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and cooling. All the while, we could prepare for a faster conversion to the new system so our operations could continue virtually as-is.” Tat switch to the new sand system was planned to occur over the Christ- mas shutdown in 2013. By doubling storage space for as much as 160 tons, Fall River was able to handle the increased capacity associated with the automatic molding line. “When we made the switch, it


was remarkably smooth,” Weigel said. “We had to fine-tune its operation and how we worked with it, but the improvement to our molding line was almost immediate.” After the sand system was up and


running, Fall River began pursu- ing the new automatic molding and handling equipment. In February 2014, the order was placed for a 14 x 19-in. flaskless molding machine from Equipment Merchants International (EMI), a Cleveland-based foundry equipment supplier. Te final approved layout of the


Before expanding its molding capabilities, Fall River updated its sand system and doubled storage. Water meter housings (shown here) are among Fall River’s highest volume jobs. 30 | MODERN CASTING October 2015


automatic molding machine was a challenging endeavor, considering the constraints of the designated area available in the Fall River facility. Te equipment needed to fit under the current sand belt conveyor and over an existing sand return pit, all while working into the flow of melt and casting extraction and sand return. Te mold machine operators also needed access to the molding machine on both sides for core setting. “The molding line was located in a tight footprint, which required no external units, such as pusher cylinders protruding out of the envelope,” said Jerry Senk, president, EMI. “This required some innova- tive solutions. The power unit was removed from the molding machine and combined into a single unit with the external mold line. The mold line itself needed streamlining, which included under the pallet car mold line index and brake units, as well as the end transfer units that featured rotary actuators. The melt traffic aisle way on the end of the mold line was most critical to Fall River’s plant flow.” The total project time, including


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