Provided is a foundry sand supply device capable of collecting foundry sand at an arbitrary timing. The foundry sand supply device includes a bucket collecting the foundry sand, a bucket drive unit rotatably supporting the bucket and driving the bucket, and a moving unit moving the bucket drive unit close to and away from the foundry sand, and moving the bucket drive unit between a collecting position to collect the foundry sand and a supply position to supply the foundry sand.

In the disclosed solution sand to be cleaned is thermally cleaned by rotating the sand being cleaned in a large oven (1) by rotating the oven (1). Before cleaning, the sand may be pre-processed by crushing any lumps and cleaning the sand fraction by magnetic separation. Preprocessed sand to be cleaned and heat energy are fed (5) into the rotating oven. The oven (1) is set slightly inclined so that a second end of the oven (1) is lower than a first end. The inclination and rotating speed of the oven (1) as well as the feed amount of sand are adjusted, whereby the advancing speed of the sand may be adjusted, as well as the ratio of the sand being cleaned to the volume of the oven (1) kept as desired. The temperature of the oven (1) is monitored at the coldest area of the oven, which is substantially at the second end of the oven. The temperature of the oven (1) is adjusted by adjusting the amount of heat energy fed in. By means of temperature monitoring and knowing the advancing speed of the sand, it is also possible to determine the average temperature of the sand and adjust it as desired by adjusting the supplied heat energy. Finally, the cleaned sand is let run (12) from the second end of the oven (1).

A method for regenerating foundry sand, in particular for the renewed production of foundry molds and/or foundry mold cores from the regenerated foundry sand, through removal of binding agent, from a foundry sand/binding agent mixture, using a solid support means (6), wherein binding agent and support means (6) are separated from the foundry sand, wherein support means (6) is brought into contact with the foundry sand/binding agent mixture, is preferably added to it, and, together with the binding agent, which adheres thereto and/or which is incorporated therein, is separated from the foundry sand (10).

A method for regenerating foundry sand, in particular for the renewed production of foundry molds and/or foundry mold cores from the regenerated foundry sand, through removal of binding agent, from a foundry sand/binding agent mixture, using a solid support means (6), wherein binding agent and support means (6) are separated from the foundry sand, wherein support means (6) is brought into contact with the foundry sand/binding agent mixture, is preferably added to it, and, together with the binding agent, which adheres thereto and/or which is incorporated therein, is separated from the foundry sand (10).

Plants for regenerating foundry sand are provided having a combustion chamber, which has at least one inlet for introducing sand to be regenerated into the combustion chamber, nozzles for feeding combustible gas into the combustion chamber, nozzles for injecting air so as to maintain a heated fluidized bed of sand in the combustion chamber, a cooling chamber for cooling sand coming from the combustion chamber, the cooling chamber having nozzles for blowing air in order to maintain a fluidized bed of sand in the cooling chamber, refrigerating pipes arranged above the air nozzles, a communicating duct which connects the combustion chamber with the cooling chamber, the communicating duct including a vertical or inclined lower end portion which is at least partially surrounded by or adjacent to a plurality of the refrigerating pipes in the cooling chamber, and wherein the lower end portion has a bottom outlet arranged at a lower level with respect to at least one of the refrigerating pipes.

Plants for regenerating foundry sand are provided having a combustion chamber, which has at least one inlet for introducing sand to be regenerated into the combustion chamber, nozzles for feeding combustible gas into the combustion chamber, nozzles for injecting air so as to maintain a heated fluidized bed of sand in the combustion chamber, a cooling chamber for cooling sand coming from the combustion chamber, the cooling chamber having nozzles for blowing air in order to maintain a fluidized bed of sand in the cooling chamber, refrigerating pipes arranged above the air nozzles, a communicating duct which connects the combustion chamber with the cooling chamber, the communicating duct including a vertical or inclined lower end portion which is at least partially surrounded by or adjacent to a plurality of the refrigerating pipes in the cooling chamber, and wherein the lower end portion has a bottom outlet arranged at a lower level with respect to at least one of the refrigerating pipes.

The present invention concerns an apparatus for treating and cooling foundry molding sand, comprising a mixing container and a mixing tool rotatable about a drive shaft, wherein there is provided an air feed for the feed of air into the container interior. To provide an improved apparatus with which a more uniform fluidized layer is produced as far as possible over the entire cross-section of the mixing container, wherein moreover the proportion of the solid particles entrained with the gas flow is to be reduced, it is proposed according to the invention that the mixing tool has at least two mixing vanes spaced from each other in the vertical direction and at least one mixing vane has a mixer blade with a surface which is inclined relative to the horizontal.

The present invention concerns an apparatus for treating and cooling foundry molding sand, comprising a mixing container and a mixing tool rotatable about a drive shaft, wherein there is provided an air feed for the feed of air into the container interior. To provide an improved apparatus with which a more uniform fluidized layer is produced as far as possible over the entire cross-section of the mixing container, wherein moreover the proportion of the solid particles entrained with the gas flow is to be reduced, it is proposed according to the invention that the mixing tool has at least two mixing vanes spaced from each other in the vertical direction and at least one mixing vane has a mixer blade with a surface which is inclined relative to the horizontal.

An object is to accurately estimate loss-on-ignition in a short time. A loss-on-ignition estimation apparatus includes at least one processor configured to carry out an estimation step, the estimation step including estimating the loss-on-ignition of foundry sand with use of a learned model constructed by means of machine learning. The learned model is configured to receive, as input, (1) sand weight data relating to a weight of the foundry sand detected in a calcination period and (2) at least one of (i) sand property data relating to one or more properties of the foundry sand, (ii) additive data relating to one or more additives added to the foundry sand, and (iii) calcination environment data relating to a calcination environment detected in the calcination period. The learned model is configured to generate, as output, an estimated loss-on-ignition of the foundry sand.

A return sand cooling system, including: a sand moisture and temperature measuring instrument measuring the moisture content and temperature of the return sand; a control device determines an appropriate water addition amount, which is an amount of water to be added to the return sand; a water-sprinkling cooling device adds water of the appropriate water addition amount to the return sand and cools the return sand by the latent heat of vaporization of water to obtain the cooled return sand; an air introducing device that introduces air into the water-sprinkling cooling device; and an introduced air temperature and humidity measuring instrument measures the temperature and humidity of introduced air to be introduced into the water-sprinkling cooling device; the control device determining the appropriate water addition amount on the basis of the moisture content and temperature of the return sand, and the temperature and humidity of the introduced air.