Revolutionizing Foundry Equipment since 1974

Buck Company Cleans Up Its Aluminum and Brass Casting Operations

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Fig. 1. Discharge view of the MD-50 Rotary Media Drum in the brass and aluminum foundry.
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Fig. 2. Sand and aluminum castings to be processed.

Reprinted with permission from FOUNDRY MANAGEMENT & TECHNOLOGY

Buck Co., Quarryville, PA, a producer of aluminum, brass, ductile, gray and malleable iron castings ranging from 4 oz to 40 lb, is realizing cost savings and productivity gains in its casting cleaning operations with a new Mark 5 Rotary Media Drum from DIDION International Inc., St. Peters, MO. "Buck Co.'s justification for purchasing the machine was its capability to process very delicate castings and the significant reduction in shotblast time," says Joseph Raff , Vice President, Buck Co.

The unit is a patented shakeout that also blends and screens the return sand, cleans and cools castings, and decreases shotblasting and cooling time. It processes delicate aluminum and brass castings by rotating them on laser-aligned trunnion wheels.

The machine shown in Fig. 1 separates sand from castings with no sand carryover, conditions and screens the sand to minus 1/4 in., and separates green sand from core sand in one efficient step. Green sand is blended, screened, back blended and screened again in the first section of this dual-chambered machine. Castings and sprues are scrubbed clean by a recirculating bed of media as they move through the drum. To prevent system sand contamination, core lumps, core wires, and tramp metal are automatically separated and discharged independently at a separate location.

As Raff says, "The gentle rotation and media scrubbing provide a very thorough cleaning, including pockets, allowing for reductions in shotblast times. In fact, the new Media Drum has enabled us to shut down half of our blast machines, resulting in more than 50% savings in power usage, shot consumption, machine wear, parts, and maintenance. An average of 75% of our castings now go directly to the finishing department."

The unit also helps reduce noise, heat, dust, and spillage by the enclosed unit's containment system. The castings are cool enough to handle with gloves, since the media acts as a heat sink, reducing the need for long cooling conveyors. The return green sand is thoroughly homogenized, free of clay balls and core lumps. The sand is also consistent in temperature and moisture, which greatly improves the system sand and eliminates the need for additional equipment.

In addition, the machine is variable in speed to allow the gates, runners, and sprues to be automatically degated, which saves undesirable hard manual labor costs. The returns are clean and ready to go back to the furnace. This saves extra handling and extends refractory life, while increasing melting efficiency.

"This is Buck Co.'s third DIDION Mark 5 Rotary Media Drum®," explains Raff. "After the huge success of the first two machines in the gray, ductile, and malleable foundry, we were ready to incorporate the machine in our aluminum and brass foundry. The results are more impressive when you consider these delicate non-ferrous castings."

To learn how DIDION Rotary Processing Equipment can improve the way you do business, please contact us today.