This means that a consistent solidification can best be achieved by adding the right inoculant at the right rate as late as possible, i.e. immediately before solidification.

It has been known for some time that the effectiveness of inoculants is highest and most consistent when these are added to the metal stream directly during filling of the mould. However, the economic and effective use of in-stream inoculants places strict demands on both product and dosing equipment.

• The inoculant must have good dissolution properties and have a consistent grain size distribution.
• The inoculation equipment must be reliable under the extreme operating conditions found at the pouring station and capable of registering even the smallest deviations.
• An automatic reporting system is an essential requirement.
• Remote maintenance functions are increasingly demanded.

Foseco's MSI SYSTEM 900 TYPE 68E is an automatic metal stream inoculation system for use with mechanised and automatic pouring systems. When used in conjunction with INOCULIN in-stream grades highly reproducible results are achievable. The system has an in-built computer and an RS232 interface and remote maintenance and control software is supplied as standard.

Inoculant level, discharge pipe, inoculant flow, sliding gate, compressed air and equipment temperature are monitored in real-time.