Flaskless mold machine

Abstract

A flaskless molding machine includes: an upper flask; a lower flask; an upper sand tank; an upper plate attached to a lower end of the upper sand tank; a first lower sand tank; a second lower sand tank storing mold sand supplied from the first lower sand tank; a lower plate attached to an upper end of the second lower sand tank, with at least one supply port being formed, the supply port allowing the second lower sand tank to communicate with an inside of the lower flask; at least one pressure detector detecting a pressure of at least one tank among the upper sand tank, the first lower sand tank and the second lower sand tank; and a control unit connected to the pressure detector and obtaining a detection result of the at least one pressure detector.

1 . A flaskless molding machine forming a flaskless upper mold and lower mold, comprising:
 an upper flask;   a lower flask disposed below the upper flask and capable of clamping a match plate with the upper flask;   an upper sand tank disposed above the upper flask, communicating with a compressed air source, being open at a lower end thereof, and internally storing mold sand;   an upper plate attached to a lower end of the upper sand tank, with at least one supply port being formed in the upper plate, the supply port allowing the upper sand tank to communicate with an inside of the upper flask;   a first lower sand tank communicating with a compressed air source, internally storing mold sand, and having a first communication port for discharging the stored mold sand;   a second lower sand tank disposed below the lower flask, being open at an upper end thereof, having a second communication port capable of communicating with the first communication port of the first lower sand tank, and storing the mold sand supplied from the first lower sand tank and to be supplied into the lower flask;   a lower plate attached to an upper end of the second lower sand tank, with at least one supply port being formed in the lower plate, the supply port allowing the second lower sand tank to communicate with an inside of the lower flask;   at least one pressure detector detecting a pressure of at least one tank among the upper sand tank, the first lower sand tank and the second lower sand tank; and   a control unit connected to the pressure detector and obtaining a detection result of the at least one pressure detector.   
     
     
         2 . The flaskless molding machine according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a drive unit moving the second lower sand tank in a vertical direction, and allowing the upper plate and the lower plate to perform squeezing; and   an adjustment drive unit moving the first lower sand tank in the vertical direction.   
     
     
         3 . The flaskless molding machine according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the upper sand tank includes a storage chamber storing the mold sand, and at least one supply chamber provided on a side of the storage chamber and communicating with the compressed air source, and   the at least one pressure detector detects a pressure of the at least one supply chamber of the upper sand tank.   
     
     
         4 . The flaskless molding machine according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the at least one supply chamber of the upper sand tank includes a first supply chamber disposed nearer to an upper end than a center of the upper sand tank, and a second supply chamber disposed nearer to a lower end than the center of the upper sand tank, and   the at least one pressure detector includes a first pressure detector detecting a pressure of the first supply chamber, and a second pressure detector detecting a pressure of the second supply chamber.   
     
     
         5 . The flaskless molding machine according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the storage chamber of the upper sand tank includes, on an inner surface thereof, a first permeation member having a plurality of pores allowing compressed air to pass, and   the at least one supply chamber of the upper sand tank communicates with the storage chamber of the upper sand tank via the first permeation member.   
     
     
         6 . The flaskless molding machine according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first lower sand tank includes a storage chamber storing the mold sand, and at least one supply chamber provided on a side of the storage chamber and communicating with the compressed air source, and   the at least one pressure detector detects a pressure of the at least one supply chamber of the first lower sand tank.   
     
     
         7 . The flaskless molding machine according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the at least one supply chamber of the first lower sand tank includes a third supply chamber disposed at a center of the first lower sand tank, a fourth supply chamber disposed nearer to an upper end than the center of the first lower sand tank, and a fifth supply chamber disposed nearer to a lower end than the center of the first lower sand tank, and   the at least one pressure detector includes a third pressure detector detecting a pressure of the third supply chamber, a fourth pressure detector detecting a pressure of the fourth supply chamber, and a fifth pressure detector detecting a pressure of the fifth supply chamber.   
     
     
         8 . The flaskless molding machine according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the storage chamber of the first lower sand tank includes, on an inner surface thereof, a second permeation member having a plurality of pores allowing compressed air to pass, and   the third supply chamber and the fourth supply chamber communicate with the storage chamber of the first lower sand tank via the second permeation member.   
     
     
         9 . The flaskless molding machine according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the fifth supply chamber is disposed at a curved lower end of the first lower sand tank, and communicates with the storage chamber of the first lower sand tank via a plurality of ventholes.   
     
     
         10 . The flaskless molding machine according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the second lower sand tank includes a storage chamber storing the mold sand, and at least one supply chamber provided at a bottom of the storage chamber and communicating with the compressed air source, and   the at least one pressure detector detects a pressure of the at least one supply chamber of the second lower sand tank.   
     
     
         11 . The flaskless molding machine according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the at least one supply chamber of the second lower sand tank communicates with the storage chamber of the second lower sand tank via a plurality of ventholes.   
     
     
         12 . The flaskless molding machine according to  claim 1 , further comprising a display unit connected to the control unit and displaying a detection result of the at least one pressure detector. 
     
     
         13 . The flaskless molding machine according to  claim 12 , wherein the control unit causes the display unit to display, as the detection result, a graph indicating a relationship between a pressure and a time. 
     
     
         14 . The flaskless molding machine according to  claim 12 , wherein the control unit causes the display unit to display a setting screen for setting an aeration setting pressure and a time. 
     
     
         15 . The flaskless molding machine according to  claim 12 , further comprising
 a storage unit storing a detection result of the at least one pressure detector, and   the control unit causes the display unit to display the detection result stored in the storage unit, and a detection result detected this time, in a manner allowing comparison.   
     
     
         16 . The flaskless molding machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit includes a communication unit transmitting a detection result of the at least one pressure detector via a communication network. 
     
     
         17 . The flaskless molding machine according to  claim 5 , further comprising
 a display unit connected to the control unit and displaying the detection result of the at least one pressure detector,   wherein the control unit causes the display unit to display the detection result of the at least one pressure detector of the upper sand tank and a preset threshold in a manner allowing comparison.   
     
     
         18 . The flaskless molding machine according to  claim 8 , further comprising
 a display unit connected to the control unit and displaying the detection result of the at least one pressure detector,   wherein the control unit causes the display unit to display the pressure detected by the third pressure detector or the fourth pressure detector, and a preset threshold, in a manner allowing comparison.   
     
     
         19 . The flaskless molding machine according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein at least one control valve openable and closable according to a control signal is provided between each of the upper sand tank, the first lower sand tank and the second lower sand tank, and the compressed air source, and   the control unit outputs the control signal to the at least one control valve, based on the detection result of the at least one pressure detector.   
     
     
         20 . The flaskless molding machine according to  claim 19 , wherein when air is discharged from the upper sand tank, the first lower sand tank and the second lower sand tank, the control unit outputs the control signal in such a way as to open the at least one control valve, based on the detection result of the at least one pressure detector. 
     
     
         21 . The flaskless molding machine according to  claim 19 , wherein when air is discharged from the upper sand tank, the first lower sand tank and the second lower sand tank, and the pressure detected by the at least one pressure detector is not equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, the control unit outputs warning information. 
     
     
         22 . The flaskless molding machine according to  claim 19 ,
 wherein the control valve corresponding to the upper sand tank is disposed on a side of the upper sand tank, and   the control valve corresponding to the first lower sand tank is disposed on a side of the first lower sand tank.   
     
     
         23 . The flaskless molding machine according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein in an aeration process, when a maximum pressure detected by the pressure detector in a predetermined aeration time period does not reach a predetermined threshold, the control unit extends the aeration time period, and when the maximum pressure detected by the at least one pressure detector does not reach the predetermined threshold after the extension, the control unit outputs warning information.