Theory and practice of environmental protection in the case of foundries in Europe and Asia
• Experience resulting from the cooperation with the foundries in a few European countries, China and India
• Phenomena and factors affecting the pollution of the natural environment and the implementation of measures aiming at the
environmental protection
Every specialist dealing with foundry processes and their impact on environmental pollution must have encountered in their professional
careers numerous situations in which the theory of environmental protection confronts the stark reality. The discrepancy between theory
and practice can particularly be noticed in foundry engineering in developing countries where the contrasts between different countries and
casting plants are extremely striking. The comparison of working conditions in European and Asian foundries provides a vast scope for
further observations and analyses. Environmental protection seems not only a concern of manufacturers of castings, but also of their
customers whose opinion exerts a significant influence on both the acceptability of working conditions and on the approach to
environmental pollution adopted in metal casting industry.
The article presents a number of examples of various outlooks on environmental issues in foundries manufacturing a wide range of cast
steel and cast iron castings, where different technologies and production processes are applied.