Challenge
A midwestern iron casting facility was having issues with sand removal rates from two separate rotary drums within their shakeout and cleaning process. The foundry was using Non-GK rotary drums and liners for initial mold removal as well as remaining sand removal at the end of the line. Employee safety, sand carryover, and casting damage were their main concerns when they first called General Kinematics.
Approach
The GK team visited the foundry to explore the issue. General Kinematics’ engineering department has extensive experience with rotary drum liner improvements. GK dedicated years of research to improving rotary drum liner safety after noticing the dangers of installation and removal. We knew that we would be able to modify our design to provide a safe and effective liner to increase the foundry’s efficiency.
Solution
The General Kinematics engineering team created a fabricated LOCK-TITE™ Liner System optimized for the foundry process. With workforce safety as the #1 priority, we developed a cartridge system that slides into place and positively fastened. The new GK design removed the stacking and pinning procedure from their old cast grid liner system (the most dangerous aspect of a liner change). Not only does the LOCK-TITE™ cartridge system make change-outs safer, but the time to install is also dramatically less. To address performance, our engineers optimized the open area and improved the quality of the slotted openings.
Results
GK’s engineering team delivered a LOCK-TITE™ rotary drum liner system designed to maximize sand removal, with a design that increased open area up to 25%. Using the LOCK-TITE™ system, installation and removal times were drastically reduced, providing less downtime for the customer during their maintenance period. Since each liner system is custom manufactured for the type of casting being processed, the new liner significantly reduced casting damage, and sand removal has drastically increased. The customer’s return on investment exceeded their expectations, confirming that the GK LOCK-TITE™ Liners are their new corporate standard.
General Kinematics’ LOCK-TITE™ Liners are revolutionizing rotary drum maintenance safety. Options for high-efficiency sand removal applications have up to 60% more open area. If you are looking to improve your sand removal process along with worker safety, Contact GK today!
