Overview

Experence Forged in Foundaries

Producing metal is typically a harsh industry, especially in the foundries, where the harsh environment of heat and airborne contaminates make any kind of measurement a challenge. After the foundry, inspection of the metals produced is still needed through the subsequent rolling, forming, and other types of handling.

As with all processing, including heavy industry, there are opportunities to improve production speeds, control flow processes and measure the results of the forming processes for thickness, width and / or diameter. Image a small defect in an aluminum billet that is several meters thick being rolled into aluminium foil for cans where the small defect is magnified into a huge hole or other irregularity.

LMI Technologies has been supplying measuring systems into the metals business including the harsh world of casting for many years. Our unique line of products measure the casting levels of red hot casting for level control and molten aluminum for billet casting controls. These sensors are being used by world class suppliers of casting equipment.

Applications

Casting Measurement for Level Control Systems

Foundaries are harsh industrial environments for most sensor technologies especially 3D measurement systems.  There is a significant need for level controls in these applications where discrete sensors including capacitive or inductive to not provide the accuracy or robustness to meet these requirements.  LMI technologies have solved this with various laser measurement technologies depending on the appplications.

This example demonstrates the ability to measure the surface level of the casting as it is being filled to optimize material flow to ensure that there is not too much or too little metal into the casting.  Too little and the casting needs to be rejected.  Too much and there is overflow and loss of materials, with the possibility of a lost casting.

The sensors have the ability to detect the surface even though the metal is molten (red hot).  While the drawing shows the principle, the actual image uses a projected laser line where the casting surface as a reference is compared to the molten metal surface.

The past experience of LMI in the closed loop control systems for casting systems has given us the expertise to understand the process for various industries.  An important feature that has been used is fill level prediction where the casting cycle time is optimized by opening the pour gate just as the new casting is arriving at the pouring station.  This feature is dependent on an 3D measurement system that is both accurate to measure the level and fast to enough.