Benton Foundry Case Story - DISA MATCH 28 32
DISA MATCH sets new standards of flexibility and efficiency with larger plate sizes
Benton Foundry, a jobbing foundry in Benton, Pennsylvania, began production on the first of a new generation of matchplate molding machines in November, 2008. The DISA Matchplate 28/32 has shown remarkable flexibility and efficiency in the production of a wide range of castings of varying weights and sizes.
Benton Foundry supplies gray and ductile iron castings as well as ADI products for manufacturers of valves, pumps, electric motors, and gear reduction drives.
The foundry acquired its latest DISA MATCH 28/32 to replace a semi-manual molding process that was labor-intensive and no longer competitive.
“We already had two smaller DISA MATCH molding machines and had been impressed by their smooth and trouble-free operation as well as their flexibility and the consistently high molding speeds and yield they delivered. Now the time had come to realize the same benefits in our production of larger molds,” says Benton Foundry President, Fritz Hall, adding that the DISA MATCH 28/32 has consistently turned out top-quality molds, thus enabling high-speed production of quality castings requiring a minimum of finishing.“
Quality molding
While the DISA MATCH 28/32 is based on the same matchplate technology as the smaller machines, it introduces a new, simplified and even more rigid design using only two main tie rods without the need for pins and bushes between the cope and drag. This enables production of ultra-hard molds and minimizes finishing costs by delivering less than 0.01” / 0.25mm machine-related mismatch.
“The fully adjustable stripping height and acceleration protects mold integrity and optimizes the cycle time. Another key feature of the DISA MATCH 28/32 is the adjustable cope and drag height that helps us to ensure a constant sand to metal ratio,” Fritz Hall states.
Flexibility is key
“As a foundry specializing in shorter and moderate-length runs requiring frequent pattern changes, flexibility while maintaining quality and yield is key to our success,” Fritz Hall continues.
Another feature that Benton Foundry finds invaluable is the ability to change mold properties with shot correction using extended blow and squeeze. According to Fritz Hall, these unique features of DISA matchplate molding technology enable the foundry to maintain quality and yield with improved filling of deep pockets and consistent mold hardness in spite of short runs with frequent pattern changes.
Fast pattern changes
Pattern changes on the DISA MATCH 28/32 at Benton Foundry typically take less than 5 minutes. Compared to other molding solutions, this can save up to 25 minutes of lost production during a changeover. And at the speeds typical of the DISA MATCH, that means around 40 extra molds.
Speed means higher output
Since staring production in November, 2008, Benton Foundry has achieved molding speeds of up to 103 uncored molds an hour. While the design of the DISA MATCH in itself enables higher molding speed, Benton Foundry has been able to leverage the mold hardness achieved using the unique DISA blow and squeeze mechanism to increase pouring speeds by up to 40%.
Operator-friendly
The DISA MATCH 28/32 features a control system that enables optimization of all functions and movements, enabling maximum speed and precision.
“The clear, self-diagnostics are a major benefit for us,” Maintenance Manager Gerry Lewis states, “as they enable us to proactively monitor the molding process and address any issues before they become problems that can affect our molding efficiency.”
Operators also value the large, 12” color VDU that facilitates operation and troubleshooting.
The DISA MATCH 28/32 also contributes to a cleaner and quieter working environment with minimal sand spill compared to molding machines from other manufacturers, in-chamber spray, smooth operation and low noise level.
Straightforward maintenance
According to Gerry Lewis, the new, simplified and even more rigid design using only two main tie rods without the need for pins and bushes between the cope and drag makes maintenance access even easier.
“Other maintenance-saving aspects of the DISA MATCH 28/32 are the automatic oil lubrication system and the in chamber spray from the side that extends pattern plate life by preventing sand from sticking to the plates”, Gerry Lewis adds.
New business opportunities
The additional molding capacity offered by the DISA MATCH 28/32 balances the Benton Foundry’s melting capability of 300 tons per day. This means the foundry has been able to expand its market offering to larger size castings with greater volumes, the largest of which is a gearbox with a poured weight of 273 pounds.
“The fact is, there’s plenty of business out there for competitively priced, quality castings of all sizes, providing that you have the flexibility for short runs. Sometimes I wonder why we didn’t order two DISA MATCH 28/32 molding machines instead of only one!” Fritz Hall concludes.