Digital Manufacturing for Foundries 4.0

The concept of smart foundries aims at integrating and enabling smart technologies for digitalization of manufacturing operations. Foundries 4.0 refer to the inclusion of Industry 4.0 principles in traditional foundries. The casting process is known to be one of the most energy-intensive processes. Enabling sensor-based technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoTs) for condition monitoring, can be an efficient means to bring down the energy costs. IoTs can also be implemented for real-time waste-monitoring. Embedded sensors can be utilized in determining excessive loads during the casting operation. This is very useful to identify overloading and in avoiding potential damage to the castings. Introduction of Additive Manufacturing can reduce cycle time and material consumption. This paper aims to introduce the concept of Foundries 4.0. The key focus is to highlight the integration of digital technologies in establishing foundries of the future. Challenges involved in the establishment of smart foundries are also discussed. A case-study discussing establishment of energy-efficient smart foundries is also presented in this work.