GatingPractices in Nigerian Research and Training Institutes: Case Study of Lagos State

Abstract

Foundry practice have existed in Nigeria for centuries. However, for the development of the practice, know-how and skills must be developed. Personnel must be trained at all levels. In this study, the practices in foundries of research and academic institutions involved in foundry within Lagos state were investigated. Investigations were carried out by on-site study of the foundries and also by means of questionnaires investigating various aspects of foundry practice. From responses obtained, it was shown that the capacity of foundries to produce technically sound castings is very low. Simple steps capable of increasing the quality and reproducibility of the castings were suggested. It was concluded that students’ learning and local foundry practice can be enhanced by upgrading foundries in research and educational institutions to current global best practices.

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“…Often, this is not the fault of the pourer or pouring system but is attributable to the gating systems. This has also been found to be true of research and training institutes in Lagos state [2]. In fact, an attribute of a sound gating system is that it controls the way the mold cavity is filled independent of the pourer [6].…”