A core blowing device includes a hopper, a fluidizer, a shooting head, and a robotic arm fitting. The core blowing device is configured to removeably couple to a free end of a robotic arm and is configurable to implement a variety of core casting processes using different aggregate materials, binders, catalysts, and/or curing processes.

Provided is a core manufacturing apparatus including: a storage unit configured to store core sand; a kneading vessel configured to be fed with the core sand; a kneading rod configured to knead the core sand; and a piston configured to eject the kneaded core sand. The kneading vessel is capable of transitioning between a horizontally lying state and a vertically standing state and configured to be fed with the core sand in the horizontally lying state. The piston is configured to eject and pack the core sand into a mold with the kneading vessel in the vertically standing state. The storage unit is turnably coupled to the kneading vessel and configured to remain coupled to the kneading vessel in the same posture while the kneading vessel turns.

A core manufacturing apparatus includes: a storage unit that stores core sand; a kneading vessel configured to be fed with the core sand; a kneading rod configured to knead the core sand; and a piston configured to eject the kneaded core sand. The kneading vessel is capable of transitioning between a horizontally lying state and a vertically standing state and configured to be fed with the core sand in the horizontally lying state. The piston is configured to eject the core sand downward and pack it into a mold with the kneading vessel in the vertically standing state. The storage unit includes a valve that opens and closes the feed port. The storage unit is coupled to the kneading vessel so as to be turnable around a second shaft and configured to maintain the same posture with the valve in contact with the feed port while the kneading vessel turns.

Provided is a core manufacturing apparatus including: a storage unit configured to store core sand; a kneading vessel configured to be fed with the core sand; a kneading rod configured to knead the core sand; and a piston configured to eject the kneaded core sand. The kneading vessel is capable of transitioning between a horizontally lying state and a vertically standing state and configured to be fed with the core sand in the horizontally lying state. The piston is configured to eject and pack the core sand into a mold with the kneading vessel in the vertically standing state. The storage unit is turnably coupled to the kneading vessel and configured to remain coupled to the kneading vessel in the same posture while the kneading vessel turns.

A kneaded sand property adjusting system including: a kneading device; a kneaded sand storage hopper that stores kneaded sand; a molding device that molds the sand conveyed from the sand storage hopper; a control device that controls water injection until a property of the sand meets a kneaded sand target property; and kneaded sand amount measuring instruments that measure the amount of sand stored in storage hopper, wherein the control device stores the batch number of each kneaded batch and the kneaded sand property measured at the time of kneading, calculates the batch number of the kneaded batch that corresponds to the molding sand being loaded into the molding device by the kneaded sand amount measuring instruments, associates the property of the molding sand with the property stored on by the batch number that was calculated, and corrects the target property on the basis of the values of the properties.

An apparatus and a method for cleaning sand used at a foundry, wherein sand to be cleaned is screened by a screening apparatus. The screened sand and at least one liquid mixture is fed into an abrasive apparatus. After that, the screened sand is rubbed by the abrasive apparatus. The rubbed sand and at least one liquid mixture is added to a water separation screen for separating a water blend from the rubbed sand. Finally, the separated sand is transferred into an oven and cleaned thermally by rotating the separated sand in the heated oven.

Provided is a decompression kneader capable of stabilizing a moisture content of resultant kneaded sand. The decompression kneader includes a kneader main body configured to knead casting sand and water, a decompression pump configured to reduce a pressure inside the kneader main body, a condenser configured to condense water vapor sucked by the decompression pump, a tank configured to store water condensed by the condenser, and a supply amount calculation apparatus configured to calculate an amount of water supplied from the tank to the kneader main body. The tank comprises a water gauge and a weighing scale, and the supply amount calculation apparatus estimates an amount of the casting sand contained in the tank based on measured values of the water gauge and the weighing scale and corrects the amount of the water supplied from the tank with reference to the amount of the casting sand.

A core forming device is equipped with a kneading tank in which raw materials of a core are kneaded, a raw material supply unit that supplies the raw materials to the kneading tank, a mold that accommodates a kneaded material including the raw materials kneaded in the kneading tank and that forms the core, a piston that injects the kneaded material into the mold, a position sensor that detects a position of the piston, and a control unit that controls a supply amount of the raw materials supplied to the kneading tank from the raw material supply unit. The control unit determines the supply amount of the raw materials based on a difference between the position of the piston upon completion of injection and a reference position of the piston.

Provided is a method of producing foamed sand (s) for forming a sand mold. The foamed sand (s) includes sand particles (p) and foam (f) adhering to surfaces of the sand particles (p). The foam (f) contains water glass (b), water (w), and a surfactant (c). According to the method, an aqueous surfactant solution (e) in which the surfactant (c) is dissolved is frothed to generate froth (d) from the aqueous surfactant solution (e). Then, the generated froth (d), the water glass (b), and the water (w) are kneaded with the sand constituted by the sand particles (p).

The foundry sand binder supply apparatus of the present invention comprises a hopper for storing a binder therein, a binder transfer device for transferring the binder, a binder measuring and discharging device disposed beneath a distal end of the binder transfer device, and a binder supply amount control device. The binder measuring and discharging device comprises a measuring container for receiving the binder therein, a load cell for measuring the weight of the binder inside the measuring container, and a discharge device for discharging the binder from the measuring container. The binder supply amount control device is operable to control the discharge device to discharge the binder from the measuring container by a predetermined amount less than the whole amount of the binder inside the measuring container, and control the binder transfer device to supply the binder into the measuring container by the predetermined amount of the discharged binder.