EIRICH has been able to deliver several molding material preparation systems. As well as improving the quality of the cast parts, this also helps to increase plant availability thanks to the comparatively low wear on the mixing tools. KUTES Metal has now also decided to opt for an EIRICH molding material preparation system for its new production line.
Claybonded molding material is used primarily in the production of cast parts. There are a large number of parameters that impact on its suitability for use, including com-pactability, gas permeability and green strength. Only the use of optimized molding material can ensure fault-free cast parts. This means that the preparation of the molding material plays a central role in the process.
In this preparation process, sand is mixed with bonding clay, additives and water. Through the addition of water, the bentonite swells up and exhibits adhesive strength. The water content has a large impact on the plasticity and therefore the compactability; it is absolutely essential that uniform water distribution is achieved throughout the mold-ing material. This is why the molding material mixer plays such a crucial role in deter-mining the quality of the preparation process. In recent decades, the EIRICH mixer has established itself as the best unit for this purpose; thanks to the design and properties of the system, it is ensured that optimum quality of the mix is achieved every time, thus ensuring a reproducible molding material quality that meets the highest quality demands. Another advantage is the fact that EIRICH offers complete molding sand preparation systems for foundries of all sizes.
Molding materials consist largely of natural raw materials. The properties of these materials can fluctuate, and likewise the return sand from the caster is not generally uniform. This is why EIRICH has developed an online tester for production control and monitoring. This device, which is called the QualiMaster AT1, automatically takes samples from every mixture of molding sand and then determines the controlled variables ’compactability’ and ’shear strength’ for each sample. The values are supplied to the process con-trol system, which then adjusts the addition of additives and water as required. This en-sures that the required molding material properties are very uniform and reproducible.
The scope of delivery for KUTES Metal includes the molding sand mixer, scales for weighing return sand, additives and water, as well as a molding sand aerator, which ensures better sand distribution in the molding box, higher compactability on the mold-ing machine and, as a result, improved casting quality with reduced aftertreatment costs. The control technology for the system will also be supplied by EIRICH.
KUTES Metal has opted for futureproof and cost-effective technology. This upgrade to their production facilities will enable them to further expand their position as a manufac-turer of high-quality cast parts.
