Lethbridge Iron Works, Orthman Manufacturing Earn Ag Equipment’s Top Metalcasting Conversion Honor

Creative use of the metalcasting process on row-cleaner shoe assembly placed the iron exactly where needed & delivered Orthman Manufacturing with a 35% cost savings

A visit to the American Foundry Society’s Metalcasting Congress last week in Milwaukee turned up equipment design news for Nebraska-based Orthman Manufacturing, and ductile iron casting supplier Lethbridge Iron Works of Alb., Canada. An independent panel of judges recognized the Lethbridge part as the “best example of a casting conversion” and was on display for AFS’ national event that drew close to 3,000 attendees. It was also the only ag equipment application honored among the annual Casting of the Year program.

Dylan Bruins, Business Development Lead of Alberta-based Lethbridge Iron Works, described the award-winning row cleaner shoe application. “It’s a component to hold a pair of concave ground-engaging discs at a specific angle for crop residue removal and features holes to adjust the disc width based on field conditions. The entire assembly pivots about a cast hole with design features to attach a constant-pressure assembly.”