AUTOMATED ASSEMBLY CELL AND ASSEMBLY LINE FOR PRODUCING SAND MOLDS FOR FOUNDRIES

摘要

A mold assembly cell for sand mold production comprising a turntable wherein sand cores and other mold parts (which together cooperate to define the casting cavity of the sand mold) are automatically and progressively assembled following a sequential pre-programmed schedule by programmable robots located in proximal relationship with the turntable and a core shooting machine. The assembly turntable rotates clockwise or counterclockwise to permit placement of progressively more-complete mold packages in each of at least three assembly stations to allow the robots to reach the molds being assembled at different angles for simultaneously setting the sand cores and other parts of the mold according to said pre-programmed assembly schedule. Also a mold assembly line comprising a plurality of the foregoing assembly cells to form sand molds for casting complex-geometry aluminum parts, such as aluminum engine blocks and cylinder heads, with greater flexibility, efficiency and productivity.