ENGLISH / ESPAÑOL ISSUE 13 • FALL 2020 SIMPLE SOLUTIONS THAT WORK! Committed to sharing best practices for the metalcasting and die casting industry
THE FOCUS OF THIS ISSUE: Defect Prevention WELCOME TO OUR “DEFECT PREVENTION” ISSUE
With so many ways to make a bad casting, it’s no wonder that metal casters have taken a leadership position in the manufacturing world by building quality—in from the start. Unlike other manufacturing processes that rely heavily on final inspection as a primary means of ensuring quality, foundries understand better than others that you can’t wait until the casting is machined to test it.
Over the past ten years, the foundry production floor has literally been upended with important changes, all designed to produce higher quality parts, at less cost—with reduced scrap. Six Sigma principles, robotic workcells, Additive Manufacturing, and Smart Technologies are all being deployed to deliver higher quality castings with repeatable processes. Today, everyone on the foundry floor is involved in the prevention of defects and this work is never, ever done.
This issue is devoted to this subject because it’s something that you can’t talk about enough. We hope you find the defect prevention ideas in this issue (that range from binders and the mixing process, melting, analysis, materials, and molding) techniques you can use today.
I would like to thank all of our contributors in this issue for their insightful articles. Special thanks to Innovative Casting Technologies, Dualtech Foundry’s Laboratory Manager Scott Gill for appearing on the cover of this issue. As always, thank you for reading our 13th issue of Simple Solutions That Work!
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Jack Palmer President, Palmer Manufacturing & Supply, Inc. [email protected]
WANT TO SEE MORE? VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO GET PAST ISSUES! palmermfg.com/simple-solutions PALMER MANUFACTURING & SUPPLY INC. PUBLICATIONS © 2020 Palmer Manufacturing & Supply, Inc. All Rights Reserved TABLE OF CONTENTS
ENGLISH ESPAÑOL Welcome to Our “Defect Prevention” Issue...... 02 Bienvenidos a Nuestra Edición Jack Palmer – Palmer Manufacturing & Supply, Inc. “Predicción de Defectos” ...... 58 Jack Palmer – Palmer Manufacturing & Supply, Inc. Reducing Core Defects...... 04 Jerry Senk – Equipment Manufacturers International, Inc. Menos Defectos en Corazones...... 60 Jerry Senk – Equipment Manufacturers International, Inc. The Use of Pre-Cast Monoform Liners (drop in liners) in Ladles...... 10 Utilización de Revestimientos Premoldeados Steven Harker – ACETARC Engineering Co. Ltd. (Monoforma Pre-Cast) en Cucharas...... 66 Steven Harker – ACETARC Engineering Co. Ltd. Grain Refinement and Thermal Analysis of Liquid Aluminum; Don’t Hurt Your Melt!...... 13 Afino de grano y análisis térmico del aluminio François Audet – Solutions Fonderie líquido; ¡no dañe a su metal líquido!...... 69 François Audet – Solutions Fonderie Defect Prevention in Molten Metal Processing...... 16 Jeff Keller – Molten Metal Equipment Innovations Puntos sobresalientes del artículo...... 72 Jeff Keller – Molten Metal Equipment Innovations Turbine 30 Ton Steel Case Study...... 20 Joe Howden – Eildon Refractories Ltd. Caso de Estudio Turbina de 30 Ton de Acero...... 76 Joe Howden – Eildon Refractories Ltd. Defect Prevention with a World Class Melt Shop ...... 23 Richie Humphrey – The Schaefer Group Prevención de Defectos con una Fundición de Clase Mundial ...... 79 Predicting and Eliminating Defects in Investment Richie Humphrey – The Schaefer Group Castings Using Computer Simulation...... 28 David C. Schmidt – Finite Solutions, Inc. Predicción y Eliminación de Defectos en Ceras Perdidas utilizando Simulación ...... 84 5 Keys to Reducing Casting Defects through David C. Schmidt – Finite Solutions, Inc. Refractory Coatings...... 31 Stanley Forehand – HA International 5 Claves en Pinturas Refractarias para Reducir Defectos en Piezas Fundidas...... 87 Stop Making Excuses. Preventing Gas Porosity in Stanley Forehand – HA International Your Castings is Simple! ...... 36 Brad Hohenstein – Porosity Solutions Basta de Excusas. ¡Prevenir la Porosidad por Gas en sus piezas Fundidas es Simple! ...... 92 3D Printing ...... 39 Brad Hohenstein – Porosity Solutions Will Shambley – New England Foundry Technologies Artículo de Prevención de Defectos ...... 95 Moldmaking & Coremaking Automation Technologies Will Shambley – New England Foundry Technologies Reduce Variability To Increase Quality...... 41 Jack Palmer – Palmer Manufacturing & Supply, Inc. Tecnologías Automatizadas de Fabricación de Moldes & Corazones Reducen la Variabilidad para Aumentar Defect Prevention in Permanent la Calidad...... 97 Mold Casting Through Process Control ...... 44 Jack Palmer – Palmer Manufacturing & Supply, Inc. John Hall – CMH Manufacturing Prevención de Defectos mediante Control de Better Sand Reduces Defects...... 48 Procesos para Fundición en Molde Permanente ...... 100 Chris Doerschlag – Klein Palmer Inc. John Hall – CMH Manufacturing Casting Cooler Conveyors...... 52 Una Mejor Arena Reduce Defectos...... 104 Gaetano Coraggio – Magaldi Technologies, LLC Chris Doerschlag – Klein Palmer Inc. Cintas Transportadoras Enfriadoras...... 108 Gaetano Coraggio – Magaldi Technologies, LLC
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CALL 937.436.2648 or email [email protected] today. REDUCING CORE DEFECTS • What kind of finish is required? • Production rates; high runner or job shop? • Can core off-gas adversely affect the castings? JERRY SENK President • Is shake out of the cores going EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS INTERNATIONAL, INC. to be restrictive in any manner? ARTICLE TAKEAWAYS: • What are the environmental impacts? • Better Cores = Better Castings The core cost is usually the main • Five considerations for core quality driver to process selection, but all • Existing equipment improvements can minimize defects the variables listed above are inputs • New casting products may require new core production process to cost comparisons.
Since the first castings were poured, foundry men have been working to eliminate scrap castings and improve product quality. This article will concentrate in one area of reducing casting defects and scrap by outlining five important considerations for reliable sand core production.
There are many different sand core processes that metal casters can utilize. These can include; cold box (isocure), shell, warm box, inorganic, no-bake, among others. Any of these core processes can be used for just about any alloy. Selection is typically based on the size of the core, the production rate required, casting finish, tooling and capital investment.
1. CORE PROCESS Many times, the process will be defined based on the existing core process the foundry is familiar with, but as foundries add new castings to their portfolio; customer specifications may dictate a new core making process, or any of these considerations may impact the core process choice:
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2. TOOLING DESIGN Tooling design is a critical consideration for accurately filled and well-defined cores that can meet the casting process requirements. Tooling can be made from a variety of materials; from a wood and resin coated core box for low production, aluminum can be used in cold box, inorganic or no bake cores, to iron/steel boxes that are used in medium to high production core runs, or shell, hot or warm box considerations. Minimizing core defects and improving reliability begins with tooling design. The filling and curing analysis can be done with trial and error, plain old experience, or with commercial simulation software. Success at launching new tooling usually requires a engineers will know where vents in advance. Just about every tool combination of these steps. are needed. Rules of thumb are will require some modifications and typically twice the vents in the only through patient trial and error cope than the drag in horizontally will the tooling engineer be able parted tooling scenarios. Never put to deliver consistent, high quality a vent directly below a blow tube. cores. Tool mounting and change out 3. CORE MACHINE AND should be considered up front, ANCILLARY SYSTEMS especially with a new machine or a retrofit. Any quick-change There are many core machine mounting features (automatic solutions to choose from; or manually interfaced) need development or prototype to be reliable, easily accessible, machines, semi-automatic, to and safe. Considerations for complete core machine cells using cleaning, tool loading, gassing and robotic handling systems. exhaust connection, picker fingers adjustments, and loose piece A first step to determine the connections are all important in the proper core machine solution is to design and planning. understand the size and complexity of the core. Larger cores can be Even the best designed tooling will need some periodic attention lightened with mandrels or loose during production. Intermediate piece. One-piece cores are most blowing off of the parting line, desirable, however multi-piece Tooling typically uses vents, which vent cleaning, or parting line spray cores may be required depending can be holes, screened, slotted, are important. With any new core on the core complexity. Each or other mesh-like materials that box, the core room operator must machine must be considered for allow the air to escape during remember that patience and blow. Although critical to both total cost of ownership, including perseverance pay off in the end. a thorough review of initial capital parts, filling is the first most Every core machine and tool has important requirement that must nuances that cannot be planned be established. Experienced tooling Continued on next page
4 5 time (blow, By using accurately recorded gas, exhaust, process data along with etc) should be current instrument and controls resisted. The best technology, the core room methodology is operators can deliver higher to change one quality cores with less likelihood of parameter at a defects. time. Document 5. CLEANLINESS AND OVERALL and record each MAINTENANCE setting until you have picked a The most often overlooked process consistent set of variable is ensuring cleanliness parameters for of the tool and the core machine good core production. before and during production. costs, productivity, labor rates, Cleaning the vents and parting materials, utilities, preventative Another way to help eliminate core lines, blowing off the cope or gas maintenance, and competency of defects between different core sealing areas is an important step in the core room operators. products (or SKU’s) and different process. Pattern spray applications When analyzing core machine core boxes is to utilize the core can also be critical, as foundries requirements, you must consider machine’s Programmable Logic have become accustomed to the entirety of the core production, Controllers (PLC’s) with recipe using compressed air blow-off the number of cores per tool (or functionality. This is a relatively to aid in this step. But with the core box), the number of cores per easy add-on feature for modern implementation of the “silica rule”, year, and operating hours. With core machines that use PLC and this may create added challenges this basic data in hand, an analysis Human Machine Interface (HMI) to to any core room operation. of production times and potential control the operation of the core improvements can be made that machine. Since many foundries will help to identify the correct size rely on older relay-based core (blow capacity and box size) to machines, this can be a costly add- meet the foundry’s needs for today on. and the future. Using recipe functions is a great alternative to operator set- 4. RECORD KEEPING up and adjustments. The HMI What’s critical and often forgotten, and PLC can control the core is careful recordkeeping of the machine automatically without the sand, resin and machinery settings operator having to effect manual when a quality core is produced. adjustments. Once this matrix is The long list of variables that complete and proven operational, go into making a quality core is the core machine operator only amazingly complex, and easily has to enter the SKU information forgotten. Ensure the attention to into the HMI and the machine record keeping is as detailed as the will take over from there. A more attention to all other processes. advanced step can use RFID chips Keeping track of the system mounted on the tooling with a parameters is an excellent practice machine mounted reader, then that should begin with the first the recipe adjustments are made trials of any core box. The tendency automatically; without chance for to change several inputs at one operator error.
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Modern core machines are routinely supplied with a full enclosure, fast acting containment windows, and automatic high- pressure tool cleaning functionality. The automatic tool cleaning function adds an additional level of safety by keeping the operator away from the automatic movements of the core machine. A properly ventilated enclosure will help improve the core room environmental conditions by minimizing catalyst (amine, methyl formate, SO2, and CO2). It is equally important to conduct and may be a key contributor to understanding new core machine routine cleaning of the core improved core quality. and its supporting systems can machine itself. The sand magazine, help deliver consistent core quality. inlet hoppers, slide gates or SUMMARY Making good quality cores is a butterfly valves should be cleaned Eliminating bad cores from combination of many factors. at the end of each shift. Blow and the casting defect scenario is Simple changes can dramatically exhaust screens will require some not difficult. It does take close improve the foundry’s profitability, preventative maintenance to keep monitoring and requires a well employee safety, and workplace them in good operating order. Seals thought out and thorough action environment. on the tables, gas plates and blow plan that includes checklists plate sealing surfaces should be for recordkeeping for each job. Contact: routinely inspected and replaced. Initiating simple process changes, JERRY SENK Even the machines alignment of maintenance procedures, and [email protected] pins, bushings or other locating features needs routine inspection and adjustment. Excess sand build-up around the moving parts of the core machine will cause process and operational errors that can affect the quality of core, and lead to premature wear of guide rods, rollers and bushings. Some core processes may even require frequent cleaning throughout each shift, such as loose piece slides. In these cases, it’s helpful to record the number of cycles between cleaning and create some process steps that consider what cleaning steps may be required. This data can be made part of any receipt function as a process step requiring cleaning
6 7 Equipment Manufacturers International, Inc. Foundry Equipment...By Design
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