Robotergestützte Gussproduktionskette

A robot-assisted casting production chain represents a significant leap in modernizing the traditionally labor-intensive and hazardous foundry industry. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of how robots are integrated into the casting production chain, from design to finishing.

1. Pattern & Mold Making

• Robotic 3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing: Robots equipped with deposition heads can 3D print large sand molds and cores directly from a digital model (e.g., Binder Jetting). This eliminates the need for physical patterns, enabling complex geometries and rapid prototyping.

• Robotic Machining: Robots with high-force machining spindles mill mold cavities from foam or sand blocks, ideal for large or one-off castings like propellers or turbine blades.

2. Mold & Core Handling and Assembly

• Robotic Palletizing/Depalletizing: Robots automatically pick molds from conveyor lines and place them onto casting cars or into lines.

• Vision-Guided Assembly: Robots equipped with 2D/3D vision systems precisely pick up cores, apply adhesive, and place them into mold cavities with sub-millimeter accuracy. This is critical for engine blocks and cylinder heads.

3. Pouring (The Most Critical Operation)

• Robotic Pouring: Robots carry specialized ladles or pouring furnaces. They follow pre-programmed paths with controlled pour speed, tilt, and height.

• Benefits: Eliminates human exposure to extreme heat and fumes; ensures consistent pour parameters, reducing defects like cold shuts or inclusions; allows for precise filling of complex molds.

4. Cooling & Shakeout

• Automated Transfer: Robots or Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) move filled molds through controlled cooling tunnels.

• Robotic Shakeout Extraction: After bulk shakeout, robots with specialized grippers extract the delicate, hot casting from the sand bed and place it on a conveyor for further processing, preventing damage.

5. Finishing (Fettling) – The Most Labor-Intensive Stage

• Robotic De-gating & Grinding: Robots equipped with force-sensors and abrasive tools (grinding wheels, cutoff saws) perform these tasks.

• Adaptive Systems: 3D scanning identifies the exact location of excess material. The robot path is adjusted in real-time to handle part-to-part variation from the casting process.

6. Quality Control & Inspection

• Robotic Scanning: Robots manipulate 3D scanners or high-resolution cameras around the casting to create a complete digital twin.

• Automated Dimensional Analysis: The scanned model is automatically compared to the original CAD model to check for deviations, warpage, or critical dimensions.

A robot-assisted casting production chain is not about full replacement of humans, but about creating a synergistic system where robots handle the dangerous, dirty, and dull tasks, while humans focus on process engineering, supervision, maintenance, and quality assurance. This transformation is key to making the casting industry sustainable, competitive, and attractive for future generations.