GREEN SAND MOULDING
Sidus Engineering has been operating for years in the development and implementation of advanced green sand moulding solutions for foundries, supporting customers in all project phases, including the construction, engineering, installation and commissioning of high-performance systems.
The most recent significant experience concerned the upgrade of a major foundry in France that produces casts for HGV engine manufacturing. In this area, Sidus is involved in the development and integration of innovative systems designed to improve productivity, quality and the sustainability of the entire iron casting production process.
Sidus can generally provide complete moulding lines or individual machines, such as high-performance forming machines with extremely high moulding capability. Using the PRECOMPACT®️ system in the moulding process makes it possible to obtain very complex or hard casts that are uniform throughout their structure, which is key to achieving high-quality casts.
Sidus forming machines also have multi-squeeze heads which are used in the final compaction process from above. These can be fed from two or more independent circuits, generally with internal line pressures differing from those of external lines to better accommodate resistance due to varying friction between the sand grains and the metal walls of the flask. The different circuits and the fact that each individual squeeze head can adapt its route depending on the shape of the mould ensure optimal sand compaction.
The integration of plate change systems, of particular importance especially in single-line forming machines (same machine to form two half flasks), complete the high performance of the moulding process, enabling quick changes between the upper and lower plate holders which don’t affect total run times. Sidus can provide rotary or linear plate change systems in relation to customer requirements or general layout.
PLANTS, MACHINERY & INTERLOCKING SYSTEMS
While recognising that moulding lines and forming machines in particular play a major role in casting preparations, of no less importance are the lines and items of equipment that are generally required to manage flasks after casting, and casts once removed from the flask.
To this effect, Sidus provides post-casting cooling lines to manage cast temperature reduction times, to ensure metallurgical quality, decrease internal stress in the cast and optimise production runs.
The Sidus cooling lines can be provided as the ‘flask’ type (a suitable number of flasks in motion or stationary after casting) or the ‘caisson’ type (removal of the motte from the flask and insertion in caissons which may be in motion or stationary). Where possible and if the layout permits it, the caisson type is generally the cheapest and least costly in terms of energy. Moving the caissons, each of which have two mottes, requires less power than moving flasks on trolleys.
ELECTRIC/ELECTRONIC AUTOMATION
Modern foundries are highly automated and feature, among other things, electromechanical handling systems for weights in motion using the latest servomotors that can guarantee operational precision and energy recovery.
Therefore, this must all be managed by modern, efficient equipment that is combined with functional programs and HMIs, which Sidus can develop in different languages.
This set of solutions fits perfectly with the principles of a sustainable digital foundry, with specific focus on energy efficiency, system reliability and production continuity.
HYDRAULIC AUTOMATION
We design, construct and install complete hydraulic systems to accommodate the hydraulic users in our systems, including high-performance units, and centralised valve blocks for managing and controlling users, often equipped with proportional valves and the latest generation of components from leading brands.
In practice, modern hydraulic equipment and units such as those provided by Sidus are not just simple generators and distributors of pressure, they actually constitute a functional subsystem that distributes and regulates the energy required to automate motion.
