Accu-Aluminum Products

Accu-Set™ Mass Flow Mold Calibration Retrofit

The Accu-Set™ Mass Flow Mold Calibration retrofit replaces the inaccurate flow control manifolds originally supplied on DC billet air-casting mold tables. The advantage of Accu-Set™ is that it delivers a precise amount of airflow to each mold at high pressure during cast start. This insures that all billets go into air-cast mode immediately even when start casting conditions are cold and not ideal. Then after 200 mm of cast length the air pressure ramps down so that every billet is in air cast, has a uniform oxide release, has a smooth surface finish and has little to no bubbling from the thimble as long as the metal temperatures are kept within limits. The benefits of this retrofit are that:

Scrap rates are reduced to give maximum productivity at lowest possible costs.
Non-starts, bleed-outs or plug-offs are reduced which means fewer pit cleanings and improved operator safety.
Air casting mode is achieved quickly which means less butt crop length needed and unnecessary remelt costs.
Surface and internal billet quality is improved to give maximum extruding capabilities in the downstream processing.
Operator safety is improved as operators do not adjust flow meters during a cast.
The thimble bubbling is reduced making the skulls thinner and easier to remove.
Mold changes are reduced and the life of consumables such as graphite rings, transition plates, thimbles are improved because the process is more stable and in control.

One customer reported, “This was the very best return on investment that was ever made in my cast house.” Start up assistance is required on this product for the first table retrofit and then optional thereafter.

Accu-Set™ Mold Table Oil injector Retrofits

R. J. Collins Incorporated has developed an economical oil injector retrofit that solves many of the problems associated with the originally supplied oil distribution system of a DC billet casting mold table. This retrofit is less prone to leak because there are no o-ring joints or connecting holes to line up. In addition the larger tubing between the injectors does not need to be disconnected when replacing a faulty injector. Simply loosen the nuts at both ends and remove the 1/8” tube assembly, then unscrew the faulty injector and replace it with a new one. The oil injectors can be either the original supplied Lincoln or the less expensive (less likely to leak) new standard Dropsa injector. With this retrofit only one spare part is needed to be stocked so that inventory costs are kept to a minimum. Start up assistance is required on this product for the first table retrofit and then optional thereafter.

Accu-Test™ Billet Mold Testing System

The graphite ring in a mold is the heart and Achilles’ heel of the air-casting process. Over time the pores of the ring tend to plug up and increase the probability of casting defects. The Accu-Test™ Billet Mold Testing System checks for this plugging and determines the integrity of the graphite ring after it is installed into a mold and each time the mold is removed from service for whatever reason. This periodic testing is critical to know when to change out a graphite ring so that the maximum life span is achieved and that consumable and operating can be kept low. It is also critical for maintaining the lowest possible scrap rates and being able to troubleshoot other casting and process problems. To test a mold, simply connect the mold as shown, switch on the air and push the start button. The total airflow is displayed on the top meter while the intermittent 20 point uniformity flow is displayed on the bottom. The data from the two meters are converted, displayed and stored in a computer using software that is included with the system. This software program stores all test data by mold size and mold number and displays graphs showing the uniformity and total airflow for all molds and tests taken. For more information about how this was effectively used by a customer, refer to the ET2008 paper “Understanding Key Factors to Improve Billet Surface Quality and Casting Mold Life” by Jean-Philippe Dubé, Aluminerie de Bécancour Inc., Bécancour, Canada. Start-up assistance is recommended with this product and includes the software disk and cables necessary to connect to the USB port of a customer supplied computer.

Accu-Test™ Graphite Ring Testing System

The new Accu-Test™ Graphite Ring Testing System measures the uniformity airflow of a graphite ring before it is installed into a mold. The graphite ring is the heart and Achilles heel of the air-casting process and is only tested at 4 points when manufactured. This system provides the airflow uniformity flow every 25 mm (1”) around the inside diameter of the graphite ring to make sure it is within specification before it is installed into a mold. The uniformity data is converted, displayed and stored on a computer using software included with the system. This software program stores all testing data by size and graphite ring number and displays a graph showing the uniformity airflow of all tests taken. Start-up assistance is recommended with this product and includes the software disk and cables necessary to connect to the USB port of a customer supplied computer.

Accu-Test™ Mold Oil Charging Station

The Accu-Test™ Mold Oil Charging Station was developed because too much oil in a graphite ring tends to plug its pores over time and shorten its lifespan. In fact it is not recommended that oil be charged into any new graphite ring until just prior to it being put into service. Therefore it is important to charge a mold with oil just before it is installed into a table and purge the mold just removed of excess oil before it is serviced in the mold shop and stored. This machine can charge up to 3 molds at a time. Simply connect the air and oil clamps to the molds, turn on the air supply, program how many pulses the oil injectors actuate based on its size, and then push the start button. To purge excess oil from the molds just removed, simply connect the air and oil clamps and just turn on the air supply. This station can be mounted on a moveable cart that can be easily moved from one casting pit to another or to the mold room whatever is needed. In addition it only requires an airline connection for it to function as described above. Note: The injectors used on the charging station will be the same type that is used on the mold table.

Accu-Set™ Dry Air Pressure Control Panel

In most cases dry air can be used as the casting gas instead of the originally supplied gas mixing panels that relies on the operators to set, is costly to operate and is a safety concern. In addition, the components inside the gas mixing panel and airlines to the table are typically undersized which causes large pressure drops to occur during a cast start or when calibrating molds at high pressure. The Accu-Set™ Air Pressure Control Panel solves this problem by having the correctly sized internal components and airlines to the table. It also includes a pressure transducer that will sense the air pressure on the mold table. With this panel the air pressure is proportionally controlled by the PLC casting recipe using a PID loop control similar to the way that cast speed and water flow is controlled. Optional equipment to aid in process troubleshooting is also available such a totalizing mass flow meter and dew point meter at an additional cost if they do not already exist in the casting pit air supply system.

Accu-Set™ Pressure Control Box

If there is no PID loop control system available in the casting pit PLC, then the Accu-Set™ Air Pressure Control Box is used to manually control the air pressure from the Accu-Set™ Dry Air Pressure Control Panel to the mold table. To adjust the air pressure simply turn the control knob on the panel until the correct air pressure is shown on the display. These adjustments are controlled by the operator during a cast or when calibrating molds. This insures the correct amount of air pressure is supplied to the mold table during the table fill, cast start, and during the rest of the cast by the operator according to the casting recipe.