Trusted
operators can be allowed to alter
work instructions based on
their observations in production.
complete, and bath temperature readings are measured to ensure accuracy. Reducing the chance of accidental superheating can improve lining life.
Varying Levels of Automation
Robotic operations represent the highest level of controlled automa- tion in metalcasting. In melting, an operator in a control room remotely commands the robot, which is moni- tored using closed-circuit video, to perform slag removal, ground testing and other tasks via a digital human- machine interface. High powered furnaces with demanding cycles also can employ automated charging linked to a computer control system to produce the desired bath chemis- try at the lowest cost. “Computerized melt shop
control systems are designed to provide supervisory control of the melting process for enhanced quality and to reduce the risk of accidental superheating,” Prabhu said. Some are incorporated into the melting equipment and others are PC-based, standalone applica- tions, which enable users to custom- ize reports and interface with other applications. Whether the production data
is entered manually or in a fully enabled digital system, software maintains critical information for safety, operations, costing and quality assurance. Tat data can be passed
September 2013 MODERN CASTING | 27
along into an MIS for enterprise resource planning purposes. “On the melt deck, typically we’ll
see devices to indicate what job to run next, the standard heat recipe, and then they’re going to be enter- ing in what their actual metal usage was,” said Gacek. Automated pouring lines are
an example of an operation that can run in a closed-loop system. Computer-controlled mechanisms dispense metal into a mold. A sensor continuously monitors the metal level in the sprue cup and adjusts to minimize the difference between the desired and actual level as the cup is filled. It also can accommo-
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