ARTICLES --> RFID for Foundry
Mold and Coremaking
RFID for
foundry mould and coremaking
Jack Palmer, President of Palmer Manufacturing and Supply Inc discusses the
benefits of using radio frequency identification tags in foundry
production.
October/November 2010
Reprinted with permission from Cast Metal
and DieCasting Times
Adjusting
settings, recalling recipes, and documentation of recipe changes all
require costly human
intervention. And, when not performed correctly, result in costly
human errors. RFID (radio frequency identification tags) represent a
major break-through in foundry production, to reduce time for recipe
management, the prevention of costly errors and enhance quality
control. Unlike other key manufacturing breakthroughs, RFID can be
deployed on specific equipment for a particular process or can be
deployed plant-wide. Users have the ability to expand automation a
little at a time, making this ideal for both small and large
foundries.
How RFID works |
 |
RFID is an automatic identification system that
relies on storing and retrieving data using radio-frequency identification
tags. Unlike other methods of identification, RFID has the major advantage
of being completely programmable (read/write).
RFID identification uses 'tags' – small electronic devices that are fastened
to the mould or core box and 'readers' which are devices that communicate
wirelessly with the RFID tags and to the data for that tag. Data includes
mixer run time, resin percentage, resin ratio, catalyst percentage, dry
additive percentage, compaction table vibration intensity and duration, and
can be incorporated seamlessly into a company-wide Ethernet.
Both the tag and the radio are two-way radios. The reader interfaces with
the PLC to transfer the data obtained from the tag to allow the PLC to set
the mixer and conveyor/carousel parameters. Recipe numbers and settings are
entered into the tag via a touch-screen on the mixer control panel or
another PLC. This means programming can take place at the production line if
needed. While a tag can be reprogrammed at any time, password protection can
easily be added to ensure recipes are not altered.
RFID in the core room
Perhaps
one of the easiest places to introduce a foundry to RFID is in the core
room. Excal Inc one of North America’s premier brass and bronze foundries,
producing over 2,000 different patterns for cores of different sizes and
shapes. The company found this the ideal place to implement the new RFID
CM-CoreMaker™ from Palmer Manufacturing & Supply Inc.
The process is not difficult, as a tag is simply fastened to the bottom of
each core box. The tags (compliant with ISO 18000-3, ISO 15693, and ISO
14443 standards) each have a unique identification number that is read when
the box is presented to the CoreMaker. During the set-up procedure, the
worker enters the settings for that particular core box into the machine’s
programmable logic controller (PLC). Once the setting is determined, the
worker saves it permanently to that recipe.
“This equipment allows us to compete with lower prices from offshore
foundries because we can truly guarantee quality" comments Mike Baures,
Excal's Plant Manager. "But that’s not all – our productivity has increased
65% versus our prior system.” The machine’s improved efficiency, ease of
operation, and improved ergonomics allows the foundry to pay a higher
skilled person, higher wages, as opposed to seeking more persons for
employment. The higher skill level lends itself to improved safety,
training, cross training and advancement for that individual. “The quality
control is built into the machine with the RFID tags and therefore, reduces
the number workers needed,” he adds.
To begin coremaking, the RFID interrogator built into the coremaker bench,
reads the tag’s number, and transmits that information to the PLC. Then, the
computer retrieves the settings for that core. The worker presses one more
button to begin the coremaking process, and the core box is moved into the
core blower. The computer instructs the blower accordingly and injects sand
and chemicals before purging the box. “An interesting part of this machine’s
operation is that the employee is stripping a corebox while the machine is
blowing and curing another. The operator has no real downtime waiting on the
machine" confirms Mike Baures.
Mr. Baures also adds that the previous system had major ergonomic issues
that this coremaker completely solved. Lifting of heavy core boxes has been
greatly reduced due to the conveyor and the reader. “On labour savings
alone, the payback on this unit was 15 months." It was much faster
than that, when you factor in the increased production. We felt fortunate
that Palmer had the engineering talent to customize this unit for us. I have
never been more excited about adding this technology to our plant – I knew
it would work" he confirms.
While many are quickly attracted to the labour savings aspect of RFID, the
ability to make higher quality cores is an even bigger incentive. Anytime
you allow a worker to manually change recipes, your core’s condition can be
expected to change. Excessive amine catalyst material can weaken a core
after metal is poured. RFID ensures that the core is guaranteed to be made
with the proper settings. Higher quality cores mean higher quality parts.
Expand RFID to both no-bake moulding and coremaking and watch it deliver
greater labour savings, enhanced quality control and the additional
advantage of getting accurate data which, in turn, helps to better manage
production and raw materials inventory.
After programming, just like with the core box, the RFID tag is attached to
the mould box to identify itself to the mixer. As the box flows past the
RFID reader, the system reads the information on the tag and sends the
information to the operating system. The read function can be automatic or
the operator can perform it with a hand held reader. Depending on the tag,
it can hold different amounts of data.
Having started the cycle, the operator is no longer needed for decision
making (mixer run time, resin levels, powder additives etc). The operator
only needs to move the sand to the correct part of the box as it is
discharged to be sure the pattern is covered with the correct recipe. Mixers
that are equipped with an automated fill pattern mechanism with an auto
strike-off function, such as the Palmer SmartFill™ (after the fill station)
will not need an operator for this function.
Programming generally consists of:
- Mixer run time
- Resin level to start and back-up (and
when to change)
- Powder additional level – when to start
and stop
- When to begin compaction table cycle,
with force output & vibration duration specifications.
- Automated Fill Pattern
The amount of sand and binder being used is data
easily captured and stored by the system. This allows management to maintain
optimum inventory control of these consumables. The system can also be used
for better production management as it has the ability to track moulds or
cores per shift etc.
When RFID technology is deployed plant-wide, the benefits are substantial
and fall into several areas: labour savings, ergonomics and worker safety,
guaranteed quality control, and better inventory control management of both
raw materials and finished goods.
Click here for more details about Palmer
Core Room Equipment.
