WCO Explanatory Notes reproduced for reference. © World Customs Organization. Verify against official WCO publication.
84.54 - Converters, ladles, ingot moulds and casting machines, of a kind used in metallurgy or in metal foundries. 8454.10 - Converters 8454.20 - Ingot moulds and ladles 8454.30 - Casting machines 8454.90 - Parts (A) CONVERTERS These are used for converting or refining metals (e.g., for converting iron into steel, or smelting copper or nickel mattes, galena, etc.) by subjecting the materials, previously melted or brought to a high temperature in a furnace, to a strong current of oxygen; by this action most of the carbon and hssolved elements such as manganese, silicon and phosphorus are oxidised and eliminated in the form of gas or molten slag. The oxidation increases the temperature of the metal further. The most common types of converters are pear-shaped or cylindrical vessels consisting of an outer shell of heavy steel plates with an internal limng of refractory material. The oxy en is brought in either by a lance from above (LD-converters (Linz-Donawitz) or through nozz es in the converter bottom (OBM-converters (Oxygen Bodenblasen e Maxirnilianhiitte)). Combinations of the two exist. Other types include converters with the tuycres incorporated in the sides, rotating cylindrical converters, conical converters (for treating copper matte) with an internal metal grille for supporting the charge. (B)LADLES These are used to receive the molten metal from a furnace and pour it into converters or moulds; they are simple open containers generally lined with refractory material, usually fitted with devices to facilitate tip ing or pourin and in some cases fitted with wheels. They are usually handled mechanically g.g., by cranes?, but the heading also covers foundry- e casting ladles manipulated by hand. Small hand ladles of the type used by tinsmiths, go smiths, etc., are excluded (heading 73.25 or 73.26). P (C) INGOT MOULDS These may be of various shapes, in one iece or two halves, in which the molten metal is provisionally cast into, e.g., ingots, pigs, sla s. ! Other moulds (e.g., for casting articles) are generally classified in heading 84.80. The moulds of this group are of metal, usually iron or steel. Ingot moulds of graphite or other carbon or of ceramic material are, however, excluded (headings 68.15 and 69.03, respectively). @) CASTING MACHINES OF A KIND USED IN METALLURGY OR IN METAL FOUNDRIES This group includes : a (1) Machines (generally incorporatin a conveyor belt or chain) for the successive filling, cooling and em tying of the moul s. These sometimes incorporate devices for shaking or tapping the mou ds to facilitate the even setting of the molten metal. f (2) Machines for casting under pressure. These consist essentially of two adjustable lates to which are fixed the two halves of the mould. The liquid metal fiom a reservoir is orced into the mould, either by the direct action of conipressed air on the free surface of li uid metal in the reservoir, or by the insertion of a piston into a closed reservoir full o the li uid metal. In some cases these machines incorporate cooling devices, to accelerate so idification of the metal, and arrangements for separating the cast article fiom the mould. They are mainly used for casting small non-ferrous metal articles. ? However, the headin does not cover machines for moulding metal powders under pressure, by sintering, (heading 8j.62). (3) Centrifu a1 casting machines in which the molten metal is led into a c lindrical mould rotaun a? high speed; the metal is thrown on to the sides of the mould anlsolldlfies m the formo apipe. B (4) Continuous castin machines. In these, steel is conve ed from the ladle in a distributor which feeds the dif erent casting flow lines. These flow gnes include : F (a) an ingot mould, without bottom, with its cooling devices; (b) outside the ingot mould a system for atomising water in order to cool the cast metal; (c) a group of conveyor rollers allowing the regular extraction of the solidified metal; and (d) a system of cutting-off machines, followed by an evacuation device. The moulds to be used with the machines of this group fall usually in heading 68.15,69.03 or 84.80. PARTS Sub'ect to the general provisions regardin the classification of parts (see the General Exp anatory Note to Section XVI), the h e a k g also covers parts of the machines of this heading. I
Notes. 1.- This Chapter does not cover : (a) Millstones, grindstones or other articles of Chapter 68; (b) Machinery or appliances (for example, pumps) of ceramic material and ceramic parts of machinery or appliances of any material (Chapter 69); (c) Laboratory glassware (heading 70.17); machinery, appliances or other articles for technical uses or parts thereof, of glass (heading 70.19 or 70.20); (d) Articles of heading 73.21 or 73.22 or similar articles of other base metals (Chapters 74 to 76 or 78 to 81); (e) Vacuum cleaners of heading 85.08; (f) Electro-mechanical domestic appliances of heading 85.09; digital cameras of heading 85.25; (g) Radiators for the articles of Section XVII; or (h) Hand-operated mechanical floor sweepers, not motorised (heading 96.03). 2.- Subject to the operation of Note 3 to Section XVI and subject to Note 11 to this Chapter, a machine or appliance which answers to a description in one or more of the headings 84.01 to 84.24, or heading 84.86 and at the same time to a description in one or more of the headings 84.25 to 84.80 is to be classified under the appropriate heading of the former group or under heading 84.86, as the case may be, and not the latter group. (A) Heading 84.19 does not, however, cover : (i) Germination plant, incubators or brooders (heading 84.36); (ii) Grain dampening machines (heading 84.37); (iii) Diffusing apparatus for sugar juice extraction (heading 84.38); (iv) Machinery for the heat-treatment of textile yarns, fabrics or made up textile articles (heading 84.51); or (v) Machinery, plant or laboratory equipment designed for a mechanical operation, in which a change of temperature, even if necessary, is subsidiary. (B) Heading 84.22 does not cover : (i) Sewing machines for closing bags or similar containers (heading 84.52); or (ii) Office machinery of heading 84.72. (C) Heading 84.24 does not cover : (i) Ink-jet printing machines (heading 84.43); or (ii) Water-jet cutting machines (heading 84.56). 3.- A machine-tool for working any material which answers to a description in heading 84.56 and at the same time to a description in heading 84.57, 84.58, 84.59, 84.60, 84.61, 84.64 or 84.65 is to be classified in heading 84.56. 4.- Heading 84.57 applies only to machine-tools for working metal, other than lathes (including turning centres), which can carry out different types of machining operations either : (a) by automatic tool change from a magazine or the like in conformity with a machining programme (machining centres), (b) by the automatic use, simultaneously or sequentially, of different unit heads working on a fixed position workpiece (unit construction machines, single station), or (c) by the automatic transfer of the workpiece to different unit heads (multi-station transfer machines). 5.- For the purposes of heading 84.62, a “slitting line” for flat products is a processing line composed of an uncoiler, a coil flattener, a slitter and a recoiler. A “cut-to-length line” for flat products is a processing line composed of an uncoiler, a coil flattener, and a shear. 6.- (A) For the purposes of heading 84.71, the expression “automatic data processing machines” means machines capable of : (i) Storing the processing program or programs and at least the data immediately necessary for the execution of the program; (ii) Being freely programmed in accordance with the requirements of the user; (iii) Performing arithmetical computations specified by the user; and (iv) Executing, without human intervention, a processing program which requires them to modify their execution, by logical decision during the processing run. (B) Automatic data processing machines may be in the form of systems consisting of a variable number of separate units. (C) Subject to paragraphs (D) and (E) below, a unit is to be regarded as being part of an automatic data processing system if it meets all of the following conditions : (i) It is of a kind solely or principally used in an automatic data processing system; (ii) It is connectable to the central processing unit either directly or through one or more other units; and (iii) It is able to accept or deliver data in a form (codes or signals) which can be used by the system. Separately presented units of an automatic data processing machine are to be classified in heading 84.71. However, keyboards, X-Y co-ordinate input devices and disk storage units which satisfy the conditions of paragraphs (C) (ii) and (C) (iii) above, are in all cases to be classified as units of heading 84.71. (D) Heading 84.71 does not cover the following when presented separately, even if they meet all of the conditions set forth in Note 6 (C) above : (i) Printers, copying machines, facsimile machines, whether or not combined; (ii) Apparatus for the transmission or reception of voice, images or other data, including apparatus for communication in a wired or wireless network (such as a local or wide area network); (iii) Loudspeakers and microphones; (iv) Television cameras, digital cameras and video camera recorders; (v) Monitors and projectors, not incorporating television reception apparatus. (E) Machines incorporating or working in conjunction with an automatic data processing machine and performing a specific function other than data processing are to be classified in the headings appropriate to their respective functions or, failing that, in residual headings. 7.- Heading 84.82 applies, inter alia, to polished steel balls, the maximum and minimum diameters of which do not differ from the nominal diameter by more than 1 % or by more than 0.05 mm, whichever is less. Other steel balls are to be classified in heading 73.26. 8.- A machine which is used for more than one purpose is, for the purposes of classification, to be treated as if its principal purpose were its sole purpose. Subject to Note 2 to this Chapter and Note 3 to Section XVI, a machine the principal purpose of which is not described in any heading or for which no one purpose is the principal purpose is, unless the context otherwise requires, to be classified in heading 84.79. Heading 84.79 also covers machines for making rope or cable (for example, stranding, twisting or cabling machines) from metal wire, textile yarn or any other material or from a combination of such materials. 9.- For the purposes of heading 84.70, the term “pocket-size” applies only to machines the dimensions of which do not exceed 170 mm x 100 mm x 45 mm. 10.- For the purposes of heading 84.85, the expression “additive manufacturing” (also referred to as 3D printing) means the formation of physical objects, based on a digital model, by the successive addition and layering, and consolidation and solidification, of material (for example, metal, plastics or ceramics). Subject to Note 1 to Section XVI and Note 1 to Chapter 84, machines answering to the description in heading 84.85 are to be classified in that heading and in no other heading of the Nomenclature. 11.- (A) Notes 12 (a) and 12 (b) to Chapter 85 also apply with respect to the expressions “semiconductor devices” and “electronic integrated circuits”, respectively, as used in this Note and in heading 84.86. However, for the purposes of this Note and of heading 84.86, the expression “semiconductor devices” also covers photosensitive semiconductor devices and light-emitting diodes (LED). (B) For the purposes of this Note and of heading 84.86, the expression “manufacture of flat panel displays” covers the fabrication of substrates into a flat panel. It does not cover the manufacture of glass or the assembly of printed circuit boards or other electronic components onto the flat panel. The expression “flat panel display” does not cover cathode-ray tube technology. (C) Heading 84.86 also includes machines and apparatus solely or principally of a kind used for : (i) the manufacture or repair of masks and reticles; (ii) assembling semiconductor devices or electronic integrated circuits; (iii) lifting, handling, loading or unloading of boules, wafers, semiconductor devices, electronic integrated circuits and flat panel displays. (D) Subject to Note 1 to Section XVI and Note 1 to Chapter 84, machines and apparatus answering to the description in heading 84.86 are to be classified in that heading and in no other heading of the Nomenclature. Subheading Notes. 1.- For the purposes of subheading 8465.20, the term “machining centres” applies only to machine-tools for working wood, cork, bone, hard rubber, hard plastics or similar hard materials, which can carry out different types of machining operations by automatic tool change from a magazine or the like in conformity with a machining programme. 2.- For the purposes of subheading 8471.49, the term “systems” means automatic data processing machines whose units satisfy the conditions laid down in Note 6 (C) to Chapter 84 and which comprise at least a central processing unit, one input unit (for example, a keyboard or a scanner), and one output unit (for example, a visual display unit or a printer). 3.- For the purposes of subheading 8481.20, the expression “valves for oleohydraulic or pneumatic transmissions” means valves which are used specifically in the transmission of “fluid power” in a hydraulic or pneumatic system, where the energy source is supplied in the form of pressurised fluids (liquid or gas). These valves may be of any type (for example, pressure-reducing type, check type). Subheading 8481.20 takes precedence over all other subheadings of heading 84.81. 4.- Subheading 8482.40 applies only to bearings with cylindrical rollers of a uniform diameter not exceeding 5 mm and having a length which is at least three times the diameter. The ends of the rollers may be rounded.