Samyoung M-Tech Begins Establishment of 'Artificial Foundry Sand Manufacturing Technology Development Research Center'

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunseok Yoo] Samyoung M-Tech announced on the 24th that it will begin establishing the 'Artificial Sand Manufacturing Technology Development Research Center' starting next month.

Artificial sand has superior crush resistance and refractoriness compared to natural sand (silica sand) and has a spherical shape. The company explained that when applied as a substitute in casting processes using natural sand, it can improve the air environment of foundries, enhance quality, and reduce costs, thereby strengthening the competitiveness of casting companies.

Over the past decade, Samyoung M-Tech has accumulated related technology through quality comparative evaluations of various commercial artificial sands and technical consulting for artificial sand manufacturers via its Materials Technology Research Institute. In particular, through the government R&D support project for domestic development of artificial sand, the '2018 Industrial Materials Core Technology Development Project,' the company succeeded in developing a prototype artificial sand using domestic raw mineral resources and industrial by-products as raw materials in November last year.

Samyoung M-Tech plans to establish the Artificial Sand Manufacturing Technology Development Research Center at its 2nd factory starting in March, aiming to complete it by the first quarter of next year. The research center will be equipped with raw material pretreatment process facilities for producing trial products, artificial sand manufacturing equipment, various testing and analysis instruments, and research laboratories. Furthermore, after completing the domestic manufacturing technology development of artificial sand in 2022, the company plans to conduct feasibility studies and develop commercialization technologies for artificial sand manufacturing business, and in 2023, it aims to launch a new business with an annual sales target of 30 billion KRW.

Additionally, the Materials Technology Research Institute at Samyoung M-Tech plans to gradually promote R&D and commercialization of new ceramic bead products such as ceramic proppants for hydraulic fracturing in oil and gas drilling, grinding media, and ceramic materials for 3D printing in the long term.

A company official stated, "The casting industry is one of the six root industries and a foundational industry that enhances the competitiveness of key manufacturing sectors such as automobiles, shipbuilding, and information and communication technology (IT)." He added, "In casting processes, sand is generally used to make molds or cores for pouring molten metal, but in Korea, due to depletion of domestic resources and the absence of domestic artificial sand technology, the entire supply of sand is imported from countries such as Japan, China, the United States, Vietnam, and Saudi Arabia." He continued, "Recently, due to export regulations on natural sand (silica sand) by various governments, supply instability of Chinese materials, and government policies to reduce fine dust, there is a growing demand for high-quality domestically produced artificial sand as a substitute for natural sand."