Automatic Matchplate Molding.

In the metalcasting industry, it isn't often that an innovation comes along and completely changes the face of an industry. Years ago, making even one green sand mold required muscle, sweat and ingenuity. Jolt-squeeze machines, which were introduced at the turn of the 20th century, were enhanced with the development of matchplates in 1910. These eliminated the hard sand match and the problems of sand-to-sand parting. However, as a worsening shortage of skilled molding labor and a growing demand for more castings arose in the early 1960s, a clear need for a "better way" of molding was identified.

With jolt-squeezers producing only 50 molds/day and utilizing much of a foundry's manpower, the introduction of the automatic matchplate molding machine not only changed the way foundries produced their molds, but it changed the way foundries ran their entire operation.

One Man's Dream

"It was at the end of World War II," recalled Al Hunter, Hunter Automated Machinery Corp., of his first realizing the need for a more efficient means of molding. I was working as a molder in Toronto and I sat there watching the jolt-squeezers working hard and getting little for it as far as production."

Hunter, who graduated from Toronto Univ. with a B.S. in mechanical engineering, worked with Dominion Engineering before heading to Beardsley & Piper, L.L.C. (B&P), as manager of engineering in 1957. It was there that he and others first began laying the foundation for what would become the first automatic matchplate molding machine.

In 1962, he and fellow B&P engineers Bob Lund and Angelo Bisinella developed a sand blow-hydraulic squeeze automated molding machine, in which the cope and drag were side-blown simultaneously and then hydraulically squeezed. It was first introduced at the 1962 AFS Casting Congress in Detroit and soon was installed at foundries such as Reading Gray Iron, Reading, Pennsylvania, Newnam Foundry, Kendallville, Indiana, Wagner Manufacturing, Sidney, Ohio, and Benton Foundry, Benton, Pennsylvania.

After leaving B&P, Hunter worked at home and in his garage, designing and building an automatic matchplate molding machine that could meet all of a foundry's needs. "Most importantly, I wanted to create a machine that could do all of the things a molder would do on a jolt-squeezer," said Hunter.

Working from 6 a.m.-midnight, 7 days/ week for9 months, he mortgaged his home and personal property so he could raise enough money for only one try at building this machine. Because of a pending order, the molding machine he designed and built could not be a prototype, but had to be salable. He also had to decide what equipment of reasonable size and cost would be needed by most industries. "Before getting into manufacturing, I had to be confident in the process," he said.

Once the total machine layout was made, he began releasing drawings as they were completed and assembling finished parts as he received them. New details were designed while waiting for additional parts. Soon, assembly space in the garage ran out, and the machine was trucked to the first Hunter plant in Skokie, Illinois. It wasn't much larger than his garage but had enough headroom to complete the machine and run tests with real molding sand.

In this machine, while one drag was being gravity-fed with sand, the previous mold was being cored and closed. The mold was closed without a drag flask as this portion--together with the attached 14 x 19-in. matchplate--was making the next drag half of the mold. With this machine, the use of weights was necessary to prevent parting of the molds.

In October 1964, the machine was delivered to Moline Malleable Corp., St. Charles, Illinois.

A Flexible Solution

Entering the foundry industry at a timely period of business activity, this new style of molding practically sold itself. In 1965, 110 automatic matchplate molding machines were in use. The number of installations increased by 884% to 1501 by 1977. Today, more than 600 North American foundries are using this style of machine, accounting for 2 million tons (or 20%) of total iron castings shipped in 1999, according to Ken Kirgin, Stratecasts, Inc.

A foundry's decision to automate its molding operation by purchasing a machine was being made with thoughts for the future, or the long haul, in mind. Though the capital expenditure was more than most small-to-medium green sand jobbing foundries were used to, many soon realized the economies of scale the machined offered would make the purchase worth every penny.

A big reason for automatic matchplate molding's quick rise in popularity was its flexibility. Unlike most mold innovations, most automatic matchplate machines did not require new tooling, making it easier for foundries to adapt jobs to a new operation, without requiring new tooling investments.

"We already had matchplates for floor molding," recalled Jim Jerkins, president, Foundry of the Shoals, Inc., Florence, Alabama, of his decision to automate his green sand molding operation in the early 70s. "Over the years, we have found that matchplates that fit on other machines can be modified to fit on our molding machines, Also, a lot of the tooling we had already was designed for the machines.

"It's important for us to have flexibility," said Jerkins, whose 150-employee foundry now runs nine automatic matchplate molding machines and casts gray and ductile components for the pump/valve, agriculture, electric motor and railroad industries. "The key to success is having options to offer customers, and that's what the machines have given us."

Automatic matchplate molding machines also have provided benefits in terms of increased production, coresetting and pattern changing.

"When they were introduced, production went over 100 molds/hr for the first time," said Kirgin of the machines, which now produce up to 220 molds/hr. According to Kirgin, jolt-squeezer foundries had been seeing productivity levels of 50 man-hours/ton. The automatic machines soon reduced that figure by 60%.

Southern Aluminum Casting Co. (currently owned by Citation Corp.), an aluminum foundry in Bay Minette, Alabama, quickly realized the impact automatic matchplate molding could have on its production after installing two machines in 1975, and seeing an output of almost 1 million lb/yr. In a 1976 modem casting article, former Southern Aluminum President James Hunt said, "We have only 20 employees and are producing as much output as a foundry I formerly worked for that had almost 100 employees."

Flexibility and speed also was achieved with new techniques for pattern changes. "Because of the machines' ability to change patterns quickly, foundries were able to automatically produce castings that had to be made on jolt squeezers due to lower volumes," said Kirgin.

An obvious dilemma solved by the machines was the back-breaking labor involved with manual molding. Unlike with workers, management was guaranteed that the machines would be at the foundry every morning, rain or shine. Not only did automation eliminate unnecessary manpower and the labor costs that went with it, but it simplified the molding process while, at the same time, made it safer.

"Maintenance departments at that time, particularly in small shops, were not very skilled," Hunter. "Also, the control system was so easy that anybody could use the machine."

Further, with foundry customers' increasing demands for a more consistent product, the machines' automation capabilities were able to create a consistency and quality in castings and molds that had yet to be experienced.

A Foundry-Wide Impact

Automatic matchplate molding's impact not only affected molding operations but spread to other areas of the foundry as well, creating opportunities with new applications in new markets. After foundries realized what automation could do with molding, engineers envisioned its capabilities elsewhere.

"Automatic matchplate molding forced management in their decision-making to look at the accessory involvements that had to go hand-in-hand with increased production," said Ezra Kotzin, AFS' vice president of engineering services. "It forced automation throughout the foundry."

According to Hunter, mold handling systems were an obvious next step for automation. "Molds used to sit on the floor next to the squeezers, he said. "Handling systems made a big difference in that the foundry could bring the mold from the molding machine all the way through shakeout, with physical manpower only needed when pouring."

Whereas the typical squeezer carried out 175-200 molds/day, the automated matchplate machines were producing that amount in an hour. Without automated handling systems, workers could not manually keep up with the molds coming off the lines.

"We used to use wheelbarrows and tubs to move our molds," said Jerkins. "Today, 80% of our handling is automated. We're able to produce a great deal more castings and cut down considerably on manpower."

With flexibility in mind, Foundry of the Shoals also built its coreroom using the same ideals as it did with its automated matchplate molding lines. According to Kirgin, automatic matchplate molding also set the bar for quality in operation, forcing the industry to improve sand systems for increased consistency and better sand quality.

Opening New Doors

"The increased production from automatic molding lines combined with the development of mold handling systems improved mold integrity and created a consistency of production and casting quality, which brought costs down for foundries, even on the smaller-volume jobs," said Kirgin. "With this, they also were able to compete for conversions of forgings and fabrications and increase the applications of iron castings."

By opening the doors for foundries to explore new markets, automatic matchplate molding introduced the ability to turn low-volume shops into mediumvolume foundries with diversified capabilities. Further, with more automatic matchplate machine manufacturers entering the scene through the years, foundries were presented with increasing options of how to design their operations.

Bremen Castings, Inc., a gray and ductile foundry in Bremen, Indiana, installed its first automatic matchplate machine in 1968, increased its production volume and soon found its niche as a medium-volume jobbing shop. "We have been able to differentiate ourselves with consistency and flexibility," said Bremen's Vice President/General Manager Mike Mroczek, who now has seven automatic molding machines running in his foundry. "Having the types of molding machines we do-with fast pattern changes and inexpensive tooling- has allowed us to reach new industries such as automotive aftermarket and trucking."

"Our new larger automated matchplate molding machine puts us in the larger casting market, and enables us to get many jobs formerly going to less automated producers," said Hunt in 1976.

As with most foundry innovations, the technology was quickly embraced by the industry. Numerous other manufacturers released versions of the machine, and foundries soon began installing a number of machines in their plants as their competitors moved to automatic molding. "You have to constantly go through an evolution and innovate your operation," said Mroczek. "You have to be flexible."

Next month: Shell process