A method and apparatus for moving a mold in a molding machine, such as a matchplate molding machine. A lock element, preferably but not necessarily having at least 2 pieces, is movably mounted within a platen opening of a platen and within a pallet opening of a pallet. A second piece of the lock element can be fixed or secured with respect to the pallet, for example, to fix a position of a drag flask with respect to the pallet. An indexing device can be used to handle or move at least 2 molds with respect to the molding machine.

A method and apparatus for moving a mold in a molding machine, such as a matchplate molding machine. A lock element, preferably but not necessarily having at least 2 pieces, is movably mounted within a platen opening of a platen and within a pallet opening of a pallet. A second piece of the lock element can be fixed or secured with respect to the pallet, for example, to fix a position of a drag flask with respect to the pallet. An indexing device can be used to handle or move at least 2 molds with respect to the molding machine.

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 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.

A method is provided for measuring a shift between a carrier for a pattern (a carrier plate) and a flask and preventing a defect caused by a shift in the cavity parts. The method for preventing a defect caused by the shift in the cavity parts in molding a cope and a drag with flasks by using a cope flask (110) that is assembled with a carrier plate (130) for the cope flask and a drag flask (120) that is assembled with a carrier plate (140) for the drag flask, comprises the steps of measuring a shift between the carrier plate (130) for the cope flask and the cope flask (110), measuring a shift between the carrier plate (140) for the drag flask and the drag flask (120), measuring a shift between the cope flask (110) and the drag flask (120) that have been assembled, determining if a shift in cavity parts is within an allowable range, wherein the data on the shift is obtained based on the shift between the carrier plate (130) for the cope flask and the cope flask (110), the shift between the carrier plate (140) for the drag flask and the drag flask (120), and the shift between the cope flask (110) and the drag flask (120, that have been assembled.

A method is provided for measuring a shift between a carrier for a pattern (a carrier plate) and a flask and preventing a defect caused by a shift in the cavity parts. The method for preventing a defect caused by the shift in the cavity parts in molding a cope and a drag with flasks by using a cope flask (110) that is assembled with a carrier plate (130) for the cope flask and a drag flask (120) that is assembled with a carrier plate (140) for the drag flask, comprises the steps of measuring a shift between the carrier plate (130) for the cope flask and the cope flask (110), measuring a shift between the carrier plate (140) for the drag flask and the drag flask (120), measuring a shift between the cope flask (110) and the drag flask (120) that have been assembled, determining if a shift in cavity parts is within an allowable range, wherein the data on the shift is obtained based on the shift between the carrier plate (130) for the cope flask and the cope flask (110), the shift between the carrier plate (140) for the drag flask and the drag flask (120), and the shift between the cope flask (110) and the drag flask (120, that have been assembled.

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 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.