The sand reclamation system runs seven days a week, and the ash is contained in dust collectors.
adjusted for temperature with an argon stir and watched the pour to ensure everything went well. A small group of workers positioned themselves around a large mold, and each had a task to focus on as the ladleman positioned the ladle and began the pour. “Tese are the unsung heroes of this
foundry,” Mohs said. “Tey’re extremely skilled.” As the risers filled, one mem- ber of the team put in hot tops to keep the metal fluid, and the group moved quickly to the next mold. “Tat metal’s got to stay within a 10 degree tempera- ture range, so they’ve got to move. It can’t wait,” Mohs said.
Te metallurgist also observed, with the lab manager, who took a test bar to check that the steel met specifications. Sivyer has dug a pit to accommodate molds too large to be poured at ground level, and work is ongoing to complete that as well as a new shaker presently under construction. Tere’s a new nor- malizing furnace at the end of the line, which was installed as a result of the WIU engineering student project. “He used a software program to model the entire area where we clean large castings, and it helped him find the bottlenecks,” Mohs explained. “He determined our lead time for cleaning a
casting was six weeks and each casting could travel as much as seven miles before we shipped it. We got that down to three weeks and a mile and a half.” Te facility has new floors where
burn and arc booths with dust col- lection and cold air return will bring those two operations into one place. In addition, a robotic arm was installed to finish small castings at a rapid pace. It removes the gates and risers, then performs precision cutting on one table while a worker is moving the castings on another. Ten, it swings over to the other side and continues.
Adding Value Finishing is a big value-added
service for Sivyer. Quality assurance is another. Te facility holds the largest X-ray unit in the state of Iowa. It can find imperfections in 13 inches of solid steel. All first articles are examined, and casting lots are checked at up to a 100% rate, depending on customer requests. An Optitrack laser scanner offers
The company’s full finishing capabilities provide a value-added service.
18 cu. m of coverage, measuring cast- ings to create a 3D surface model. Te operator can import the design file and lay them over each other electronically, to compare the differences on a color map. It can be exported to customers or communicated via smart boards. “You can set the tolerance based on the customer’s requirements and
March 2013 MODERN CASTING | 33
Ford Photography—
JoshuaFord.com
Ford Photography—
JoshuaFord.com
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