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ASIMCO Camshaft (Yizheng) Co., Ltd.
Teamwork Overcomes Challenges — A Record of the Installation and Commissioning of an Automatic Suction-Type Machine
Release Date:
16-10-28
The mold-blowing and mold-suction processes have always been the key focus for controlling product quality on the AUTO2 casting production line. To further enhance the line’s level of automation, reduce workers’ physical workload, and eliminate human factors that could affect product quality, the company conducted multiple site visits and subsequently procured an automated mold-suction device. At the end of September, with support from the maintenance team and taking advantage of a scheduled shutdown of the AUTO2 line, the installation of the automated mold-suction device was carried out as quickly as possible. Process engineers developed CNC programs tailored to the product configuration of the AUTO2 line and performed commissioning; electrical technicians finalized the control scheme to integrate the mold-suction machine with the AUTO2 line, ensuring that once the sand mold is in place, the device’s program automatically starts. During this phase, several challenges arose. To enable the device to simultaneously perform mold suction and spray surface-strengthening agents, fitters installed coolant nozzles on the machine tool; however, during commissioning it became apparent that the spray coverage consistently fell short of the desired level—either the coverage area was too small, or the program ran too slowly to keep pace with the production line. Subsequently, frontline operators actively contributed by suggesting replacing the nozzle with a manual sprayer used for mold suction. After fitters modified and installed the new sprayer, the system finally achieved the intended performance. Another issue was the inconsistent height of the sand-mold surface: not only did this make the suction nozzle prone to being knocked off alignment, but it also risked damaging the mold itself. To address this, flexible hoses were added to the metal tubing of the suction nozzle, and height markers were installed at the positions corresponding to the first two boxes. Any sand mold whose surface was scratched by these markers was flagged as exceeding the specified height, triggering the mold-suction machine to shut down and thereby reducing the likelihood of collisions. With the full support of the entire foundry team, the mold-suction machine is now operating normally. This reminds me of the lyrics to a song: “With a bamboo pole, we brave the vast ocean; with everyone rowing together, we set sail on the big ship…”
The blow-molding and vacuum-molding processes have long been critical in controlling product quality on the AUTO2 casting production line. To further enhance the line’s level of automation, reduce workers’ physical workload, and eliminate human factors that can affect product quality, the company conducted multiple site visits and subsequently procured an automated vacuum-molding system.
At the end of September, with support from the maintenance team and taking advantage of the AUTO2 line’s scheduled shutdown, we promptly proceeded with the installation of the automatic mold-suction device. Process engineers then developed and debugged the CNC program based on the product configuration for the AUTO2 line, while electrical technicians finalized the control scheme to enable seamless interlock between the mold-suction machine and the AUTO2 line, so that once the sand mold is in position, the device’s program automatically starts. During this phase, several challenges arose. To allow the device to simultaneously perform mold suction and surface-strengthening-agent spraying, fitters installed a coolant nozzle on the machine tool; however, during commissioning it became apparent that the spray coverage consistently fell short of the desired level—either the coverage was insufficient, or the program runtime was too long to keep pace with the production line. Subsequently, shop-floor operators actively contributed by proposing to replace the nozzle with a manual sprayer typically used for mold suction. After fitters modified and installed this new spray head, the system finally achieved the intended performance. Another issue was the inconsistent height of the sand-mold surface, which not only made the suction port prone to misalignment but also risked damaging the mold. To address this, flexible hoses were added to the suction-port tubing, and height markers were installed at the positions corresponding to the first two boxes. Any sand molds whose surfaces were scratched by these markers were flagged as exceeding the specified height tolerance, triggering a halt in the mold-suction operation and thereby reducing the likelihood of collisions.
With the full support of the entire casting workshop team, the suction-type machine tool is now operating normally. This instantly brings to mind the lyrics of a song: “With a single bamboo pole, we brave the vast ocean; with everyone rowing together, we set the great sailboat in motion…”
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ASIMCO Camshaft (Yizheng) Co., Ltd.
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