A mold-making device may include a stirring device including a stirring tank and at least one stirring blade. The stirring device may further include a packing port that is configured to open and close on a bottom of the stirring tank. The stirring device may stir a particulate aggregate and at least one additive by rotating the at least one stirring blade within the stirring tank to yield an admixture. A forming mold may communicate with the packing port and mold the admixture into a predetermined shape. A packing device may compress a surface of the admixture within the stirring tank and pack the admixture into the forming mold via the packing port.

A casting mold shaping device is provided, comprising a turntable-type carrier plate replacement device; a molding flask carry-in/out device for carrying in a molding flask to a molding space forming position provided in the carrier plate replacement device and carrying out the molded molding flask; a molding flask carrier plate stacking device for stacking the molding flask which as been carried in and each carrier plate to form a molding space; a casting sand filling device for filling the molding space with the casting sands; a molding station provided so as to be adjacent to the molding space forming position and including a casting sand pressing device for pressing the casting sands to make a mold; and a molding flask carrier plate moving device for moving the carrier plate and the molding flask in stacking state from the molding space forming position to the molding station.

A casting mold shaping device is provided, comprising a turntable-type carrier plate replacement device; a molding flask carry-in/out device for carrying in a molding flask to a molding space forming position provided in the carrier plate replacement device and carrying out the molded molding flask; a molding flask carrier plate stacking device for stacking the molding flask which as been carried in and each carrier plate to form a molding space; a casting sand filling device for filling the molding space with the casting sands; a molding station provided so as to be adjacent to the molding space forming position and including a casting sand pressing device for pressing the casting sands to make a mold; and a molding flask carrier plate moving device for moving the carrier plate and the molding flask in stacking state from the molding space forming position to the molding station.

The moulding machine includes a moulding chamber having at least one chamber end wall provided with a pattern plate adapted to form a pattern in a mould part and associated with a reference pattern block positioned in fixed relationship to a pattern of said pattern plate and adapted to form a reference pattern in an external face of a mould part. The reference pattern block includes a face having a tangent varying in a longitudinal direction of the moulding chamber and being adapted to form a corresponding reference pattern in the sand mould part. A non-contact detection system (87) detects the position of a number of different points (P.sub.1, P.sub.2) distributed over the pattern face of the reference pattern in the longitudinal direction of the sand mould part, and the tangent (T.sub.1, T.sub.2) in the longitudinal direction of the sand mould part is different between at least two of said points.

The moulding machine includes a moulding chamber having at least one chamber end wall provided with a pattern plate adapted to form a pattern in a mould part and associated with a reference pattern block positioned in fixed relationship to a pattern of said pattern plate and adapted to form a reference pattern in an external face of a mould part. The reference pattern block includes a face having a tangent varying in a longitudinal direction of the moulding chamber and being adapted to form a corresponding reference pattern in the sand mould part. A non-contact detection system (87) detects the position of a number of different points (P.sub.1, P.sub.2) distributed over the pattern face of the reference pattern in the longitudinal direction of the sand mould part, and the tangent (T.sub.1, T.sub.2) in the longitudinal direction of the sand mould part is different between at least two of said points.

A core discharge device is provided for discharging a sand core from a cast material in which the sand core contains a binder having water glass. The core discharge device comprises a humidified gas supply device that supplies humidified gas, to which humidity has been added, to the sand core inside the cast molded article. The core discharge device

A flask for containing mold sand within it prevents any mold shifting or mold dropping. Each of an upper flask 2 and a lower flask 3 includes a body that defines an opening in which a sand mold is to be molded. The body has at least one inlet 101 for introducing the mold sand into the opening. Two flanges 102 are extended from the body such that they are opposed to each other across the opening. Each flange has a through bore. The flask also includes engaging members for engaging an actuator in the outside of the flask such that a force or forces from said actuator could be transmitted to the flask. An upper flask 104 and a lower flask 105 are opposed to each other across a pattern plate 107. They are integrally assembled to make a flask unit by means of a pair of connecting rods 106 that are fitted in each bore.

A flask for containing mold sand within it prevents any mold shifting or mold dropping. Each of an upper flask 2 and a lower flask 3 includes a body that defines an opening in which a sand mold is to be molded. The body has at least one inlet 101 for introducing the mold sand into the opening. Two flanges 102 are extended from the body such that they are opposed to each other across the opening. Each flange has a through bore. The flask also includes engaging members for engaging an actuator in the outside of the flask such that a force or forces from said actuator could be transmitted to the flask. An upper flask 104 and a lower flask 105 are opposed to each other across a pattern plate 107. They are integrally assembled to make a flask unit by means of a pair of connecting rods 106 that are fitted in each bore.

A method for detecting powder is performed in a powder detection device including a pair of electrodes arranged to be opposed to each other with a gap interposed therebetween and an electric circuit electrically connected to the pair of electrodes. The method includes detecting powder filling in a case where the electric circuit together with powder and the electrodes forms a closed circuit when the powder fills the gap.

A method for detecting powder is performed in a powder detection device including a pair of electrodes arranged to be opposed to each other with a gap interposed therebetween and an electric circuit electrically connected to the pair of electrodes. The method includes detecting powder filling in a case where the electric circuit together with powder and the electrodes forms a closed circuit when the powder fills the gap.