CPT International 01/2015

Pouring by stopper ladle
at the pouring line (Figures:
HWS)
Author: Steffen Geisweid, Heinrich Wagner Sinto, Bad Laasphe
A milestone for the modernization
of a steel foundry
In the Promlit foundry in the Russian city of Cheboksary the existing green sand molding system
has been replaced by a modern HWS molding machine. Instead of the jolt squeeze production
quality and is also able to mold larger patterns and to change them automatically
Historically grown foundries are often
well-established producers of
high-quality castings whose market
position is determined by a mixture
of experience, development and innovation.
Investments in this environment
are often oriented in the very
long term, considering the extraordinary
demands in foundry conditions.
This is the reason why investments on
replacements are often subject to lots
of restrictions that an existing company
together with its logistics prescribes.
The project definition of the present
case of the foundry Promlit was
to modernize the existing green sand
molding plant and to improve the existing
weak points. For this purpose,
particularly the so-called heart of the
foundry – the molding plant – was considered
because, for the investment examination
for a new automatic molding
machine, the existing molding
machine was subject to particular
specifications regarding increase of
the mold output, product variety and
molding quality.
The existing molding machine of
type Herman, installed in the early seventies,
did not provide a useful possibility
for an increase in production
with the formerly planned output of
seven complete molds. The layout of
the plant provides a separate transport
line for copes and drags as well as two
pouring and cooling lines each.
In order to achieve the above target
of a higher mold output, the new molding
machine from HWS ( ) has
been designed for a maximum output
of twenty molds per hour. Amongst
22 Casting Plant & Technology 1/2015