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.

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.

A cycle is repeatedly carried out, the cycle including: a material feeding step of feeding a material whose amount is larger than an amount that is needed to form a single mold; a mixing step; an ejection step; and a measurement step of measuring, once before or after the ejection step, an amount of foamed mixed sand contained in a mixing tank. The material at least partially is not fed in the material feeding step in the cycle in which the amount of the foamed mixed sand is not less than a first threshold.

A cycle is repeatedly carried out, the cycle including: a material feeding step of feeding a material whose amount is larger than an amount that is needed to form a single mold; a mixing step; an ejection step; and a measurement step of measuring, once before or after the ejection step, an amount of foamed mixed sand contained in a mixing tank. The material at least partially is not fed in the material feeding step in the cycle in which the amount of the foamed mixed sand is not less than a first threshold.

A cavity includes a first cavity portion, and a second cavity portion that is formed between the first cavity portion and a runner and that corresponds to a baseboard. There is adopted a configuration in which a foamed admixture is supplied to the first cavity portion via the second cavity portion upon being supplied to the cavity via the runner. A collision portion with which the foamed admixture supplied to the cavity can collide before reaching the first cavity portion is formed at the second cavity portion.

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.

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.

A flaskless molding machine includes: an upper flask; a lower flask; an upper sand tank; an upper plate attached to a lower end of the upper sand tank; a first lower sand tank; a second lower sand tank; a lower plate attached to an upper end of the second lower sand tank; a drive unit performing squeezing using the upper plate and the lower plate; an adjustment drive unit moving the first lower sand tank; a first detector detecting a height position of the first lower sand tank; a second detector detecting a height position of the second lower sand tank; and a control unit operating the drive unit and the adjustment drive unit so that the height positions of the first communication port and the second communication port coincide with each other, based on detection results of the first detector and the second detector.

A flaskless molding machine includes: an upper flask; a lower flask; an upper sand tank; an upper plate attached to a lower end of the upper sand tank; a first lower sand tank; a second lower sand tank; a lower plate attached to an upper end of the second lower sand tank; a drive unit performing squeezing using the upper plate and the lower plate; an adjustment drive unit moving the first lower sand tank; a first detector detecting a height position of the first lower sand tank; a second detector detecting a height position of the second lower sand tank; and a control unit operating the drive unit and the adjustment drive unit so that the height positions of the first communication port and the second communication port coincide with each other, based on detection results of the first detector and the second detector.

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.