| AB&I
Foundry Gains Speed, Accuracy With Redesigned Molding System AB&I Foundry, Oakland, Calif., a
metalcasting facility that produces cast iron soil pipes and fittings as well as jobbing
work, was looking for a way to increase production and reduce manpower in order to stay
competitive. The company turned to DISA Industries, Oswego, Ill., which recently unveiled
a new line of molding machines, for a solution.
The casting firm installed the new-generation DISA 270-A
molding system - the first to be installed in the world - in February and has already seen
its production increase and quality improve.
"It's so much more accurate and user friendly, and it
is 50% faster," said Allan Boscacci, president of AB&I. "There is virtually
no grinding needed if the pattern and cores are up to snuff."
The DISA 270-A, which is built to produce molds of 27.56 x
37.4 in. (700x950mm) with thicknesses between 7.87in (200mm) and 25.6in. (650mm), can
operate at 400 uncored molds/hr. and 375 cored molds/hr. Currently, AB&I is using it
in production of soil pipe fittings, brake drums, and weights. Boscacci says AB&I has
seen the molds/hr numbers reach 410 and 385, improving on the 290 uncored molds/hr and 250
cored molds/hr speeds that AB&I reached with the old DISA 2070 machine.
Part of the DISA 270's speed comes from the redesign of the
hydraulic system. In past molding machines, all the systems' movements would go through
one cycle before beginning the next. The New Generation line from DISA, however, is
designed to have overlapping movements, so as one cycle nears its completion, another
cycle has begun already.
The sand filling process has also been redesigned in the
molding system for obtaining high moldability. The DISA 270 has optimized the sand shot
system compared to the DISA 2070, and the design offers improved chamber filling, which
enables production of higher-density molds. Two pattern plates can be positioned
individually in the chamber, and a double-squeeze operation is standard. With the new
mechanical design, machine-dependent mismatches of only 0.15mm (0.006in.) or less is
guaranteed, making it twice as accurate as the old DISA molding system. The need for
machining is reduced to a minimum or even eliminated.
AB&I has seen marked labor reductions since the new
molding machine took its place in production. The company brought its force on a
production run from one-and-a-half shifts to one shift. Boscacci estimates that AB&I
has achieved a 20% reduction in cost/ton with the DISA 270.
Uptime has also been improved with the redesign. Critical
components are interchangeable in short notice, and loads on bearings and moving parts
have been reduced to extend lifetime and maintenance intervals.
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