Automate Sand Casting with GK’s VIBRA-DRUM®
Automation is crucial for foundries to remain competitive with all of the technological advancements over the last few years. Automating your foundry operations enables you to save time and money in the long term. Older equipment often can’t keep up with output demands. Modernizing your equipment can help you automate your foundry and reduce the overall workload.
General Kinematics’ VIBRA-DRUM® Sand & Casting Conditioners can automate high-volume mold/sand handling in foundries, allowing you to focus more on other parts of the casting process. Spending less time cleaning up sand and silica frees up a foundry’s workforce and makes your foundry safer.
Three-in-One Tumbling Action
Previously, conditioning, casting, cleaning, and cooling were done in separate units. With the GK VIBRA-DRUM®, you can do all of these simultaneously. Combining these processes into one machine yields the following benefits:
- Less space is taken up thanks to less equipment
- Improved sand return
- Less energy consumed: The Two-Mass drive system uses 2/3rds less energy than a direct drive system
- Less maintenance
- Easier installation
Less Pollution, Less Cleanup
The VIBRA-DRUM® has been proven to contain silica dust within the machine and keep work environments cleaner. As foundry emission regulations become stricter, taking precautions to reduce air pollution is essential. The work environment is also safer for employees as they aren’t exposed to as much airborne dust. Additionally, employees won’t need to clean up the mess.
The fully enclosed design of the VIBRA-DRUM® reduces noise in the foundry. The castings travel through a sand bed, dampening noise during the casting cleaning process.
Non-Rotary Design
The VIBRA-DRUM® uses a gentle tumbling motion rather than a rotary motion. This makes it easier to feed, unload, and hook up to your air handling system, so it is easier to maintain than other shakeout technologies. The gentle tumbling action in the sand bed reduces sand lumps and increases sand retention because the sand is cycled through the machine repeatedly. Foundries that replaced old shakeouts with the VIBRA-DRUM® reported that sand carryover was drastically reduced from the previous process, improving their sand return system.
The non-rotary design also protects castings, reducing casting-on-casting surface damage seen in other casting shakeout technologies. The non-rotary design of the VIBRA-DRUM® significantly reduces scrap and reworks post-shakeout.
Systems Integration
The VIBRA-DRUM® can seamlessly integrate into existing foundry systems to replace old equipment. In a foundry’s shakeout area, different types of equipment are typically used to separate castings from molds, break down the sand, cool castings, cool sand, and reclaim leftover sand for reuse.
The VIBRA-DRUM® performs all these functions simultaneously, reducing the amount of equipment needed in the shakeout area. Thus, foundries can reduce their equipment’s footprint while increasing shakeout efficiency within their green sand or no-bake systems.
Automate your Foundry Shakeout with the VIBRA-DRUM®
Automating your foundry’s shakeout operations is an excellent way to exceed your production goals. With the VIBRA-DRUM®, automating shakeout, sand reclamation, and cooling is a breeze. If you’re ready to automate your shakeout operations, contact GK to learn how the VIBRA-DRUM® can increase your foundry’s efficiency!
