Method and system for monitoring a molding machine

• US 6,957,687 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2002
• Issued: 10/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sintokogio Limited
• Original Assignee: Sintokogio Limited
• Inventors: Hirata, Minoru, Sakai, Tsuyoshi, Mizuno, Kenji, Hadano, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Len
• Application Number:
  US10/485,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20040206472A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 164/456, 164/154.1, 164/154.2, 164/154.3, 164/154.8, 164/239, 164/200, 164/201
• US Class Current: 164/154.2
• CPC Class Codes: B22C 15/24 involving blowing devices in which the mould material is supplied in the form of loose particles
• CPC Class Codes: B22C 15/28 Compacting by different means acting simultaneously or successively, e.g. preliminary blowing and finally pressing
• CPC Class Codes: B22C 19/04 Controlling devices specially designed for moulding machines

Abstract

A monitor system for monitoring a molding machine that includes a vertically-movable supporting frame, a pattern carrier on which a pattern is placed, a flask placed on a leveling frame, a sand hopper provided with an optional an air-jet chamber, sand-charging nozzles disposed around a plurality of squeeze feet that is disposed at a lower end of the sand hopper, and a filling frame connected to filling-frame cylinders and surrounding the squeeze feet and the sand-charging nozzles from their outside, the filling frame to be placed on the flask when lowered, comprising at least one sensor connected to the molding machine, for detecting an attribute of the molding sand as required and data analyzing monitor means connected to the sensor, for receiving data that correspond to the attribute detected by the sensor and analyzing the attribute and displaying the results of the analysis.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a molding machine when a sand mold contained in a flask is produced by the molding machine that includes a vertically-movable supporting frame installed across upper ends of frame-setting cylinders mounted on a machine base;

a pattern carrier for carrying thereon a pattern plate to a place above a central part of the machine base;

an annular leveling frame for surrounding the sides of the pattern plate and for vertical sliding;

the flask to be placed on the leveling frame;

a sand hopper suspended from the vertically-movable supporting frame, for holding molding sand therein, the sand hopper selectively having an air-ejecting chamber therein to eject an air-jet for aeration by which the molding sand is floated and fluidized;

a plurality of squeeze feet disposed at the bottom of the sand hopper, the squeeze feet being controllable to vertically move and stop;

sand-charging nozzles disposed around the squeeze feet, for introducing the molding sand from the sand hopper into the flask;

a filling frame vertically movably connected to filling-frame cylinders, for surrounding the squeeze feet and the sand-charging nozzles from their outside and for being placed on the flask when moved downwardly;

the system comprising;

at least one sensor connected to the molding machine for detecting an attribute as required on the molding machine; and

a data-analyzing monitor means connected to the sensor, for receiving signals corresponding to the attribute detected by the sensor and analyzing the attribute to display the results of the analysis.

2. The system of claim 1, including a plurality of pressure sensors for detecting pressures of working fluids of hydraulic cylinders for actuating the vertically-movable supporting frame, the filling frame, and the leveling frame, the pressures being the attributes of the molding machine.

3. The system of claim 1, including at least a plurality of pressure sensors for detecting a pneumatic pressure of the auxiliary air injected into the sand hopper from above and a pneumatic pressure in the flask or the filling frame, and an optional pressure sensor for detecting a pneumatic pressure of the aeration, all the pressures being the attributes of the molding machine.

4. The system of claim 1, including a plurality of position sensors for detecting positions of the frame-setting cylinders and the filling-frame cylinders, all the positions being the attributes of the molding machine.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the data-analyzing monitor means include an analyzing means for analyzing signals that are digital ones converted from the signals corresponding to the attribute detected by the sensor, and wherein the analyzing means determine allowable limits for data to be obtained in each operation on the attribute or attributes of the molding machine on the basis of previously obtained data when the molding machine properly operates to produce a good sandmold and include software for judging whether the data obtained in each operation are within the allowable limits.