Challenge:
Eck Industries, Inc. is a privately-owned family business with over 62 years of experience in the aluminum foundry industry. As an ISO 9001 and ITAR certified company, Eck is capable of producing castings to the strictest quality requirements. As part of the Eck’s maintenance and quality program the company was looking to increase its thermal reclaim and sand attrition of processed, no-bake molds and cores.
Approach:
Working with General Kinematics Foundry team, Eck Industries made the decision to outfit its facility with a High-Energy Vibra-Mill 64 machine. Before a final purchase decision was made, Eck Industries personnel visited the General Kinematics Crystal Lake, IL location to witness a qualification demonstration of the application. Questions were directed to R&D, sales and operations personnel in order to gain a better understanding of how the machine would ultimately improve their daily operations. General Kinematics and Eck Industries worked closely together on the system design which had to satisfy tight floor space constraints and overhead clearances.
Solution:
The controlled vibration of the VIBRA MILL is directed so that the material is subjected to agitation, tumbling, abrading and grinding so that the combined action reduces sand lumps to original grain size and distribution. During the course of the lump reduction, the fine sand grains move toward the rear of the tub where, when reduced to a specific size, they pass through a primary scalping screen and then across a secondary screen for final sizing. Access to this secondary screen is provided for removal of oversize lumps or other foreign material. Provision for air separation of “fines” is incorporated into this secondary screen. Foreign material such as sprue, core rods and other items that cannot be reduced enough to pass through the primary screen can be purged from the mill during a “rejects unloading cycle”. This cycle uses one of the main “KINEMATICS ” motors to reverse the direction of motion so that unwanted material discharges out of the front of the mill. The unit is equipped with an air operated lift that back tilts the mill to facilitate this operation.
Results:
The advantages of the new VIBRA MILL installed at Eck Industries include reduced labor and material handling due to the increased attrition rate. The new machine has improved productivity and efficiency in the foundry, and improved the company’s overall reclamation process.
About General Kinematics
General Kinematics Corporation, incorporated in 1960, was established to market, design, and custom fabricate innovative vibratory materials handling and processing equipment. Today the company is one of the world’s largest suppliers of vibratory processing equipment, holding more than 200 worldwide patents, and is acknowledged as a major contributor to the technical advancement of vibrating equipment design and application. Today, over 50,000 General Kinematics units have been installed in virtually all of the world’s industrialized countries. For more information about General Kinematics products and services, visit the company’s website at www.generalkinematics.com.
