AFS Corporate Member Howell Foundry, St. Francisville, Louisiana, has invested just over $2 million in a Tinker Omega-Sinto thermal sand reclamation system and is on course to achieve ROI within five years of its installation in 2024.

In 2021, the foundry converted to 3D-printed sand molds, focusing on high-quality casting with faster lead times. Challenges emerged as the company began experiencing delays in sand deliveries and rising costs because the sand had to be replenished twice a month. “Once the sand is mixed with an activator, it can’t be reactivated or it may cause clogging issues with the 3D printer,” said JB Shoaf, president. 

To resolve the issue, the company investigated thermal reclamation while shopping 3D printers. They commissioned their system in June 2024, and today, on a monthly basis, captured sand is thermally reclaimed––chemicals are burned off and purified sand is released into a new sand silo. 

According to Shoaf, the reclaimed sand is superior from a quality standpoint. As a result of the thermal reclamation equipment, the company’s carbon footprint has been greatly reduced. “We’ve gone from losing 95% of the sand down to 5%,” said Shoaf. “And the sand can be infinitely recycled.” 

In the summer of 2023, the foundry constructed a new, 2,800-sq.-ft. (35 ft. x 80 ft.) building with a 35-ft. ceiling to house the unit and two 30-ton silos. In addition, the com­pany’s infrastructure needed to be updated to meet the requirements for water and natural gas. Over the course of two to three months, staff fine tuned settings on the machine to produce a sand that worked well with the company’s 3D printer. 

“The quality improvements we get from the sand are certainly a benefit,” Shoaf added. “But getting the volatility on delivery lead time from suppliers within our control is very important, especially because our focus is on speed. And then there are the environmental benefits—we want to do our part.”