In the early days of the Foundry Business the Ladle was considered a Bucket to transport molten metal. As the years progressed this Bucket took on other forms to provide better ways to pour metal. These changes lasted for many years. During this time Foundries experimented with spouts. The Foundries needed better ways to present the metal to the molds. Bottom Pour and Teapot Spouts were born. A seasoned man on the pouring deck learned how to present the metal stream to the mold consistently.

Pouring quality castings was not something everyone could do. Most cases it took years of practice to understand the physics of pouring. Rate of pour, head pressure, and accuracy were learned traits to allow one to excel on the Pour Deck.

Today a Ladle is not just a Ladle, it is a “Tool” to fill the molds with, and a number of scrap issues can be eliminated with the proper ladle.

I also want to add; custom features are better built in than add on. Custom Spouts, Low Head Clearance, speed of rotation, and Hand Wheel Forces are a few of these features.

Many Foundries are converting over to a Precast Liner, this reduces ladle maintenance and down time. The Precast also aids in heat retention as well as cleaner material. These come in a variety of shapes and forms and can be custom built to fit your ladle. Keep in mind, most Precast are lighter and affect the balance of the Ladle, in some cases create a safety hazard, this is something to take into account.

The proper tool for the job makes the job easier.