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. A detection system detects the position of a pattern face of the reference pattern of the sand mould part. A transverse and/or a rotational compaction position of a pattern plate is adjustable by means of at least one actuator. Said actuators are controlled by means of a control system on the basis of successive position detections performed by the detection system of pattern faces of reference patterns of compacted sand mould parts traveling along said path of travel.

The moulding machine includes a moulding chamber having at least one chamber end wall (8) 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. A detection system detects the position of a pattern face of the reference pattern of the sand mould part. A transverse and/or a rotational compaction position of a pattern plate is adjustable by means of at least one actuator (91, 92, 119). Said actuators are controlled by means of a control system on the basis of successive position detections performed by the detection system of pattern faces of reference patterns of compacted sand mould parts travelling along said path of travel.

The moulding machine includes a moulding chamber having at least one chamber end wall (8) 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. A detection system detects the position of a pattern face of the reference pattern of the sand mould part. A transverse and/or a rotational compaction position of a pattern plate is adjustable by means of at least one actuator (91, 92, 119). Said actuators are controlled by means of a control system on the basis of successive position detections performed by the detection system of pattern faces of reference patterns of compacted sand mould parts travelling along said path of travel.

Method and apparatus for feeding said molds laterally and/or between stations of differing heights. The method and apparatus of this invention utilize walking-beam-type conveyors having spaced apart fixed outboard rails and a central reciprocating rail. Walking-beam conveyors can be disposed in perpendicular directions with a junction therebetween that allows for a perpendicular change in direction. The method and apparatus of this invention include lift, leveling, and/or lateral transfer mechanisms for lateral placement of the stations relative to the conveyance path.

The method for the stepwise production and advancing of sand mold parts in a mold-string foundry plant comprising a station (1) for making mold parts, a pouring station (3) and a conveyor (2) for stepwise advancing of mold parts (101-109) from said station (1) for making mold parts towards said pouring station (3), includes the step of double indexing the mold parts using a first, moveable, part (21) of the conveyor. By double indexing the mold string, the time during which pouring into the molds has to be interrupted can be reduced.

The method for the stepwise production and advancing of sand mold parts in a mold-string foundry plant comprising a station (1) for making mold parts, a pouring station (3) and a conveyor (2) for stepwise advancing of mold parts (101-109) from said station (1) for making mold parts towards said pouring station (3), includes the step of double indexing the mold parts using a first, moveable, part (21) of the conveyor. By double indexing the mold string, the time during which pouring into the molds has to be interrupted can be reduced.

The invention relates to a device and method for improving the quality of automated machine-based casting methods by identification of the cast parts by pattern recognition and structure recognition, said method having the following features: Once the desired casting moulds (12) have been filled and monitored by means of sensors and cameras, and once the casting mould has been broken open, each finished cast part is identified by pattern recognition and pattern tracking, any flashing is removed, and the cast parts are fed to a jet cleaning process.

The invention relates to a device and method for improving the quality of automated machine-based casting methods by identification of the cast parts by pattern recognition and structure recognition, said method having the following features: Once the desired casting moulds (12) have been filled and monitored by means of sensors and cameras, and once the casting mould has been broken open, each finished cast part is identified by pattern recognition and pattern tracking, any flashing is removed, and the cast parts are fed to a jet cleaning process.

The moulding machine includes a moulding chamber having at least one chamber end wall (8) 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. A detection system detects the position of a pattern face of the reference pattern of the sand mould part. A transverse and/or a rotational compaction position of a pattern plate is adjustable by means of at least one actuator (91, 92, 119). Said actuators are controlled by means of a control system on the basis of successive position detections performed by the detection system of pattern faces of reference patterns of compacted sand mould parts travelling along said path of travel.

The moulding machine includes a moulding chamber having at least one chamber end wall (8) 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. A detection system detects the position of a pattern face of the reference pattern of the sand mould part. A transverse and/or a rotational compaction position of a pattern plate is adjustable by means of at least one actuator (91, 92, 119). Said actuators are controlled by means of a control system on the basis of successive position detections performed by the detection system of pattern faces of reference patterns of compacted sand mould parts travelling along said path of travel.