INTRODUCTION

The Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering discipline should have detailed information on
the joining and processing of metals, servicing and maintenance of the equipment since they
are vital for the economic production of complex metallic engineering products uniformly over
an extended period of time.
In a bid to enhance the practical application and appreciation of Industrial and Manufacturing
Engineering discipline, the department organised an Industrial visit to Midlands Metals, a
foundry company in the city of Gweru on the 27th of October.
MIDLANDS METALS
Midlands metals has its focus in the major production of mining products and implements and
the manufacturing and processing of all ferrous and non-ferrous metallic products.
Their production line is comprised of cast balls for mill balls, hammer mills, stamp mill spares,
tractor and trailer hubs, stem guides, collar springs, pipe saddles, man hole cover, water tank
stands and castings.
COMPANY VISION
To be the leading producer of ferrous and non-ferrous products in Zimbabwe and beyond.
COMPANY MISSION STATEMENT
Midlands metals is to be the leading producer and supplier of high quality grey iron products,
cast iron products and Aluminium products in Africa through continuous innovation, exceeding
customer expectations in a friendly transparent and harvest environment delivered by a
competent and stakeholder sensitive workforce.
PROCESSES
The processes carried out at Midlands Metals are outlined as follows:
CUTTING AND SELECTION
This is a scrap yard process where all pieces of metals are stored as inventory, e.g. grey and
white cast steels. Metals cutting is achieved by the use of an oxyacetylene gas cutting torch.
CLASSIFICATION AND FEEDING INTO THE FURNACE
Wheel barrows are used to transport metals from the scrap yard to the furnace. They are
weighed and mixed in specific ratios to produce certain required properties of the product to
be made. The metal raw material is then fed into the furnace using an electric driven crane with
a rope and a bucket up into the copular furnace.
MELTING
The source of heat for the furnace is coke and it melts the scrap at high temperatures of about
1900oC. An electric air blowing fan pumps in air into the furnace to support combustion. The
cupola furnace is then opened after a given period of time and molten metal is collected in
collection tank. Buckets lined with green sand are then used to carry the molten metal to the
pouring bay.
POURING
Molten is poured into the mould patterns through sprues. The metal patterns are the coated with
green sand to act as a barrier for reaction of molten metal and the patterns. Patterns are opened
manually after solidification and the produced casting are transport using wheel barrow to the
open space where they are air-cooled before separation.
FETTLING
This is the break down separation of the mill balls from their chain joint form from the
solidified metals in the runner at casting stage. The mill balls from the sand castings are broken
down manually by the use of a handheld hammer.
WEIGHING AND GRINDING
This is a process done to the bitters in a move to reduce vibration in the hammer mill. The
bitters are weighed and ground down to equal sizes and weights.
RECYCLING
The casting sand recycled after use. It is compacted so that it can be used in the lining of the
furnace, buckets and the moulds patterns.
JOINING PROCESSES INVOLVED
WELDING AND BOLTING
The manufacturing of the hammer mill which are used by small scale miners require welding
and bolts to be successfully joined into shape. Arc welding is used for the production of the
hammer mill.
FOCAL AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT
When in a metal processing company safety is of paramount importance. There is need for
improvement at Midlands Metals metal processing company. Most of the areas which need
improvement are listed below.

a) Mechanical bucket system-there is need to improve the scrap iron feeding system into
the furnace as pulling the bucket manually may lead to different unfortunate
circumstances which include slipping of the bucket towards employees below leading
to accidents
b) Fettling-the removal of mould marks or sand from a casting using hands maybe
dangerous for employs and time consuming. There is need of a mechanical system of
doing this process automatically
c) Scrap sorting-scrap metal found on the scrap yard needs to be well sorted so that it is
located at a single point area not scattered around the yard.
 d) Temperatures- there is need of a cooling system so as to regulate the temperatures
because in a moderate temperature working environment ,people work faster and don’t
get tired easily
e) Respiratory systems-certain fumes are produced and a lot of chemical reactions occur
thus producing gases which are toxic and can lead to pneumoconiosis and many other
respiratory diseases.
f) Work suits-workers who were working near the molten metal require work suits made
of asbestos fibre so that heat can be absorbed and protects the workers from being
exposed to high temperatures which can in turn be very harmful to their health
g) Conveyer belt- Use the conveyer belt to load metals into the furnace than sing a rope
for feeding the cupola

MATERIAL HANDLING
At midlands metals material handling is done using wheel barrow, pouring bucket, collecting
tank and (rope and bucket) lifting crane.
Wheel barrows are used to carry metals from the scrap to the furnace area and to carry the
products from the poring bay to the space of cooling where they then undergo fettling process.
Collecting tank is used to collect the molten metal from the furnace just before pouring into
the pouring buckets.
Pouring buckets are used to carry molten metal from the furnace to the poring bay were the
molten metals poured into the pattern.
Lifting crane consists of a bucket attached to a rope used to carry scrap into the furnace. It is
driven by an electric motor.