Casting Plant Data Management via Mold Serial Number Linking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current casting plants face challenges in producing high-quality cast products due to the lack of effective integration and utilization of data between controllers for different facilities, particularly in managing molding and molten metal conditions, which is inadequate for high-rate and high-mix low-volume production.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a system where serial numbers are issued and linked to each mold and ladle, allowing for the integration of data on molding and pouring plans, enabling precise management and tracking of mold positions and molten metal conditions, ensuring accurate pouring and quality control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If individual facilities are designed and manufactured with dedicated controllers, then each facility can be controlled independently, but the information controlled by the controllers is not effectively linked between the controllers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the control functions of multiple dedicated controllers into a single integrated control system. The control device receives operation information from various facilities (molding machine, conveying device, pouring machine) and centrally manages the production process, enabling effective information linkage while maintaining independent control capabilities through software modules.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device serves multiple functions by managing different facilities within the casting plant. It controls the molding machine, conveying device, and pouring machine through a universal interface, allowing one controller to perform the roles of multiple dedicated controllers while integrating information flow across all facilities.
2Productivity
If the quantity of molten metal is controlled based on the number of molds produced, then high-rate production is achieved, but the quality control for high-mix low-volume production is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The control system dynamically adjusts the pouring quantity based on real-time operation information. Instead of using a fixed quantity based solely on mold count, the system receives actual operation data from the molding and conveying devices and determines the appropriate molten metal quantity accordingly, enabling both high-rate and high-precision control for different production scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device implements feedback by receiving operation information from various facilities and using this information to determine the quantity of molten metal to be poured. The system continuously monitors the production process and adjusts pouring quantities based on actual mold production rates and conveying status, ensuring quality control for both high-rate and high-mix low-volume production.
3Reliability
If serial numbers are issued and linked to each mold and ladle, then data integration and tracking are enabled, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses serial numbers as digital copies or identifiers for physical objects (molds and ladles). Instead of tracking the actual physical objects directly, the control device manages information about these objects through their serial number representations, enabling data integration and tracking while simplifying the computational complexity compared to direct object management.
Data Source
AI summary
A casting plant to produce a cast product with a high quality and a method for managing data for molding the mold and data on the conditions of the molten metal in the casting plant are provided. The controller (11) for the molding unit issues a serial number for the mold to a mold (M). The controller (31) for the unit for conveying the molds shifts the serial number for the mold in accordance with a movement of the mold. It also gathers data on the mold and links the data for molding the mold with the serial number for the mold. When the molten metal is poured from the ladle into the mold, the controller (71) for the unit for pouring the molten metal sends to the computer (91) for controlling the casting plant the serial number for the ladle that is linked with the data on the conditions of the molten metal and that is linked with the serial number for the mold.