A casting device for recycling Babbitt metal wire rope pear-shaped sheaths.

Abstract

This utility model discloses a melting and casting device for recycling Babbitt alloy from a pear-shaped steel wire rope sheath. It includes a housing, a medium-frequency induction furnace housed within the housing, and a casting mold. The medium-frequency induction furnace comprises a furnace body, a capacitor box, and a power supply box. The furnace body has a hollow structure extending vertically, with a lifting port at the top and an open bottom. The furnace body is designed with three layers from the outside in: an outer layer of heat insulation plate, a middle layer of induction coils arranged in a spiral pattern using hollow copper tubes, and an inner layer of fireproofing mud. The power supply box is electrically connected to the capacitor box and the induction coils. The casting mold is located below the furnace body. Eddy currents are generated inside the pear-shaped steel wire rope sheath suspended in the furnace by the induction coils, generating heat to heat the sheath. When the heating temperature exceeds 230°C, the Babbitt alloy inside the sheath melts rapidly, forming a flowing liquid that drips directly into the casting mold below. Finally, it cools and is demolded, achieving effective recycling of the alloy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to auxiliary equipment for pear-shaped rope loops, and more particularly to a casting device for recycling Babbitt metal from pear-shaped steel wire rope loops. Background Technology

[0002] The wire ropes of the ship unloader and the grab bucket opening and closing wire ropes are quickly connected via pear-shaped rope sleeves (commonly known as pear-shaped heads). Since the wire rope at this pear-shaped sleeve is the most vulnerable part, when it reaches the scrap standard, the damaged section of the wire rope at the pear-shaped head needs to be cut off, and the remaining good wire rope section is then combined with a newly cast pear-shaped rope sleeve. This involves inserting the wire rope section into the replacement pear-shaped rope sleeve, then injecting liquid tin-based alloy or Babbitt alloy into the sleeve. After cooling, the wire rope and the pear-shaped rope sleeve are connected and secured.

[0003] Currently, the only method for replacing pear-shaped rope sheaths is a "primitive" one: melting and recycling them by heating them with a flame. The specific steps are as follows: 1. Use oxyacetylene to bake the surface of the pear-shaped rope sheath to remove oil stains; 2. Set up a simple frame and place a heat-resistant metal container on it, then place the pear-shaped rope sheath in the frame; 3. Use oxyacetylene to bake the pear-shaped rope sheath from all sides to melt the tin-based alloy cast inside (melting point above 200°C), and maintain this baking state until the tin-based alloy inside the rope sheath is completely melted; 4. Manually scoop the liquid tin-based alloy from the container with a spoon and then put it into the relevant mold for recycling.

[0004] The aforementioned "traditional" methods have the following hidden dangers and defects:

[0005] First, both the mounting frames for the metal containers and the pear-shaped rope end holders inside are haphazard and unreliable, posing a significant risk of tipping over during the heating and melting process. In the event of such an incident, the scalding tin-based alloy solution would not only cause severe personal injury to operators but also cause serious environmental pollution. Second, this "primitive" operation requires substantial human resources, including a qualified welding and cutting professional and at least two assistants. Furthermore, the use of oxygen-acetylene heating and the immature process present numerous drawbacks, leading to significant spillage and waste of the tin-based alloy solution at certain stages, reducing the recovery rate. Finally, due to the lack of effective heating and casting molds and containers, considerable steel wire residue and other impurities inevitably mix into the alloy solution throughout the project, significantly impacting the quality of the recovered tin-based alloy. Reusing this alloy could create safety hazards in the cast pear-shaped rope ends.

[0006] Therefore, in practice, in order to simplify the process and ensure operational safety, the alloy is discarded after melting, and only the pear-shaped rope loop is recycled and reused (by purchasing new alloy parts). Utility Model Content

[0007] To address the aforementioned problems in the prior art, this utility model provides a casting and melting device for recycling Babbitt alloy from pear-shaped wire rope sheaths, which can effectively recycle Babbitt alloy from the pear-shaped rope sheaths and reduce waste.

[0008] A casting device for recycling Babbitt metal using a pear-shaped wire rope sheath includes a housing, a medium-frequency induction furnace housed within the housing, and a casting mold. The medium-frequency induction furnace includes a furnace body, a medium-frequency furnace capacitor box, and a medium-frequency furnace power supply box. The furnace body has a hollow structure that runs vertically through the furnace, with a lifting port at the top and an open bottom. The furnace body is designed with three layers from the outside in: an outer layer of heat insulation board, a middle layer of induction coils arranged in a spiral pattern using hollow copper tubes, and an inner layer of fireproof mud. The medium-frequency furnace power supply box is electrically connected to the medium-frequency furnace capacitor box and the induction coils. The casting mold is located below the furnace body.

[0009] The furnace body has a support frame at the bottom, and a pull-out base is provided inside the support frame. The casting mold is placed on the upper end of the pull-out base, and the pull-out base also has an electric heating device for heating the casting mold.

[0010] It also includes a lifting device for lifting the pear-shaped rope loop and suspending it inside the furnace, including a boom that can be raised, lowered and rotated, with a lifting device at the front end of the boom.

[0011] It also includes a circulating water cooling device, which includes a circulating water tank, a circulating water pump, and a water circuit splitter. The circulating water tank is connected to the circulating water pump and the water circuit splitter in sequence through circulating water pipes. The water circuit splitter is then connected to the induction coil of the medium frequency induction furnace, the capacitor box of the medium frequency furnace, and the power supply box of the medium frequency furnace through the circulating water pipes, and returns to the circulating water tank through the circulating water pipes.

[0012] The lower part of the outer wall of the furnace body is also provided with an observation window that can be opened and closed.

[0013] The casting and melting device for recycling Babbitt metal using a pear-shaped wire rope sheath according to this utility model has the following advantages:

[0014] 1. An induction furnace body with vertical continuity is used. The induction coil generates eddy currents inside the pear-shaped steel wire rope sleeve suspended inside, thereby generating heat to heat the pear-shaped rope sleeve of the iron part. When the heating temperature exceeds 230℃, the Babbitt alloy inside the pear-shaped rope sleeve melts rapidly, forming a flowing liquid that drips directly into the casting mold located below. Finally, it cools and is demolded to achieve recycling.

[0015] 2. The furnace body is designed with a composite insulation structure. The outer layer is a heat insulation board, the middle layer is a spiral induction coil made of hollow copper tubes, and the inner layer is fireproof putty. During operation, the outer surface temperature of the heat insulation board does not exceed 30℃, eliminating the risk of burns or other safety hazards to personnel. The absence of radiant heat protects other devices, and the inner fireproof putty also provides insulation and prevents the coil from being bumped or damaged.

[0016] 3. The furnace body has an observation window, which can be used to check the melting state and melting amount of the alloy at any time.

[0017] 4. The bottom of the mold is also equipped with an electric heating device to heat and maintain the temperature of the Babbitt alloy dripping into the casting mold, keeping it in a liquid state so that it forms a tightly bonded whole during the cooling process, reducing internal [damage / contamination].

[0018] Stress concentration reduces the risk of mold damage during demolding.

[0019] 5. The furnace body is cooled by a circulating water cooling device, which further ensures the safe protection of the furnace body's surface temperature. At the same time, it also provides effective cooling for the capacitor box and power supply box of the medium-frequency furnace for rapid hot melting.

[0020] 6. The use of a lifting device can automatically hoist the pear-shaped rope into the furnace body, which can avoid burns caused by manual contact with high-temperature workpieces and safety hazards caused by splashing liquid alloy. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the casting device of this utility model;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the casting device of this utility model in use;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a top view schematic diagram of the melting and casting device of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of the furnace body and casting mold of this utility model;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the horizontally pulled-out base of this utility model;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a connection principle diagram of the circulating cooling device of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 7 This is a top view of the casting apparatus of this utility model in use. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The following is a further description of a casting device for recycling Babbitt metal using a pear-shaped wire rope sheath according to this utility model.

[0029] like Figure 1-7 As shown, this utility model discloses a steel wire rope pear-shaped rope sheath for Babbitt alloy recycling casting device, comprising a stainless steel housing 6, a medium-frequency induction furnace 1 and a casting mold 2 housed within the housing 6. The housing 6 has doors 61 at the front and back, handles 62 on the sides, and casters 63 with brakes at the bottom for easy movement. The medium-frequency induction furnace includes a furnace body 11, a capacitor box 12, and a power supply box 13. The furnace body 11 has a hollow structure extending vertically, with a lifting port 15 at the top and an open bottom. The furnace body 11 is designed with a three-layer composite insulation structure: an outer layer of non-metallic insulation board 16, a middle layer of induction coils 14 made of hollow copper tubes arranged spirally within the furnace body 11, and an inner layer of fireproof putty 17. With this structure, the outer surface temperature of the insulation board 16 does not exceed 30°C during the casting process, eliminating the risk of burns and protecting other components from radiant heat. Furthermore, the fireproof putty 17 not only isolates the high temperature generated by the pear-shaped rope sleeve 100 of the wire rope, but also prevents the pear-shaped rope sleeve 100 from bumping into the induction coil 14 when it is hoisted in and out. The power supply box 13 of the medium-frequency furnace is electrically connected to the capacitor box 12 and the induction coil 14 of the medium-frequency furnace to generate medium-frequency current, so that the induction coil 14 heats the pear-shaped rope sleeve 100 inside it. The heating of the iron parts of the pear-shaped rope sleeve 100 causes the Babbitt alloy inside it to melt. The specific principle of this melting is as follows:

[0030] When the emitted medium-frequency current flows through the induction coil 14, it generates a changing magnetic field with high density, capable of penetrating and cutting through the pear-shaped rope loop 100 suspended within the induction coil 14. As the changing magnetic field passes through the iron-based pear-shaped rope loop 100, an induced electromotive force is generated within it. Since the pear-shaped rope loop 100 forms a closed loop, an induced current, i.e., eddy current, is generated within it. As the eddy current flows within the pear-shaped rope loop 100, heat is generated due to the loop's own resistance. This heat is the primary source of heat for the alloy heated in the medium-frequency furnace. The pear-shaped rope sheath 100 is heated using heat generated by eddy currents. When the temperature gradually increases to above 230°C, the Babbitt alloy, such as tin-based alloy, inside the pear-shaped rope sheath 100 begins to melt into a liquid and drips directly into the casting mold 21 below, achieving a fusion casting. After the dripping is complete, the casting mold 21 is allowed to cool naturally and then demolded to obtain the alloy billet, which can be used for the recasting (reuse) of high-quality wire ropes and pear-shaped rope sheaths 100. Through repeated experiments, rapid heating to 450-550°C typically results in fast and uniform melting speed with high energy efficiency.

[0031] The lower part of the outer wall of the furnace body 11 is also provided with an observation window 18 that can be opened and closed, through which the melting state and melting amount of the cast alloy in the furnace can be checked.

[0032] The furnace body 11 also has a support 19 at its bottom. A pull-out base 22 is provided inside the support 19, on which the casting mold 21 is placed for easy removal. The casting mold 21 is designed to be rectangular or cylindrical, and can also have internal partitions to allow for the recovery of alloy billets of the required specifications. Furthermore, the pull-out base 22 is equipped with an electric heating device 23 (using heating resistance wires, etc.) to heat and maintain the alloy inside the casting mold 21 at a temperature above 200°C, keeping the alloy in a liquid state. This allows the alloy to form a tightly bonded whole during cooling, reducing internal stress concentration and lowering the risk of mold 21 damage during demolding. Without heating and heat preservation, the first hot-melted dripping alloy has a higher hardness due to its faster cooling rate, while subsequent dripping liquid metal may have relatively lower hardness after solidification. Simultaneously, the subsequent liquid alloy may not bond tightly with the solidified portion, easily leading to defects such as poor bonding, inclusions, and voids, resulting in poor performance.

[0033] A lifting device 3 is also provided on one side of the medium-frequency induction furnace 1. The lifting device 3 shown in the figure is installed inside the housing 6, but it can also be installed outside the housing 6. The lifting device 3 includes a lifting arm 31 that can be raised, lowered, and rotated, with a lifting device at the front end of the lifting arm 31. The lifting arm 31 can be hydraulically or / and motor-controlled robotic arms to lift the pear-shaped rope loop 100 to be recovered from the workstation trolley 200 into or back into the furnace, replacing manual handling. It eliminates the need for support inside the furnace, directly suspending the pear-shaped rope loop 100 inside the furnace to avoid burns caused by contact with high-temperature workpieces and safety hazards caused by molten alloy splashing. The lifting device includes a hook 36 and a fixing clamp 37 fixed to the steel wire rope of the pear-shaped rope loop 100 to be recovered. The pear-shaped rope loop 100 can be lifted by hooking the fixing clamp 37 with the hook 36. Since the length of the remaining steel wire rope in the pear-shaped rope loop 100 is different, the height of the fixing clamp 37 after installation will also vary. If the robotic arm has a minimum limit, a butterfly-shaped hand-tightening bolt 38 can be connected to the upper end of the hook 36 and screwed onto the front end of the boom 31. When the boom 31 rotates and descends above the pear-shaped rope loop 100 to be retrieved, the height of the hook 36 can be finely adjusted through the butterfly-shaped hand-tightening bolt 38 to meet the needs of the fixed clamps 37 with different lifting heights. After the hot melting is completed (no more alloy dripping), the pear-shaped rope loop is lifted out of the furnace body to the designated position by the lifting device 3, and the next pear-shaped rope loop can be lifted and retrieved.

[0034] When the medium-frequency induction furnace 1 is in operation, it generates a significant amount of heat (up to 500°C), which must be mitigated or suppressed. Therefore, the casting apparatus also includes a circulating water cooling system, which can be housed within the enclosure 6. This system includes a circulating water tank 41, a circulating water pump 42, and a water circuit splitter 43. The circulating water tank 41 is connected to the circulating water pump 42 and the water circuit splitter 43 via circulating water pipes. The water circuit splitter 43 then divides the water into three paths, which are connected by circulating water pipes to the induction coil 14 of the medium-frequency induction furnace 1, the power supply box 13 of the medium-frequency furnace, and the capacitor box 12 of the medium-frequency furnace, respectively, before returning to the circulating water tank 41, thus forming a water-cooled circulation. When cooling water passes through the copper pipes of the coiled induction coil 14, it carries away the furnace temperature, effectively reducing the impact of the high heat emitted by the pear-shaped rope sleeve 100 on the outer shell of the furnace body 11 (the induction coil 14 itself does not generate heat), ensuring that the surface temperature of its heat insulation plate 16 does not exceed 30°C, thus providing a safety protection effect. The power supply box 13 and capacitor box 12 of the medium-frequency furnace are equipped with cooling water circuits. The cooling water circulates in and out to remove heat and ensure the normal operation of the equipment. After cooling the equipment, the hot water flows back to the water tank through the pipeline. Because the water tank has a large volume design, the water temperature in the tank can be reduced by natural cooling after one recycling process, and it can be recycled again. Therefore, there is no need for a radiator to cool the hot water.

[0035] The water circuit splitter 43 is also equipped with a water pressure sensor 44 to monitor the main pipeline water pressure in real time. An alarm is triggered when the pressure falls below a safe threshold. The circulating water tank 41 is also equipped with a water temperature sensor 45 to monitor the outlet water temperature in real time. An alarm is triggered when the water temperature exceeds a set value. The circulating water tank 41 is also equipped with a water level sensor 46, which can be a float-type sensor, to monitor the water level in real time. The water supply valve automatically starts when the water level is low and stops supplying water when the water level is high to prevent overflow. In the diagram, A is the inlet, B is the outlet, 47 is the tank inlet valve, 48 is the high-level liquid outlet, and 49 is the drain outlet.

[0036] A control box 5 can also be installed inside the housing 6. The control box 5 is equipped with a display screen, which can be a touch screen or additional control buttons, to set and control parameters such as current, temperature, and time for the medium frequency induction furnace 1, the lifting device 3, and the circulating water cooling device 4.

[0037] The casting device of this invention has been proven through trial production that, on average, casting one 100mm pear-shaped rope sleeve for a steel wire rope takes only about 10-15 minutes, with a recovery rate of over 85% (compared to the original alloy casting volume). Taking Ma Moushan Port on the island as an example, a total of 96 steel wire ropes were replaced in 2024, requiring the production of approximately 500 pear-shaped rope sleeves. The total alloy purchased for casting throughout the year exceeded 4 tons, with a market price of 220,000 yuan / ton, totaling over 480,000 yuan. If this casting device were used for recycling, over 400,000 yuan in costs could be saved annually.

[0038] However, those skilled in the art should recognize that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model. Any changes or modifications to the above embodiments within the scope of the essential spirit of the present utility model will fall within the scope of the claims of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A casting and melting device for recycling Babbitt metal from pear-shaped wire rope sheaths, characterized in that, The system includes a housing, a medium-frequency induction furnace housed within the housing, and a casting mold. The medium-frequency induction furnace comprises a furnace body, a medium-frequency furnace capacitor box, and a medium-frequency furnace power supply box. The furnace body has a hollow structure that runs vertically through the furnace, with a lifting port at the top and an open bottom. The furnace body is designed with three layers from the outside in: an outer layer of heat insulation board, a middle layer of induction coils arranged in a spiral pattern using hollow copper tubes, and an inner layer of fireproof mud. The medium-frequency furnace power supply box is electrically connected to the medium-frequency furnace capacitor box and the induction coils. The casting mold is located below the furnace body.

2. The casting and melting device for recycling Babbitt metal from pear-shaped wire rope sheaths as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The furnace body has a support frame at the bottom, and a pull-out base is provided inside the support frame. The casting mold is placed on the upper end of the pull-out base, and the pull-out base also has an electric heating device for heating the casting mold.

3. The casting and melting device for recycling Babbitt metal from pear-shaped wire rope sheaths as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a lifting device for lifting the pear-shaped rope loop and suspending it inside the furnace, including a boom that can be raised, lowered and rotated, with a lifting device at the front end of the boom.

4. The casting and melting device for recycling Babbitt metal from pear-shaped wire rope sheaths as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a circulating water cooling device, which includes a circulating water tank, a circulating water pump, and a water circuit splitter. The circulating water tank is connected to the circulating water pump and the water circuit splitter in sequence through circulating water pipes. The water circuit splitter is then connected to the induction coil of the medium frequency induction furnace, the capacitor box of the medium frequency furnace, and the power supply box of the medium frequency furnace through the circulating water pipes, and returns to the circulating water tank through the circulating water pipes.

5. The casting and melting device for recycling Babbitt metal from pear-shaped wire rope sheaths as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The lower part of the outer wall of the furnace body is also provided with an observation window that can be opened and closed.

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