range 0.004-2.1 and 0.0098-0.83 mg/m3). In our database, the quartz concentrations as 8hr TWAs of current and historical data varied between 0.0018 and 4.9 mg/m3, averaging 0.083 mg/m3, with the highest exposures for fettlers (0.087 mg/m3) and furnace and ladle repair workers (0.42 mg/m3). The exposure for workers using respirators assuming full effect when used were assessed quantitatively, revealing workers with actual exposure exceeding the occupational exposure limits. Overall cancer morbidity was not increased, but the incidence of lung cancer was significantly elevated (SIR 1.61; 95 % CI 1.20-2.12). In the cohort study, significant associations between lung cancer and cumulative quartz exposure were detected for quartz doses of 1-2 mg/m3 * year (SIR 2.88; 95 % CI 1.44-5.16) and >2 mg/m3 * year (SIR 1.68; 95 % CI 1.07- 2.52). These findings were not confirmed in the case-control analysis. The agreement between the estimated exposure in our early historical model and the development model showed a regression coefficient of 2.42, implying an underestimation of the historical exposure when using the development model data. The corresponding comparison between the development and the validation model based on our survey data showed a B of 0.31, implying an overestimation of present exposures when using data from the validation model. The main conclusions of the thesis are that certain foundry workers are still exposed to high levels of quartz, and the overall excess lung cancer could not be confirmed in the exposure-response analysis.

(in English): The Diploma Thesis is focused on the issue of the management methods in the company, engaged in the production of agricultural machinery in the period of the Czechoslovak Republic. It is particularly concerned with the process of business management, trade promotion, customers' relationship and reflection of these activities into the company's economy. The Thesis is focused mostly on the Czech and Bulgarian business activity documentation. The data for this Thesis was obtained by direct research of the original, till this time unresearched archival sources, by personal memories of witnesses, desk research of relevant archive documents and literature. The data analysis performed at the end of the Thesis used the current business analysis methods for comparing reporting and present period's marketing methods. The researched subject is Jan Pujman machinery and engines company and cast iron producer, founded by Jan Pujman senior in the year 1885 in Nové Ransko, whose activities were terminated by The Nationalization in April 1949.

Le groupe Montupet est un spécialiste de la conception et de la production de pièces de fonderie en aluminium usinées pour l’automobile. Les moules métalliques utilisés pour la réalisation de culasses automobiles en aluminium sont protégés par un revêtement appelé le poteyage. La principale fonction du revêtement de poteyage est de protéger l’outillage en acier de la corrosion chimique de l’alliage. Du fait de ses propriétés thermiques, une autre fonction du poteyage est la modulation des échanges thermiques entre le moule et la pièce en cours de solidification dont dépend fortement la microstructure finale de l’alliage. Le procédé utilisé aujourd’hui pour l’application du poteyage sur les parois du moule en acier consiste à projeter manuellement une barbotine au moyen d’un pistolet. Ce procédé ne permet pas d’obtenir la répétabilité des caractéristiques des couches déposées nécessaire au contrôle des gradients de solidification locaux. De plus, les outillages actuels souffrent de l’insuffisance de la protection du poteyage, ce qui conduit à une usure prématurée ayant un coût important et conduisant à des diminutions du rendement de l’outil industriel. Dans le cadre du projet PROOF de robotisation de l’étape de poteyage, les objectifs suivants ont été fixés. Il s’agit de mieux définir ce que devraient être les propriétés physicochimiques du poteyage. L’objectif à long terme est de réaliser une rupture technologique par l’application d’un revêtement permanent ou de longue durée de vie. Dans un premier temps, ces travaux présentent une caractérisation complète de la nature physico-chimique des suspensions des poteyages utilisés actuellement ainsi que l’étude de leur comportement en pulvérisation. Dans un second temps, après que des revêtements aient été produits par projection plasma sous air (APS), il est apparu nécessaire de comparer leurs propriétés thermiques à celles des revêtements de poteyage. Des valeurs de diffusivité thermiques ont été mesurées, les valeurs de conductivités thermiques des revêtements étudiés ont ensuite été calculées puis confirmées expérimentalement. La dernière partie de ces travaux s’attache à présenter les outils mis en place en usine afin de tester les revêtements créés par projection plasma et de vérifier leur adéquation (thermique et chimique notamment) avec la coulée de pièces en alliage d’aluminium. Ces essais en conditions réelles ou semi-réelles permettent la comparaison de l’efficacité de tous les revêtements étudiés. / Montupet is specialized in the manufacture of aluminium foundry components for the automotive industry. The metallic molds used for aluminium cylinder heads are protected by a specific coating called die coating. The main objective of this die coating is to protect the steel tool from chemical corrosion of the liquid alloy. Because of its thermal properties, another of its aims is the adjustment of the thermal exchanges between the mold and the solidifying aluminium, which strongly affects the final microstructure of the alloy. The process used nowadays to coat the die coating on the steel mold walls consists in spraying manually a suspension. However, this process does not allow to obtain reproducible characteristics of the coated layers necessary to control the local solidification gradients. Furthermore, the current tools suffer from the inadequate protection of the die coating, which leads to premature wear resulting in important costs and a decrease of the efficiency of the industrial tool. In the frame of the PROOF project, aiming in the automatisation of the die coating projection, several objectives were set: better know what should be the physico-chemical properties of the die coating and realize a technological jump by creating a long-life or even permanent coating. Firstly, this work shows a complete characterization of the physico-chemical state of the suspensions used nowadays as well as the study of their behavior during spraying. Then, once the coatings were produced by Air Plasma Spraying (APS), it appeared necessary to compare their thermal properties to the ones measured on the die coatings. Hence, thermal diffusivity values have been measured. Afterwards thermal conductivity of the studied coatings have been calculated and finally experimentally checked. Eventually, this work shows the tools developed within the company in order to test the plasma coatings and to check their thermal and chemical compatibility to the process of aluminium casting. These trials in real or semi-real conditions allow the efficiency comparison of the whole studied coatings.

A disposição de areia de fundição em áreas não licenciadas foi uma prática até pouco tempo empregada por muitas empresas do setor. Em função dessa prática estuda-se nessa dissertação um passivo ambiental produzido em uma área no estado de São Paulo, que recebeu resíduos de fundição e pouco se sabe sobre o impacto ao meio ambiente ocasionado pela disposição inadequada desse material. O presente trabalho propõe avaliar potenciais impactos no meio ambiente pela disposição deste resíduo em um aterro não controlado de uma indústria de fundição e promover análise crítica diante das atuais normas e ferramentas de análises de impactos ambientais e classificação de resíduos sólidos, verificando eventuais conflitos entre as atuais ferramentas aplicadas. Para essa avaliação, foram empregadas algumas ferramentas de investigação científica como Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura compreendendo análise morfológica e química qualitativa do resíduo depositado, análise granulométrica e análise química das águas subterrâneas, a partir de amostragens realizadas em campo e dados fornecidos por empresa de recuperação ambiental que atua na área. Assim foram obtidos dados que permitiram caracterizar a área, monitorar a qualidade das águas subterrâneas dentro e no entorno do aterro e caracterizar o resíduo sólido em questão, onde se analisou as questões ambientais e legais com base nas atuais normas e ferramentas de gestão de áreas contaminadas e resíduos sólidos. Os dados obtidos a partir das análises das amostras de água e resíduo demonstram clara e forte concentração de metais nas águas (ferro, manganês, boro e selênio) e no resíduo (cromo, cobre, cobalto, níquel, zinco, alumínio, ferro, manganês), no caso desse último, dentro dos limites da atual normatização para classificação, identificando-o como resíduo não perigoso. Ainda que esse não seja considerado perigoso, a identificação de elementos nas águas em concentrações acima do permitido compromete a qualidade ambiental do local, colocando em risco a população do entorno, visto que em suas adjacências algumas propriedades realizam cultivo agrícola, além de extrair água do subsolo. Evidenciase, a partir desse cenário, a necessidade de estreitamento técnico entre as atuais normas e ferramentas de análises de impacto ambiental e classificação de resíduos sólidos, permitindo realizar avaliações de passivos gerados pela disposição inadequada de resíduos que levem em consideração suas possíveis interações com o ambiente ao longo de seu tempo de exposição. / The disposal of foundry sand illegal areas was a practice until recently employed by many companies. Because this practice is studied in this dissertation an environmental liability produced in a land in the state of São Paulo that received foundry waste and little is known about the environmental impact caused by inadequate disposal of this material. This issue proposes detected the real effect in the environment by the disposal of this waste in an uncontrolled landfill foundry industry and promote critical analysis before the current standards and tools of environmental impact analyses and classification of solid waste, checking possible conflicts between the current tools applied. For this evaluation, some scientific research tools were employed as Electronic Microscopy of Scan including morphological and chemical waste analyses, particle size analysis and chemical analysis of groundwater samples collected from the field and data provided by an environmental recovery company that operates in the area. Thus data were obtained which allowed to characterize the area, monitor the groundwater quality in and around the landfill and to characterize the solid waste in question, which examined the environmental and legal issues based on current standards and management tools of contaminated lands and solid waste. The data from the analyzes of samples of water and waste show a clear and strong concentration of metals in water (iron, manganese, boron and selenium) and in the waste (chromium, copper, cobalt, nickel, zinc, aluminum, iron, manganese), in the last one according to current regulation for classification, identifying it as not dangerous. Although the waste is not considered dangerous, the identification of elements in water at concentrations above permitted to compromise the quality of the local environment, endangering the surround population, since in its surrounding some properties carry out agricultural, in addition extracting groundwater. It is evident from this scenario, the need for technical narrowing between the current standards and environmental impact analyzes tools and classification of solid waste, permitting carry out evaluations of liabilities generated by inadequate disposal of waste that take into account their possible interactions with the environment over time of exposure.

O setor de fundições é importante para a economia, pois produz componentes básicos para muitos outros setores, de modo que seu bom desempenho tem repercussão nos demais. Um modelo de programação inteira mista para uma fundição de mercado de pequeno porte, que visa principalmente minimizar atrasos na entrega dos pedidos, foi proposto na literatura. Neste trabalho é feito um estudo do modelo e é proposta uma nova abordagem, independente de qualquer software comercial, baseada na decomposição do problema em dois subproblemas: o planejamento da produção das ligas e o planejamento da produção dos itens. Ambos foram resolvidos por uma heurística lagrangiana baseada em transferêrencias. Testes computacionais mostraram que a abordagem proposta é capaz de gerar soluções de boa qualidade, em tempo computacional aceitável / The foundry sector is important to the economy as it produces basic components for many other sectors, to such an extent that its performance has a repercussion in other sectors. A recently published mixed integer-programming model for small market-driven foundries, which aims to minimize delays when delivering orders, was proposed in the literature. In this work, a study of this model was undertaken and a new approach is put forward, regardless of any commercial software, based on dealing with the problem in two sub problems: production planning of alloys and production planning of items. Both sub problems were solved by a Lagrangian heuristic based on transfers. Computational tests show that the approach proposed is able to generate solutions of good quality in acceptable computational time