Simple Solutions That Work! Issue 11

F oundries, guiding their business, have to survive through the various economic cycles as well as emerging mar- ket pressures, are well aware of the continuous need to reinvest in equipment to increase productivity, and de- crease the manual content of casting production, while still producing consistent castings economically in a very demanding market. From their position, the molding ma- chine manufacturers have to provide the properly devel- oped equipment and/or molding process to meet these demands, while at the same time improving casting quality and maintaining a safe working environment. The continuous evolution of the mechanization of green sand mold- ing has grown from simple jolt table, used to compact sand in the molding box, to the automatic systems of today, producing in excess of 400 molds per hour, with little or no manual involvement. Mold quality which can be achieved on today’s molding machines is such that many of the old defects once associated with green sand have been eliminated or greatly reduced, either by using a simul- taneous jolt squeeze action, or high pressure squeeze to minimize mold wall movement during pouring and solidification. Green sand molding remains an attractive casting production method for two main reasons: 1. Green sand production is and will always less expensive, as the price of chemical binders continues to rise faster than normal inflation. 2. Green sand foundries are not as labor intensive. One obstacle preventing found- ries from moving into green sand molding is the high capital cost of even a simple mechanized plant. However, foundries should realize that the increased pro- ductivity that green sand mold- ing offers will offset these costs over time and have the potential for higher revenues. However, before embarking on a high cost green sand invest- ment program, certain questions should be asked and answered in order to establish whether it is necessary to invest in some form of mechanized molding equip- ment. a. What are current mold prduction/Future mold production requirements? b. Is current casting quality consistent and reliable? c. Is scrap is too high? d. Are my lead time delivery dates too long for large volumes? JERRY SENK President EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS INTERNATIONAL, INC. ARTICLE TAKEAWAYS: • Jolt Squeeze Machines • Automation Matchplate Molding • Gravity-fill machines vs Blow-fill machines • Horizontal Tight Flask Molding Systems • In-line vs Cross-Loop vs Pallet Index Lines CONSIDERATIONS FOR MANUAL & AUTOMATIC GREEN SAND EXPANSIONS 31 Continued on next page MAKING YOUR INSTALLATION ASUCCESS