Ladle (metallurgy)

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A ladle of molten iron is poured into an open hearth furnace for conversion into steel at Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp., 1941

In foundry work a ladle is a container used to transport and pour out molten metals. It needs to be:-

• Strong enough to contain a heavy load of metal.
• Heat-resistant like a furnace.
• Heat-insulated as much as can be managed, to avoid losing heat and overheating its surroundings.

For small castings, a hand-held ladle somewhat resembling a kitchen ladle for soup is enough, with a long handle to keep the heat of the metal away from the person holding it.

For bigger castings, it can run on wheels or be slung from an overhead crane.

[edit] External links, including images of foundry ladles

• FTL-Roper Limited, supplier of foundry ladles and molten metal distribution systems
• FTL-Roper bottom-pouring ladles
• About ladles and perlite used in a foundry
• Small-scale metal casting including an image of a ladle
• Altavista search for images of foundry ladles

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