21 October 2008
Introduced in 2001, the DISA MATCH 130, match plate moulding machine, has proved its worth for shorter runs with frequent pattern changes at foundries in four continents. Major reasons for the immediate success of the DISA MATCH was a robust design that ensured higher mould density, better accuracy with more production flexibility for lower costs and higher earnings.
Need for larger plate sizes triggered new design
"With the DISA MATCH being an immediate success," says Kurt Larsen, General Product Manager at DISA Industries A/S, "we spotted the potential to help foundries by offering a solution for match plates larger than 20x24 inches".
The Benton Foundry in Pennsylvania, USA, was the first to purchase the original DISA MATCH. According to Benton President Jeff Hall, the 20x24 inch machine delivered superior mould quality with harder, firmer and more consistent moulds.
When Benton Foundry was looking for a larger match plate option, they decided to wait for the introduction of the new larger DISA MATCH before placing an order because of their excellent experience with their first DISA MATCH. They received their new DISA MATCH 28/32 machine in August 2008.
Robust and service-friendly with exceptional accuracy
When designing the new machine, the objective was to make a robust and service-friendly machine requiring minimum maintenance.
"The most striking change is that there are now two main guide rods instead of the original four," Kurt Larsen explains. "The symmetrical construction with centred guide rods without the need for pins and bushes between the cope and drag chamber provides the rigidity for exceptional mould accuracy giving a mismatch of less than 0.01"/0.25 mm."
High performance means higher earnings
Fast plate changes using the Quick Match plate Changer combined with speeds of up to 100 uncored moulds and 80 cored moulds per hour for the largest sizes (32"x32") provides foundries with a new level of flexibility and performance. Independent adjustment of cope and drag height on each mould half enables optimization of the iron/sand ratio as well as reduction of sand consumption.
Combined with the new state-of-the-art control system, these features enable foundries to produce large high-quality castings of different types more consistently and more cost-effectively.
Limited maintenance required
A large access door and a wide access area inside the machine with light curtain safety protection provide fast service access to all components for easy maintenance. Another enhancement is replaceable wear plates that can be changed very quickly without disturbing other settings. In addition, an automatic system lubricates the bearings during each cycle eliminating the need to stop the machine for manual lubrication, ensuring maximum uptime.
Full size range available now
The DISA MATCH New Platform is fully supported by DISA Customer Service worldwide and is available in two versions – Medium Platform with a chamber size of 24x28 inches, and Large Platform with chamber sizes of 28x32 inches and 32x32 inches. The DISA MATCH 130 (20x24 inches) is still available. DISA has a patent pending on the DISA MATCH design.
For more information, please contact DISA Industries A/S, Bo Haugboelle, Product Manager, +45 44 50 50 50.
