GB2214850A - A vacuum moulding process for mould forming - Google Patents
A vacuum moulding process for mould forming Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2214850A GB2214850A GB8802943A GB8802943A GB2214850A GB 2214850 A GB2214850 A GB 2214850A GB 8802943 A GB8802943 A GB 8802943A GB 8802943 A GB8802943 A GB 8802943A GB 2214850 A GB2214850 A GB 2214850A
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- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- mould
- location
- pattern
- moulding
- moulding boxes
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
- B22C—FOUNDRY MOULDING
- B22C9/00—Moulds or cores; Moulding processes
- B22C9/02—Sand moulds or like moulds for shaped castings
- B22C9/03—Sand moulds or like moulds for shaped castings formed by vacuum-sealed moulding
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
- B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
- B22D47/00—Casting plants
- B22D47/02—Casting plants for both moulding and casting
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Moulds For Moulding Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
Abstract
A vacuum moulding process for the formation of reclaimable sand moulds within which articles are to be cast comprises a carousel casting system having a plurality of operating stations (1 to 12) spaced circumferentially around a carousel (20). The upper surface of the carousel comprises a plurality of segments each of which is locatable at an operating station and at each of which are arranged first and second pattern locations and a mould location. Said locations are in a fixed orientation relative to one another linearly and radially of each said segment of the carousel. The operating stations (1 to 12) comprise means for filling mould halves with sand by a vacuum moulding process at stations (1 to 5), pouring molten metal into a mould cavity defined between the mould halves at operating station (6), and allowing the casting to cool at the mould location during indexing through stations (7 to 11).
Description
CASTING APPARATUS AND METHOD
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for the casting of metal articles utilising a vacuum moulding process for the formation of reclaimable sand moulds within which the articles are to be cast
A well known vacuum moulding process for the formation of sand moulds is that known generally as the
V-process. In the V-process, a pattern is mounted on a pattern plate in the form of a hollow vacuum box, a preheated plastic film is applied to the pattern and the pattern plate is then evacuated to conform the plastic film to the pattern thereby creating an accurate mould profile.A moulding box is then placed over the film covered pattern, the moulding box is filled with dry sand, compacted by vibration, levelled and covered with a further plastic film A vacuum is applied to the moulding box to bind the sand subsequent to which the vacuum to the pattern plate is released whereby the moulding box may be removed with the sand mould maintained under the vacuum applied to the moulding box
The cope (upper) and drag (lower) halves of the mould are formed in the same manner and closed together to define the mould cavity into which molten metal is pourable with the cope and drag halves maintained under vacuum When the cast article has cooled, the vacuum to both mould halves is released whereby the sand becomes free-flowing for subsequent reclamation and the cast article is removed
The V-process as described above has generally been utilised in the casting of relatively large ferrous articles, for example, bath tubs and man-hole covers
Typically the production rate has been relatively low e.g. of the order of 5 to 15 moulds per hour and the overall mould making and casting equipment has been cumbersome involving mould making at a location remote from the casting location with the necessary vacuum hoses having to bridge from the mould making to casting locations and conveyors having to be provided between the locations. The vacuum hoses have been long, awkward to handle and difficult to avoid entangling.Additionally, they often have had to be disconnected and reconnected without losing the vacuum in the mould halves when the mould halves have been relocated during the mould making operations and/or during their relocation to the casting location
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new or improved apparatus and method for the formation of sand moulds by vacuum moulding and for the production of cast articles thereby.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for the formation of a casting mould having upper and lower mould portions comprising a first pattern location at which an upper mould portion pattern is located on a vacuum box, a second pattern location closely adjacent and in fixed orientation relative to said first pattern location and at which a lower mould portion pattern is located on a vacuum box; first transfer means for heating plastic films and conveying them to cover the upper and lower mould portion patterns at the respective first and second pattern locations; first vacuum means connectable to said vacuum boxes for conforming said heated plastic films to said patterns; second transfer means for conveying upper and lower mould portion moulding boxes to the respective first and second pattern locations to cover the respective film covered upper and lower mould portion patterns; means for filling said moulding boxes with sand at said first and second pattern locations; means for covering the sand filled moulding boxes with plastic film at said first and second pattern locations; second vacuum means connectable to the sand filled moulding boxes at said first and second pattern locations; and means for assembling the respective evacuated sand filled moulding boxes together at a mould location to define a mould cavity within said moulding boxes.
Said mould location is preferably closely adjacent and in fixed orientation relative to said pattern locations, said moulding boxes being locatable at said moulding location, and said second transfer means being operable to convey said moulding boxes from said mould location to the respective first and second pattern locations
Said first and second pattern locations are conveniently arranged in a said fixed orientation relative to one another radially of each segment of a plurality of such segments of a rotary carousel whereon said mould location may also be arranged closely adjacent and in fixed orientation relative to said pattern locations radially of each said segment, said moulding boxes being locatable at said moulding location, and said second transfer means being operable to convey said moulding boxes from said mould location to the respective first and second pattern locations on each said segment
Said first vacuum means may comprise a permanent vacuum connection to each of said vacuum boxes and said second vacuum means may comprise a further permanent vacuum connection to each of said moulding boxes, said further permanent vacuum connection being movable with the moulding boxes from said first and second pattern locations to said mould location.
The said first transfer means conveniently comprises a pair of heaters and film holders for heating and holding said plastic films, said heaters and holders being movable to positions above the respective upper and lower mould portion patterns at the respective first and second stations and said holders being movable from said heaters to engage the respective films over the respective patterns4 Preferably said heaters and holders are movable simultaneously to their positions above the respective upper and lower mould portion patterns
In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is provided casting equipment including apparatus as described in the preceding paragraphs and including casting means for filling the mould cavity with molten metal at said mould location.
The casting equipment may include transport means having a plurality of operating stations spaced therealong, said first and second pattern locations and the mould location being arranged on each portion of a plurality of such portions of the transport means and being locatable at each of said operating stations with said first transfer means being cooperable with the said mould portion patterns at a first said operating station; said second transfer means being cooper able with the moulding boxes at a second said operating station; said sand filling means being cooperable with the moulding boxes at a third said operating station; said covering means and said second vacuum means being cooper able with the moulding boxes at a fourth said operating station; said assembling means being cooperable with the moulding boxes at a fifth said operating station; and casting means for filling the mould cavity with molten metal being provided at a sixth said operating station, the cast article being coolable at subsequent operating stations and discharge means being provided at another one of said operating stations at which the sand and the cast article are releasable from the assembled moulding boxes The casting equipment preferably comprises a carousel having a plurality of operating stations spaced circumferentially thereof; said first and second pattern locations and said mould location being arranged on each segment of a plurality of such segments of the carousel and being locatable at each of said operating stations with said first transfer means being cooperable with the said mould portion patterns at a first said operating station; said second transfer means being cooper able with the moulding boxes at a second said operating station; said sand filling means being cooper able with the moulding boxes at a third said operating station; said covering means and said second vacuum means being cooper able with the moulding boxes at a fourth said operating station; said assembling means being cooperable with the moulding boxes at a fifth said operating station; and casting means for filling the mould cavity with molten metal being provided at a sixth said operating station, the cast article being coolable at subsequent operating stations and discharge means being provided at another one of said operating stations at which the sand and the cast article are releasable from the assembled moulding boxes4
The casting equipment as described in the two preceding paragraphs conveniently includes means for cleaning and/or replacing the mould portion patterns at a final one of said operating stations4
According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method for the formation of a casting mould having upper and lower mould portions comprising locating an upper mould portion pattern on a vacuum box at a first pattern location, locating a lower mould portion pattern on a vacuum box at a second pattern location closely adjacent and in fixed orientation relative to said first pattern location; transferring heated plastic films to cover the upper and lower mould portion patterns at the respective first and second pattern locations; connecting vacuum means to said vacuum boxes for conforming said heated plastic films to said patterns; transferring upper and lower mould portion moulding boxes to the respective first and second pattern locations to cover the respective film covered upper and lower mould portion patterns; filling said moulding boxes with sand at said first and second pattern locations; covering the sand filled moulding boxes with plastic film at said first and second pattern locations; evacuating the sand filled moulding boxes at said first and second pattern locations; and assembling the respective evacuated sand filled moulding boxes together at a mould location to define a mould cavity therein
In such method, said moulding boxes are preferably located initially at a said moulding station closely adjacent and in fixed orientation relative to said pattern locations and said moulding boxes are transferred from said mould location to the respective first and second pattern locations to cover the respective first and second film covered upper and lower mould portion patterns
Also in accordance with the invention there is provided a method of casting an article in a casting mould produced by the method described in the preceding paragraphs including pouring molten metal into the mould at the mould location, subsequently permitting the cast article to cool in the mould at the mould location and then discharging the sand and the cast article from the moulding boxes at the mould location
Such method of casting may include a sequence of operations carried out on transport means having a plurality of operating stations spaced therealong with said first and second pattern locations and said mould location arranged on each portion of a plurality of such portions of the transport means at each of said operating stations and wherein said transferring of heated plastic films to cover the upper and lower mould portion patterns at the respective first and second pattern locations is carried out at a first said operating station; the said transferring of the moulding boxes from the mould location to the respective first and second pattern locations to cover the respective film covered upper and lower mould portion patterns is carried out at a second said operating station; the moulding boxes are filled with sand at said first and second pattern locations at a third said operating station; the sand filled moulding boxes are covered with plastic film and evacuated at said first and second pattern locations at a fourth said operating station; the respective evacuated sand filled moulding boxes are assembled together at the mould location at a fifth said operating station; and molten metal is poured into the mould cavity in the moulding boxes at the mould location at a sixth said operating station; the cast article then being permitted to remain in the mould at the mould location to cool at subsequent operating stations and the sand and the cast article being discharged from the moulding boxes at the mould location at another one of said operating stations4
Such method of casting preferably includes a sequence of operations carried out on a carousel having a plurality of operating stations spaced circumferentially thereof with said first and second pattern locations and said mould location arranged on each segment of a plurality of such segments of the carousel at each of said operating stations and wherein said transferring of heated plastic films to cover the upper and lower mould portion patterns at the respective first and second pattern locations is carried out at a first said operating station; the said transferring of the moulding boxes from the mould location to the respective first and second pattern locations to cover the respective film covered upper and lower mould portion patterns is carried out at a second said operating station; the moulding boxes are filled with sand at said first and second pattern locations at a third said operating station; the sand filled moulding boxes are covered with plastic film and evacuated at said first and second pattern locations at a fourth said operating station; the respective evacuated sand filled moulding boxes are assembled together at the mould location at a fifth said operating station; and molten metal is poured into the mould cavity in the moulding boxes at the mould location at a sixth said operating station; the cast article then being permitted to remain in the mould at the mould location to cool at subsequent operating stations and the sand and the cast article being discharged from the moulding boxes at the mould location at another one of said operating stations
The casting methods described in the preceding paragraphs conveniently include the steps of cleaning and/or replacing the mould portion patterns at a final one of said operating stations
Other features of the invention will become apparent from the following description given herein solely by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: - Figure 1 is a diagrammatic top plan view of carousel casting equipment including mould forming apparatus in accordance with the invention; and
Figure 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the first transfer means for covering the upper and lower mould portion patterns with heated plastic films.
Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings there is illustrated carousel casting equipment comprising a plurality of, conveniently twelve, stationary operating stations 1 to 12 spaced circumferentially of a circular carousel 20. The carousel 20 has a horizontal upper surface and is mounted for indexable rotation about a central vertical axis, the upper surface being divided into twelve equi-angular segments at each of which are provided two closely adjacent pattern locations and a mould location arranged radially of the carousel in a fixed orientation relative to one another The carousel indexing mechanism is arranged such that each segment of the carousel with its three said locations is locatable at a respective one of the operating stations 1 to 12 and movable sequentially from one operating station to the next upon each indexation of the carousel
At operating station 1 there is provided that part of the mould forming apparatus illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 2 for commencing the mould forming operation at a corresponding first segment of the carousel.At said first segment there is provided the aforesaid three locations on the carousel as shown in
Figure 2 from which it will be seen that, at the radially innermost location - the first pattern location - an upper mould portion pattern - the cope pattern 22 - is located on a vacuum box 24. At the radially intermediate location - the second pattern location - a lower mould portion pattern - the drag pattern 26 - is also located on a vacuum box 28. At the radially outermost location the mould location - the cope and drag moulding boxes 30 and 32 are respectively assembled together, the cope moulding box 30 being located above the drag moulding box 32.
A first transfer means comprises a fixed gantry 34 extending radially outwardly of the first segment of the carousel 20 at operating station 1 and includes, as will be clearly seen at the left-hand side of Figure 2, a wheeled carriage 36 movable radially of the carousel between the full line position and the dotted line position illustrated in Figure 2. In the full line position i.e. the radially outermost position of the carriage 36, it is located above two spaced tables 38, 40 over each of which a thin plastic film 42 may be fed from a respective bulk supply 44 by means of a flying shuttle 46.The carriage 36 includes a pair of heaters 48 below which are located respective film holders 50 lowerable by pneumatic rams 52 or the like from the full line position shown in Figure 2 to engage the plastic films 42. A hot wire cutter 54 is associated with each film delivery device whereby, when the film holders 50 are lowered onto the films 42, the films may be attached to the holders by a suitable vacuum device and moved upwardly towards the associated heaters 48 to soften the films.The carriage 36 is then movable radially inwardly of the carousel to the dotted line position following which the two film holders 50 may be lowered to cover the respective cope and drag patterns 22 and 26. At this time a vacuum connection is established to the vacuum boxes 24 and 28 to conform the heated softened plastic films to the pattern profiles. The film holders 50 may then be retracted and the carriage 36 moved radially outwardly of the gantry 34 to its initial position ready to repeat the cycle of operations
The carousel 20 is then indexable to bring the film covered patterns 22 and 26 on the first segment to operating station 2 at which there is provided a second transfer means (not shown) for placing the cope moulding box 30 over the film covered cope pattern 22 and for placing the drag moulding box 32 over the film covered drag pattern 26.As will be seen from Figure 2, the drag pattern vacuum box 28 is of a greater height than that of the cope pattern vacuum box 24 whilst the cope moulding box 30 is of a greater height than that of the drag moulding box 32 whereby, when the boxes are located over the respective film covered patterns, the upper surfaces of the cope and drag moulding boxes will be in the same horizontal plane.
The carousel 20 is then indexable to bring the said first segment of the carousel to operating station 3 where the two moulding boxes are filled with sand, compacted by vibration and levelled by suitable sand delivery and levelling means (not shown).
The carousel 20 is then indexable to bring the sand filled moulding boxes 30 and 32 on said first segment of the carousel to operating station 4 where there is provided film supply and transfer means (not shown) similar to that provided at operating station 1. At operating station 4 the said means picks up and conveys further plastic films to the upper surfaces of the cope and drag moulding boxes 30 and 32. This means need not be provided with the heaters which are necessary in the transfer means at operating station 1 since the films at operating station 4 only have to be applied to cover the levelled upper sand surfaces of the moulding boxes 30 and 32 and do not have to conform to a detailed pattern as is required at operating station 1.A further vacuum connection is established to each of the moulding boxes 30 and 32 at operating station 4 to bind the sand within the moulding boxes subsequent to which the vacuum connections to the vacuum boxes 24 and 28 may be released.
The carousel 20 is then further indexable to bring the evacuated moulding boxes to operating station 5 at which a pick and place mechanism (not shown) moves the sand filled drag moulding box 32, still under vacuum, from the second pattern location to the mould location, inverting it en route, and moves the sand filled cope moulding box 30, still under vacuum, from the first pattern location to the mould location placing the cope moulding box 30 on top of the drag moulding box 32. It will be appreciated that, after this step has been completed at operating station 5, the two moulding boxes 30 and 32 are at the mould location and in the same orientation one above the other as they were at operating station 1.
The carousel 20 is then further indexable to bring the assembled moulding boxes, still under vacuum, to operating station 6 at which there is provided molten metal holding and pouring means (not shown) for filling the cavity within the sand filled moulding boxes 30 and 32. A suitable quantity of molten metal is cast into the mould cavity at operating station 6 and the carousel 20 is then indexable sequentially to bring the mould through operating stations 7 to 11 whilst the casting cools in the mould which remains at the mould location.
At operating station 11, the vacuum is released from the moulding boxes 30 and 32 to enable discharge and reclamation of the sand and discharge of the cooled cast article. Conveniently, at the mould location on each segment of the carousel 20, the moulding boxes 30 and 32 are located over a downwardly pivotal flap or the like whereby, when the vacuum is released from the moulding boxes at operating station 11, the sand and the cast article may be discharged through the carousel to appropriate conveyor arrangements (not shown) located below the carousel. Because the moulding boxes remain in position during mould release, their vacuum connections can remain permanently attached.
After discharge of the sand and the cast article from the moulding boxes 30 and 32 at operating station 11, the flap in the carousel is closed and the carousel 20 is indexed further to bring the empty mould boxes and cope and drag patterns to operating station 12. At this station, the cope and drag patterns 22 and 26 may be cleaned by air lines or the like before the carousel 20 is indexed further to bring the mould boxes and patterns back to operating station 1. It will be appreciated that, at all times, the cope and drag patterns 22 and 26 remain on the carousel 20 at their respective first and second pattern locations at each of the operating stations 1 to 12. Similarly, the cope and drag moulding boxes 30 and 32 remain in their same positions at the mould location at each of operating stations 1 and 5 to 12 inclusive.
At operating station 12, it may be convenient to change any or all of the cope pattern 22, the drag pattern 26, the cope moulding box 30 and the drag moulding box 32. Conveniently a storage and preparation area 56 may be provided externally of the carousel adjacent operating position 12 where a complete set of cope and drag patterns and their associated moulding boxes may be assembled in line in a cassette type of mechanism for ready transfer in line radially onto or off a segment of the carousel 204 As described herein, the casting equipment is of carousel form thus offering substantial benefits in terms of space and speed of production compared with the known
V-process mould forming and casting equipment.In particular, it should be noted that a permanent vacuum connection may be established between a central vacuum service and each of the cope and drag vacuum boxes 24 and 28 at the said first and second pattern locations at each segment of the carousel since such vacuum boxes are not moved relative to the carousel 20 unless they are required to be changed as mentioned above at operating station 12.Similarly, a central vacuum service can conveniently be utilised to supply the vacuum via permanent connections to the cope and drag moulding boxes 30 and 32 since the degree of movement of the boxes beteen the respective locations on each segment of the carousel is small and is linear4 The linear arrangement of the two pattern locations and the mould location also has the advantage that operations to the cope and drag can occur simultaneously by the same piece of equipment thus doubling production rates; Also, mechanical handling of the cope and drag to the mould location for casting and cooling is simplified.
Although the carousel form of casting equipment has the capability of offering the most advantages in terms of space saving and production rates, it should be appreciated that the invention in its broadest terms is concerned with the formation of a casting mould. Thus the mould forming steps, which are described above with respect to operating stations 1 to 5 arranged around the carousel, need not necessarily be carried out on a carousel system.
The mould forming apparatus, whether or not it is employed in a carousel system, is capable of forming approximately 100 moulds per hour which clearly offers a substantial advantage over the typical known mould forming rates of approximately 15 moulds per hour. The carousel casting equipment is particularly beneficial in the production of thin wall castings as such castings will cool sufficiently during their passage on the carousel from the casting station - operating station 6 to the discharge station - operating station 11. The casting equipment is usable to produce either ferrous or non-ferrous cast articles e.g. iron, steel, copper, aluminium, magnesium and their alloys etc.
Claims (22)
1. Apparatus for the formation of a casting mould having upper and lower mould portions comprising a first pattern location at which an upper mould portion pattern is located on a vacuum box, a second pattern location closely adjacent and in fixed orientation relative to said first pattern location and at which a lower mould portion pattern is located on a vacuum box; first transfer means for heating plastic films and conveying them to cover the upper and lower mould portion patterns at the respective first and second pattern locations; first vacuum means connectable to said vacuum boxes for conforming said heated plastic films to said patterns; second transfer means for conveying upper and lower mould portion moulding boxes to the respective first and second pattern locations to cover the respective film covered upper and lower mould portion patterns; means for filling said moulding boxes with sand at said first and second pattern locations; means for covering the sand filled moulding boxes with plastic film at said first and second pattern locations; second vacuum means connectable to the sand filled moulding boxes at said first and second pattern locations; and means for assembling the respective evacuated sand filled moulding boxes together at a mould location to define a mould cavity within said moulding boxes.
2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said mould location is closely adjacent and in fixed orientation relative to said pattern locations, said moulding boxes being locatable at said moulding location, and said second transfer means being operable to convey said moulding boxes from said mould location to the respective first and second pattern locations.
3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said first and second pattern locations are arranged in a said fixed orientation relative to one another radially of each segment of a plurality of such segments of a rotary carousel.
4. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 wherein said mould location is arranged closely adjacent and in fixed orientation relative to said pattern locations radially of each said segment of a rotary carousel, said moulding boxes being locatable at said moulding location, and said second transfer means being operable to convey said moulding boxes from said mould location to the respective first and second pattern locations
5. Apparatus as claimed in either one of Claims 3 or 4 wherein said second vacuum means comprises a permanent vacuum connection to each of said moulding boxes; said permanent vacuum connection being movable with the moulding boxes from said first and second pattern locations to said mould location.
6. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 5 wherein said first vacuum means comprises a permanent vacuum connection to each of said vacuum boxes at each said segment of the carousel.
7. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6 wherein said first transfer means comprises a pair of heaters and film holders for heating and holding said plastic films, said heaters and holders being movable together as a unit to positions above the respective upper and lower mould portion patterns at the respective first and second pattern locations and said holders being movable from said heaters to engage the respective films over the respective patterns.
8. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 7 wherein said heaters and holders are movable together as a unit simultaneously to their positions above the respective upper and lower mould portion patterns.
9. Casting equipment including apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 2 or 4 to 8 including casting means for filling the mould cavity with molten metal at said mould location.
10. Casting equipment including apparatus as claimed in
Claim 2, or as claimed in either one of Claims 7 or 8 when appendant to Claim 2, including transport means having a plurality of operating stations spaced therealong, said first and second pattern locations and the mould location being arranged on each portion of a plurality of such portions of the transport means and being locatable at each of said operating stations with said first transfer means being cooperable with the said mould portion patterns at a first said operating station; said second transfer means being cooper able with the moulding boxes at a second said operating station; said sand filling means being cooperable with the moulding boxes at a third said operating station; said covering means and said second vacuum means being cooper able with the moulding boxes at a fourth said operating station; said assembling means being cooper able with the moulding boxes at a fifth said operating station; and casting means for filling the mould cavity with molten metal being provided at a sixth said operating station, the cast article being cool able at subsequent operating stations and discharge means being provided at another one of said operating stations at which the sand and the cast article are releasable from the assembled moulding boxes
11. Casting equipment including apparatus as claimed in
Claim 4, or as claimed in any one of Claims 5 to 8 when appendant to Claim 4, comprising a carousel having a plurality of operating stations spaced circumferentially thereof; said first and second pattern locations and said mould location being arranged on each segment of a plurality of such segments of the carousel and being locatable at each of said operating stations with said first transfer means being cooper able with the said mould portion patterns at a first said operating station; said second transfer means being cooper able with the moulding boxes at a second said operating station; said sand filling means being cooperable with the moulding boxes at a third said operating station; said covering means and said second vacuum means being cooper able with the moulding boxes at a fourth said operating station; said assembling means being cooper able with the moulding boxes at a fifth said operating station; and casting means for filling the mould cavity with molten metal being provided at a sixth said operating station, the cast article being coolable at subsequent operating stations and discharge means being provided at another one of said operating stations at which the sand and the cast article are releasable from the assembled moulding boxes.
12. Casting equipment as claimed in either one of Claims 10 or 11 including means for cleaning and/or replacing the mould portion patterns at a final one of said operating stations
13. A method for the formation of a casting mould having upper and lower mould portions comprising locating an upper mould portion pattern on a vacuum box at a first pattern location, locating a lower mould portion pattern on a vacuum box at a second pattern location closely adjacent and in fixed orientation relative to said first pattern location; transferring heated plastic films to cover the upper and lower mould portion patterns at the respective first and second pattern locations; connecting vacuum means to said vacuum boxes for conforming said heated plastic films to said patterns; transferring upper and lower mould portion moulding boxes to the respective first and second pattern locations to cover the respective film covered upper and lower mould portion patterns; filling said moulding boxes with sand at said first and second pattern locations; covering the sand filled moulding boxes with plastic film at said first and second pattern locations; evacuating the sand filled moulding boxes at said first and second pattern locations; and assembling the respective evacuated sand filled moulding boxes together at a mould location to define a mould cavity therein.
14. A method for the formation of a casting mould according to Claim 13 wherein said moulding boxes are located initially at a said moulding station closely adjacent and in fixed orientation relative to said pattern locations and said moulding boxes are transferred from said mould location to the respective first and second pattern locations to cover the respective first and second film covered upper and lower mould portion patterns.
15. A method of casting an article in a casting mould produced by the method of Claim 14 including pouring molten metal into the mould at the mould location, subsequently permitting the cast article to cool in the mould at the mould location and then discharging the sand and the cast article from the moulding boxes at the mould location.
164 A method of casting an article in a casting mould produced by the method of Claim 14 wherein a sequence of operations is carried out on transport means having a plurality of operating stations, spaced therealong with said first and second pattern locations and said mould location arranged on each portion of a plurality of such portions of the transport means at each of said operating stations and wherein said transferring of heated plastic films to cover the upper and lower mould portion patterns at the respective first and second pattern locations is carried out at a first said operating station; the said transferring of the moulding boxes from the mould location to the respective first and second pattern locations to cover the respective film covered upper and lower mould portion patterns is carried out at a second said operating station; the moulding boxes are filled with sand at said first and second pattern locations at a third said operating station; the sand filled moulding boxes are covered with plastic film and evacuated at said first and second pattern locations at a fourth said operating station; the respective evacuated sand filled moulding boxes are assembled together at the mould location at a fifth said operating station; and molten metal is poured into the mould cavity in the moulding boxes at the mould location at a sixth said operating station; the cast article then being permitted to remain in the mould at the mould location to cool at subsequent operating stations and the sand and the cast article being discharged from the moulding boxes at the mould location at another one of said operating stations.
174 A method of casting an article in a casting mould produced by the method of Claim 14 wherein a sequence of operations is carried out on a carousel having a plurality of operating stations spaced circumferentially thereof with said first and second pattern locations and said mould location arranged on each segment of a plurality of such segments of the carousel at each of said operating stations and wherein said transferring of heated plastic films to cover the upper and lower mould portion patterns at the respective first and second pattern locations is carried out at a first said operating station; the said transferring of the moulding boxes from the mould location to the respective first and second pattern locations to cover the respective film covered upper and lower mould portion patterns is carried out at a second said operating station; the moulding boxes are filled with sand at said first and second pattern locations at a third said operating station; the sand filled moulding boxes are covered with plastic film and evacuated at said first and second pattern locations at a fourth said operating station; the respective evacuated sand filled moulding boxes are assembled together at the mould location at a fifth said operating station; and molten metal is poured into the mould cavity in the moulding boxes at the mould location at a sixth said operating station; the cast article then being permitted to remain in the mould at the mould location to cool at subsequent operating stations and the sand and the cast article being discharged from the moulding boxes at the mould location at another one of said operating stations.
18. A method of casting an article according to either one of Claims 16 or 17 including the steps of cleaning and/or replacing the mould portion patterns at a final one of said operating stations.
19. Apparatus for the formation of a casting mould constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
20. Casting equipment constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
21. A method for the formation of a casting mould substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
22. A method of casting an article substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB8802943A GB2214850A (en) | 1988-02-09 | 1988-02-09 | A vacuum moulding process for mould forming |
| PCT/GB1989/000103 WO1989007501A1 (en) | 1988-02-09 | 1989-02-06 | Casting apparatus and method |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB8802943A GB2214850A (en) | 1988-02-09 | 1988-02-09 | A vacuum moulding process for mould forming |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB8802943D0 GB8802943D0 (en) | 1988-03-09 |
| GB2214850A true GB2214850A (en) | 1989-09-13 |
Family
ID=10631372
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB8802943A Withdrawn GB2214850A (en) | 1988-02-09 | 1988-02-09 | A vacuum moulding process for mould forming |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2214850A (en) |
| WO (1) | WO1989007501A1 (en) |
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| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO1991012104A1 (en) * | 1990-02-16 | 1991-08-22 | Combustion Engineering, Inc. | Vertical pour casting process |
| AT517422B1 (en) * | 2015-06-15 | 2020-07-15 | Fill Gmbh | Device for manufacturing workpieces |
| CN109296362B (en) * | 2018-08-31 | 2022-03-01 | 中国石油天然气股份有限公司 | Rotary sand filling device, rotary sand filling system applied to sand filling model and rotary sand filling method applied to sand filling model |
Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2007131A (en) * | 1977-10-14 | 1979-05-16 | Nippon Musical Instruments Mfg | Casting Process by Vacuum Sealed Moulding |
| GB1562330A (en) * | 1976-02-20 | 1980-03-12 | Nippon Musical Instruments Mfg | Piano frame |
| GB2072066A (en) * | 1980-03-20 | 1981-09-30 | Buderus Ag | Moulding installation for the production of casting moulds |
Family Cites Families (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1542857A (en) * | 1975-11-21 | 1979-03-28 | Workman J | Moulding apparatus |
| DE2638198C3 (en) * | 1976-08-25 | 1979-10-25 | Heinrich Wagner Maschinenfabrik, 5928 Laasphe | Pallet track for transporting molding boxes kept under vacuum |
| DE2919950C2 (en) * | 1979-05-17 | 1984-08-09 | Heinrich Wagner Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co, 5928 Laasphe | Method and device for determining the temperature of plastic films for the vacuum forming process |
-
1988
- 1988-02-09 GB GB8802943A patent/GB2214850A/en not_active Withdrawn
-
1989
- 1989-02-06 WO PCT/GB1989/000103 patent/WO1989007501A1/en unknown
Patent Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1562330A (en) * | 1976-02-20 | 1980-03-12 | Nippon Musical Instruments Mfg | Piano frame |
| GB2007131A (en) * | 1977-10-14 | 1979-05-16 | Nippon Musical Instruments Mfg | Casting Process by Vacuum Sealed Moulding |
| GB2072066A (en) * | 1980-03-20 | 1981-09-30 | Buderus Ag | Moulding installation for the production of casting moulds |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| WO1989007501A1 (en) | 1989-08-24 |
| GB8802943D0 (en) | 1988-03-09 |
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| Date | Code | Title | Description |
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| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |