years,” Matt Peters said. “Although we had apprehensions with the invest- ment, we knew we couldn’t grow on the manual lines.” For their first foray into automa-
tion, the Peters opted to go with one of the more straightforward machines on the market—a FDNX flaskless molding line with a mold size of 16 x 20 in. from Sinto, represented in the U.S. by Robert Sinto Corporation, Lansing, Mich. “We chose it because it fit our pat-
tern line, it fit the size we needed and we felt it was the best way to get the most bang for our buck,” Joey Peters said. “We wanted an automatic, but we didn’t need all the bells and whistles.” Before the molding machine could be put into operation, a few other pieces had to be put into place in the metalcasting facility. One of the jolt/squeeze lines was removed and additional space was added to the existing structure to fit the neces- sary new equipment. Te company installed a new muller and sand system with automated sand control from Simpson Technologies Corp., Aurora, Ill. Te system has led to fewer mold defects and better scrap rates. In conjunction with the mold- ing machine, Talladega Pattern added
The automatic molding machine is operated on a 10-hour shift of continual molding.
a new reverberatory furnace from Te Schaefer Group, Dayton, Ohio, to help melting keep pace with molding. Talladega Pattern worked with Nor- ris Brothers Construction, Centrev- ille, Ala., for the expansion’s layout, design and installation. Te whole process, from construc-
tion on the building to accomodate the new line to final installation in April 2014 took 8 months. Te first six months did not go without its hiccups. Originally, Tal- ladega opted out of the optional aera- tion sand filling technology, but as the warm summer months began, it ran into issues with the sand filling the patterns. After retroactively install-
ing the aerator, sand filling was no longer a problem. Other minor issues popped up, and while the equipment supplier was responsive and helpful to each maintenance call, the Peters’ experienced a learning curve involved in the maintenance of the more sophisticated equipment. “Te first several times an issue
occurred with the line, I’d call the technician, and over time, I got a bet- ter idea of how the machine worked and ways to troubleshoot issues,” said Jason Peters, manager, Talladega Pat- tern. “I’m more comfortable with it now, but the service rep is always easy to reach on the phone.” Talladega Pattern also received
help from neighboring metalcasters who offered advice and tips in main- taining and servicing the machine. Every six months, a service rep comes to the shop for regular preventive maintenance. “Te simplest things that hap- pened [out of the ordinary], we wouldn’t know what to do,” Joey Peters said. “We had to get over the fear that we were going to break it.”
Crucibles full of molten metal are transported to the molds for pouring via a monorail. 24 | MODERN CASTING October 2015
MEDIA RESOURCE Using the Actable App, scan this page to watch a video on Talladega Pattern & Aluminum. To watch online, go to
www.metalcastingtv.com.
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