This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
How Can I Extend My Flask’s Lifetime? Te following are general guidelines that can extend the


service life of your flasks and provide indications of their dimensional stability and future serviceability. Step 1. Evaluate casting quality and molding productivity


• Is casting quality affected by the condition of your flasks? Ultimately, this is the only determining factor for the level of care and attention the flasks need.


• Is the productivity of the molding line affected by the flasks? Do you experience lost time from jam-ups, flasks not locating or flasks out of position in the molding line?


• Do you check and maintain the flask hardware, pins, bushings, clamps, hooks and bumpers? When deal- ing with flasks, the sum of the parts is greater than the whole. It is good practice to change pins and bushings frequently, before they become worn and defective. Step 2. Act on the Step 1 Evaluation


• Know the functions of your flasks that affect mold and casting quality. The functions could be pattern engage- ment, pattern strip-off/disengagement, strike-off, roll-over, drag set-on to pallet car (when applicable), drag position- ing for core-setting, sprue drilling (when applicable), mold closing, mold clamping (when applicable), cope flask weight set-on (when applicable) and flask cleaning station.


• Know what points on your flasks are critical contact points. Today’s automatic molding lines rely on accu- rate flask positioning and travel from station to station regardless of the actual flask size or condition.


• Set up and maintain procedures for checking the condi- tion of the flask and its hardware. Duplicate the condi- tions of the molding line as much as possible to account for possible dimensional stack-up error.


• Be consistent. Document and include procedures for flask assessment, corrective action, flask inspection, flask repairs, and specific measurement and replacement proce- dures for flask hardware.


Build Your Brand. Sell More Castings.


Advertise…


• Associate your company with high-quality content of interest to casting designers and buyers


• Gradually build awareness in the marketplace of your company’s core competencies


• Communicate your company’s professionalism and reliability to the prospects you value most


• Lay the foundation for long-term growth


Jim Beckwith, Rolf Petersen,


jbeckwith@afsinc.org 800/537-4237


rpetersen@afsinc.org


Inspectors use a self-centering pin and a center distance gage to insure accurate measurements.


METALCASTINGDESIGN.COM October 2011 MODERN CASTING | 43


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