Proving Green Sand Molding to Everyone

Molding technology specialist DISA reports it installed a foundry at its headquarters operation in in Taastrup, Denmark, to conduct production trials in support metalcasters’ efforts at adopting high-efficiency green-sand molding processes.

“We want to challenge the industry mindset that certain castings must be made with certain technologies,” stated Ulla Hartvig Tønnesen, president of the Norican Group company. “DISA invented high-efficiency, high-quality vertical molding and perfected it for 60 years. We’re seeing more foundries investigate green sand for aluminum, steel, brass, and bronze applications, and this facility will give them the confidence to move ahead with production in green sand.”

For those alloys as well as ferrous castings, the test facility will run production trials for foundries’ new and existing parts to demonstrate that the green-sand process meets both casting specifications and cost expectations.

Tønnesen explained that DISA wants to make it easier for casting producers to realize the potential of green-sand molding over more expensive production methods (e.g., no-bake molding, or diecasting), with cost savings up to 20%.

“We typically see a 15% lower cost per casting by switching to green sand, but it can be 20% or more,” Tønnesen stated. “It’s a big opportunity for non-iron foundries currently using processes like shell, no bake and diecasting.”

With its installed green-sand technology, the testing foundry conducts intensive, end-to-end process development, including melting, sand mixing, vertical molding, and core shooting, plus metal chemistry analysis and MAGMASOFT simulation for gating and feeding design.

Foundries also are welcome to submit sand samples to test Simpson sand reclamation, to find out what percentage can be reused.

“It’s hard to make a breakthrough on your own,” DISA’s innovation manager Per Larsen observed. “Partner with us if you have a non-iron casting you would like to produce in green sand – we’re here to help.”

Currently working with steel castings, the testing foundry will focus on a different alloy every few months, with results to be updated regularly at DISA’s LinkedIn channel. According to DISA, its testing foundry already has proved the effectiveness of a DISAMATIC D3 vertical molding line for a U.S. producer of brass castings.

The DISAMATIC D3 is designed for high speeds, high yields and maximum uptime and performance, with high throughputs of up to 555 uncored or 485 cored molds per hour.

“Ultra-flexible machines like the DISA MATCH and DISAMATIC are already widely used in short-run aluminum, brass and bronze applications.  In a highly competitive global market, moving to green sand for non-iron parts gives foundries the edge they need,” Tønnesen said.