Simple Solutions That Work! Issue 13

Continued on next page 41 MOLDMAKING & COREMAKING AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES REDUCE VARIABILITY TO INCREASE QUALITY JACK PALMER President PALMER MANUFACTURING & SUPPLY, INC. ARTICLE TAKEAWAYS: • Automating molding systems reduces variations • RFID technologies eliminate human intervention A wise man once said, “With so many ways to make a bad casting, it’s amazing we can ever make a good one.” While there are many areas for fingers to point once a casting runs into problems; the area we are going to address is the mixing and molding operation. As lean manufacturing practitioners, we understand that anything the customer doesn’t value is waste. Therefore, our entire goal is to produce mixing and molding equipment that eliminates waste in pursuit of delivering more high quality castings, at the lowest price, delivered when they are needed. Automating systems to reduce human intervention to enhance quality control are not new to the foundry floor. Robotic cells, automatic pouring ladles, carousel molding systems, and transfer cars are all pretty common automation systems being deployed today. MOLDING AUTOMATION Automating the mixing and molding process with a carousel and a rollover has been the industry standard, until recently. The Universal Molding Machine (UMM) is a revolutionary molding system that takes the place of a traditional compaction table, carousel and rollover. Having fewer components in the process reduces variability, making it easier to achieve casting quality goals. In this new automated system, the patterns are bolted to adjustable tooling frames that are easily changed out on the machine. The tooling frame accepts molds on top and bottom to accommodate match plates and can accept multiple boxes at a time when running smaller castings depending on the machine size selected. The base machine runs two tooling frames at a time for a minimum of four different patterns and two different molds. As any foundryman will tell you, molding process consistency will make it easier to achieve casting quality while getting the sand out of the box quickly will drive casting productivity. Casting quality and consistency will dramatically improve since many of the difficult to control variables are removed from the molding process. The elimination of these defects reduces rework and scrap rates, and cleaning room time. GREEN SAND TO NO-BAKE COVERSION Additionally, this technology is uniquely designed for green sand or no-bake tooling. Green sand molding has always required operators capable of being part scientist and part artist, with an attention to detail and experience requiring significant tribal knowledge involved in the individual foundry process. As the modern workforce continues to evolve, it becomes increasing difficult for foundries to find and retain qualified green sand molders with these attributes. Employees that can produce a consistently high quality, defect free end product in the green sand process are in extremely short supply. DEFECT PREVENTION