CPT International 01/2015

This output comes from vertical parted
flaskless molding lines, horizontal
parted flask or flaskless molding lines
and floor molding. Currently 149 Disamatic-
and 6 Disa Match molding lines
at 91 foundries are making their contribution.
The share of world production
of discs and brake drums on Disamatic
lines is currently around 3.5 million
tons per year (Figure 1). Table 1 below
shows the Disamatic share of production
of these castings.
Of the last 50 molding lines commissioned
for the production of brake
discs, two thirds went to Asia, providing
a clear sign of where the market is
still growing.
Investment costs and future operational
costs carry most weight in new
investment decisions.
Figure 1: Large, ventilated brake drum (truck)
Investment costs
Foundation costs are easily overlooked
in the initial calculation, as plant supplier
quotations do not include civil
works. In many cases a simple foundation
plate with a surface deviation of
+/- 20 mm is sufficient for the vertical
molding process. The maximum deflection
should not exceed 0.1 mm, as this
could have an influence on the mold
mismatch. There is no need for pits below
the molding line, so the required
maximum bending plays a minor role
when installing in natural floor.
The simple and space-saving design
of vertical molding lines offers further
cost advantages, some of which
may only become apparent at second
glance. The great advantage of vertical
molding technology comes from simultaneous
molding of the two mold
halves into a sand mold and their immediate
merging with the previous
mold. This creates a very high production
density on the foundry floor. This
Figure 2: Disa 270 – service area
value is easy to quantify by examining
the relationship between the annual
production yield capacity and the area
required for the molding line plus service
areas. The calculation of the underlying
surfaces is shown in Figure 2.
In addition to the surface area of the
Disamatic molding line itself, service
areas must also be taken into account.
Molding lines developed by Disa for
the production of brake discs achieve
an annual production yield capacity of
more than 100 t/m 2 . Horizontally parted
high-performance lines with two
single or twin type molding machines
can only achieve about two thirds of
this capacity, even when using multifloor
cooling houses.
Energy savings
The reduction of energy consumption
in the foundry has played an import-
Europe North America South America Middle East Africa Asia
Disa 230/2013 24 20 15 1 2 43
Disa 240/250/2130 5 9 3 9
Disa 270/2070 5 4 2
Disamatic 2110 7
Sum 34 33 20 1 2 59
Table 1: The molding machine preference for brake disk production varies from continent to continent
Casting Plant & Technology 1/2015 15