Preserving Earth's Sand

The Role of Simpson Pro-Claim® in Sustainable Foundry Practices

Sand plays a pivotal role in various industries outside of the foundry: construction for the formation of cement and concrete, electronics in the form of silicone chips, glass for a range of products including windows and telephone screens, asphalt, and even fracking for natural gas. With construction and electronics increasing with the global population, the foundry industry plays a part in consuming the growing demand for limited, high-quality sand.

Despite the abundance of sand in deserts and beaches, the specific type of sand required for industrial purposes is a rare and essential resource. This is because the desert sand lacks the necessary properties for industrial use; this sand has been eroded by wind causing the grains to be too smooth and too round. These rounded grains do not lock together and form a more stable matrix, which is highly desired by concrete and foundry industries. Industries are competing for angular and/or subangular sand grains, which are recovered by mining the beds, banks, and flood plains of rivers as well as in the Earth itself. 

Sand mining and ocean dredging for sand has polluted waters, caused the erosion of deltas vital to feeding citizens, destroyed habitats, caused noise pollution, collapsed riverbanks, destruction of infrastructure along waterways, and results in the downing of crops. There are publications regarding the human toll. Sand extraction is just one facet of the issue. Enormous volumes of industrial waste sand are transported to landfills, contributing to a new problem. Experts estimate 70% of foundry waste can be attributed to sand. Of that sand, approximately 65-88% can be reused as new sand with proper scrubbing techniques to gently clean the sand grain to a like-new condition. Without adding heat or emissions, there is a method to safely reclaim this sand, significantly reducing waste and disposal costs: Pneumatic Reclamation.

At Simpson, we understood the environmental impact of sand waste back in 1957, and we've continued to develop our innovative solution. Our Simpson Pro-Claim sand reclamation equipment is a game-changer for the foundry industry. It allows you to clean, regenerate, and recycle waste sand from the foundry industry for reuse.

With the Simpson Pro-Claim® , you can transform industrial waste sand into a valuable resource. This technology not only reduces emissions from sand extraction and transport but also conserves natural resources. It's a sustainable solution that helps the environment and your bottom line.

Image: Green Sand Grains After Reclamation

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We're committed to leading the way in sustainability and encouraging others to follow our example. Together, we can take responsibility for a more sustainable future and ensure we preserve Earth. Simpson Pro-Claim: a responsible choice for a sustainable world.

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