Atlantis Foundries, AECI Industrial Chemicals and Hüttenes-Albertus (HA) celebrated the successful transition to the HA cold box resin system, setting a new standard in South African foundry technology.

A Collaborative Success

The project was the sum of collaborative efforts between the 3 organisations.

Atlantis Foundries, based in Atlantis, Cape Town, has a rich legacy, producing Daimler Truck engine blocks for over four decades. They worked alongside AECI Industrial Chemicals, the manufacturer of the resins and binders crucial to the manufacturing process, and HA, the global powerhouse behind the cold-box resins system technology.

At a session held on 16th October, after many months validating and piloting the new system, the 3 companies shared insights into the new system, detailing its advantages and the journey to its successful adoption.

HA’s Cold Box Resin System

At its most basic level, the HA cold box resin system is used to create sand cores for the metal casting process, forming hollow openings in metal products. The proprietary system uses a liquid resin to bond sand grains, and a curing agent to harden the resin. Together, these components give the core its strength and stability.

Embracing the HA cold box resin system has brought about numerous benefits for the manufacturing process, including:

• Improved Performance: This system offers a consistent and high-quality output, ensuring the end products meet the best industry standards.


• Cost-effectiveness and Sustainability: With the HA system, the foundry has already seen reduced waste and improved efficiency, leading to savings both environmental and financial.


• Customisation: AECI HA partnership offering new products tailored specifically to Foundries needs.


• Comprehensive Support : Through collaboration with HA, customers also benefit from globally leading technical expertise.

“The collaboration between the three companies has accelerated the localisation of cold box binder production”

Acknowledging the Contributors

The significant transition and the triumph of the launch event underscore the expertise, dedication, and collaborative efforts of many professionals and teams. Firstly, for the launch event itself, recognition is due to the event speakers who shared enlightening insights on the system and its impacts on operations and the industry more broadly.

Appreciation is also extended to colleagues from AECI Industrial Chemicals, HA and Atlantis whose relentless dedication, spanning from the technical department to production, commercial, and finance sectors, was pivotal in ensuring the project's seamless execution and success.

Each participant’s invaluable contributions, irrespective of scale, were pivotal.

This transition represents a significant technological, operational and environmental advance and underscores a shared vision for the future of the foundry sector. We are honoured to have participated in this change, and with the HA cold box resin system in place, we are poised to offer superior products and solutions to our customers.