Mechanical design of automatic pneumatic sand compaction machine
Roberto Magalhães
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AUTOMATIC PNEUMATIC BEATING MACHINE
This machine is used for sand compaction in the foundry process
A sand compactor is an equipment used in foundry sand testing to make molding sand test samples by compacting the bulk material by free fall from fixed height of fixed weight for 3 times. It is also used to determine the compactability of sands using special sample tubes and a linear scale.
ABSTRACT
Molding is one of the important metal forming processes in the manufacture of components for various industrial applications. Casting of any size and shape can be done accurately. Automation in this field helps to improve the casting environment and the accuracy of castings. Molding efficiency is affected by several parameters like permeability, collapsibility, adhesiveness, etc. Therefore, it is essential to avoid defects in casting. Defects occurring in sand castings represent a major problem in foundry. Due to defects, more than 10% of castings are rejected. Although skilled labor is employed for the compaction operation, the packing of the molding sand will not be uniform throughout the molding box. So we selected the idea of manufacturing “PNEUMATIC RAMADOR”. This compactor is pneumatically operated. When using this compactor, the molding sand will be packed evenly throughout the box.
INTRODUCTION
Pneumatic compactor is used to compact the sand evenly around the pattern. It can be used even in small scale industries. To operate this compactor, an air compressor is required. A tip fixed to the bottom of the piston rod performs the compaction operation. The pressure developed inside the cylinder pushes back the piston and therefore the stock. This compactor is handled by an operator just moving it over the molding sand.
The butt hits the sand in moved places and the sand is beaten evenly. This compactor reduces compaction time and labor. Due to this the cost is reduced considerably. Therefore, this machine finds application in foundries.
WORKING PRINCIPLE
Automatic Pneumatic Compaction Machine
The compressed air goes to the flow control valve. The flow control valve is used to control the air flow. It's adjustable. We have to adjust the lever so that the required pressurized air goes to the Solenoid Valve.
In our project, the solenoid valve is used as the direction control valve. This solenoid valve is controlled by electronic control timing unit. The compression time is varied by adjusting the timing control (555 IC timer) of the electronic unit.
The compressed air goes to the double-acting pneumatic cylinder. The ram is fixed at one end of the pneumatic cylinder. The compressed air pushes the pneumatic cylinder, so the piston moves downward, supplying air in one direction of the pneumatic cylinder. The solenoid valve is changing the air flow in the opposite direction by the small delay. At this time, the piston of the pneumatic cylinder moves upward due to the change in the direction of air flow. This airflow direction is controlled by the solenoid valve.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS
The compactor can be handled by one operator without discomfort. No separate skills are required to operate this compactor. The operation is quick and therefore saves time. The operation is easy and consumes less costs. For the above reasons, it finds its wide application in manufacturing industries.
It has wide application in large and small industries due to its economy and easy handling.
BENEFITS
1. Uniform compaction of sand is achieved by this compactor.
2. Time consumption for compression is greatly reduced.
3. No skilled labor required.
4. Easy operation
5. It can be easily transported from one place to another as disassembly and assembly are simple.
6. Reduces more work for compaction operation.
7. Maintenance is easy.
DISADVANTAGES
1. The initial investment is high when compared to manual compaction.
Automatic Pneumatic Compaction Machine
