A novel methodology to simulate a hydraulic power pack for a portable tilting furnace in small foundry applications.

Fluid power system is quite popular due to its versatile application in almost all the fields. In foundry industry, the molten metal will be poured into moulds to get required metal castings. Larger castings have automated tilting mechanisms to pour the molten metal. We have indigenously a portable electric furnace for small scale applications. To pour the metal from the furnace in to the moulds we intend to take the help of actuators that are attached to the base of the furnace. Since the weight of furnace is comparatively high, we are using hydraulic actuators that will enable us to achieve the required cycle time to pour the metal. We can alter the speed of the actuators using suitable speed control valves. Thus, it is imperative to design the power pack to meet the requirements by considering all the critical parameters. Initially we wish to simulate the entire working of the tilting mechanism using automation studio software. The results obtained by this simulation will be used as a starting point for the actual development of the mechanism. The results will then be validated for different loading conditions under different fluid pressures so that the fabrication work and selection of hydraulic components will become simpler. The simulation involves both hydraulic connections as well as relay connections. We plan to operate the tilting mechanism by employing a 4/3 solenoid control direction valve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]