Casting plant and method for managing data for molding molds and data on conditions of molten metal in casting plant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11097339-B2
Application number	US-201515775962-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2015
Priority date	Nov 16, 2015
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

A casting plant to produce a cast product with a high quality and a method for managing data for molding the mold and data on the conditions of the molten metal in the casting plant are provided. The controller (11) for the molding unit issues a serial number for the mold to a mold (M). The controller (31) for the unit for conveying the molds shifts the serial number for the mold in accordance with a movement of the mold. It also gathers data on the mold and links the data for molding the mold with the serial number for the mold. When the molten metal is poured from the ladle into the mold, the controller (71) for the unit for pouring the molten metal sends to the computer (91) for controlling the casting plant the serial number for the ladle that is linked with the data on the conditions of the molten metal and that is linked with the serial number for the mold.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A casting plant, wherein a mold is molded and conveyed to a position where molten metal can be poured into the mold, and wherein the molten metal is poured into the mold to produce a cast product, the casting plant comprising:
a molding unit that molds the mold from molding sand;
a unit for conveying the mold that conveys the mold;
a unit for pouring the molten metal that pours the molten metal into the mold that has been conveyed by means of the unit for conveying the mold; and
a computer for controlling the casting plant,
wherein the molding unit has a molding machine that molds the mold and a controller for the molding unit that controls operations of the molding machine,
wherein the controller for the molding unit receives data on a molding plan from the computer for controlling the casting plant to control the molding machine so that the mold is molded based on the molding plan that is derived from the data on the molding plan, and the controller for the molding unit issues a serial number for the mold that has been molded and links the data on the mold with the serial number for the mold,

wherein the unit for conveying the mold has a mechanism for conveyance that intermittently conveys the mold by a distance to the next mold, a sensor for detecting the position of the mold that detects the mold that has been conveyed, and a controller for the unit for conveying the mold that controls operations of the unit for conveying the mold,
wherein the controller for the unit for conveying the mold controls the mechanism for conveyance so that the mold is intermittently conveyed, the controller for the unit for conveying the mold receiving the serial number for the mold, which mold has been molded by the molding machine and is ready to be conveyed by the mechanism for conveyance, the controller for the unit for conveying the mold sequentially shifting each serial number for the mold that is assigned to the position of the mold that stops in accordance with a movement of the mold, which is detected by means of the sensor for detecting the position of the mold, so that the serial number for the mold, which serial number is assigned to the position of the mold, accords with the actual position of the mold,

wherein the unit for pouring the molten metal has a pouring machine that pours molten metal from a ladle for pouring into the mold and a controller for the unit for pouring the molten metal that controls operations of the pouring machine,
wherein the controller for the unit for pouring the molten metal receives a serial number for the ladle that is linked with the data on the conditions of the molten metal in the ladle for pouring and also receives from the controller for the unit for conveying the mold the serial number for the mold that is located at the position to pour the molten metal, the controller for the unit for pouring the molten metal controlling the pouring machine so that the molten metal is poured based on a pouring plan that is derived from the data on the pouring plan that corresponds to the serial number for the mold, the controller for the unit for pouring the molten metal linking the serial number for the ladle for pouring, which ladle is used for pouring, with the serial number for the mold, to send them to the computer for controlling the casting plant.

2. The casting plant of claim 1 , further comprising a unit for transporting the molten metal to transport the molten metal from a furnace to the pouring machine,
wherein the unit for transporting the molten metal has:
a ladle for reacting that receives the molten metal from the furnace and transfers the molten metal to the ladle for pouring;
a device for feeding an alloyed metal that puts the alloyed metal into the ladle for reacting;
the ladle for pouring, to which the molten metal that has reacted with the alloyed metal is transferred from the ladle for reacting, and which ladle for pouring is transported to the pouring machine;
a bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring the molten metal, the bogie transporting the ladle for reacting to a position for putting the alloyed metal where the alloyed metal is put from the device for feeding the alloyed metal into the ladle for reacting, to a position for receiving the molten metal where the ladle for reacting receives the molten metal from the furnace, and to a position for transferring the molten metal where the molten metal is transferred from the ladle for reacting to the ladle for pouring;
a bogie for transporting the ladle for pouring, which bogie transports the ladle for pouring to the position for transferring the molten metal and to a position for transferring the ladle where the ladle for pouring is transferred to the pouring machine;
a sensor for detecting the ladle, which sensor is located at a position of the ladle for reacting or a position of the ladle for pouring, to detect the ladle that is transported thereto;
a controller for the device for feeding the alloyed metal, which controller controls the device for feeding the alloyed metal so that a quantity of the alloyed metal is put into the ladle for reacting, issues a serial number for a ladle to the ladle for reacting into which the alloyed metal is put, and links data on the alloyed metal with the serial number for the ladle; and
a controller for the unit for transporting the molten metal, which controller controls the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring the molten metal and controls the bogie for transporting the ladle for pouring, to transport the ladle for reacting and the ladle for pouring based on a plan for transporting the ladle and to transfer the molten metal from the ladle for reacting to the ladle for pouring, the controller for the unit for transporting the molten metal shifting the serial number for the ladle, the serial number being assigned to the position of the ladle based on the position of the ladle detected by the sensor for detecting the ladle, so that the serial number for the ladle for reacting or the ladle for pouring that is located at that position corresponds to the position of the ladle, the controller for the unit for transporting the molten metal linking the data on the conditions of the molten metal within the ladle for reacting with the serial number for the ladle,
wherein the controller for the unit for transporting the molten metal sends the serial number for the ladle for pouring that has been transferred to the pouring machine to the controller for the unit for pouring the molten metal.

3. The casting plant of claim 2 , wherein the unit for transporting the molten metal has a first weighing scale that weighs molten metal that has been received from the furnace,
wherein the unit for pouring the molten metal has a second weighing scale that weighs molten metal in the ladle for pouring, which ladle has been transferred from the unit for transporting the molten metal, and
wherein the controller for the unit for pouring the molten metal sends an error signal if a difference between a weight that is measured by the first weighing scale and a weight that is measured by the second weighing scale exceeds an allowable difference in weights, both weights for a ladle that corresponds to a common serial number for the ladle.

4. The casting plant of claim 2 , wherein the alloyed metal includes magnesium,
wherein the unit for transporting the molten metal has a first weighing scale that weighs molten metal that has been received from the furnace,
wherein the controller for the unit for transporting the molten metal detects a start of a fading time based on the changes of a weight that are measured by means of the first weighing scale, to send to the controller for the unit for pouring the molten metal a fading time-started signal

Assignees

• Sintokogio Ltd
• Fujiwa Denki Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nishida Tadashi
• Hyodo Toshiyuki
• Kato Koichi
• Ota Kazuhiro

Classifications

• B22D47/02 Primary

  for both moulding and casting · CPC title

• B22D46/00

  Controlling, supervising, not restricted to casting covered by a single main group, e.g. for safety reasons (controlling or regulating in general G05) · CPC title