Induction pouring systems

                                                                                       

Induction pouring furnaces

 

FLEXIBLE SOLUTIONS FOR AUTOMATED POURING

 

Using ABP pouring systems – always your advantage

 

 

Timely provision of pouring material

 

  • Holding of molten metals, also of magnesium-treated cast iron, a mini-mum of servicing expenditure

 

 

Inoculation

 

  • Automated addition of inoculant and possibly other alloy materials at the

right time and in the exact quantity

 

 

High degree of reliability, availability and operational safety

 

 

  • Continuous automatic monitoring of the pouring system
  • High operational safety through replaceable vessel and inductor

 

 

Easy handling

 

 

Easy handling

 

  • Minimum space required and easy
  • Slag-free pouring
  • Automatic positioning of the pouring system
  • Quick and easy refractory lining

 

 

 

 

Longevity

 

  • ABP pouring systems have stood the test for many years under the most critical operating conditions.
  • Operational experience with pouring systems gained in foundries from all over the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PRESSURIZED GAS – CONTROLLED INDUCTION HEATED, POURING FURNACES TYPE OCC/OCN

 

A pouring furnace consists of the following components:

 

  • Vessel with detachable feed and pour  siphon
  • Channel-type inductor
  • Hydraulic unit, charging system
  • Pouring basin with stopper actuation
  • Power supply
  • Furnace control and cooling

 

Slag-free pouring with the siphon principle

 

The pouring furnace with its pressure-tight cover has a cylindrical shape. The feed and discharge channels end in the bottom of the vessel (siphon principle). This configuration ensures practically slag-free pouring. The melt is forced under gas pressure from the induction-heated furnace vessel through the pour siphon into the pouring basin, which is provided with a nozzle opening that can be plugged with a stopper.

 

The level of molten metal in the vessel can be maintained at a constant height with pressurized gas by varying the pressure level accordingly. The distance traveled by the stopper and the diameter of the outlet opening determine the quantity of molten metal discharged per unit of time.

 

Automated pouring

 

An electro-mechanical drive with a variable adjustment unit moves the stopper after the selected pouring program ends. This can be done by either using the teach-in method or the closed-loop mould level control called OPTIPOUR@.

 

Easy positioning of the furnace

 

ln order to adapt o varying pouring positions the furnace can be moved length wise and perpendicularly to the casting system. Optionally height movement could be installed for casting different mould heights. Positioning is also ensured automatically in the automatic pouring operation. A hydraulic tilting mechanism allows the furnace to be completely emptied.

 

Low pressure pouring

 

ABP's inductive heated pouring furnace: Type OCN is not using the traditional gravity-fed casting method, instead it fills the moulds from the bottom by increasing the pressure within the furnace vessel.

 

 

 

Power supply

 

The inductor is connected to the power supply system via a furnace transformer, which permits selection of the various furnace voltages for holding or super heating. As an alternative to line frequency technology infinitely controllable power adaptation by means of an IGBT converter can be used. The components for the power section and the equipment for the control and monitoring of the pouring furnace are housed in a control cabinet and control console.

 

Constant pouring temperature

 

The inductor of the PRESSPOUR@ furnace is a quick-change unit lined with a corundum or magnesite-based spinel-forming dry mass responsible for maintaining the metals temperature. The inductors are supplied optionally as channel-type or crucible-type inductors.

 

Cooling the Inductors

 

Channel-type inductors are either air-or water-cooled, depending on

 

The capacity and operating conditions. The crucible-type inductors are supplied in water-cooled version only.

 

Monitoring and operational safety

 

 

Continued automatic monitoring of the furnace system guarantees safe operation any time. All along, the control of the entire pouring procedure is possible

 

  • Recording of the furnace contents and calculation of the power supply required
  • Recording of the cooling water and housing temperatures
  • Control of the power supply for holding
  • Automatic start-up of the cold inductor, sintering
  • Trend display of measured values
  • Recording of inductor operating data and automatic compilation of the inductor diagram enable pinpointed,  recalculated time for inductor change

 

  • Recording, storing and visualization of the current operation data and states

 

  • Alarm value monitoring and alarm triggering

 

  • User-friendly operator console with display

 

 

Easy operation, maintenance and installation

 

At the designing stage, the main emphasis was placed on a simple operation and maintenance of the system. With the help of detailed instruction an efficient and quick training of technical personnel is enabled to ensure the assembly operation and trouble-shooting.

 

 

 

POUROMAT PRESSURIZED, UNHEATED POURING SYSTEM

 

As far as design goes the POUROMAT corresponds to the PRESSPOUR@ furnace ,however, with the feed and discharge siphon ending in a bottom channel. The. POUROMAT is designed in versions with total capacities ranging between 2 .400kgto 7.000kg. In contrast to a heated system the POUROMAT can be completely emptied even during downtimes.

 

 

Easy installation on foundry floor without pit

 

The flat design of the vessel allows the POUROMAT to be installed on the foundry floor without the need for a pit, even if low moulds are used (upper edgenotlowerthan1 m).Its modular substructure allows it to be adjusted to the particular pouring height.

 

 

Rapid vessel changeover

 

The furnace vessel of the POUROMAT is mounted on a support structure in such way that a rapid change over of the vessel within one or two hours is possible. Other independent system components like stopper control ,inoculation device, laser, gas burner and electrode holder are installed on a peripheral frame which is attached to the carriage. Also attached to the frame is a work platform which runs around the tundish, making it easy for the operator to change stoppers and nozzle bricks or to clean the tundish.

 

 

Benefits for magnesium-treated melts

 

The feed and discharge siphons are designed with short easily accessible channels so the build-ups can be mechanically removed without difficulty. For spheroidal iron production, inert gas is utilized with the POURON/AT.

 

Great flexibility due to small residue

 

The shape of the furnace vessel and its refractory lining have been designed for the best possible ratio between useful and nominal capacity, so that despite the use of a siphon system, only a relatively small quantity of iron remains after the furnace has been completely discharged. Because the bottom channel connects the siphons, the heel is reduced to a minimum.

 

 

 

Minimal heat losses

 

Heat losses are kept to a minimum by:

 

  • The refractory lining of the furnace vessel and the highly insulating furnace cover

 

  • The pneumatically actuated cover on the tundish

 

  • The short narrow tundish with its small surface area for the stopper and the bath level monitoring electrodes.

 

The temperature drop of the melt in the POUROMAT is 1 to 1.5K/min, depending on the degree of filling.

 

Furnace tilting in case of standstill

 

 

lf the unit comes to an accidental stand still, the POUROMAT can, at the push of a button be tilted to completely discharge the contents of the tundish. The stopper should then be opened so that it does not freeze solid. For a long time the heat content of the melt is sufficient to maintain the furnace vessel close to operating temperature Depending on the length of the downtime, pouring operations are either continued immediately or the furnace vessel is tilted further to fully discharge the contents and later recharged with fresh melt ready for restarting operations.

 

Monitoring and operational safety

 

The continuous and automatic monitoring of the pouring system guarantees safe operation at all times, The entire pouring process can be controlled in the same way as it is in the case of PRESSPOUR®     furnaces.

 

Simple operation, maintenance and assembly

 

At the designing stage, the main emphasis placed on simple operation and maintenance of the system. Detailed instructions make an efficient and quick training of technical personnel for assembly, operation and trouble-shooting possible.

 

 

SYSTEMATIC, PRECISE, SYNCHRONIZED: PROGRAMMED AND PROCESS – CONTROLLED POURING

 

Pouring is precision work. High-quality cast can be obtained only when everything is synchronized, Above all, the poring speed must be perfectly set to the intake capacity of the mould during the pouring process. In order to achieve a constant and trouble-free casting quality it. is necessary to keep the pour cup at the constant level and keep it filled with molten iron .At the same time ,it is also necessary to minimize the volume in the pour cup, in order to keep the amount in the circuit low.

 

Teach-in method

 

As long as the pouring conditions from mould to mould remain the same, pouring can be formed under program control.  The configuration of the pouring curve required for a given pattern is first performed by hand using a master switch; the curve is then stored in an electronic control unit and can be reproduced as often as necessary. This is so-called Teach-in process.

 

Closed-loop mould level control

 

lf the metal throughput or the ratio between stopper and nozzle changes from mould to mould, it is necessary to modify the poring principle using a closed-loop mould level control method - OPTIPOUR® .In such cases, the bath level in the mould sprue cup is continuously measured and the stroke of the stopper and the melt discharge rate is adjusted accordingly.

 

 

 

INTELLIGENT, AUTIMATIC, COST – ERRECIVE: THE AUTOMATIC POURING CONTROL SYSTEM OPTIPOUR®

 

OPTIPOUR® is an automatic pouring control system, which requires a minimum of monitoring and provides constantly high quality castings. Two different measurement techniques for measurement of the bath level in the pour cup are available for the various requirements.

 

OPTIPOUR® prevents over pouring

 

OPTIPOUR® uses real-time level measurements in order to monitor and control the level of iron in the pour cup. As the level increases, system actuator throttles the stopper or to reduce the pouring rate, preventing over pouring of the mould.

 

 

OPTIPOUR® saves iron

 

The automatic position in of OPTI-POUR makes it possible to use smaller pour siphons. At the end of a pouring operation OPTIPOUR® is capable of bringing the pour cup level to a level set by the operator, thus reducing the total quantity of iron poured and increasing the yield. Less iron needs to be remelted; power, alloy and material handling costs are reduced.

 

 

OPTIPOUR® prevents short pours of moulds

 

Using a high speed, fast response actuator, the OPTIPOUR® reacts exactly to level changes in the pour cup. lf the level drops to a selected set point, the system instantly increases the iron flow, thereby maintaining the desired iron level in the cup.

 

OPTIPOUR® reduces slag inclusions

 

Since a high and accurate iron level in the pour cup is maintained throughout the entire pour, OPTIPOUR® ensures that slag is not pulled into the mould but stays floating on top of the iron. The result is higher quality castings thanks to less slag inclusions.

 

 

ABP POURING TECHNIQUE - SYSTEMATIC

 

Ladle systems

 

For certain casting plants and/or pouring conditions it may be expedient to restrict the function of the pouring system to the holding and dosed feeding of the melt, and to use pouring ladles for the actual pouring process itself. This can be recommended for the following application tasks:

 

  • Where the melt is to be poured into continuously transported moulds.

 

  • Use of larger weights on the moulds.

 

  • Production of castings with stringent demands on the inoculation process

 

  • Variation of the chemical composition of the melts by the addition of alloy metals just before casting

 

For such applications, ABP has a variety of ladle systems consisting of one or more pouring ladles, either designed as tilting or stopper ladles Further they are equipped with a weighing system connected to the stopper unit of the pouring furnace, which permits the exact casting weight to be dosed. A transport system places the ladles in the appropriate filling and pouring positions.

 

 

Inoculation and alloying systems

 

Due to the fact that the inoculation effect tends to fade in the pouring furnace the melt must be inoculated immediately before being poured into the mould.

 

Where the melt is poured directly from the pouring furnace, the dosed and time-controlled inoculant is added

to the poured  melt. The inoculation process is controlled by way of the stopper actuation mechanism.

 

Process is controlled by way of the stopper actuation mechanism,

 

 

Cost-effective pouring using ISOPOUR® for integrated melt treatment

 

As an alternative to the ladle system ABP has developed the pouring system ISOPOUR ®, involving the integration of a second chamber to the pouring vessel.

 

This way, an exact, controllable melt treatment immediately prior to pouring can take place. ISOPOUR® .is used for inoculating and alloying the cast iron.

 

 

Pouring with two stoppers

For a high casting rate and increased production ABP's pouring furnaces can be equipped with a second stopper.

 

Pouring of magnesium-treated cast iron

 

The ABPP RESSPOUR® furnace sand POUROMAT pouring systems have a proven record of success in many foundries especially for the processing of magnesium-treated cast iron.

 

In addition to the cost-effective criteria for using a pouring furnace the holding and pouring of spheroidal graphite casts has the following special advantages:

 

The magnesium fading rate after forming of the furnace is so low that the melt remains ready for pouring even after extended holding times.

 

 

The magnesium content is homogenized in the pouring furnace so that

The casting quality is optimized.

 

 

The rated magnesium content in the individual charge can thus be reduced by about 10%.

 

 

The processing of magnesium-treated for pouring magnesium-treated cast melts does ,however, impose special iron, ABP has designed solutions, like maintenance requirements, especially flange mounted siphons and deposit on how to cope with the increased cleaning mechanisms, which ensure formation of slag and deposits in the cost-effective operation of the foundry pouring furnace. Ln close cooperation with high availability of the pouring with the operators of pouring furnaces system.

 

 

Worldwide service

 

ABP guarantees you a qualified, fast serviceany time and everywhere. Our specialists for specialized maintenance and repairs are available for you around the clock. In addition, without customized consulting services, we optimize your processes and enhance your profitability, ensuring that you make the best-possible capital investments and add more value, to your systems and processes. This is because competent and expert service form the basis of our successful cooperation.