Green Sand Control Best Practices
Green Sand Control Best Practices
Al Jacobson Grede LLC St Cloud, MN AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Al Jacobson – Background Worked for Grede since May, 1989 Grede – Reedsburg, WI (7 years) • Industrial Engineer • Method Engr./Quality Circle Facilitator • Mold/Core Supervisor
Grede – St. Cloud, MN (18 years) • Mold/Core Superintendent • Process Quality Engineer (last 13 years)
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
North America Footprint
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices Green Sand Control is Variation Reduction on Key Variables
We all make “good” sand at times. We all make “bad” sand at times. Successful Foundries make “good” sand most of the time AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices Grede St. Cloud Sand Systems: BMD System:
Simpson 6G Batch Muller Simpson MC-100 Multi-Cooler Hartley Compactability Tester
Disa System:
Simpson 23G-250 Cont. Muller Simpson MC-250 Multi-Cooler 3818 Cont. Compactability Tester AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices Roadmap to Variation Reduction • Determine Key Independent Variables • Find a Method to Quantify Current Variation • Implement Improvements to Reduce Variation and Monitor Results
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices Key Independent Variable #1: Compactability: Measures the relationship of water absorbing material (ie: clays) and amount of moisture.
Typical ways to test: 1. 3-ram or squeezer method(manual tester) 2. Automatic tester (ie: Hartley style)
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices How to quantify current variation • Define with standard deviation
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices •
Other methods to fit your equipment
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
•
Green Sand Control Best Practices Percentage of reading within stated control limits (typical Hartley Tester method)
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices Key Independent Variable #2: Methylene Blue Clay Test: measures the amount of live clay present in sand
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices How to quantify current variation • Define with standard deviation
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices How to quantify current variation • Define with standard deviation
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices Key Independent Variable #3: Size Distribution of Washed Green Sand Ways to express this: 1. AFS Grain Fineness Number (GFN) 2. Surface Area 3. Percent Fines 4. Individual Screens 5. Permeability (be careful)
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices Disa Surface Area:
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices Disa Percent Fines:
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices Comparison of GFN to Surface Area:
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices Ideas to improve variation for key variables: Compactability – reduce variation of incoming sand
•
Reduce variation of incoming sand
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices Ideas to improve variation of your key variables: MB Clay– make pre-emptive clay add changes (mass balance)
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices Ideas to improve variation of your key variables: Size Distribution of Washed Green Sand 1.
2.
3.
Regular differential checks of dust collection systems (I do quarterly). Also gives you a good reason to go through and see what needs repair. Identify key collection points and document blast gate locations. Adjust as needed based on washed green sand results and appearance of castings. As work mix changes you may have to adjust grade or amount of direct sand additions to green sand system. Core sand grade adjustment have more pitfalls. AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices In Closing In Green Sand Systems : Variation is your Enemy
My Recommendation Get to know your Enemy, then by reducing variation make it a Friend AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
MOVING INDUSTRY FORWARD
www.grede.com AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Al Jacobson Grede LLC St Cloud, MN AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Al Jacobson – Background Worked for Grede since May, 1989 Grede – Reedsburg, WI (7 years) • Industrial Engineer • Method Engr./Quality Circle Facilitator • Mold/Core Supervisor
Grede – St. Cloud, MN (18 years) • Mold/Core Superintendent • Process Quality Engineer (last 13 years)
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
North America Footprint
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices Green Sand Control is Variation Reduction on Key Variables
We all make “good” sand at times. We all make “bad” sand at times. Successful Foundries make “good” sand most of the time AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices Grede St. Cloud Sand Systems: BMD System:
Simpson 6G Batch Muller Simpson MC-100 Multi-Cooler Hartley Compactability Tester
Disa System:
Simpson 23G-250 Cont. Muller Simpson MC-250 Multi-Cooler 3818 Cont. Compactability Tester AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices Roadmap to Variation Reduction • Determine Key Independent Variables • Find a Method to Quantify Current Variation • Implement Improvements to Reduce Variation and Monitor Results
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices Key Independent Variable #1: Compactability: Measures the relationship of water absorbing material (ie: clays) and amount of moisture.
Typical ways to test: 1. 3-ram or squeezer method(manual tester) 2. Automatic tester (ie: Hartley style)
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices How to quantify current variation • Define with standard deviation
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices •
Other methods to fit your equipment
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
•
Green Sand Control Best Practices Percentage of reading within stated control limits (typical Hartley Tester method)
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices Key Independent Variable #2: Methylene Blue Clay Test: measures the amount of live clay present in sand
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices How to quantify current variation • Define with standard deviation
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices How to quantify current variation • Define with standard deviation
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices Key Independent Variable #3: Size Distribution of Washed Green Sand Ways to express this: 1. AFS Grain Fineness Number (GFN) 2. Surface Area 3. Percent Fines 4. Individual Screens 5. Permeability (be careful)
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices Disa Surface Area:
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices Disa Percent Fines:
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices Comparison of GFN to Surface Area:
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices Ideas to improve variation for key variables: Compactability – reduce variation of incoming sand
•
Reduce variation of incoming sand
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices Ideas to improve variation of your key variables: MB Clay– make pre-emptive clay add changes (mass balance)
AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices Ideas to improve variation of your key variables: Size Distribution of Washed Green Sand 1.
2.
3.
Regular differential checks of dust collection systems (I do quarterly). Also gives you a good reason to go through and see what needs repair. Identify key collection points and document blast gate locations. Adjust as needed based on washed green sand results and appearance of castings. As work mix changes you may have to adjust grade or amount of direct sand additions to green sand system. Core sand grade adjustment have more pitfalls. AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
Green Sand Control Best Practices In Closing In Green Sand Systems : Variation is your Enemy
My Recommendation Get to know your Enemy, then by reducing variation make it a Friend AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
MOVING INDUSTRY FORWARD
www.grede.com AFS Sand Casting Conference October 20-22, 2014 – Indianapolis, IN USA
