POURING EQUIPMENT AND METHOD OF POURING USING THE POURING EQUIPMENT

• US 20130140335A1
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujiwa Denki Co. Ltd., Sintokogio Limited
• Original Assignee: Hideto Terada
• Inventors: Hyoudo, Toshiyuki, Nishida, Tadashi, Banno, Kouichi, Terada, HIdeto
• Granted Patent: US 9,289,824 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/590
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 37/00 Controlling or regulating the pouring of molten metal from a casting melt-holding vessel B22D11/18, B22D39/00, B22D41/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 39/04 having means for controlling the amount of molten metal by weight

Abstract

The present invention provides pouring equipment of a tilting-type that can appropriately pour molten metal at a high speed corresponding to the speed of molding. It also provides a method of pouring the molten metal. The pouring equipment has a holding furnace supplying the molten metal by being tilted, a pouring ladle pouring the molten metal supplied from the holding furnace into molds that are intermittently transported, a device for measuring weight of the molten metal in the pouring ladle, and equipment for control that controls the tiltings of the holding furnace and the pouring ladle. The equipment for control has a device for storing results from measurements and devices for calculating the first and second flow rate. The equipment controls the tilting of the ladle so that the ladle pours the molten metal into the mold according to the flow pattern of the product.

Claims

1. Pouring equipment comprising:

a holding furnace that stores and holds molten metal and that supplies it by being tilted;

a pouring ladle that stores the molten metal that is supplied from the holding furnace, and that pours the molten metal, by being tilted, into molds that are intermittently transported;

a device for measuring weight, which device measures the weight of the molten metal in the pouring ladle; and

equipment for control that controls the tilting movements of the holding furnace and the pouring ladle,

wherein the equipment for control comprises;

a device for storing results from measurements, the measurements made by the device for measuring weight;

a device for calculating the first flow rate, which device calculates the flow of the molten metal that is supplied from the holding furnace to the pouring ladle based on the results of the measurements obtained when the molten metal is not poured by the pouring ladle, and which results are stored in the device for storing results from measurements;

a device for calculating the second flow rate, which device calculates the flow of the molten metal that is supplied from the pouring ladle to the mold based on the results of the measurements obtained when the molten metal is poured by the pouring ladle, and which results are stored in the device for storing results from measurements,

wherein the equipment for control controls the tilting of the pouring ladle so as to have the pouring ladle pour the molten metal into the mold according to the flow pattern specific to each product, based on the information on the flow of the molten metal that is poured into the mold, which information is calculated by and obtained from the device for calculating the second flow rate.

2. The pouring equipment of claim 1, wherein the device for calculating the second flow rate comprises:

a device for calculating the difference in flow that calculates the difference in flow between the flow of the molten metal that is supplied to the pouring ladle and the flow of the molten metal that is poured from the pouring ladle to the mold, based on the results of measurements when the pouring ladle pours the molten metal; and

a device for calculating the flow of the molten metal that calculates the flow of the molten metal that is poured from the pouring ladle to the mold, based on the difference in the flow that is calculated by the device for calculating the difference in flow and the flow of the molten metal that is calculated by the device for calculating the first flow rate and that is supplied to the pouring ladle by the holding furnace.

3. The pouring equipment of claim 2, wherein the equipment for control comprises a device for storing the flow-pattern, which device stores the information on the flow-pattern corresponding to each mold that is transported intermittently, and a device for monitoring the flow of the molten metal that is poured into the mold based on the flow-pattern that is stored in the device for storing the flow-pattern, the flow of the molten metal being calculated by the device for calculating the second flow rate.

4. The pouring equipment of claim 3, wherein the equipment for control comprises:

a device for storing the information on the quantity of the molten metal that is required to be poured for each of the molds that are intermittently transported;

a device for integrating the amount of the molten metal that is poured calculates by accumulation the quantity of the molten metal, based on the flow of the molten metal that is calculated by a device for calculating the flow of the molten metal; and

a device for determining the time to stop the pouring by the pouring ladle that determines if the pouring ladle should stop pouring the molten metal, based on the comparison between the quantity of molten metal that is required to be poured and that is stored in the device for storing the information on the quantity of molten metal that is required to be poured and the quantity of the molten metal that is poured and that is calculated in the device for integrating the amount of the molten metal that is poured,

wherein the equipment for control has the pouring ladle stop pouring by tilting the pouring ladle, if the device for determining the time to stop the pouring by the pouring ladle determines that it is the time to stop the pouring by the pouring ladle.

5. The pouring equipment of claim 4, wherein the equipment for control comprises a device for monitoring the tilting of the holding furnace that monitors the tilting of the holding furnace, based on the information on the data that were calculated by the device for calculating the first flow rate when the pouring ladle does not pour the molten metal and wherein the device for monitoring the tilting of the holding furnace controls the speed of the tilting of the holding furnace so that the flow that is calculated by the device for calculating the first flow rate is constant when the pouring ladle does not pour the molten metal.

6. The pouring equipment of claim 5, wherein the equipment for control comprises a device for determining the time to stop the pouring by the holding furnace, which device determines whether the holding furnace stops pouring, and wherein the equipment for control tilts the holding furnace so that it stops pouring if the device for determining the time to stop the pouring by the holding furnace determines that the pouring should be stopped.

7. The pouring equipment of claim 6, wherein the device for integrating the amount of the molten metal that is poured further calculates the total molten metal that was poured from the holding furnace into the molds through the pouring ladle and wherein the equipment for control comprises a device for determining the lower limit of the holding furnace, which device determines whether the amount of the molten metal in the holding furnace is less than its lower limit based on the total amount of the molten metal that is poured and that was calculated by the device for integrating the amount of the molten metal that is poured, and wherein the device for determining the time to stop the pouring by the holding furnace determines that the pouring should be stopped if at least the device for determining the lower limit of the holding furnace determines that the amount of the molten metal in the holding furnace is below the lower limit.

8. The pouring equipment of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein at least two holding furnaces, which can be transported and which can each supply, by being tilted, the molten metal to the pouring ladle at the position for supplying the molten metal, are used, wherein the pouring equipment further comprises:

a transport line for holding furnace that transports the holding furnaces; and

a device for driving the tilting of the holding furnace, which tilts the holding furnace, and which furnace was transported by the transport line for holding furnace to the position for supplying the molten metal, wherein the equipment for control controls the tiltings of the holding furnace and the pouring ladle and also controls the transport of the holding furnace, which transport is carried out by the transport line for holding the furnace.

9. The pouring equipment of claim 8, wherein if the amount of the molten metal in the holding furnace at the position for supplying the molten metal becomes below its lower limit, the equipment for control has the holding furnace withdrawn to a position of retreat and then has the other holding furnace that is filled with the molten metal transported to the position for supplying the molten metal.

10. The pouring equipment of claim 9, wherein if a type of molten metal is to be changed for another type (a change of materials), the equipment for control has the holding furnace withdrawn to the position of retreat and then has the other holding furnace that is filled with the molten metal of another type transported to the position for supplying the molten metal.

11. The pouring equipment of claim 1, wherein the mold is manufactured by a vertical flaskless molding machine.

12. A method of pouring the molten metal into a mold using pouring equipment comprising:

a holding furnace that stores and holds molten metal and that supplies it by being tilted;

a pouring ladle that stores the molten metal that is supplied from the holding furnace, and that pours the molten metal, by being tilted, into molds that are intermittently transported;

a device for measuring weight, which device measures the weight of the molten metal in the pouring ladle; and

equipment for control that controls the tilting movements of the holding furnace and the pouring ladle,

wherein the equipment for control comprises;

a device for storing results from measurements, the measurements made by the device for measuring weights;

a device for calculating the first flow rate, which device calculates the flow of the molten metal that is supplied from the holding furnace to the pouring ladle based on the results of measurements obtained when the molten metal is not poured by the pouring ladle, and which results are stored in the device for storing results from measurements;

a device for calculating the second flow rate, which device calculates the flow of the molten metal that is supplied from the pouring ladle to the mold based on the results of the measurements obtained when the molten metal is poured by the pouring ladle, and which results are stored in the device for storing results from measurements,

wherein the equipment for control controls the tilting of the pouring ladle so as to have the pouring ladle pour the molten metal into the mold according to the flow pattern specific to each product, based on the information on the flow of the molten metal that is poured into the mold, which information is calculated by and obtained from the device for calculating the second flow rate.

13. The method of pouring of claim 12, wherein the device for calculating the second flow rate comprises:

a device for calculating the difference in flow that calculates the difference in flow between the flow of the molten metal that is supplied to the pouring ladle and the flow of the molten metal that is poured from the pouring ladle to the mold, based on the results of measurements when the pouring ladle pours the molten metal; and

a device for calculating the flow of the molten metal that calculates the flow of the molten metal that is poured from the pouring ladle to the mold, based on the difference in the flow that is calculated by the device for calculating the difference in flow and the flow of the molten metal that is calculated by the device for calculating the first flow rate and that is supplied to the pouring ladle by the holding furnace.

14. The method of pouring of claim 13, wherein the equipment for control comprises a device for storing the flow-pattern, which device stores the information on the flow-pattern corresponding to each mold that is transported intermittently, and a device for monitoring the flow of the molten metal that is poured into the mold, which flow is calculated by the device for calculating the second flow rate, and which pouring is based on the flow-pattern that is stored in the device for storing the flow-pattern.

15. The method of pouring of claim 14, wherein the equipment for control comprises:

a device for storing the information on the quantity of the molten metal that is required to be poured for each of the molds that are intermittently transported;

a device for integrating the amount of the molten metal that is poured calculates by accumulation the quantity of the molten metal required for the mold, based on the flow of the molten metal that is calculated by a device for calculating the flow of the molten metal; and

a device for determining the time to stop the pouring by the pouring ladle that determines if the pouring ladle should stop pouring the molten metal, based on the comparison between the quantity of molten metal that is required to be poured and that is stored in the device for storing the information on the quantity of molten metal that is required to be poured and the quantity of the molten metal that is poured and that is calculated in the device for integrating the amount of the molten metal that is poured,

wherein the equipment for control has the pouring ladle stop pouring by tilting the pouring ladle, if the device for determining the time to stop the pouring by the pouring ladle determines that it is the time to stop the pouring by the pouring ladle.

16. The method of pouring of claim 15, wherein the equipment for control comprises a device for monitoring the tilting of the holding furnace that monitors the tilting of the holding furnace, based on the information on the data that were calculated by the device for calculating the first flow rate when the pouring ladle does not pour the molten metal and wherein the device for monitoring the tilting of the holding furnace controls the speed of the tilting of the holding furnace so that the flow that is calculated by the device for calculating the first flow rate is constant when the pouring ladle does not pour the molten metal.

17. The method of pouring of claim 16, wherein the equipment for control comprises a device for determining the time to stop the pouring by the holding furnace, which device determines whether the holding furnace stops pouring, and wherein the equipment for control tilts the holding furnace so that it stops pouring if the device for determining the time to stop the pouring by the holding furnace determines that the pouring should be stopped.

18. The method of pouring of claim 17, wherein the device for integrating the amount of the molten metal that is poured further calculates the total molten metal that was poured from the holding furnace into the molds through the pouring ladle and wherein the equipment for control comprises a device for determining the lower limit of the holding furnace, which device determines whether the amount of the molten metal in the holding furnace is less than its lower limit based on the total amount of the molten metal that is poured and that was calculated by the device for integrating the amount of the molten metal that is poured, and wherein the device for determining the time to stop the pouring by the holding furnace determines that the pouring should be stopped if at least the device for determining the lower limit of the holding furnace determines that the amount of the molten metal in the holding furnace is below the lower limit.

19. The method of pouring of any one of claims 12 to 18, wherein at least two holding furnaces, which can be transported and which can each supply, by being tilted, the molten metal to the pouring ladle at the position for supplying the molten metal, are used, wherein the pouring equipment further comprises:

a transport line for holding furnace that transports the holding furnaces; and

a device for driving the tilting of the holding furnace, which tilts the holding furnace, and which furnace was transported by the transport line for holding furnace to the position for supplying the molten metal, wherein the equipment for control controls the tiltings of the holding furnace and the pouring ladle and also controls the transport of the holding furnace, which transport is carried out by the transport line for holding furnace.

20. The method of pouring of claim 19, wherein if the amount of the molten metal in the holding furnace at the position for supplying the molten metal becomes below its lower limit, the equipment for control has the holding furnace withdrawn to a position of retreat and then has the other holding furnace that is filled with the molten metal transported to the position for supplying the molten metal.

21. The method of pouring of claim 20, wherein if the type of molten metal is to be changed for another type (a change of materials), the equipment for control has the holding furnace withdrawn to the position of retreat and then has the holding furnace that is filled with the molten metal of another type transported to the position for supplying the molten metal.

22. The method of pouring of claim 12, wherein the mold is manufactured by a vertical flaskless molding machine.