going out and competing for external business,” Bevilacqua said. “For example, we entered the wind casting business. But say we needed $100,000 [to launch the product]—it’s difficult to prioritize resources that are not directly impacting Caterpillar products.” By early 2009, several years after the Technocast launch,
Mapleton’s 80 x 48 x 26-in. cope and drag molding line sat untouched in a mothballed corner of the facility. But towards the end of the year, the company decided it could reuse exist- ing equipment to produce a new line that would be flexible enough to fit its changing needs. Mapleton coupled a robotic coldbox packaging line
(operating one of the largest robots in the world at 2,650-lb. capacity) with four 1970s coldbox coremaking machines. After the core build, the packages are placed on the mold car conveyor from the original green sand line. Te core packages are designed to fit on the old green sand drag flasks running on the mold car conveyor. Te flask is used as a containment unit for mold package breakdown after pouring, as well as potential runouts. “We essentially looked at all the high maintenance
things,” Bevilacqua said. “Te mold car conveyor never broke down, so we kept it.” Also used on the line are the
发展没有直接影响卡特彼勒产品的领域是很困难的。” 推出Technocast数年后，到2009年初，Mapleton 的 80 × 48 × 26英寸上箱和下箱造型线原封不动地躺 在备用设施角落。但当年底即将到来，该公司决定重复 使用现有设备，建造一个新的、有足够的灵活性的生产 线，以适应不断变化的需求。 Mapleton联合一个机器人冷盒生产线（操作2650磅 的世界上最大的机器人之一），与4个上世纪70年代的 冷盒制芯机。芯盒做好后放在原来的湿型砂造型线传送 车上。设计的芯盒线要适应运送老湿型砂的下箱的输送 车。砂箱是用作砂型溃散时的容器，以及防止跑火。 “我们必须考虑所有的高维护的东西”。 Bevilac- qua说，“砂型汽车输送线从未发生故障，所以我们保 留它”。同时该线使用的还有用于从传送带落砂用的推 击和抛动机构和一个使用了20年的砂型/芯盒烘干炉。 “新”的造型生产线配备10个员工，每8小时生产 130个砂型。灵活的生产线生产小中批量的500到3000
Cat Mapleton invested $18 million in its machining capabilities.
Cat Mapleton在其加工能力上投资1800万美元。（照片3） 44 |
FOUNDRY-PLANET.COM | MODERN CASTING | CHINA FOUNDRY ASSOCIATION Winter 2012
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