NORTH AMERICAN DIE CASTING ASSOCIATION

Publication #420
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à 2006 by North American Die Casting Association, Wheeling, Illinois. All Rights Reserved.

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 CHAP T E R

Preface
This text has been created by editing the original materials created by
Mr. Wayne Alofs as the course presentation and hand out materials for the
NADCA course on Process Control. The decision was made to separate the
materials in the Process Control course into two courses, Process Control
and Machine Systems. It was recognized that the two subjects are tightly
related, but the combined subject material is too much for the NADCA
course format to present as a single subject, and that the machine systems
subject matter is background information for several other branches of
study. For example, this two day Machine Systems course should be con-
sidered as prerequisite for further study in Process Control and all aspects
of Machine Maintenance (i.e. mechanical, hydraulic and electrical). The
material in this course/text is also essential information when one speci-
À es a die casting machine for purchase, evaluates various machine's for
possible purchase and/or installs a new machine. One should also have
a good understanding of the machine systems and their functions when
designing dies. This text provides one of the major cornerstones of the
NADCA Education Program.

A special thank you goes to IdraPrince for their support in the develop-
ment of this book.

iii
 CHAPTER

Table of Contents
Chapter 1 -- Introduction ...................................................................... 1

Chapter 2 -- Clamping Systems ............................................................. 5

Chapter 3 -- Dies and Die Set-UP ......................................................... 17

Chapter 4 -- Ejector Systems ................................................................ 21

Chapter 5 -- Shot End: Cold Chamber Systems .................................... 29

Chapter 6 -- Shot End: Hot Chamber Systems ....................................... 37

Chapter 7 -- Measuring Machine Capabilities ...................................... 47

Chapter 8 -- Accumulator Systems ...................................................... 53

Chapter 9 -- Preventive Maintenance Summary .................................. 65

Appendix A -- Review Question Answers .............................................. 67

Appendix B -- Master Test Block ........................................................... 75

v
 CHAP T E R
ONE
INTRODUCTION
The die casting machine provides the energy
and the motions required to operate the die and
to make the castings. These functions are:
1. Open the die so the casting can be removed
2. Operate the ejection of the casting from the die
3. Interface with the controls of the ancillary equip-
ment that removes the casting and sprays the
release material on the die
4. Close the die
5. Clamp the die closed with sufÀ cient force to with-
stand the pressure of the injected molten metal
6. Interface with the controls of the equipment that
ladles the molten metal into the die casting machine
7. Inject the molten metal into the die
8. Apply pressure on the molten metal as it solidiÀ es
The die casting machine consists of three
basic mechanical systems (plus the machine
controls) to accomplish these tasks. These are:
1. The Clamp System
2. The Ejection System
3. The Metal Injection (i.e. "Shot") System
These systems are described in this text
along with instructions for their proper adjust-
ments. Also included are descriptions of how
the dies must be properly sized to the machine,
how to measure the machine's performance
capabilities and at the end of the book is a sum-
mary of preventive maintenance measures that
should be followed to insure continuing high
performance of the machine.
Die casting machines are somewhat unusual
in that the metal injection (i.e. "shot") systems
use accumulator hydraulic circuits. Accumu-
lator hydraulic circuits are hydrodynamic
systems whereas most hydraulic circuits are
hydrostatic systems. Therefore, some special
understanding of accumulator circuits is re-
Chapte r 1 Int roduct ion

quired for understanding the dynamics of the
shot systems of die casting machines including
2
the meaning of the PV and PQ 2 diagrams of
the injection power performance curves. For
that reason, a chapter is included on accumula-
tor hydraulic systems.
This course is designed to provide a basic
understanding of the die casting machine and
how it works to Operating Technicians, Die
Casting Technicians, Die Casting Engineers,
Tooling Engineers and Maintenance personnel.
and 1-4. The shot systems are attached to the
"Front Plate" and are shown attached to the
right hand side of the front plate in Figures
1-1- and 1-2.
Clamp System
The clamp system includes the three platens (i.e.
the front plate, traveling plate and the back plate),
the four tie bars, closing cylinder, toggle linkage
and safety bar as shown in Figures 1-1 and 1-2.
Traveling Plate
Shot Accumulator NitrogenTank

It is recommended that anyone taking this Ejector Plate

Front Plate

Safety Bar Tie Bar C-Frame

course should be well grounded in basic shop Intensifier Accum.
Back Plate
math and have the equivalent understanding Shot Accum.

of the die casting process as presented in the Closing Cylinder

NADCA courses on Introduction to Die Cast-

ing, Die Casting Machine Safety and Molten Shot Cylinder

Metal Melting and Handling. Binary Valve

Shot Return Line

Machine Overview Linkage Floor

Soil Die Carrier
Bearinghousing Base Concrete Foundation
Traveling Plate Support
There are two basic types of die casting ma- Back Plate Support
Mount and Leveler

chines. These are the cold chamber machine

and the hot chamber machine. These are
illustrated in Figures 1-1 and 1-2 with the
major parts of the machines identiÀ ed. When
in service, the die casting machine will have
safety shields and guards afÀ xed to it so it will
not appear quite as shown in the À gures. How-
ever the À gures illustrate the working parts of
the machine. The cold chamber machines are
used for casting alloys (such as aluminum and
brass) that would eventually dissolve the work-
ing parts of the machine if those parts of the
Figure 1-1 The major parts of a cold chamber
die casting machine are shown here. The clamp
system consists of three platens (i.e. front plate,
traveling plate and back plate) positioned and
held together with four tie bars. The traveling
plate is moved to open and close the die by the
closing cylinder operating the (toggle) linkage.
The ejector system is between the traveling and
back plates. The shot system is attached to the
front plate with the "C" frame.
Traveling Plate Shot Cylinder
Ejector Plate
Front Plate

Tie Bar
machine were to be permanently submerged in Safety Bar
A-Frame

the bath of molten metal. The hot chamber ma- Back Plate
Plunger Coupler
Closing Cylinder
chines are used for casting those alloys (such as Plunger

zinc, lead and sometimes magnesium) that the Saddle Bar

metal injection components of the machine will Motor Furnace

not dissolve when permanently submerged in Soil

Floor

the bath of molten metal.

Base Linkage Die Carrier

Bearing Housing Concrete Foundation

Injection Systems Back Plate Support Traveling Plate Support

Figure 1-2 The hot chamber machine is the

The difference between the hot and cold cham- same as a cold chamber machine except for the
ber machines is only in the conÀ gurations of shot system. The shot system includes a pressure
the metal injection (i.e. shot) systems. These chamber called the "gooseneck" permanently
shot systems are shown in detail if Figures 1-3 submerged in the bath of molten metal.

2
Chapte r 1 Int roduct ion

4
 CHAP T E R
TWO
CLAMPING SYSTEM
The die casting machine clamp system provides
the following functions:
1. Open and close the die
2. Hydraulic power for moving cores in the die
3. Hydraulic or mechanical actuation of the ejection
4. Hold the die closed against the opening forces
from the injected molten metal
The opening and closing of the die is
achieved by the closing hydraulic cylinder (see
À gure 1-1) actuating the [toggle] linkage to
move the traveling plate.
Clamping Force
The die clamping force is generated through the
mechanical advantage of the linkage multiply-
ing the force of the closing cylinder to elastically
stretch the tie bars and to compress, or otherwise
deÁ ect, the other components of the machine.
The action of the linkage and the resulting
stresses imposed on the machine and die com-
ponents are illustrated in Figure 2-1 for both
the threaded and the threadless style of tie bar
construction.
A threadless tie bar stretches the tie bar over
the entire length of the tie bar. That has the
advantage that the same amount of stretching
generates the same amount of force regardless
of the thickness of the die. The treaded style
of tie bar results in the stretched part of the
tie bar changing when dies of different thick-
nesses are set in the machine. So, the same
amount of stretching will result in a different
stress (clamping force) for different thicknesses
of dies. However, these stretching-force differ-
ences are relatively small.
Tie bar load indicators are used to measure
the amount of stretch over a À xed portion of the
Chapte r 2 Clamping System

tie bars. These measurements of stretch can C LO S I N G C Y L I N D E R

.06

then be used to calculate the amount of force

generated by the stretching of the tie bar.
Compressive Stress
Locking Force

A B b
REGENERATIVE

CLOSING SHUTOFF
P T

Tensile Stress

SLOW ADJUST
A
OPEN a A B b

Threadless Tie Bar b DIE CLOSE DIE OPEN

FAST
DIE OPEN T P P T

Compressive Stress
Locking Force

Figure 2-2 A typical machine closing circuit

is shown here. It features regeneration and
Tensile Stress
decompression when unclamping and at the
"machine open" end of the cylinder stroke.

serve to decelerate the moving machine compo-

Threaded Tie Bar
nents as they approach the full open position.
Figure 2-1 The clamping force of the machine
is generated by stretching the tie bars. The force The circuit is a regenerative circuit. That
of the hydraulic closing cylinder is multiplied means the volume of hydraulic † uid † owing out
by the mechanical advantage of the linkage as of the rod end of the cylinder is fed back into the
the links approach their maximum force multi-
head side to reduce the pump volume required.
plication. The À nal straightening of the links is
The regeneration is stopped when the full force
illustrated here for both the threadless tie bar
of the cylinder is needed to stretch the tie bars.
construction [top] and the threaded type con-
struction [bottom].
Some machines use cartridge valves in the
machine closing hydraulic circuit. Such a cir-
The Hydraulic System cuit is shown in Figure 2-3. The cartridge valve
circuit provides all the functions described
The opening and closing of the machine and the
above, but provides for a more totally manifold-
stretching of the tie bars is accomplished with ed packaging of the hydraulic circuitry.
the hydraulic closing cylinder. A typical hy-
C LO S I N G C Y L I N D E R
draulic circuit for operating the closing cylinder
is shown in Figure 2-2.

The circuit provides for decompression con-

trol as the cylinder starts to open the machine.
The stretched tie bars try to make the machine
"jump" open as the linkage is ü rst moved from
the "straight" position. The hydraulic circuit A B A B A B A B

b b b b

contains the force from that decompression of FAST DIE OPEN

P T
DIE CLOSE P-H
P T
DIE OPEN/REGEN.
P T
DIE CLOSE R-T
P T

the tie bars to effect a smooth opening action.

Similarly when the machine reaches the full

open position there is a lot of mass moving at Figure 2-3 A cartridge valve type of machine
a fairly fast speed that must be stopped. The opening hydraulic circuit is shown here. These
decompression valves in the hydraulic circuit circuits provide all the func-tions of the circuit
shown in À gure 2-2.

6
 Clamping System Chapte r 2

Tie Bars procedures are explained in the NADCA course

on Mechanical Maintenance.
The tie bars serve to hold the machine together.
The tie bars are attached to the front plate with
split rings (on the die side) and nuts on the out- Tie Bar Pulling
side. The back plate is attached to the tie bars
with nuts on both sides in the simplest situa- When a die is physically too large to À t between
tions. The traveling plate is attached to the rear the tie bars, one or more tie bar(s) must be
plate with the linkage and suitable guide rails. "pulled" to get it/them out of the way for setting
the die. The tie bar must be disconnected from
the front plate and pulled back from the die
The tie bars are sized to provide the proper
space. When the die has been set into position
amount of stretch at full clamping load. If the
in the machine, the tie bar(s) must be recon-
tie bars are too small in diameter they will be
nected to the front plate.
over stressed and fatigue and then eventually
break. If they are too large in diameter they
Most machines have a manual tie bar pulling
will not stretch enough and tonnage adjust-
device as shown in Figure 2-4. This device is a
ment will be too sensitive. The tie bars are de-
ring that clamps to the tie bar where it enters
signed to have approximately 10,000 psi stress
the traveling plate. Then after disconnecting the
when fully stretched. That value can vary some
tie bar from the front and back plates, the travel-
as the diameters are selected to use standard
ing plate is moved with the machine close cylin-
diameter bar stock which is usually in half
der. The motion of the traveling plate pushes on
inch increments.
the ring which in turn moves the tie bar. Many
new machines now have powered tie bar pulling
The calculations for an 800 ton machine devices available as optional equipment.
example are:
Note: When pulling a tie bare, the groove (or
800 tons/(four tie bars) = 200 tons per tie bar
thread) at the front end that attaches it to the
200 tons x (2000 Lbs/ton) = 400,000 Lbs front plate must not be allowed to enter the
400,000 Lbs/10,000 psi = 40 sq. in. traveling plate. If the groove or thread enters
the traveling plate, the tie bar wiper in the
0.5
(40 sq. in./3.1416) = 3.568 in. rad. = 7.136 in. dia. traveling plate will drop into the groove or
The actual tie bar would likely be made 7.00 thread and the wiper will become damaged.
in. in diameter and have slightly more that
the 10,000 psi stress when fully loaded. Or the
tie bar would be made 7.5 in. in diameter and
have less than the 10,000 psi stress when fully
loaded. But, the 7.5 inch bar stock would not be
machined down to the 7.136 inch diameter.

The actual applied load on a tie bar must

not exceed 110% of its rated tonnage (different
manufacturers have different recommenda-
tions). For example, each tie bar on an 800 ton
machine has a rated loading of 200 tons. So,
no one tie bar should ever be loaded to over 220
tons. When properly operated within this limit,
the tie bar will not break.

Tie bars must be oiled to protect then Figure 2-4 A manual tie bar pulling device is
from rusting and be maintained to be free of a ring that clamps to the tie bar at the traveling
scratched and dents. Detailed maintenance platen. The when the traveling platen is moved,
the tie bar moves with it.

7
Chapte r 2 Clamping System
To reinstall the tie bar the procedure is
reversed. Before reinstalling the tie bar all tie
bar and front plate surfaces must be clean and
lubricated with a high temperature grease.
The die height adjustment (if motorized)
must not be operated while the tie bar is dis-
connected from the front and/or back plates.
Die Height Adjustment
The die height adjustment system adjusts the
space between the front and traveling platens
to accommodate the thickness of the die. This
adjustment is accomplished by moving both the
traveling and back plates along with the link-
age and ejector system along the tie bars. The
same adjustment is used to set the locking ton-
nage of the machine.
The adjustment is made by rotating the
tie bar nuts at the back plate on the tie bar
threads (or the sleeve threads if it is a thread-
less tie bar) when the machine is open and
the tie bars are not stressed. When the nuts
are rotated clockwise (viewed from the rear of
Figure 2-5 Shown here is one type of me-
chanical die height adjustment system where the
individual tie bar nuts are rotated by a single bull
gear. The bull gear is turned by an electric or hy-
draulic motor and gear reducer. Image labels: 1)
Rulon Bearing, 2) Bull Gear, 3) Hydraulic Motor
& Speed Reducer, and 4) Bronze Gear Nut.
8
the machine) they push the back plate for-
ward and reduce the die space. When rotated
counterclockwise they move the back plate
rearward and increase the die space. The nuts
must have a running clearance between the
back plate and the back retainer to allow the
nut to rotate.
If the machine is equipped with a motorized
die height system, the tie bar nuts are driven
by a large bull gear as shown in Figure 2-5.
Some machines use 90 degree drives at the tie
bar nuts with drive shafts between them. The
bull gear or the drive shafts are powered by
either an electric motor or a hydraulic motor
through gear reducers.
Some machines have the ability to adjust
a single tie bar with the die height adjuster.
These have a spur gear between the bull gear
and the tie bar nut. These spur gears can be
disengaged by sliding them out of contact with
the bull gear with a hydraulic cylinder. Then
when the bull gear is turned one gear tooth,
three tie bars are adjusted, and one is not. One
such system is illustrated in Figure 2-6.
Tie Bar Load Indicators
The amount that a tie bar is actually stretched
can be measured with a tie bar load indica-
tor as shown in Figures 2-7 and 2-8. The load
indicator is a dial indicator that measures the
change in length of some portion of the tie bar
as it is stretched
As the machine applies the locking force
against the die, the tie bars stretch (the tie
bar gets longer). The indicator rod spring
pushes the indicator rod into the bar as the bar
stretches and the dial indicator reading chang-
es. That change in the reading of the indicator
(to four decimal places) is the value, IR, in the
following equation.
The measurement can be used to calculate
the tonnage force to which the tie bar has been
stressed. The total locking force for the ma-
chine is the total tonnage of the four tie bars.
The tie bar force is calculated by:
 Clamping System Chapte r 2

Tie bar with a

Back Plate 0.75" dia. hole
48" deep (60"
Dial Indicator on machines
1600 ton and
Bracket Indicator Rod above).

Indicator Rod Spring

Indicator Rod
Bushing
Dial Indicator Mounting Bracket ( Two Places)

Figure 2-7 The installation of a dial indicator

type load indicator is shown here for a treadles
tie bar. An indicator rod is placed in a 0.75 inch
diameter hole drilled 48 inches deep through the
center of the tie bar and held against the end of
the hole with a spring. The stretch of a 44 inch
length of the tie bar (from the sleeve engagement
groove in the tie bar to the end of the 0.75 inch
diameter hole) is measured.

Tie bar with 1.25"

Dial Indicator dia. hole drilled
Back Plate to the end of the
Bracket thread. A 0.75"
Figure 2-6 Individual tie bars can be auto- dia. hole drilled
Springs over at least 10"
matically adjusted with a system as illustrated Shoulder Screws beyond thread.
here. Spur gears between the bull gear and the
tie bar nuts can be disengaged with the hydrau-
lic cylinders. Then when the bull gear is turned,
the tie bars with the disengaged spur gears are
not adjusted. Indicator Rod Spring
Indicator Rod

F = (IR x CSA x Mod.)/(LM) Dial Indicator Mounting Bracket Indicator Rod Sleeve

Where:
F = Force in pounds
IR = Indicator reading in inches (to the fourth deci-
mal place)
CSA = Cross sectional area of the tie bar in square
Inches
Mod.= Modulus of elasticity of the tie bar material
(30,000,000 psi for steel)
LM = The length of the tie bar over which the Indi-
cator reading was measured in inches
The above force is then divided by 2000 to get
the force in tons. If a machine has 7.5 inch diam-
eter steel tie bars (CSA = 44.18 square inches)
and the indicator reading of one tie bar is 0.0135
inches over a distance of 44 inches, then:
F = (0.0135 x 44.18 x 30,000,000)/44
= 406,657 pounds = 203.33 tons.
Figure 2-8 The installation of the dial in-
dicator on a threaded tie bar is similar to that
shown Figure 2-7 for a treadless tie bar. The dif-
ference is that the 0.75 inch diameter hole and
the indicator rod must enter the tie rod at least
10 inches deeper than the end of the threaded
portion of the rod. Then an unstressed indica-
tor rod sleeve is inserted into a counterbore that
extends to the end of the tie bar threads. Only
the stretching of the 10 inch length is measured
on the dial indicator.
The calculation of the tie bar force requires
one to know the length of the tie bar that is
actually being measured, LM. That length is not
a standard for the industry and may be differ-
ent for different sizes of machine. Also, for the
threadless tie bar construction the reading is af-
fected somewhat by the complex stress-strain re-
lationship around the groove in the tie bar where
the tie bar is connected to the tie bar sleeve.

9
Chapte r 2 Clamping System
To insure that the dial indicator readings
are accurately converted to tonnage it is neces-
sary to have a chart for the speciÀ c machine as
shown below to convert the dial indicator read-
ings to tie bar tonnage.
Dial Indicator Reading Load in Tons
0.0001
0.0002
0.0003
- -
- -
- -
0.0148
0.0149
0.0150
One can see that the actual machine for which
the chart was made would have a dial indicator
reading of just under 0.0149 inches to achieve
the 203.33 tons whereas the above equation
showed the actual tie bar would have stretched
0.0135 inches. The difference could be a different
depth of the hole and/or the compression of the
tie bar sleeve. Such conversions charts should be
on a metal plate attached to the machine.
The dial indicators are not intended for
continuous use. They are precision instruments
and can be easily damaged. They should be
used for die set up and diagnosis of problems
only and removed during production operation.
Before installing the dial indicator assembly,
the indicator rod should be checked to insure
that it is working properly. That is done by grip-
ping the end of the indicator rod with pliers and
pulling it back against its spring and then re-
leasing it. The indicator rod should move freely.
If it does not, it must be repaired (REF: NAD-
CA Mechanical Maintenance and Evaluation
course). Then to mount the indicator assembly:
1. Assemble the indicator into the bracket as shown
in Figure 2-9
2. Adjust the indicator as far back in the dovetail
slide as possible
3. Mount the assembly to the tie bar as shown in
Figure 2-10
10
4. With the machine unlocked (no load on the tie
bar), adjust the indicator forward on the dovetail
slide until it reads 0.030 inches. Lock the dial
indicator with the lock on the dove tail slide.
5. Turn the dial to zero and lock the dial.
6. Close the machine and read the indicator.
1.368 Use the Indicator Reading to Tonnage chart
2.736 for the machine to À nd the load on the tie bar.
4.104
202.4
203 8
205.2
Figure 2-9 The dial indicator is assembled
into its bracket before installing onto the tie bar.
Linear Encoders and Digital Displays
When a machine is equipped with continuous
digital displays of the machine tonnage the
stretching of the tie bars is measured with linear
optical encoder, strain gauge or LVDT. The linear
optical encoder is usually the preferred device.
The encoder is permanently mounted to the
end of the tie bar and encased in a guard as
shown in Figure 2-11. A linear optical encoder
is shown in Figure 2-12.
The digital read out, as shown in Figure 2-13,
used with linear optical encoders is usually placed
in the direct view of the machine operator or tech-
nician. Then every time the machine closes, the
operator can see what the tonnage is and how it
compares to what it should be. Many such digi-
tal read outs can have upper and lower tonnage
limits input so an alarm will indicate if the actual
tonnage is outside the acceptable limits.

Figure 2-10 The dial indicator is shown here
attached to the tie bar.
Figure 2-11 Linear optical encoders are
permanently installed at the end of the tie bar
and enclosed in a rugged guard. The electrical
output is converted into tons and displayed on a
digital read out.
Figure 2-12 When digital read out of tonnage
is used, the tie bar stretch is measured with a
linear optical encoder
Clamping System Chapte r 2
Figure 2-13 A typical digital read out of tie
bar tonnage is illustrated here. Upper and lower
limits of acceptable tonnage can be set and an
alarm will indicate if the limits are exceeded.
Application and Use of
Load Monitor Data
Tie bar load monitoring can be used for:
Balancing the load on the tie bars
Comparing a die to the Master Test Block
Adjusting individual tie bars loads for
process enhancement
Statistical process control and machine capabilities
Machine preventive maintenance and evaluation
Balancing tie bar loads:
Manual Method
Step 1: Clamp the machine at or near its
rated tonnage against a Master Test
Block (MTB) placed in the die space.
(The design and details of the MTB
are in the appendix.) The MTB must
be centered between the tie bars and
cover 50% of the platen area within
the tie bar centerlines as illustrated
in Figure 2-14. The horizontal or ver-
tical distance between the tie bar cen-
ters times 0.707 gives the minimum
size of the MTB in that direction.
11
Chapte r 2 Clamping System
Figure 2-14 When a Master Test Block (MTB)
is used to set the tie bars, it must be large enough
to occupy at least 50% (double cross hatched
area) of the platen area between the centers of the
tie bars (single cross hatched area).
Step 2: Read the tie bar load indicators
Step 3: Open the machine (the tie bars can
not be adjusted when the machine is
closed with a load on the tie bars.
Step 4: Adjust the tie bar nuts as required.
Turn the nuts clockwise to increase
the load and counterclockwise to
decrease the load. Very little rotation
of the nut is needed. The angle of nut
rotation is approximately:
2
Angle of Nut Rotation = (0.1 x ¨F x L) /(P x D
Where:
¨F = Desired change in force, tons
L = Stretched length of tie bar, in.
P = Pitch of tie bar thread, in.
D = Tie bar diameter, in.
A common pitch for the tie bar threads is
0.25 inches in which case the equation becomes:
2
= 0.4 x ¨F x L / D
So for a 5 ton change to one 7.5 inch diam-
eter tie bar 150 inches long with a 0.25 in.
thread pitch,
12
2
= 0.4 x 5 x 150 / 7.5 =5
the nut needs to be turned approximately
ü ve (5) degrees.
Step 5: Again clamp the machine onto the
MTB and take another set of indica-
tor readings. Repeat the previous
steps until the load on all the tie bars
is within +/- 1.0% from bar to bar.
The machine is now in the "home" or "square"
position. This procedure of balancing the tie bar
loads in known as "squaring the machine".
It must be noted that the machine must be
in good mechanical condition when the above
tie bar balancing procedure is performed. If
the mechanics of the machine are worn or the
machine is not level, the machine will not be
square when the tie bar loads are balanced.
Note: Do not confuse the above procedure with
the "old" squaring procedure where hard rubber
blocks were placed between the die faces instead
of a MTB. In that old procedure the load on the
rubber block caused the clearances in the vari-
ous pins and bushings to be pressed out in one
direction. Then the distance between the travel-
ing and front plates were measure at the four
tie bars. Then the tie bars were adjusted until
the two plates were parallel (i.e. the machine
was "square"). This is where the term "squaring
the machine" originated. This method is no lon-
ger recommended. Although, In some instances
the proceduret may be useful in trouble shooting
the mechanical condition of the machine or die.
)
Balancing tie bar loads:
Automatic Individual Tie
Bar Adjustment Method
The machine is set with a MTB as described
above for the manual method. Then the follow-
ing steps are followed.
Step 1: Adjust the die height until the total
clamping tonnage is +/- 10% of the
tonnage that is to be used for the bal-
ancing procedure. Full machine ton-
nage is not necessary. For example,
an 800 ton machine can be balanced
at 600 tons. Then, the machine would

be adjusted to any tonnage between
540 and 660 tons with approximately
150 tons on each tie bar.
Step 2: Set the "High" and "Low" load limits
with the same settings for all four tie
bars. These limits are set on the tie
bar load monitor or machine control-
ler such as that shown in Figure
2-13. For the example, a low limit of
147 tons and a high limit of 153 tons
would be ideal.
Step 3: Turn the "Auto Individual Tie Bar
Adjust" selector switch to the "ON"
position. Figure 2-13 shows the switch
(near the center of the panel) to be in
the "OFF" position.
Step 4: Open the machine fully.
Step 5: Close and lock the machine against the
MTB using the "Semi-Auto" machine
operation mode. If the tie bars are
within the limits entered into the con-
troller, the machine will stay closed.
The operator must open it. However,
it the tie bars are not all within the
limits, the machine will automatically
open and adjust the one tie bar that is
the farthest out of the limits.
If the tie bar must be tightened:
1. The spur gear to that tie bar nut will retract.
2. The remaining three tie bar nuts will adjust by
the rotation of the bull gear one gear tooth looser.
3. The spur gear that had been retracted will insert
(re-engage).
4. Then the bull gear will adjust all four tie bar
nuts one gear tooth tighter (i.e. back to the
original position of the three that were not to be
adjusted), but the tie bar that was loose is now
one gear tooth tighter.
If the tie bar is to be loosened and once the
machine has opened:
1. A light on the operator's panel illuminates alert-
ing the operator/setter to "Check the Die". The
machine will not loosen a tie bar without an
"OK" from the operator/setter. The machine can
Clamping System Chapte r 2
not know the reason for the high tonnage on just
one tie bar and it does not know if the machine
is clamped on a MTB or a die. The high tonnage
could be caused by Á ash in the die, or uneven
thermal expansion of the die from a malfunction-
ing water line. If a problem with the die or set up
has caused the high tie bar tonnage, then that
problem should be À xed instead of adjusting the
tie bar. The operator must select "Cancel Adjust"
or "Start Adjust" on the control panel. When
satisÀ ed that the tie bar needs to be adjusted, the
operator/setter will select "Start Adjust" and the
adjustment procedure will proceed.
2. The spur gear for the tie bar that is to be adjust-
ed will retract (i.e. disengage).
3. The remaining three tie bar nuts will adjust by
the rotation of the bull gear one gear tooth tighter.
4. The spur gear that had been retracted will insert
(re-engage).
5. Then the bull gear will adjust all four tie bar
nuts one gear tooth looser (i.e. back to the origi-
nal position of the three that were not to be ad-
justed), but the tie bar that was tight is now one
gear tooth looser.
Two proximity switches detect the movement
of the bull gear an insures that it will move
only one gear tooth for any one adjustment.
Comparing a Die to
the Master Test Block
The condition of a die or the set up can be
evaluated with the tie bar monitors once the
machine has been balanced using a MTB with
the method described in the preceding sections.
For example the machine shown in the upper
illustration of Figure 2-15 had the tie bars bal-
anced at 150 tons each although the machine
might have been larger than 600 tons.
Then, the machine is clamped onto the die
with approximately the tonnage at which the
die should be operated. The tonnage of each
tie bar is then recorded as shown in the lower
illustration in Figure 2-15. The total of the four
tie bar tonnages in the À gure is 600 tons. How-
ever the top two tie bars are stretched to 165
tons while the bottom two are only stretched
to 135 tons. The top tie bars are 15 tons (10%)
13
Chapte r 2 Clamping System
over the 150 ton average and the bottom two
are 15 tons (10%) below the 150 ton average.
They are 20% different from each other. The
general rule is that each tie bar should be with-
in +/- 10% of the speciü ed tonnage for the die.
If a tie bar is out of that range the die or the set
up should be corrected. The example is at the
extreme limit of the rule, but in both directions.
The die or the set up should be corrected in the
situation shown in Figure 2-15.
165 Tons
Die
135 Tons
150 Tons
Master Test Block
150 Tons
Figure 2-15 The individual tie bar tonnages
for a die casting machine after adjusting with a
MTB are shown to all be 150 tons in the upper
illustration. However when closed to 600 tons
on a particular die, the tie bar tonnages were as
shown in the lower illustration. The differences
between the tonnages of the upper and lower tie
bars indicates that there is something wrong
with the die or the set up.
14
The problem illustrated in Figure 2-15 could be:
The die is not machined parallel
The die is not positioned correctly into the machine
(e.g. it could be positioned too high on the plates)
The die is not built stiff enough and the lower
part of the die is deÁ ecting under the clamping
force of the machine
Unless there is an obvious problem that must
165 Tons
be corrected, the die can be run, making cast-
ings, for a while. When it has reached an oper-
ating temperature equilibrium, another set of
tie bar tonnage reading is taken. The thermal
expansions of the die will change the stretching
of the tie bars. If the tie bars become adequate-
ly balanced, then no correction is required.
However, any problem will usually get worse
when the die is at its operating temperatures.
Also, if † ash builds up on the parting faces of
the die, the tie bar tonnages can be affected.
Automatic Individual Tie Bar
Adjustment for Process
135 Tons
Enhancement
150 Tons Auto individual tie bar adjustment give the pro-
cess technician a quick and easy way to adjust
an individual tie bar which may, in some instanc-
es, be used to enhance the casting process by:
Compensating for uneven thermal expansion of
the die causing uneven tie bar loading
Reducing the load on one tie bar to help vent the
respective corner of the die
Increasing the load on one tie bar to reduce
Á ashing in that corner of the die
The limit one bar may be adjusted away from
the "home" position for such purposes is +/-
150 Tons 10% of the rated tie bar load. For example an
800 ton machine would have 200 tons per tie
bar. 10% of 200 tons is 20 tons. No one tie bar
should be adjusted more that 20 tons different
than one fourth of the die's rated tonnage.
One procedure for using the auto tie bar ad-
justment to enhance the process is to ü rst run
the die until it reaches its state of temperature
equilibrium. Then turn the auto adjustment

"ON" and let the tie bars adjust to the required
load. The "required" load is set by adjusting
the tie bar force limits to the +/- 10% values.
For a 600 ton die running in the above 800 ton
machine this would mean setting the upper
limits for all the tie bars at 170 tons and all
the lower limits for all the tie bars at 130 tons.
When the automatic adjusting is complete, turn
the auto adjustment "OFF" and run production
but continue to monitor the tie bar loads. This
is the preferred method.
Another procedure for using the auto tie bar
adjustment to enhance the process is to set the
auto adjust to "ON" and set the individual load
limits as described in the previous paragraph
as soon as the die is set. Then let the machine
continue to adjust during the warm up of the die
and while making the initial production castings.
This method will allow the machine to "follow"
the die. There is no limit to how many adjust-
ments the machine will make when using this
method. The process technician must be sure
the process is under complete control (e.g. die
temperature, Á ashing, thermal expansions, etc.).
Otherwise the adjustments may never converge
to a workable combination and continue forever.
It must be recognized that when the tie
bars are adjusted from the evenly loaded posi-
tions from the MTB procedure, the machine
IS "out of square" even if the loads on the tie
bars are balanced.
The auto tie bar adjust system is not intend-
ed to correct for all die and set up problems.
The die must be:
Parallel (i.e. the cover die mounting surface must
be parallel to the ejector die mounting surface)
Centered in the machine
The proper size for the machine
Made so the cast shot projected area is centered
to the machine as closely as possible or properly
compensated for by proper machine size selection
and proper die size for the machine.
Made with sufÀ cient surface contact (i.e. 0.2
square inches per ton of machine rated tonnage
which is 160 square inches for an 800 ton ma-
chine) between the die and the machine plates
Clamping System Chapte r 2
When these die conditions are met, the auto tie
bar adjust system can do what it is intended to
do. It can accurately adjust the locking forces on
the machine to enhance the die casting process.
Individual tie bar adjustment is not new. It
has always been available to the operator or
technician by way of manual adjustment. Being
able to do it automatically and with precision is
relatively new. Adjusting the tie bars manually
is both difÀ cult and time consuming, especially
on the larger machines.
Whenever an individual tie bar adjustment
is made, the machine must be returned to it's
"home" position as soon as the situation that
caused the adjustment to be made has passed.
In other words, if a particular die required a
particular adjustment, the tie bars must be
returned to the "home" adjustment as soon as
that die is removed from the machine.
Monitoring the Clamping Force
During Production and for SPC
One use for the tie bar tonnage monitoring is to
facilitate the keeping of the die clamping forces
in control during production runs. To use them
for that purpose one must À rst set up the ma-
chine to the speciÀ ed tonnage (as shown on the
job set up chart) and adjust the individual tie
bars, if necessary, as described in the preced-
ing sections. Then, the operating (not set up)
limits for each tie bar are set into the control-
ler. These should also be available on the job set
up chart. Some trial and error experimentation
may be required to establish the tonnage lim-
its, but once established they should not change
for any one die.
When the tonnage limits are exceeded, ether
high or low, the monitor will give off a signal
(e.g. an alarm) to alert the operator/technician
of the situation. The operator/technician can
then make the necessary changes to correct the
condition. The alarm can be a buzzer, a light
on the monitor panel, a large Á ashing light on
top of a control panel, or all of the above. The
alarm can even signal the casting extracting
robot to set the casting aside.
15
Chapte r 2 Clamping System
The actual tie bar loads, and the acceptable
limits, can also be monitored with a computer
either at the machine or in a central control
room. Such data can be used to certify that the
castings were made under the speciÀ ed condi-
tions, plotted graphically to display trends, and
for establishing probable causes of problems.
Things that can cause the tonnage to get out of
speciÀ cation are:
Flash on the die parting faces
Changes in the thermal expansion of the die
Broken water line
Lime/calcium build up in the water line(s)
Improper application of die spray
Improper water line Á ow rate adjustment
Fast or slow cycle time
The individual tie bar tonnages can also be
sampled randomly and the data used to cre-
ate X-bar and R charts for statistical process
control (SPC). Although, with real time control
available, it is not clear just how the SPC chart-
ing would be an advantage. But, if there is an
occasion where SPC techniques will help, the
data would be available.
Machine Preventive
Maintenance and Evaluation
When evaluating the mechanical assemblies and
features of the machine, the load on the tie bars
must be known. The tie bar load indicators are
used for this purpose. For example, when check-
ing the stack-up of the linkage, there must be a
load on the tie bars. This concept is developed in
more detail in the NADCA text and course on
Mechanical Maintenance and Evaluation.
The indicator assembly must have preventive
maintenance service yearly. Service consist of:
Remove the bracket
Remove the indicator rod
Clean the hole in the tie bar. Remove all old grease.
Check the location of the bushings that hold
the rod in the center of the hole. These bushings
must be spaced to properly support the rod.
16
Fill the rod hole 2/3 full of a light weight high
temperature grease.
Re-install the rod allowing the excess grease to
squeeze out.
Replace the spring if necessary. The spring must
have sufÀ cient force to move the indicator rod
during the machine operation.
Replace the bracket
Check the dial indicator for damage each time it
is used.
Operate the indicator to insure that the dial works
freely throughout the entire range of its scale.
Review Questions
1. What are the functions of the clamp system of the
machine
2. List three things for which clamping force is
needed
3. How is the clamping force developed?
4. How is the clamping force of the machine moni-
tored and controlled?
5. How can the casting process and quality of the
casting be affected if the clamping force is too
high?
6. If the die is not positioned on the machine center-
line will the clamping force of the individual tie
bars be affected?
7. The limit as to how far an individual tie bar may
be adjusted away from the " home" position is
a. +/- 5%
b. +/- 25%
c. +/- 10%
of the maximum rated tie bar load
8. If an 8 inch diameter tie bar stretches 0.0139
inches over 40 inches of length, what is the load
on the tie bar?
 CHAP T E R

THREE

DIES AND DIE SET-UP

The subject of "dies" is huge, and there are
NADCA texts and courses that deal with the
subject. So for this text, the discussion of dies
is limited to how the dies must be conÀ gured to
avoid undesirable loading of the machine. If the
die is too small, has insufÀ cient surface contact
with the machine plate or is offset to the center
of the machine plates, the die can cause dam-
age to the machine. Quite often the damage is
not noticeable at the time. But the machine will
have accelerated wear if the dies are not prop-
erly sized and positioned.
Die Size
spacing. If the tie bar center line spacing was
44 inches by 44 inches then:
Die = 0.707 x 44 in.
= 31 inches x 31 inches
When a smaller die is clamped with the full
locking force capability of the machine, the
machine plate will bend as illustrated (exag-
gerated) in Figure 3-2. Rigorous control of the
clamping force to be only that required for the
die will minimize the plate deÁ ection. But, if
the die is very small there will be excessive
plate deÁ ection regardless.

Ideally the die should cover at least 50% of the

area of the machine plate between the centers
of the tie bars as illustrated in Figure 3-1. The
width of such an ideal die would be 0.707 times
the horizontal tie bar center spacing and the
height would be 0.707 times the vertical tie bar
Chapte r 3 Dies and Die Set-Up

The die does not have to have the same

Tie Bars
44" Center
proportions as the machine plate. However, the
Anchors
smallest dimension of the die should be at least
Area between
Tie Bar Centers
70% of the tie bar center spacing in that direc-
tion. Figure 3-3 shows a die that is rectangular
Die 31" square
in shape whereas the machine plate is square.

Plate Surface Loading

When the die is clamped with the clamping
tonnage of the machine, a pressure is exerted
on the machine plates. This pressure must not
Figure 3-1 The ideal minimum size of the die
exceed 10,000 psi. For example assume that a
is 50% of the platen area (Double cross hatched
area) inside of the tie bar centers (single cross die as illustrated in Figures 3-4 and 3-5 has
hatched area). two 4.0 in. wide ejector rails that are both 30
in. long. The rails will be contacting the ma-
chine with 240 square inches of surface area.
If the machine clamps the die with 800 tons
TE
(1,600,000 Lbs.) the pressure on the machine
PLA plate will be:

Clamping
Force
1,600,000 Lbs/240 sq. in. = 6,666 psi
DIE

Edges will which is below the 10,000 psi limit. So, the
coin in.
die is suitable for the machine. However, if the
rails were only 2.0 inches wide, the pressure on
the machine plate would be 13,333 psi and that
exceeds the 10,000 psi limit.

Figure 3-2 Small dies in large machines with

When the ejector box rails are adequate for
excessive clamping force will elastically bend the
machine plate. the die (Ref: NADCA course on Engineering
Die Casting Dies), but exceed the 10,000 psi
pressure on the machine plate, the die should
Tie Bars
44" Center
be built with a mounting plate as illustrated
in Figure 3-6. The mounting plate must be
Anchors
thick enough to distribute the force over a
Area between
Tie Bar Centers sufÀ cient area of the machine plate to prevent
indenting of the plate.
Die 31" square

Many dies also have support pillars distrib-

Figure 3-3 The illustration shows a die that
is rectangular in shape in a machine that is
square. As long as the die is large enough for the
machine and is centered on the machine plate
the shape of the die does not matter. The short-
est dimension of the die should be at least 70%
of the tie bar spacing.
uted through the ejector box area and behind
the cavity area. These pillars keep the die from
deÁ ecting from the cavity pressure. These too
must be sized to be within the 10,000 psi pres-
sure limit for the machine plate surface. When
the pressure on the support pillars exceed the
10,000 psi, the die should have a mounting
plate as shown in Figure 3-6.

18
 Dies and Die Set-Up Chapte r 3

Mounting Plate
Traveling
te Plate
Pla Rails
ng Rail Ejector
Die Cavity Block
veli
Tra e
r Di Cavity
cto Support Post
Clamping
Eje Force Cover Die

Support Post

Rail

Viewd from the top of the die.

Rail Contact with the Plate

Figure 3-6 When the die ejector box rails

Figure 3-4 When a die has no mounting plate
on the ejector die, the ejector box rails are all that
contacts the machine plate. The entire force of
the machine is concentrated on where those rails
contact. If the rails exert excessive pressure on
the machine plate, the machine plate can become
imprinted with indentations from the die rails.
Traveling
Plate
Rail Ejector
Die
Support Post
Support Post
Rail
Viewd from the top of the die.
Figure 3-5 The side view is illustrated here
of the die shown in Figure 3-4. The ejector box
rails and support pillars rest directly on the
machine's traveling plate.
and/or the support pillars have more than
10,000 psi stress, the die must be built with a
mounting plate to spread the load (i.e. reducing
the pressure) on the machine plate.
Die Offset in Machine
Sometimes the cavity shape does not allow
the centroid of the cavity, runner and sprue or
biscuit projected areas to be on the center of the
machine plates. One such condition is shown in
Figure 3-7. Such conditions require more ma-
chine clamping force than what the projected
area would require if it were centered in the
Cavity Block
machine. The NADCA course on Engineering
Die Casting Dies shows how to calculate the
Cavity
required machine size and die clamping force
Cover Die for such situations. Not only do these situations
make the required machine and die clamping
force greater, but the physical size, and hence
cost, of the die is larger as well.
Sometime the off center cavity condition is
accommodated with a "below center" shot posi-
tion, and the centriod of the projected area be-
comes very nearly on the center of the machine.
Then, the size, and cost, of the die are mini-
mized. However, such dies will physically À t
into larger machines and there is often a great
temptation to run them in the larger machines
for any number of pressing production schedul-
ing reasons. Sometime, the minimum size and
cost die is built knowing it will not À t in the
center of the machine.

19
Chapte r 3 Dies and Die Set-Up

A test was run with a 28 inch square Master 300

Test Block (MTB) in an 800 ton machine to 280

determine the effect on tie bar loading of such 260

TB #1
die off set conditions. The machine was bal- 240
TB #1

anced as described in the "Clamping Systems" 220 TB #2

section (Chapter 2) of this book. Then the MTB 200

TB #2

TB #3
was moved above the machine center in one 180 TB #3
inch increments. The machine was clamped on 160
TB #4

the MTB with 800 tons and the load on each tie 140
TB #4

bar measured at each one inch increment up to

120
eight inches above center. The effect of the "off
100
center" condition is shown in Figure 3-8. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

TB #3 TB #2
Figure 3-8 This graph shows the effect on tie
bar strain when the MTB was moved off center
in the test with an 800 ton machine described in
24.00
the text. The left vertical scale is the individual
tie bar load in tones, and the bottom horizontal
4.00
22.00 scale is distance the MTB was positioned above
1.00
the machine center in inches.
9.50

7.00

20.00 44.00
Review Questions:
5.38 1.00
2.00
1. What is the ideal minimum die size for a ma-
è3.00
chine?
4.00

2. If a die is too small for a machine what damage

that can occur to the machine?

3. What is the maximum surface loading recom-

22.00
mended on the machine plates?
44.00
TB #4 TB #1
4. The machine provides clamping force. If that
Figure 3-7 A condition where the centroid of the
force is used effectively depends on the die.
projected area of the cast shot is not on the center
of the machine plate is shown here. Such a condi- a. True
tion requires a larger machine and die and more
die clamping force than if the same cavity project- b. False
ed area were to be centered in the machine.
5. If a die is not centered between the tie bars of the
machine the load on the tie bars is affected.
When the center of the MTB was eight (8)
inches above the center of the machine, the a. True
upper tie bars were loaded to 275 tons which is
b. False
37.5 % more than their rated 200 tons. The bot-
tom tie bars were loaded to only 125 tons which 6. Will the total available clamping force be affected
is 37.5% less than their 200 ton rating. if the die is not centered between the tie bars?

a. Yes

b. No

20
 CHAP T E R

FOUR

EJECTOR SYSTEMS

Ejecting the casting from the die cavity is ac-
complished with an ejection system in the die
(REF. MADCA text and course on Engineering
Die Casting Dies). The ejector system in the die
casting machine actuates the ejection system in
the die. The power and the sequencing within
the casting cycle is accomplished through the
machine ejector system.
The machine ejector system is built into
the machine between the back plate and the
traveling plate with pins or a hydraulic cyl-
inder rod end passing through the traveling
plate to engage the ejector plate in the die.
Figure 4-1 shows the location of the ejector
system in the machine.

Figure 4-1 The machine ejector system is between the back and traveling plates. The machine ejector
system actuates the die ejection system to eject the casting from the die. Pins or a hydraulic cylinder rod
extend through the traveling plate into the die.
Chapte r 4 E jecto r Systems
There are three types of machine ejector
systems commonly used. These are:
Bumper plate ejection
Center hydraulic ejection
Hydraulic bumper plate
Each type has its own advantages and disad-
vantages.
Bumper Plate Ejection
The bumper plate ejection is the simplest and
provides for the fastest machine operation. The
bumper plate is a vertical plate held in a À xed
position to the back plate of the machine. The
bumper plate construction is shown in Figure
4-2. The bumper plate is permanently attached
to the back plate with four (or more) bumper
posts. The bearing housing for the traveling
plate extends through, and is supported by, the
bumper plate.
When the machine closes and the die ap-
proaches the die closed position, the return pins
in the die (all the ejector pins are still fully
extended) contact the cover die and push the
die ejector plate back as the die completes clos-
ing. The die ejector plate pulls all the ejector
pins back as it is returned to its "back" position
as shown in Figure 4-3. As the die ejector plate
is returned to the back position, the ejector rods
are also pushed to the back position.
Cover Die
Bumper
Plate
Ejector Die
Back Traveling
Plate Plate
Tie Bar
Bumper
Post
Bearing
Housing
See Figure 04-03
Figure 4-2 The bumper plate for a bumper
plate ejection system is permanently attached
in a À xed position to the back plate with bum-
per posts.
22
After the casting has solidiÀ ed in the die
the machine opens. As the machine's travel-
ing plate approaches the end (1.0 to 3.0 inches
is typical) of the opening stroke, the ejector
rods contact the machine's ejector plate. Once
the ejector rods contact the machine's ejector
plate, the rods, die ejector plate, die ejector
pins and the casting all stop moving. The ma-
chine's traveling plate and the die continue to
move to the full open position of the machine
stripping the die off the casting. The casting
is thus ejected from the die and positioned for
removal by an operator or extractor (e.g. a ro-
bot). The die open with casting ejected position
is shown in Figure 4-4.
When the machine reaches the fully open
position, the die ejector plate MUST NOT
make contact with the die's ejector plate
forward stop blocks. If the die ejector plate
contacts the forward stop blocks the machine
opening force will be transmitted to the die
clamps. To insure the correct position of the
die ejector plate in the full open die position,
the ejector rods must be the correct length
and the machine stroke must be properly
adjusted. The machine stroke and the ejector
rod lengths should be provided on the set-up
chart for the particular die. The dies should
be designed to use standard lengths of ejector
rods. The die caster should standardize on the
ejector rod lengths and publish the standard
in their die design standards.
The advantages of the bumper plate ejec-
tion are:
Front
Plate
No additional machine cycles must be sequenced
to operate the ejection.
Minimum machine cost
Large selection of ejector rod positions to accom-
modate die conditions and to stabilize the die
ejector plate.
Die set up is simple
 E jecto r Systems Chapte r 4

Ejector Plate The disadvantages of the bumper plate ejec-

Return Pins
Die Ejector Plate tion are:
Ejector Pins
Ejector Plate Guide Rods

1. The ejecting force is limited to the opening

force of the machine. The opening force of
the machine must move the machine open
and eject the casting at the same time. The
ejection action occurs where the linkage
is at the lowest (actually less than one) me-
Bearing Housing
chanical advantage, and the closing cylin-
der is in the opening decompression mode
which decreases the total force even more.
Ejector Rods

If the ejection starts 2 to 3 inches before the

end of the opening stroke, the inertia of the
plate and die traveling velocity may still re-
Ejector Plate
Bumper Post Ejector Plate Return Stop
Forward Stop sult in high ejecting forces being available.

Figure 4-3 The machine And die with bum- 2. The die ejector plate, and ejector pins, can
per plate Ejection are shown here In the " die
not be pulled back into the die before the
closed" Position. The die return Pins have
die closes.
pushed the die Ejector plate and the Ejector rods
to the "back" position. The space between the
ends of the ejector rods and the machine ejector
The bumper plate ejector system can experi-
plate must equal the machine stroke less the die ence the following problems:
ejection travel.
1. The ejector rods might bend when the die
Bumper Ejector Die
Cover Die ejection force is high and only four rods
Plate
Back Traveling Front
have been installed. Since the ejector rods
Plate Plate Plate
Tie Bar are quite small in diameter and fairly
long, dies requiring high ejection forces
Bumper
Post
may need more than four ejector rods.

Bearing 2. When the ejector rods are not all the same
Housing
length, the die ejector plate will be tipped.
The die ejector plate will then bind on its
guide pins and bushings. The ejector rods
should be within 0.005 inches of the same
length and be Á ame hardened on both
See Figure 04-05
ends. It is suggested that the rods be made
of SAE 1045 steel.

3. The bumper plate can become indented

(i.e. "caved in") where the ejector rod
makes contact with it. The indented mate-
rial mushrooms up around the area of ejec-
Figure 4-4 The die that is shown closed in tor rod contact leaving a raised ring. The
Figure 4-3 is shown here in the full open posi- indented plate can be repaired by welding
tion. The ejector rods contacted the machine and resurfacing, but that is a major repair
bumper plate before the machine was fully open job as the plate must be removed from the
stopping the travel of the die ejector plate, ejector
machine. Another method of repair is to
pins and the casting. The À nal opening of the
hand grind the raised material to be Á ush
die stripped if off the casting.

23
Chapte r 4 E jecto r Systems
with the original surface, and bolt a small
hardened steel plate over the indented
area. The ejector rod must be shortened
the thickness of the plate. The die ejector
plate can also experience indenting and
should be checked periodically.
The above problems cause the die ejector
plate to tip as it moves forward. Such a tipping
action can result in broken ejector pins, addi-
tional force to eject the casting and/or bent or
cracked castings.
Center Hydraulic Ejection
Center hydraulic ejection systems use a hy-
draulic cylinder built into the center of the
machine's traveling plate. The cylinder rod
engages the die's ejector plate with a coupler as
shown in Figure 4-5.
When the hydraulic cylinder is fully retract-
ed, the piston is against the cylinder head. The
ejector plate in the die will have been pulled
back with the cylinder, but will be 0.020 to
0.030 inch from it's fully "back" position. The
closing of the die will cause the return pins in
the die to push the die ejector plate to its full
"back" position. The coupler connecting the
ejection cylinder to the die ejector plate must
have "free travel" to allow for the above de-
scribed movement of the die ejector plate. The
force of the ejector cylinder must not be applied
to the die ejector plate when the die ejector
plate has engaged its back stops in the die. The
full force of the ejector cylinder can damage the
coupler or the die's ejector plate.
When the machine opens and is near (e.g. 1
to 3 inches is typical) from the full open posi-
tion the "start ejection" limit switch is contact-
ed and the piston in the ejector cylinder moves
forward. The forward travel is accomplished
by hydraulic Á uid entering the head end of the
ejection cylinder. As the piston moves forward,
the piston rod moves forward and that pushes
the die's ejector plate, ejector pins and cast-
ing forward. Thus the casting is ejected from
the cavity, as shown in Figure 4-6, ready to be
removed from the die.
24
Ejector Plate Guide Rods
Ejector Plate Return Stop Ejector Plate
Return Pins
Ejector Pins
Coupler Ejector Plate
Forward Stop
Hydraulic Ejector Cyl
Figure 4-5 The center hydraulic ejector system
has the ejector cylinder built into the center of
the traveling plate of the machine as shown here
in the die closed position. A coupler connects the
rod of the cylinder to the ejector plate in the die.
The ejector cylinder will almost always have
more stroke than the ejector plate travel in the
die. An "ejector forward" limit switch must be
set to limit the forward travel of the ejector
cylinder. At the forward position, the die's ejec-
tor plate must not be in contact with the die's
ejector plate's internal forward stop blocks. If
the ejector cylinder pushes the die ejector plate
against the stop blocks, the full force of the ejec-
tor cylinder will be applied to the clamps hold-
ing the die into the machine. Also, the full force
of the ejector cylinder might be sufÀ cient to
actually damage the ejector system in the die.
The center hydraulic ejector system has a
simple hydraulic circuit as shown in Figure 4-7.
A spring centered four way valve controls the
cylinder to move forward or back. When in the
back position, the valve centers so there is not
hydraulic pressure in the cylinder. Flow con-
trol valves allow the operator or technician to
manually adjust how fast the cylinder moves in
each direction.

Ejector Plate Guide Rods
Ejector Plate Return Stop
Coupler
Hydraulic Ejector Cyl
Figure 4-6 The die shown In the closed posi-
tion in Figure 4-5 is shown here In the open
position with the casting ejected. The center
hydraulic ejector cylinder has actuated the die's
ejector plate and the ejector pins have ejected the
casting from the die cavity.
The advantages of the center hydraulic ejec-
tor system are:
1. High ejector force that is independent of other die
or machine functions.
2. The ability to pull back the die ejector plate at
any point in the machine cycle. This feature can
sometimes enhance the casting extractor (e.g.
robot) operation.
3. The forward and return forces and speeds can be
independently controlled.
4. The machine still has the stationary bumper
plate, so bumper plate ejection can be used in-
stead of the center hydraulic cylinder.
But, like everything else, the system has
some disadvantages too. The primary disad-
vantage is that the ejection force is applied only
to the center of the die's ejector plate. So, if an
ejector pin located far from the center of the die
becomes sticky, the die's ejector plate may tip
E jecto r Systems Chapte r 4
CENTER EJECT
Ejector Plate
Return Pins
Ejector Pins
a A B b
Eject FWD P T Eject RET
Figure 4-7 The hydraulic control circuit for
the Center Hydraulic Ejector system is shown
Ejector Plate here. The circuit provides for manual setting of
Forward Stop
the cylinder speed.
Die Ejecotr Plate
and bind on its guide pins. Also a tipped ejector
plate can break ejector pins.
Hydraulic Ejector Plate
The hydraulic ejector plate is a large plate be-
tween the traveling and back plates of the ma-
chine like the bumper ejector plate. But unlike
the bumper ejector plate that was permanently
À xed to the back plate, the hydraulic ejec-
tor plate is connected to, and moves with, the
traveling plate. The connection to the traveling
plate is made with the ejector hydraulic cylin-
ders. The plate can not be actuated by a single
cylinder in the center of the traveling plate
since that space is occupied with the bearing
housing. The cylinder base is attached to the
ejector plate and the cylinder rods are attached
to the traveling plate as shown in Figure 4-8.
When the ejector plate is in the fully retract-
ed position, as shown in Figure 4-8, the head
end of the cylinder is pressurized with the pis-
ton against the cylinder base. In this position
the pull back rods (when used) MUST NOT be
pulling on the die ejector plate. The die ejector
plate return pins and cavity metal pressure
return the die's ejector plate the À nal 0.030 to
25
Chapte r 4 E jecto r Systems

0.050 inches of travel which positions the die's a pressure control valve for limiting the force
ejector plate against the return stop blocks in that is applied with the machine's ejector plate.
the die. The ejector plate, pull back rods and With both the circuits shown in Figures 4-10
ejector rods must have free travel so the force and 4-11, the ejector plate will move forward
of the hydraulic cylinders is never applied to faster than it will retract because of the differ-
the die's ejector plate once the die's ejector plate ent piston areas on the rod sides and the head
has reached the back stops in the die. sides of the hydraulic cylinders. The regenera-
Ejector Plate Return Pins
Hydraulic
There may be instances (e.g. if a die does not Ejector Plate
Ejector Plate Guides
Die Ejector Plate Ejector Pins
have return pins, or because of dimensional
variations from die to die) where the die ejec-
tor plate may have to be pulled all the way
back against the stop blocks in the die and
held with the machine's ejector cylinders. In
these instances, the hydraulic pressure must
be reduced to where the pulling force of the
cylinders is low enough to not damage the die.
The NADCA Machine Hydraulic Maintenance
course explains how the hydraulic pressure is
adjusted for these situations.

Forward Stop
When the machine opens and is near (e.g. 1 Return Stop
to 3 inches is typical) from the full open posi-
tion the "start ejection" limit switch is contact- Note: Free motion Ejector Rods

ed and the piston in the ejector cylinder moves Pull Back Rods

the ejector plate forward. The forward travel
is accomplished by hydraulic Á uid entering the
rod end of the ejection cylinder. As the cylinder
moves forward on the stationary piston, the
cylinder base moves forward and that pushes
the machine's ejector plate, the ejector rods, the
die's ejector plate, the ejector pins and the cast-
ing forward. Thus the casting is ejected from
the cavity, as shown in Figure 4-9, ready to be
removed from the die.
A limit switch MUST BE set near the full
forward position of the die's ejector plate to
stop the forward travel of the machine's ejec-
tor plate. At that forward position, the die's
ejector plate must not make contact with the
forward stops in the die. If the die ejector plate
contacts the forward stops, the full force of the
machine's ejector plate will be applied to the
clamps holding the die to the traveling plate.
A basic hydraulic circuit for the hydrau-
lic ejector plate is shown in Figure 4-10. The
circuit has manually adjusted Á ow controls for
both directions of travel. Figure 4-11 shows
the same circuit that has been enhanced with
Figure 4-8 The hydraulic ejector plate is
attached to the traveling plate with hydraulic
cylinders. the system is shown here with a die
in the closed position. The die's ejector plate
can be pulled back through the use of pull
back rods.
tive circuit shown in Figure 4-12 will have the
same ejector plate speed forward and back if
the cylinder piston rod side area is half the
head side area. Having the rod piston area half
the head piston area is one of the standard con-
À gurations of hydraulic cylinders.
The hydraulic ejector plate system has the
following advantages.
1. High ejection force
2. Long ejection stroke
3. Large selection of ejector rod positions. The ejec-
tor rods can be placed near the corners of the
die's ejector plate providing stability to the die's
ejector plate.
4. Die ejector plate pull back

26
 E jecto r Systems Chapte r 4

5. Forward and return force can be independently

controlled and are not affected by other machine
functions.

6. Independent ejection sequencing which can en-

hance extractor (e.g. robot) operation and facili-
tates the sequencing of moving cores in the die.

Ejector Plate Guide Pins

Hydraulic Ejector Plate Guides
Ejector Plate
Die Ejector Plate Ejector Pins
a A B b

Eject FWD P T Eject RET

Forward Stop

Note: Free motion

Return Stop

Note: Free motion

Figure 4-11 The hydraulic circuit shown here
Pull Back Rods Ejector Rods
includes a pressure control valve to provide for
Figure 4-9 The die shown in the closed limiting the force that a hydraulic ejector plate
position in À gure 4-8 is shown here in the open can exert on the die's ejector plate.
position with the casting ejected. The hydraulic
ejector plate has actuated the die's ejector plate
and the ejector pins have ejected the casting
from the die cavity. EJECTION

EJECTION

a A B b

Eject FWD P T Eject RET

a A B b

Figure 4-12 The regenerative hydraulic cir-

cuit shown here give the hydraulic ejector plate
T
the same speed in both the forward and back
Eject FWD P T Eject RET directions of travel.

Figure 4-10 A typical hydraulic circuit for a

hydraulic ejector plate system is shown here.

27
Chapte r 4 E jecto r Systems

The disadvantages of the hydraulic ejector Questions

plate system are:
1. One of the functions of the die is to eject the casting.
1. The original cost of the machine.
a. True
2. Additional sequenced functions of the casting
b. False
machine cycle (this is actually an advantage
when those functions are required). 2. The die casting machine provides the power to
The hydraulic ejector plate ejector system eject the casting.

can experience the following problems: a. True

1. The ejector rods might bend when the die ejec- b. False
tion force is high and only four rods have been
3. The lengths of all the ejector rods must be the
installed. Since the ejector rods are quite small in
same within:
diameter and fairly long, dies requiring high ejec-
tion forces may need more than four ejection rods a. 0.005 in.
2. When the ejector rods are not all the same length, b. 0.05 in.
the die ejector plate will be tipped. The die ejector
plate will then bind on its guide pins and bush- c. 0.5 in.
ings. The ejector rods should be within 0.005
4. If a casting is not ejected from the cavity in a
inches of the same length and be Á ame hardened
straight line, the casting may become __________.
on both ends and be made of SAE 1045 steel.
5. Name the three types of ejector systems.
3. The bumper plate can become indented (i.e.
"caved in") where the ejector rod makes contact
with it. The indented material mushrooms up
around the area of ejector rod contact leaving a
raised ring. The indented plate can be repaired
by welding and resurfacing, but that is a major
repair job as the plate must be removed from the
machine. Another method of repair is to hand
grind the raised material to be Á ush with the
original surface, and bolt a small hardened steel
plate over the indented area. The ejector rod
must be shortened the thickness of the plate. The
die ejector plate can also experience indenting
and should be checked periodically.

4. The pull back rods may not all be the same

length. These rods must be within 0.005 inch of
the same length, If they are not the same length
the ejector plate will be twisted or tipped out of
position. The unequal length condition could be
caused by the rods being made wrong or the con-
nections loosening.

28
 CHAP T E R

FIVE

SHOT END:
COLD CHAMBER SYSTEMS

Purpose the plunger and to control that movement as

The purpose of the shot system of the machine
is to inject the molten metal (i.e. the "shot")
into the die. The shot system (sometimes re-
ferred to as the "shot end") is mounted forward
of the front plate. That is, these components are
mounted on the side of the front plate opposite
of the die mounting side of the plate as illus-
trated in Figure 5-1.
The molten metal is ladled into the shot
sleeve. The closed die closes the die end of the
shot sleeve and the shot plunger is partially
entered into the other end of the shot sleeve.
Thus, the ends are closed so the molten metal
can not run out. Then, the plunder advances to
push the molten metal into the die.
The injection of the molten metal must be done
at a controlled velocity and pressure. So, the
remaining components and controls are to move
required for the particular casting being made.
Components
The shot sleeve is held in position by À tting
through a hole in the front plate. Then, a collar
between the plate and the die holds the sleeve
axially. The primary mechanical require-
ment of the shot system is to provide good
alignment between plunger tip and the cold
chamber. (The cold chamber is also referred to
as the shot sleeve.) Misalignment will result
in a "drag" on the plunger which will affect
the plunger speed. The alignment function
is achieved by mounting the shot hydraulic
cylinder on a rigid "C" frame attached to the
front plate. The hydraulic cylinder drives the
plunger. The plunger is connected to a plunger
rod which is connected to the cylinder rod with
a coupling as shown in Figure 5-1.
Chapte r 5 Shot E nd : Cold Chambe r Systems

The plunger must be water cooled because 1. Velocity control of the plunger
it is in direct contact with the molten metal. a. Slow
The cooling water † ows through a pipe through
the middle of the shot rod into and through the i. Close the shot sleeve pour hole
plunger and back through the hole in the shot ii. Critical slow shot velocity
rod around the inlet pipe. The water connec-
tions are made with hoses to the shot rod near b. Fast
the coupling. 2. Position control of where the velocities change

The "C" frame also facilitates the chang- a. Start critical slow shot velocity
ing of the position of the shot sleeve in those b. Start the fast shot velocity
machines with alternate shot sleeve position
capability. The normal shot sleeve position is at c. Start the low impact function
the center of the tie bar spacing. But, when al- d. Start intensiÀ cation
ternate positions are available they are usually
6.00 inches below the center and sometimes 3. Pressure/Force control
both 6.00 inches and 12.00 inches below the
a. Pressure required to achieve the required
center. The remaining equipment is primarily
velocity
the hydraulic and electrical power and control
gear, and that is mostly mounted on the "C" b. IntensiÀ cation
frame. Modern machines have most of the hy-
draulic circuitry manifolded which eliminates The actual values for all these functions are
piping and connections. determined by the die and process engineering
for the particular casting to be made. These
Intensifier Accum.
values would be provided to the process set up
Traveling Plate Front Plate person on some form of job set up chart. The
Die Cavity
Shot Accum. NADCA course on Gating explains how to
C-Frame establish most of these set up values. However,
some of those values might be determined, or
adjusted, through experimentation during the
initial production runs.
Die

Tie Bar
Shot Cylinder

Shot Control Valve

Velocity and Position
Piston Rod
The shot system has, by far, the most complex
control system of the entire machine. Two types
Plunger Rod Coupler
Cold Chamber
Plunger Tip
Plunger Rod
of hydraulic systems for the shot system are
illustrated in Figures 5-2 and 5-3. The circuit
Figure 5-1 The hydraulic shot cylinder drives
in Figure 5-2 has a proportional valve to con-
the plunger through the shot sleeve to push the
trol the slow shot speed and a binary valve to
molten metal into the die. The hydraulic cylinder
is mounted in the "C" frame which also main- control the fast shot speed. The circuit shown
tains its alignment to the shot sleeve. in Figure 5-3 has a SERVO valve to control
all the plunder speeds. Both circuits apply a
constant hydraulic pressure from a large gas
Functions accumulator to the head side of the hydraulic
shot cylinder and then control the metering
The functions of the shot system are to inject
out of the hydraulic † uid from the rod side of
the molten metal into the die under the proper
the cylinder to control the plunger speed. The
conditions. That involves precise control of the
circuit in Figure 5-2 has a second and smaller
movement of, and force on, the plunger. These
gas accumulator at a high pressure (usually be-
functions are:
tween 3,000 and 4,500 psi) to apply the intensi-

30
 Shot E nd : Cold Chambe r Systems Chapte r 5
from shot pump
from intensifier pump
ü cation pressure after the cavity has ü lled with
molten metal. The circuit shown in Figure 5-3
has the high pressure gas accumulator for the
intensiü cation, but it also has a 2 to 1 differen-
tial piston multiplier cylinder to achieve even
higher intensiü cation pressure.
The positions at which the speed or pressure
changes occur can be initiated by limit switches
tripped by the plunger as it moves. These limit
switches must be set (i.e. moved) for each die set
up. Continuous position transducers can also be
used. When a continuous position transducer
is used, the speed shift points are programmed
through the machine controller. The simplest
machines (generally the older machines) have
spool type directional valves with needle (for
the slow shot circuits) † ow control valves and
adjustable opening poppet valves for the fast
shot † ow control. These machines require
manual adjustment of the † ow control valves.
Figure 5-2 A typical
shot system hydraulic cir-
cuit using a proportional
valve for the slow shot
and a binary valve for the
fast shot is shown here.
The newer machines with more advanced
hydraulic and monitoring systems allow the po-
sitions and velocities to be set through the con-
trol panel. One such control panel is illustrated
in Figure 5- 4 for a digital input and display.
Monitoring systems are also available that
show the plunger performances graphically.
These control panels not only allow the setting
of the speeds and positions for the speeds, but
display to the operator the actual performance
of the machine after each shot.
The modern shot control input and monitor-
ing systems also provide for the inputting of
acceptable performance ranges. Then, if the
plunger performance (primarily speed) is slow-
er than the minimum, or faster than the maxi-
mum some type of alarm will activate. The
alarm can be a simple indicator light on the
control panel, or a large † ashing light mounted
in plain view on top of a control panel, or even a
31
Chapte r 5 Shot E nd : Cold Chambe r Systems
Figure 5-3 A hy-
draulic circuit using a
SERVO valve for the shot
system is shown here.
from
intensifier
pump
from shot
pump
siren. The "out-of-speciü cation" alarm can also
cause the part extracting robot to set that cast-
ing aside for additional inspection. It is then up
to the operator or technician to determine the
cause of the out-of-speciü cation performance
and make the corrective adjustments.
The shot performance data can be sent to a
central control computer and be monitored by
maintenance personnel. The shot performance
data can also be used to certify that the castings
were all made to the speciü ed shot performance.
The SERVO system shown in Figure 5-3 is
self compensating. Any small deviation of the
plunger speed from the set value causes an im-
mediate adjustment to the SERVO valve posi-
tion to correct the plunger speed. These sys-
tems will maintain the set plunger speed until
the system has reached the limit of its capabil-
ity. Then it will alarm.
A graphic monitoring system is shown in
Figure 5-5. In that illustration the plunger
32
velocity, head side cylinder pressure and rod
side pressure are graphed against plunger posi-
tion. The slow plunger speed is about 15 inches
per second and the fast plunger velocity is
about 104 inches per second. The system starts
to shift from the slow to the fast velocities at
23 inches of travel. The inertia of the system
requires 0.9 inches of travel to reach the 104
inches per second fast shot speed. The transi-
tion performance from slow to fast shot speeds
must be measured and recorded for every
machine. That information must be provided to
the process and die engineers. Then when the
plunger performance settings for a new casting
are calculated (Ref: NADCA course and text on
Gating), the machine reaction performance can
be accounted for.
Also the fast velocity as shown in ü gure 5-5
drops off as the plunger advances. The drop
off in velocity is caused by the additional resis-
tance to metal † ow in the die as the die ü lls.
Every die will have a different resistance to the
metal † ow. However, for the machine shown in
 Shot E nd : Cold Chambe r Systems Chapte r 5

the À gure, the rod side pressure can be reduced
further to provide more pressure to maintain
speed if necessary.
that velocity there is no pressure to push on the
molten metal. When the plunger is not mov-
ing (e.g. at the end of cavity À lling when the
plunger is pushing on the biscuit) all the 1150
psi of hydraulic pressure is actually applied to
the piston, and hence to the molten metal.

Figure 5-4 Die casting machines can be

equipped with digital shot system performance
input and monitoring systems. The control panel
of one such system is shown here. The plunger
velocities, the positions at which those velocities Figure 5-5 A shot performance monitoring
are to be initiated and upper and lower velocity system is shown here that displays the shop
limits can be set and monitored. plunger performance graphically. The machine's
ability to transition from the slow to the fast
The ability of a shot system to maintain velocities is measured by such systems.
a speciÀ ed fast velocity is measured and de-
2
scribed by the PV diagram. These diagrams 2
PV Chart
show graphically the pressure that is available Prince Machine Model 1246 SN 97022
1200
to push on the hydraulic piston at every pos- 1100

sible speed of the piston. Since the shot system's 1000

900

hydraulic circuit is a hydrodynamic circuit 800

700
rather than the more common hydrostatic 600
500
circuits, it's performance is velocity dependent. 400
S
The faster the hydraulic Á uid moves through h 300
o
t 200
the valves and pipes, the more pressure losses P
r 100
e
0
there are within the machine. Once the hydrau- s
s 0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
u 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2

lic pressure is lost (i.e. used) within the ma- r

e
Plunger Velocity IPS
0
0
1 2 3 4
"Q" = (Plg. Vel. * Plg. Area)
0 0 0 0
5
0
6
0
7
0
8
0
9
0
0
0
P
chine, it can not be used to push on the molten S
I
Max. Vel. at Valve Opening #63 Die Resistance Line Max. Vel. at Selected Valve Openning

metal. The net affects of these velocity depen- Figure 5-6 The power curve of the machine's
dent losses is captured in the PV 2
diagram in a shot system can be measured and plotted on a
2
practical and easily usable form. PV diagram as shown here. Then, the die resis-
tance can be compared to the machine power and
The PV 2 diagram is shown in À gure 5-6. the correct † ow control valve setting established.

Although that particular À gure is actually of

The second curve in Figure 5-6 shows a
a PV diagram since the velocity is plotted on a
maximum velocity of 140 inches per second.
linear scale. The normal practice is to plot such
That performance is achieved by partially clos-
diagrams on a velocity squared scale since then
ing the Á ow control valve and creating greater
the power curve becomes a straight line. The
pressure loss in the machine. The third curve
illustration shows that the maximum plunger
in the À gure shows the die resistance line as a
speed is about 200 inches per second, but at

33
Chapte r 5 Shot E nd : Cold Chambe r Systems
function of the pressure required to push metal
through the gate at various plunger velocities.
For the casting's required À lling time, gate size
and plunger diameter, there will be a minimum
plunger velocity performance that will work.
That plunger velocity is computed when the
gating system for the die is designed. If that re-
quired plunger velocity is 108 inches per second,
(i.e. the intersection of the die resistance curve
and the machine's performance curve) the valve
opening that results in the lower performance
curve in the À gure is how the Á ow control valve
must be set. The plunger velocity is inversely
proportional to the square of the plunger diam-
eter. So, larger plungers must move slower to
cause the same die cavity À lling behavior.
2
The maximum machine power curve in a PV
diagram for a particular machine is created
on a velocity squared diagram by À rst plotting
the hydraulic system pressure (e.g. 1050 psi
in Figure 5-6) on the pressure scale. Then the
measured speed of the plunger when the Á ow
control valve(s) is fully open and there is no
molten metal in the shot sleeve is plotted on the
velocity squared scale. The power curve is then
a straight line connecting those two points on
the graph. The PV 2
diagram should be created
and provided to the processing engineer(s) so
the correct plunger size can be selected and the
correct plunger velocities can be speciÀ ed for
any new die for any new casting. These proce-
dures are described in detail in the NADCA
courses on the PQ 2
Diagram and on Gating.
(Note: The PQ 2
diagram is the PV 2
diagram
adjusted for the cubic volume of molten metal
Á ow rate for a speciÀ c plunger diameter.)
Low Impact Systems
At the instant the cavity completely À lls with
molten metal there is no place to put any more
metal, so the plunger must stop moving. The
kinetic energy in the fast moving plunger, shot
rod, hydraulic piston and the moving hydraulic
Á uid must be dissipated suddenly. The result
is a sudden and very short (e.g. a few milli-
seconds) rise in the pressure in the hydraulic
system and in the molten metal. This impact
pressure spike can be two to four times the
34
system pressure. Since the metal is still fully
molten, the pressure on it is applied to the
entire projected area within the die. The clamp-
ing force of the machine must be sufÀ cient to
hold the molten metal at the impact pressure
without Á ashing the die.
Many, and maybe most, modern machines
have what is known as "low impact systems" in
the hydraulic controls of the shot system. The
low impact systems shut off the hydraulic Á uid
leaving the rod side of the hydraulic shot cylin-
der just before the cavity À lls. Thus the impact
force is trapped in the hydraulic cylinder and
not transmitted to the molten metal in the die.
When the low impact system is operating
properly, much larger castings can be made in
a given size machine. Thick castings with low
fast shot speeds may not beneÀ t much from a
low impact system. But, the thinner castings
that require short À lling times, and hence high
fast shot speeds, can beneÀ t greatly from the
low impact system.
The timing of the closing of the hydraulic
valve to achieve the low impact is critical. The
distance between where the low impact valve
shift is triggered and where the cavity is full is
a very short distance and the plunger is moving
very fast. To have it work correctly, the amount
of metal ladled must be controlled very accu-
rately. Variation in the size of the biscuit can
result in the low impact trigger being too late
(i.e. a large biscuit) and the impact pressure
still happens and the die Á ashes. With a small
biscuit, the low impact trigger can be too soon
and the casting will not À ll properly.
Pressure/Force Control
Once the die has À lled with molten metal, the
function of the shot system is to apply a con-
trolled pressure on the metal. The purpose is
to force additional molten or semi-solid metal
into the cavity as the metal in the cavity solidi-
À es and shrinks. The shrinkage will result in
porosity in the casting if not supplied with new
molten metal as the shrink forms. Force on the
plunger applies pressure on the molten metal
 Shot E nd : Cold Chambe r Systems Chapte r 5

to push it through the liquid core of the run-
ners and into the cavity. The solidifying shell
of the biscuit resists any forward motion of the
plunger. So, an intensiÀ ed pressure is applied
to the hydraulic cylinder to crush the shell so
the plunger can advance and keep pressure
on the molten core as it is fed into the casting.
If the high intensiÀ ed pressure is applied too
soon after the die has À lled, the pressure will
be applied to the entire projected area of the die
and can force the die to Á ash. If it is applied too
late, the casting and/or gates will have already
solidiÀ ed, and no molten metal can be pushed
through. So, the timing of the application of
pressure and the rate at which the pressure
builds are critical process parameters.
ing the next 40 milliseconds. By controlling the
delay and the rate of pressure build-up a maxi-
mum pressure can be applied to the molten
metal at all times without Á ashing the die. The
settings for the delay and the build-up rate will
usually have to be determined experimentally
during the initial production runs of the die.
To be able to set the delay and build-up rate
it is necessary to have a shot system perfor-
mance monitoring system like that shown in
Figure 5-7. Otherwise, the technician has no
way of knowing what the machine is actually
doing and how it responds to adjustments he
might make to the controls.

Various systems are, or have been, used to

accomplish the high intensiÀ cation pressures.
The most common are:

Pump intensiÀ ers

Multiplier cylinders

Pre-À lls

Accumulators

Regenerative

Rod end pressure control

The high pressure pump supplied accumu-
lator systems are shown in Figures 5-2 and
5-3. Figure 5-3 also has a multiplier cylinder
that can be used or not used at the operator's/
technician's option.
Figure 5-7 The shot performance trace here
shows an intensiÀ cation pressure delay of about
25 milliseconds and the intensiÀ cation building
to 3000 psi over a 40 millisecond time period.
The intensiÀ cation pressure must not build too
fast or the die will Á ash.

The intensiÀ cation response time is the time

The amount of plunger movement during
from when the cavity has À lled (and the fast
the intensiÀ cation time is a good indicator of
shot velocity suddenly drops to nearly zero)
the beneÀ t of the intensiÀ cation. If the plunger
to when the intensiÀ cation pressure starts to
does not move, then no molten metal was fed
build. During that period, the impact spike (if
into the cavity to À ll shrinkage. If the plunger
any) will have occurred and system pressure
moves too far, it could be an indication that the
will be applied. An example of a measured in-
intensiÀ cation pressure was applied too soon
tensiÀ cation response time is shown to be about
and the die Á ashed.
25 milliseconds in the performance trace in
Figure 5-7. (Note: The horizontal scale of the
trace changes from plunger position to time at The rate of the rise of the intensiÀ ed pres-
the instant of cavity À lling.) sure is controlled by the "Rate of Rise" Á ow con-
trol valve. That valve controls the volume Á ow
of hydraulic Á uid Á owing into the hydraulic
Then, the intensiÀ ed pressure in the example
shot cylinder. These valves are shown in Figure
in Figure 5-7, builds to the full 3000 psi dur-
5-3 for both the accumulator and the multiplier

35
Chapte r 5 Shot E nd : Cold Chambe r Systems

cylinder circuits. The actual distance that the Review Questions

plunger moved during the intensiÀ cation period
is displayed in the upper left corner of the pro- 1. What are the three functions of the shot system?
À le screen shown in Figure 5-7. The amount of
2. What are the four phases of the shot process and
metal actually displaced by that movement of
the primary purpose of each?
the plunger can be calculated by:
3. What is the purpose of the critical slow shot speed?
2
V = L x .785 x D
4. What is the function of the "C" Frame?
Where:
5. What does and intensiÀ er do and what is the
V = The volume of metal displaced purpose?

L = The distance the plunger moved

D = The diameter of the plunger

Monitoring Equipment
The performance of the shot system monitoring
equipment must be adequate for the situation.
It must:

Collect quantiÀ able data at a rate of at least

every 0.002 seconds, but a collection rate of every
0.001 seconds is preferred.

Record and display

Plunger position (dynamic)

Plunger velocity (dynamic)

Cylinder head side pressure (dynamic)

Cylinder Rod side pressure (dynamic)

Tie bar loads. All four bars plus the total.

(single point readings)

Temperatures (single point readings)

Be time or position based display.

Position based for the slow and fast shot

Time based for the intensiÀ cation

36
 CHAP T E R

SIX

SHOT END:
HOT CHAMBER SYSTEMS

Purpose shot system are to move the plunger and to con-

trol that movement as required for the particu-
The purpose of the shot system of the machine lar casting being made.
is to inject the molten metal (i.e. the "shot")
into the die. The shot system (sometimes re-
ferred to as the "shot end") is mounted forward Components
of the front plate. That is, these components are
mounted on the side of the front plate opposite The primary mechanical requirement of the
of the die mounting side of the plate as illus- shot system is to provide good alignment
trated in Figure 6-1. between plunger and the hydraulic cylinder. A
second requirement is to hold the nozzle be-
The molten metal À lls the gooseneck cylinder tween the gooseneck outlet and the die's sprue
bushing with enough force that the pressure
by gravity. Then, when the die has closed and
of the molten metal will not push the connec-
the machine's clamp system has locked, the hy-
tions apart and allow molten metal to spray
draulic shot cylinder drives the plunger into the
out. These functions are achieved by mounting
gooseneck cylinder to push the molten metal up
the shot hydraulic cylinder and the gooseneck
the gooseneck passage, through the nozzle and
on a rigid "A" frame attached to the front plate.
into the die cavity.
The hydraulic cylinder drives the plunger. The
plunger is connected to the cylinder rod with a
The injection of the molten metal must be
coupler as shown in Figure 6-1.
done at a controlled velocity and pressure. So,
the remaining components and controls of the
Chapte r 6 Shot E nd : Hot Chambe r Systems

The "A" frame also facilitates the changing 1. Velocity control of the plunger
of the position of the sprue in those machines a. Slow
with alternate shot position capability. The
i. Close the gooseneck inlet hole
normal shot position is at the center of the
tie bar spacing. But, when alternate positions ii. Slow shot velocity
are available they are usually 6.00 inches b. Fast
below the center and sometimes both 6.00
2. Position control of where the velocities change
inches and 12.00 inches below the center. The
remaining equipment is primarily the hy- a. Start slow shot velocity
draulic and electrical power and control gear, b. Start the fast shot velocity
and that is mostly mounted on the "A" frame.
c. Start the low impact function
Modern machines have most of the hydraulic
circuitry manifolded which eliminates piping d. Return plunger
and connections. 3. Pressure/Force control
a. Pressure required to achieve the
required velocity
Shot Cylinder b. Pressure during casting solidiÀ cation

Traveling Plt. Front Plt. A-Frame

Die Cavity
Plunger Coupler

Plunger

Die

Saddle Bar

Tie Bar Gooseneck

Furnace

Nozzle

Figure 6-1 The hydraulic shot cylinder drives

the plunger into the gooseneck to push the mol-
ten metal into the die. The hydraulic cylinder
and gooseneck are mounted on the "A" frame
which also maintains the gooseneck alignment
to the shot shot position of the die.

Functions
The functions of the shot system are to inject
the molten metal into the die under the proper
conditions. That involves precise control of the From Pump
movement of, and force on, the plunger. These
functions are: Figure 6-2 A typical shot system hydraulic
circuit using a proportional valve for both the
slow and fast shot speeds is shown here.

38
 Shot E nd : Hot Chambe r Systems Chapte r 6
The actual values for all these functions are
determined by the die and process engineering
for the particular casting to be made. These
values would be provided to the process set up
person on some form of job set up chart. The
NADCA course on Gating explains how to
establish most of these set up values. However,
some of those values might be determined, or
adjusted, through experimentation during the
initial production runs.
Velocity and Position
The shot system has, by far, the most complex
control system of the entire machine. A typical
hydraulic circuit is illustrated in Figure 6-2. The
circuit has a single proportional valve to control
both the slow shot speed and the fast shot speed.
The circuit applies a constant hydraulic pressure
from a large gas accumulator to the head side of
the hydraulic shot cylinder and then controls the
motion by metering out the hydraulic Á uid from
the rod side of the cylinder.
The positions at which the speed or pres-
sure changes occur can be initiated by limit
switches tripped by the plunger's tail rod as it
moves. These limit switches must be set (i.e.
moved) for each die set up. Continuous position
transducers can also be used. When a continu-
ous position transducer is used, the speed shift
points are programmed through the machine
controller. The simplest machines (generally
the older machines) have spool type directional
valves with needle Á ow control valves for the
slow shot speed control and adjustable opening
poppet valves for the fast shot speed control.
These machines require manual adjustment of
the Á ow control valves.
The newer machines with more advanced hy-
draulic and monitoring systems allow the posi-
tions and velocities to be set through the control
panel. One such control panel is illustrated in
Figure 6- 3 for a digital input and display. Mon-
itoring systems are also available that show
the plunger performances graphically. These
control panels not only allow the setting of the
speeds and positions for the speeds, but display
to the operator the actual performance of the
machine after each shot.
The modern shot control input and moni-
toring systems also provide for the inputting
of acceptable performance ranges. Then, if
the plunger performance (primarily speed) is
slower than the minimum, or faster than the
maximum some type of alarm will activate.
The alarm can be a simple indicator light on
the control panel, or a large Á ashing light
mounted in plain view on top of a control panel,
or even a siren. The "out-of-speciÀ cation" alarm
can also cause the part extracting robot to set
that casting aside for additional inspection. It is
then up to the operator or technician to deter-
mine the cause of the out-of-speciÀ cation per-
formance and make the corrective adjustments.
The shot performance data can be sent to a
central control computer and be monitored by
maintenance personnel and/or used to certify
that the castings were all made to the speciÀ ed
shot performance.
Figure 6-3 Die casting machines can be
equipped with digital shot system performance
input and monitoring systems. The control panel
of one such system is shown here. The plunger
velocities, the positions at which those velocities
are to be initiated and upper and lower velocity
limits can be set and monitored.
A graphic monitoring system is shown in
Figure 6-4. In that illustration the plunger ve-
locity, head side cylinder pressure and rod side
pressure are graphed against plunger position.
The slow plunger speed is about 16 inches per
second and the fast plunger velocity is about 55
inches per second. The system starts to shift
from the slow to the fast velocities at 3.6 inches
of travel. The inertia and response of the sys-
39
Chapte r 6 Shot E nd : Hot Chambe r Systems
tem requires 0.9 inches of travel to reach the 55
inches per second fast shot speed. The transi-
tion performance from slow to fast shot speeds
must be measured and recorded for every
machine. That information must be provided to
the process and die engineers. Then when the
plunger performance settings for a new casting
are calculated (Ref: NADCA course and text on
Gating), the machine reaction performance can
be accounted for.
The slow shot speed closes the gooseneck in-
let ports, moves the molten metal up the goose-
neck channel, and through the nozzle to, or
nearly to, the sprue at the die. The slow travel
through these components allows time for air
to vent from the die and can be used to preheat
the metal moving slowly through the nozzle.
Figure 6-4 A shot performance monitoring
system is shown here that displays the shop
plunger performance graphically. The machine's
ability to transition from the slow to the fast
velocities is measured by such systems.
The fast velocity as shown in À gure 6-4
drops off as the plunger approaches the posi-
tion where the die is nearly full. The drop off in
velocity is caused by the additional resistance
to metal Á ow in the die as the die À lls. Every
die will have a different resistance to the metal
Á ow. For the machine shown in the À gure, the
rod side pressure is nearly zero, so it can not
be reduced further to provide more pressure to
maintain or increase the plunger speed.
The fast plunger speed is for À lling the die
cavity with molten metal in the required time.
40
The quality of the casting is very sensitive to
the cavity À lling time. The ability of a shot
system to maintain a speciÀ ed fast velocity is
2
measured and described by the PV diagram.
These diagrams show graphically the pressure
that is available to push on the hydraulic piston
at every possible speed of the piston. Since the
shot system's hydraulic circuit is a hydrody-
namic circuit rather than the more common
hydrostatic circuit, it's performance is velocity
dependent. The faster the hydraulic Á uid moves
through the valves and pipes, the more pres-
sure losses there are within the machine. Once
the hydraulic pressure is lost (i.e. used) within
the machine, it can not be used to push on the
molten metal. The net affects of these velocity
dependent losses is captured in the PV 2
dia-
gram in a practical and easily usable form.
The PV 2 diagram is shown in À gure 6-5.
Although that particular À gure is actually of
a PV diagram since the velocity is plotted on a
linear scale. The normal practice is to plot such
diagrams on a velocity squared scale since then
the power curve becomes a straight line. The
illustration shows that the maximum plunger
speed is about 155 inches per second, but at
that velocity there is no pressure to push on the
molten metal. When the plunger is not mov-
ing (e.g. at the end of cavity À lling when the
plunger is pushing on the molten metal in the
gooseneck) all the 1150 psi of hydraulic pres-
sure is actually applied to the piston, and hence
to the molten metal.
The second curve in Figure 6-5 shows a
maximum velocity of 150 inches per second.
That performance is achieved by partially clos-
ing the Á ow control valve and creating greater
pressure loss in the machine. The third curve
in the À gure shows the die resistance line as a
function of the pressure required to push metal
through the gate at various plunger velocities.
For the casting's required À lling time, gate size
and plunger diameter, there will be a minimum
plunger velocity performance that will work.
That plunger velocity is computed when the
gating system for the die is designed. If that re-
quired plunger velocity is 55 inches per second,
(i.e. the intersection of the die resistance curve
and the machine's performance curve) the valve
 Shot E nd : Hot Chambe r Systems Chapte r 6

2
opening that results in the lower performance in detail in the NADCA courses on the PQ
2
curve in the À gure is how the Á ow control valve Diagram and on Gating. (Note: The PQ dia-
2
must be set. The plunger velocity is inversely gram is the PV diagram adjusted for the cubic
proportional to the square of the plunger diam- volume of molten metal Á ow rate for a speciÀ c
eter. So, larger plungers must move slower to plunger diameter.)
cause the same die cavity À lling behavior.

PV Chart
2
Low Impact Systems
Prince Machine Model 629HC SN 96053
1500
1400
1300 Max. Vel. Valve Open 99% At the instant the cavity completely À lls with
1200
Max. Vel. at Selected Valve Opening molten metal there is no place to put any more
1100
1000
900
Die Resistance Line metal, so the plunger must stop moving. The
800
700
kinetic energy in the fast moving plunger, shot
600
500
rod, hydraulic piston and the moving hydraulic
S
h
400
300
Á uid must be dissipated suddenly. The result
o
t
P
200
100
is a sudden and very short (e.g. a few milli-
r
e
s
0
0
seconds) rise in the pressure in the hydraulic
s 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
u
r
e
0 0 0 0 0 0

Plunger Velocity IPS

0 0 0 1
0
0
1
1
"Q"
0
1
2
1
3
1
4
1
5
1
6
=0(Plg. 0Vel. *0 Plg. 0Area)0
1
7
0
1
8
0
1
9
0
2
0
0
system and in the molten metal. This impact
P
S
I
pressure spike can be two to four times the
Figure 6-5 The power curve of the machine's system pressure. Since the metal is still fully
shot system can be measured and plotted on
molten, the pressure on it is applied to the
a PV 2 diagram as shown here. Then, the die
entire projected area within the die. The clamp-
resistance can be compared to the machine
ing force of the machine must be sufÀ cient to
power and the correct Á ow control valve setting
hold the molten metal at the impact pressure
established.
without Á ashing the die.
2
The maximum machine power curve in a PV
diagram for a particular machine is created Many modern machines have (at least as an
on a velocity squared diagram by À rst plotting option) what is known as "low impact systems"
the hydraulic system pressure (e.g. 1150 psi in the hydraulic controls of the shot system. The
in Figure 6-5) on the pressure scale. Then the low impact systems shut off the hydraulic Á uid
measured speed of the plunger is plotted on the leaving the rod side of the hydraulic shot cylin-
velocity squared scale when the Á ow control der just before the cavity À lls. Thus the impact
valve(s) is fully open and there is no molten force is trapped in the hydraulic cylinder and
metal entering the die. not transmitted to the molten metal in the die.

(Note: By having metal in the gooseneck, but When the low impact system is operating prop-
measuring the velocity just before the metal en- erly, much larger castings can be made in a given
ters the die, the pressure losses in the gooseneck size machine. Thick castings with low fast shot
2
are captured. The resulting PV is then appro-
speeds may not beneÀ t much from a low impact
priate for comparing machine power to the die
system. But, thinner castings that require short
requirement. However, if one wants to evaluate
À lling times, and hence high fast shot speeds,
the gooseneck efÀ ciency, then the maximum shot
velocity must also be measured with the plunger can beneÀ t greatly from the low impact system.
removed. Then, the difference between the two
diagrams shows the power loss in the gooseneck.) The timing of the closing of the hydraulic
valve to achieve the low impact is critical. The
The power curve is then a straight line con- timing of the low impact trigger is even more
2
necting those two points on the graph. The PV sensitive for hot chamber machines than for
diagram should be created and provided to the cold chamber machines since the total travel of
processing engineer(s) so the correct plunger the plunger to À ll the die is usually much less
size can be selected and the correct plunger ve- for comparable sized castings. The distance
locities can be speciÀ ed for any new die for any between where the low impact valve shift is
new casting. These procedures are described

41
Chapte r 6 Shot E nd : Hot Chambe r Systems
triggered and where the cavity is full is a very
short distance and the plunger is moving very
fast. If the low impact trigger is too late the
impact pressure will still happen and the die
will Á ash. If the low impact trigger is too soon
the casting will not À ll properly.
Pressure/Force Control
Once the die has À lled with molten metal, the
function of the shot system is to apply a con-
trolled pressure on the metal. The purpose is
to force additional molten or semi-solid metal
into the cavity as the metal in the cavity solidi-
À es and shrinks. The shrinkage will result in
porosity in the casting if not supplied with new
molten metal as the shrink forms. Force on the
plunger applies pressure on the molten metal to
push it through the liquid core of the runners
and into the cavity
The hot chamber machines do not have
intensiÀ cation systems like the cold chamber
machines. Since the metal pressurized by the
plunger is always liquid, there is no need to
crush a solidiÀ ed biscuit shell. So, the very
high intensiÀ cation forces are not necessary.
The system pressure applied by the plunger
pressurizes all the molten metal in the system.
Shrinkage will feed as long as a liquid feed
path remains open through the sprue, runners,
gate and cavity.
The amount of plunger movement during
the casting solidiÀ cation time is not a good
indicator of the effectiveness of shrinkage
feeding in the hot chamber machine. There
is signiÀ cant leakage of molten metal past
the plunger in the gooseneck and that leak-
age changes fairly rapidly with wear on the
plunger rings. So, the plunger "drift" is actu-
ally a better indicator of when to replace the
plunger rings.
Monitoring Equipment
The performance of the shot system monitor-
ing equipment must be adequate for the situa-
tion. It must:
42
Collect quantiÀ able data at a rate of at least
every 0.001 seconds
Record and display capability for:
Plunger position (dynamic)
Plunger velocity (dynamic)
Cylinder head side pressure (dynamic)
Cylinder Rod side pressure (dynamic)
Tie bar loads. All four bars plus the total.
(single point readings)
Temperatures (single point readings)
Be time and position based display.
Position based for the slow and fast shot
Time based for the pressure during solidiÀ cation
Nozzle Set-Up
The "A" frame is mounted on bars extending
outward from the front plate. The "A" frame can
be moved along these bars to position it closer
to or farther from the front plate. This position
adjustment is used to apply and release the
force holding the nozzle against the die sprue.
The position adjustment also accommodates
different lengths (within limits) of nozzles.
When a nozzle seat becomes damaged, it can
be re-machined which makes the nozzle a little
shorter. Then, the adjustability of the "A" frame
accommodates the shorter nozzle.
The "A" frame is moved along the bars by
either a manually rotated pinion through the
"A" frame engaging gear racks on the bars or
with hydraulic "saddle bar" cylinders as shown
in Figure 6-6. and with the cylinder detail
shown in Figure 6-7. The cylinders shown in
the À gure are head side Á ange mounted to the
front plate. The cylinder rods are connected to
the "A" frame. The cylinders can move the "A"
frame along the supporting rods.
The nozzle is held between the gooseneck
and the die with the force exerted by both the
springs and the cylinders. That force must be
enough to overcome the friction between the "A"
frame and the supporting bars plus the hydrau-
lic force from the pressure on the molten metal.

The force from the pressure on the molten
metal is:
Force = Pressure x Area
where the area is the diameter of the hole in
the sprue. Assuming a metal pressure (i.e. peak
impact pressure) is 5000 psi. and the sprue
is 1.5 inch in diameter, the area will be 1.76
square inches and the force is then:
Force = 5,000 x 1.76 = 8,800 pounds
For safety and to insure overcoming the friction
between the "A" frame and the bars, the springs
plus the cylinders should exert 1 ú times the
force from the metal pressure which is:
Shot
Accumulator
Figure 6-6 The nozzle is held between the
gooseneck and die sprue by the force of springs
and hydraulic cylinders on each side of the "A"
frame. The cylinders also move the "A" frame to
facilitate changing the nozzle.
Saddle Bar
Cylinder
Figure 6-7 The detail of the cylinders and
springs in À gure 6-6 is shown here.
Shot E nd : Hot Chambe r Systems Chapte r 6
Force Total = 8,800 x 1.5 = 13,254 pounds
The amount of force (i.e. the safety factor)
required is affected by how well the saddle bar
bushings in the "A" frame are maintained. If
the "A" frame bushings are well lubricated and
the saddle bar surfaces are in good condition,
the friction force is quite low.
When the nozzle is to be removed (either for
die set-up or for nozzle replacement), the nuts
holding tension on the springs are backed off
far enough to provide the space necessary to
get the nozzle out. The hydraulic cylinders will
still be holding the nozzle in place. Then while
supporting the nozzle, so it will not fall when
loosened, the hydraulic cylinders are actuated
to move the "A" frame away from the front
plate. The loosened nozzle is then removed.
Shot
Cylinder
The hydraulic control circuit for the saddle
cylinders is shown in Figure 6-8. The centered
position of the directional control valve allows
for all force to be removed from the cylinders.
Also, a pressure regulator provides for adjust-
ing the cylinder force.
When the nozzle is re-installed or a new
nozzle is installed:
1. Place and hold the nozzle in position between the
end of the gooseneck and the die sprue.
2. Move the "A" frame forward (i.e. toward the front
plate) using the cylinders until the nozzle is
clamped into position. Rotate the nozzle as it is
being clamped to insure proper seating.
3. Tighten the nuts behind the springs on the
saddle bars until the springs are compressed 3/8
inch. (Note: the spring rating is 625 pounds per
1/8 inch of deÁ ection. So 3/8 inch of compression
Spring will create 3,750 pounds of force on the nozzle.)
4. Heat the nozzle. (A 24 inch long nozzle will
expand 1/8 inch which will compress the springs
another 1/8 inch resulting in a total spring force
on the nozzle of 5,000 pounds.)
In the above example, the required nozzle hold-
ing force was calculated to be 13,254 pounds.
The springs will apply 5,000 pounds. So, the
cylinders must apply the difference which is:
43
Chapte r 6 Shot E nd : Hot Chambe r Systems

than the outside spherical radius so the actual

seat is a circle of line contact. Thus, the pres-
sure on the seat can be very high and too much
force can damage it.

Once the nozzle has reached its operating

temperature, the directional valve is set to ap-
ply pressure to the rod side of the cylinders.

For machines that do not have hydraulic

cylinders to hold the force on the nozzle and
to move the "A" frame, the springs must apply
all of the required force. The spring force per
unit of defection (i.e. the spring rate) must be
known. If that spring rate is not known, new
springs must be purchased that are both large
enough and where the spring rate is known.
Then, determine the required force including
From shot system the safety factor as described above.

From closing system

The set up of the nozzle and the setting of
Figure 6-8 The hydraulic control circuit the spring tension is:
for the saddle cylinders provides for pressure
adjustment and for having the cylinders in an 1. Install nozzle.
un-pressurized state.
2. Tighten the springs to 25% of the required force.
(This force is needed to hold the nozzle in place
13,254 pounds Required
as it is being heated.)
- 5,000 pounds Springs
3. Heat the nozzle.
8,254 pounds Cylinders
4. Tighten the springs to the required force. DO
If the cylinders are of 4.00 inch bore and the NOT COMPRESS THE SPRINGS COMPLETE-
rods are 1.75 inch in diameter the acting area LY!
(note: the rod side of the piston area is where
the pressure is applied to hold the force against
the nozzle) is:
Review Questions

2 2
1. What are the three functions of the shot system?
Area = 0.7854 (4.00 - 1.75 )
2. What are the four phases of the shot process and
= 10.16 square inches/cylinder the primary purpose of each?

The hydraulic pressure required to generate 3. What is the purpose of the slow shot speed?
the 8,254 pounds of force is:
4. What is the function of the "A" Frame?

Pressure = 8,254 / (2 x 10.16) 5. What is the purpose of the plunger pressure

during casting solidiÀ cation?
= 406 psi
6. What is the purpose of saddle cylinders?
So, the hydraulic pressure should be set at
7. When plunger drift increases, what does it indicate?
406 psi. If the pressure is too high it can dam-
age the nozzle seat. The nozzle is seated to the
sprue and the gooseneck with spherical radii.
The inside spherical radius is slightly smaller

44
 CHAP T E R
SEVEN
MEASURING MACHINE
CAPABILITIES
It is important to know the actual performance
capabilities of the die casting machine. The
À rst use is to validate that a new machine
actually has the speciÀ ed capability for which it
was purchased. Such a speciÀ cation can be the
manufacturer's claims or the die caster's re-
quirements when the machine was purchased.
The next use of the data is to match dies to
the machine and to accurately estimate future
production rates. This second use of capability
data is the most routine use. The third use of
such data is to detect any long term deteriora-
tion of the machine's capabilities. Then when
deterioration is detected, the scheduling of the
necessary maintenance and repair to return
the machine to it's original performance.
The nominal capability of any single machine
function is the À rst aspect to consider. An ex-
ample is the rated clamping tonnage. Another
example is the maximum dry shot speed (i.e.
the PV 2 diagram) at a speciÀ ed hydraulic sys-
tem pressure. The other aspect of any machine
function is the variability of that function dur-
ing normal production operation. The machine's
capability is measured with a capability test.
The exact type of test depends upon which per-
formance criterion is being measured.
The most critical machine functions are
described in this chapter along with how the
performance is measured. Some of these have
been discussed to some level of detail in preced-
ing chapters.
Plunger Velocity
As described in chapters 5 and 6, there are two or
three plunger velocities of importance. These are:
Close pour hole
Slow shot
Fast shot
Chapte r 7 Measu ring Machine Capabi l it ies

Control Calibration Binary #

0
800 psi

32
1000 psi 1200 psi

40
1 33 42
2 34 43
The actual velocity with no metal in the shot
3 36 45
sleeve must be calibrated to the † ow control 4 37 47

valve setting. This calibration is done by op- 5 39 49

6 40 50
erating the shot at various valve settings and 7 41 52
measuring the actual plunger speed. The 8 43 54
9 44 56
results are then charted or graphed for future 10 46 57
use. An example of such a chart for a binary 11 47 59
12 49 61
valve system is shown in ü gure 7-1. 13 50 63
14 52 65
15 53 67
The next consideration is the shot system 16 55 69
power curve. The power curve is given in the 17 56 71
2 18 57 72
PV diagram as shown in Figure 7-2. When 19 59 74
these diagrams are plotted on a velocity 20 61 76
21 62 78
squared scale, the power curve is a straight
22 64 79
line. Then the power curve can be plotted by 23 65 81
24 67 83
drawing a straight line between the measured
25 69 85
maximum dry shot at zero pressure and the 26 70 87
hydraulic pressure setting plotted at zero veloc- 27 72 88
28 73 90
ity. The PV 2 diagram in Figure 7-2 also shows 29 74 92

a die resistance (i.e. load) curve. The NADCA 30 76 94

2 31 77 96
courses on the PQ Diagram and on Gating 32 79 97
describe how to use the data for matching the 33 81 99
34 82 101
die to the machine. 35 84 103
36 85 105
37 88 108
Die casting machines have a wide range of
38 90 112
injection power performances. The actual per- 39 94 116
40 98 121
formance is a function of the accumulator size,
41 102 127
the hydraulic shot cylinder diameter, and the 42 106 131

efü ciency the hydraulic † uid † ow through the 43 110 137

44 113 142
various valves, pipes and other passages in the 45 117 146
hydraulic circuit. 46 121 150
47 126 156
48 130 161
Another consideration is the slow speed to 49 135 167
50 140 172
fast speed transition time. A measured trace 51 144 179
of the slow to fast transition is illustrated in 52 148 183
53 153 188
Figure 5-5 and the transition is described in 54 157 194
that chapter. 55 161 200
56 165 204
57 168 208
The reaction time for the slow to fast shot 58 171 211
59 174 215
speed transition, the start of low impact and
60 180 220
the start of intensiü cation must all be known to 61 187 230

effectively set up and control the process. 62 194 238

63 204 251

Figure 7-1 The plunger speed at each valve

Variability
The other concern is the stability of the func-
tion. Will the particular function always per-
form the same, or does it vary from time to
time? The measure of variability involves the
setting of a binary valve system is shown here at
two hydraulic pressures.
taking of several (usually 15 to 50) measure-
ments at random times over some fairly long
period of time. These measurements are usu-

46
 Measu ring Machine Capabi l it ies Chapte r 7

PV-Chart Prince Machine SN 96007 Model 940

1500
2
Figure 7-2 The PV
1400

1300
diagram is shown here
1200
(plotted on a linear veloc-
1100 ity scale) for a particular
1000 machine. The graph also
900 shows a die resistance
800 line. The lines intersect
P
S
700 (i.e. at 148 inches per
I
S
h
600 second) at the maximum
500
o
t
plunger velocity obtain-
P 400
r able with that die.
e 300
s
s 200
u
r 100
e
0
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5
Plunger Velocity IPS
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Max. Vel. Binary at #63 Load Max. Vel. at selected Binary Setting

ally plotted as a histogram so the pattern of the NADCA course on Process Control, and
variation can be observed. Then the standard there are many good books and courses on sta-
deviation, , is calculated. Plus three sigma tistical methods besides the NADCA materials.
(+ 3 ) to minus three sigma (-3 ) is usually
considered to be the process capability. The One will usually À nd that the variability of
procedures and calculations are described in the machine making dry (i.e. no metal in the

Average Fast Shot Velocity (SPC chart)

Customer = Mr. and Mrs. Die Caster 1 sigma = ( RBar / d2 )
Machine SN = D96007 UCL = XDBar + ( A2 * RBar )
Chart Title = Avg. Fast Shot Vel. LCL = XDBar - ( A2 * RBar )
Die Name = Z USL = ( USL - XDBar ) / 1 sigma
Date Collected = 1996 Z LSL = ( LSL - XDBar ) / 1 sigma
Data Units = IPS Cp = ( USL - LSL ) / 6 sigma
Equipment = Prince Pro-Manager Cpk = Min. of ( Z USL : Z LSL ) / 3 sigma
Interval = Every Shot XBar = Subgroup Average
Test (window) XDBar = XBar Average
Notes Range = Differance in Subgroup ( Max. to Min. )

Subgroup 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Size = 5 Start data in cell C-15
A2= 0.577 153.5 153.6 153.8 153.6 153.3 153.7 153.5 153.6 153.4 153.5 153.2 153.4 153.3 153.6 153.2 153.3 153.7 153.2 153.8 153.5
D4= 2.114 153.2 153.4 153.4 153.6 153.2 153.6 153.3 153.8 153.5 153.5 153.7 153.5 153.4 153.8 153.6 153.3 153.5 153.5 153.5 153.4
d2= 2.326 153.4 153.3 153.5 153.1 153.2 153.5 153.4 153.4 153.8 153.7 153.3 153.6 153.9 153.6 153.4 153.3 153.6 153.2 153.7 153.6
153.2 153.8 153.9 153.5 153.3 153.5 153.3 153.4 153.8 153.4 153.7 153.5 153.4 153.5 153.6 153.5 153.7 153.8 153.4 153.7
153.0 153.8 153.1 153.4 153.4 153.6 153.4 153.6 153.8 153.6 153.7 153.5 153.9 153.8 153.4 153.4 153.4 153.5 153.7 153.3

USL 155.0
UCL 153.7
XBar 153.3 153.6 153.5 153.4 153.3 153.6 153.4 153.6 153.7 153.5 153.5 153.5 153.6 153.7 153.4 153.4 153.6 153.4 153.6 153.5
LCL 153.3
LSL 152.0

UCL 0.835
Range 0.5 0.5 0.8 0.5 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.5 0.2 0.6 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.3 0.6 0.4 0.4
LCL 0

Std. Div. 0.195 0.228 0.321 0.207 0.084 0.084 0.084 0.167 0.195 0.114 0.249 0.071 0.295 0.134 0.167 0.089 0.130 0.251 0.164 0.158

Max Datum = 153.9 Max XBar = 153.7 Max Range = 0.8 1 Sigma = 0.170
Min Datum = 153.0 Min XBar = 153.3 Min Range = 0.2 6 Sigma = 1.019
Difference = 0.9 Difference = 0.40 Difference = 0.6 Z USL = 8.827
Max Datum % above XDBar = 0.26 XDBar = 153.5 RBar = 0.395 Z LSL = 8.839
Min Datum % below XDBar = 0.33 C pk = 17.33
Cp= 2.944

Figure 7-3 The data shown here is for the fast shot speed of a new machine making dry shots at a speciü c
† ow control valve setting. The data is for creating an SPC chart.

47
Chapte r 7 Measu ring Machine Capabi l it ies

XBar
155.0 Figure 7-4 The aver-
ages from Figure 7-3 are
plotted here as an X-bar
154.5
chart with control limits.

154.0

153.5

153.0

152.5

USL UCL XBar LCL LSL

152.0

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Subgroup Number

shot sleeve) shots is vary small. Figure 7-3 7-4 and 7-5. In Figure 7-5, the À rst À ve groups
shows actual data from a capability study for show a somewhat greater range per group than
the fast shot of a new machine at a particular do the later groups. These initial trends might
fast shot Á ow control valve opening. The data be the result of the warming of the hydraulic
was taken without molten metal in the shot Á uid during the À rst few machine cycles.
sleeve, and the plunger and shot sleeve were at
room temperature and well oiled. The actual capability of the shot performance
is also captured in the data. In Figure 7-3, the
The data is not presented to actually show average speed of all 100 shots is 153.51 inches
a true process capability. Rather, the data is per second and the six sigma (+/- 3 ) varia-
organized, and the calculations made, to create tion is 1.019 (+/- 0.51) inches per second. If the
a statistical process control (SPC) system using shot speed and valve setting relationship is
average and range charts as shown in Figures as shown in Figure 7-1, the 153.5 inches per
7-4 and 7-5. But, the data do show the very second speed would be valve setting 53 at 800
small variation in plunger speed. The data in psi. If the system pressure is 1200 psi, it would
Figure 7-6 shows a slight tend to faster speeds be valve setting of 42 but the machine is 2.5
during the À rst 25 shots, and then a leveling inches per second short of meeting the expected
off. The same data is divided into À ve groups speed. Probably a negligible error.
of À ve data points per group in Figures 7-3,

Range
0.9

Figure 7-5 The ranges

0.8
of the samples from Fig-
0.7 ure 7-3 are plotted here
0.6
as a Range chart.

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1
UCL Range LCL

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Subgroup Number

48
 Measu ring Machine Capabi l it ies Chapte r 7

Trend
155
Figure 7-6 All the data
collected for ¿ gures 7-3, 7-4
154.5
and 7-5 are plotted here
in sequence to display
154
any trend. The À rst 25
shots show a slight trend
153.5
in increasing speed.

153

152.5

152
1 4 7
1 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 9 9 9
0 3 6 9 2 5 8 1 4 7 0 3 6 9 2 5 8 1 4 7 0 3 6 9 2 5 8 1 4 7 1
0
Shot Number 0

Greater variation is introduced when mak- change signal, and the time to achieve the new
ing actual shots. The heat from the molten velocity once response has started, can be mea-
metal causes the plunge and the shot sleeve sured and quantiÀ ed.
(cold chamber) to change size and shape. The
plunger is water cooled and a different geom- The primary speed changes are:
etry than the shot sleeve, so it will not change
shape the same as will the shot sleeve. Also, Slow to Fast shot speeds
the radial expansion of the shot sleeve is con- Start of Low Impact
tained by the die at the biscuit end, so the
thermal expansion is forced inward to some
degree causing the shot sleeve to close in on Pressure
the biscuit. The result is a constantly changing
friction and/or sticking between the plunger The capabilities of the hydraulic pressures in
and the shot sleeve that affects the speed of the the various machine systems can also be quan-
plunger. SERVO shot systems will correct for tiÀ ed in terms of the ability to adjust the pres-
these varying conditions within some range of sure to any particular speciÀ ed pressure (i.e.
capability. the average pressure) and the pressure varia-
tion over time (i.e. the plus and minus three
standard deviations). The primary system pres-
Process capability studies of the shot perfor-
sures are:
mance may be highly useful for the production
process while making castings. These stud-
Machine closing system
ies can identify what variation is normal and
reasonable for the particular machine and die Shot system
combination.
Piston pressure during slow shot

Rod pressure during slow shot

Position of Velocity Change
Piston pressure during fast shot
Process capability studies similar to the above Rod pressure during fast shot
example can also be made for the positions at
which the velocity changes are made. The exact IntensiÀ cation
plunger position at which it should start travel-
After time or time to reach a pressure level
ing at a speciÀ c velocity can be calculated very
accurately. But, the machine may not respond Final pressure
as one expects. So, the average and standard
deviation of the delay of response to the speed

49
Chapte r 7 Measu ring Machine Capabi l it ies

Clamping Force
The actual force obtainable on each tie bar and
the total force when the machine is clamped
onto a master test block is another capabil-
ity (both average and variation) that can be
quantiÀ ed with a capability test. Like the shot
speed, the tie bar loading will probably be more
variable when operating on a real die than
when clamping on the test block.

So, the capability on the text block deÀ nes

the machine capability, but the data with a real
die will be process capability for the machine
running that die.

Other Machine Functions

The other machine functions for which process
capability data con be useful are:

Ejector speed

Ejector force

Die close/open time (for the range of stroke ad-

justability)

Time from die close to total lock (for a range of

tonnage settings)

Time to "unlock" the linkage and start to open

the die

The time for all the sequenced motions

Review Questions
1. List some of the data you must collect during a
capability test.

2. How, and for what purpose, can the data col-

lected in question 1 be used?

50
 CHAP T E R
EIGHT
ACCUMULATOR SYSTEMS
Introduction
An accumulator is a pressure vessel in which
hydraulic Á uid is stored under pressure with
a compressed gas. The gas is usually nitrogen.
Before the hydraulic Á uid is pumped into the
accumulator, the accumulator is pre-charged
with the nitrogen gas to some speciÀ ed pres-
sure. Then, the hydraulic Á uid is pumped into
the accumulator and the nitrogen continues
to compress raising its pressure. When fully
charged with hydraulic Á uid, both the Á uid and
the nitrogen will be at the pressure of the hy-
draulic system's relief valve setting. The result
is stored hydraulic energy that can be released
very rapidly. When the hydraulic Á uid in the ac-
cumulator is opened to the hydraulic circuit, the
compressed gas, like a spring, pushes the Á uid
out of the accumulator at a high rate of speed.
During the fast shot portion of the die cast-
ing cycle, the shot cylinder piston must move at
a high rate of speed. So, a high Á ow rate of the
hydraulic Á uid at a high pressure is required
for a short period of time. It is more practical to
supply this burst of Á uid power from an accu-
mulator than to have a sufÀ ciently high volume
and pressure pump.
At the time the shot piston is required to move,
the accumulator is opened and becomes the pri-
mary supply of hydraulic Á uid to the shot cylin-
der. The shot hydraulic pump also supplies Á uid
during the shot, but the majority comes from the
accumulator. The accumulator supplies the Á uid
for both the "slow" and the "fast" shot motions of
the shot cylinder. An exception is found on some
of the older machines where the slow shot is sup-
plied with Á uid only from the pump.
The accumulator used for the above described
purpose is referred to as the shot accumulator
and provides the required Á ow rate to reach the
required shot velocity. There are two types of
Chapte r 8 Accumulato r Systems
accumulators used for die casting machine shot
systems. These are:
With an internal piston
Without an internal piston
It is important to know which type is used on
the machine. Procedures for the set-up and use
of both types are described later in this chapter.
Accumulators can be, and often are, used in
intensiü er circuits. The hydraulic pressure in
the intensiü er circuit is usually much higher
than for the normal shot circuit. The † ow rate
can be very high, but for a very short time. So,
the total volume requirement is quite low. The
shot cylinder may have to travel 20 to 40 inches
to make the shot, but only a half inch under
intensiü ed pressure. Both applications depend
on having very little pressure drop between the
start and end of the plunger movement.
Accumulators are also used for other pur-
poses. Some machines, usually only the very
largest, use accumulators to supplement the
pumps during the machine opening and closing
and for moving the hydraulically operated mov-
ing cores in the dies.
The following examples are for accumulators
used in shot circuits. Accumulators used in
other applications function the same as those
used in shot systems.
Accumulator Hydraulic Circuits
Shot Circuit with Pistonless Accumulator
Figure 8-1 shows a typical die casting shot hy-
draulic circuit with an accumulator without an
internal piston.
On all hot chamber machines and the older
cold chamber machines the accumulator is
mounted at the back of the machine on the
"helper's" side. The newer cold chamber ma-
chines have it mounted to the helper's side of
the front plate. Some cold chamber machines
have the accumulator mounted to the "C" frame
near the shot cylinder
52
Nitrogen Charge Valve
Sight Gage
Electrical Circuit
Accumulator
Accumulator Shut-off
P.O. Check Pressure Switch
Pump
Accumuator Drain Valve
Relief Valve with devent 4-way
Figure 8-1 Shown here is a typical accumu-
lator circuit with an accumulator without an
internal piston. This circuit is for both cold and
hot chamber machines.
Shot Circuit with Piston Accumulator
Figure 8-2 shows a typical die casting shot
hydraulic circuit using an accumulator with an
internal piston.
Accumulator Electrical Circuit
Nitrogen Tank
Nitrogen Charge Line
P.O. Check
Pressure Switch
Pump
Accumulator Drain Valve
Relief Valve with Devent 4-way
Figure 8-2 Shown here is a typical accumula-
tor circuit using an accumulator with an inter-
nal piston and a separate tank to achieve the
required volume of nitrogen. This circuit is for
cold chamber machines.
Accumulators with pistons can be mounted
on the shot cylinder head and the separate
nitrogen tank is mounted on the "C" frame. By
mounting the accumulator at the head of the
shot cylinder, the shot line (i.e. the hydraulic
piping) between the accumulator and the shot
cylinder is eliminated. By eliminating the
column of hydraulic † uid contained in the shot

line, the impact force at the end of the shot
cylinder stroke is reduced. The hydraulic † uid
† ows directly from the accumulator through the
pilot operated check valve and the intensiü er
check valves and into the cylinder. The amount
of † uid in motion is minimized and with large
porting in the cylinder head, the velocity of the
† uid is also minimized.
IntensiÀ er Accumulator with Piston
Relief Valve with Devent 4-way
Figure 8-3 shows an intensiü cation circuit using
an intensiü er with an internal piston. The in-
tensiü cation accumulator is usually mounted on
either side of the "C" frame and attached to the
front plate. On some of the larger machines it is
mounted on a shot reservoir which is located at
the front of the machine near the shot cylinder.
Electrical Circuit
Accumulator
Nitrogen Charge Line
P.O. Check
Pressure Switch
Pump
Accumulator Drain
Relief Valve with Devent 4-way
Figure 8-3 An intensiÀ er circuit with an inter-
nal piston accumulator is shown here. IntensiÀ ca-
tion is only used on cold chamber machines.
Shot Accumulator with Piston for Hot
Chamber Machines
Figure 8-4 shows a circuit with an accumula-
tor that has an internal piston for use on hot
chamber machines.
The piston type accumulator can be safely
mounted close to the shot cylinder to reduce
the † uid column between the accumulator and
the shot cylinder. The accumulator is mounted
on the "A" frame and has only a short shot line
to the cylinder. The short shot line reduces the
impact force at the end of the shot stroke.
Accumulato r Systems Chapte r 8
Electrical Circuit
Accumulator
Nitrogen Charge Line
Pressure Switch
P.O. Check Pump
Accumulator Drain
Figure 8-4 Shown here is an accumulator
with an internal piston for use on hot chamber
machines.
Accumulator Test Procedure
The purpose of the accumulator test procedure
is to "prove" the accumulator system before
charging it with nitrogen. The idea is to pres-
sure test the system for leaks without the nitro-
gen so there is only the pump capacity to push
† uid through the leak. If a leak is detected the
pump can be stopped quickly. If there is com-
pressed nitrogen in the system and there is a
leak, the compressed nitrogen will continue to
push † uid through the leak (and possibly with
great force) until all the † uid and nitrogen have
escaped the system through the leak.
There is no guaranty that potential leaks
will be found during this test procedure.
Note: Read through all the steps and be sure
you understand the procedure and its purpose
before starting.
Step 1: Adjust the relief valve (or any other
type of pressure control valve that
may be used) to the lowest possible
pressure setting. This step, including
a check to insure the valve is working
properly, should always be followed for
safety reasons.
Step 2: Adjust the pressure switch (or any
other pressure monitoring device that
may be used) to a high setting. This
step closes the pressure switch con-
tacts causing the "de-vent" directional
53
Chapte r 8 Accumulato r Systems
valve to energize, the relief valve to
de-vent and the pump to load after
the motor is started.
Step 3: (For accumulators without pistons
only) Start the pump. The machine
must be in the manual operation mode
and with the relief valve at it's lowest
pressure (at or below 100 psi) setting.
Step 4: Open the nitrogen charge valve.
CAUTION! Remain clear of the outlet
of the charge valve. Nitrogen in the
accumulator can blow out at a high
velocity and can be harmful.
Step 5a: (Accumulators without pistons only)
Open the accumulator shut off valve
to allow the accumulator to À ll with
hydraulic Á uid. As the accumulator
is À lling, the air/nitrogen can escape
out of the nitrogen charge valve.
When the Á uid reaches this valve,
the Á uid will start to come out of
the valve. Close the nitrogen charge
valve immediately. When using this
procedure, part of the air in the ac-
cumulator is bled off and lowers the
stored energy in the accumulator
for the test. The accumulator will
continue to À ll. When it is full, the
pressure in the accumulator will be
the same as the relief valve setting
(i.e. 100 psi max.)
Step 5b: (Accumulators with a piston) Start
the pump. With the pump running,
Á uid will enter the accumulator and
push the piston to the top. The air/
nitrogen in the accumulator on top of
the piston will be pushed out through
the nitrogen charge valve. With the
air/nitrogen bled off, there will be very
little stored energy in the accumulator
for the test. When the piston reaches
the top, the pressure in the accumu-
lator below the piston will be at the
relief valve setting (i.e. 100 psi max.)
Step 6: Increase the pressure setting on the
relief valve in 100 psi. increments.
54
(The accumulator pressure will also
increase.) Hold the pressure at each
100 psi increment for approximately
À ve (5) minutes and check for leaks.
Continue making these pressure in-
creases until the pressure reaches 300
psi. above the maximum required op-
erating pressure. Hold the pressure at
this maximum for at least 15 minutes.
If a fastener was not properly tightened, or if
an "O" ring is missing or improperly installed,
it may show up as a leak sometime during the
test. Finding such conditions is the purpose of
the test, but not having a leak during the test
is no guarantee that these types of Á aws do not
exist in the accumulator system.
Note: The maximum test pressure must be
equal to, or above, the running pressure, but
must not exceed the maximum capacity of the
machine's hydraulic components.
Step 7: Shut off the pump.
Step 8: Open the accumulator drain valve.
Opening the drain valve allows the
hydraulic Á uid to drain back into the
reservoir. The accumulator shut off
valve must be open while draining ac-
cumulators without internal pistons.
Step 9: Put a small amount of nitrogen (50
psi max.) into the accumulator as
the hydraulic Á uid is draining. Ni-
trogen in the accumulator puts the
Á uid under pressure and helps drain
the accumulator faster. Add nitro-
gen as needed.
Step 10: (Accumulators without internal
pistons) Shut off the accumulator
drain valve immediately when the
Á uid is out of the accumulator. The
last Á uid that leaves the accumula-
tor will be mixed with nitrogen and
will sound like stones going through
the drain valve. If nitrogen is allowed
to enter the reservoir, the Á uid will
become aerated and cause damage to
the pumps and hydraulic components
when the pump(s) are started.

Accumulator Charge
Procedure for Accumulators
WITHOUT Internal Pistons
Step 1: Drain all the hydraulic Á uid out of the
accumulator. Close the accumulator
drain and shutoff valves.
Step 2: Adjust the relief valve (or any other
pressure control valve that may be
used) to the lowest possible pressure
setting. This practice should always
be followed for safety reasons and to
check if this valve is working properly.
Step 3: Adjust the pressure switch to a high
setting. The pressure switch is set
high to close the switch contacts,
causing the de-vent directional valve
to energize, the relief valve to de-vent
and the pump to load after the motor
is started.
Step 4: Adjust the differential pressure ad-
justment of the pressure switch (if the
switch has such an adjustment) to its
minimum setting. On most machines,
the switch cover must be removed to
À nd this differential pressure adjust-
ment.
Step 5: Start the pump. The de-vent direc-
tional valve will energize and the
pump will run at the relief valve set-
ting. The pressure at the relief valve
at this time should be about 100 psi.
maximum.
Step 6: Decide on what the À nal pressure in
the accumulator is to be at the start
of the shot. This pressure should be
noted on the process set up sheet for
the die and machine being used. This
is the pressure required in the accu-
mulator at the time the shot cylinder
starts to move forward.
Step 7: Pre-charge the accumulator with
nitrogen to two thirds (2/3 = 0.667)
of the À nal required pressure. For
example, it the shot pressure is to
Accumulato r Systems Chapte r 8
be 1200 psi, charge the accumulator
with 800 psi of nitrogen. Nitrogen
that is put into the accumulator under
pressure before the hydraulic Á uid is
pumped in is referred to as the nitro-
gen pre-charge.
Note: Use the nitrogen charge valve on the ac-
cumulator for pre-charging. Use the regulating
valve on the nitrogen tank that is designed for
high pressure gas to set the pressure.
Step 8: Adjust the relief valve pressure set-
ting (or any other pressure control
valve that may be used) to equal the
À nal required pressure.
Step 9: Open the accumulator shut-off valve
to allow the hydraulic Á uid to enter
the accumulator. The pump will now
pump hydraulic Á uid into the accu-
mulator and compress the nitrogen
even farther creating stored hydrau-
lic energy. When the pressure in the
accumulator and at the relief valve
reaches the À nal required pressure
(i.e. the relief valve setting), the
hydraulic Á uid from the pump will
dump over the relief valve and not go
into the accumulator.
Note: If the procedure was properly followed,
the accumulator will be one third (1/3) full of
hydraulic † uid. The hydraulic † uid should be
at the mid point in the sight gauge on the ac-
cumulator for most machines.
Step 10: Adjust the pressure switch to lower
the pressure setting until the de-vent
directional valve de-energizes and the
relief valve vents. At that point, the
pump will unload and run at approxi-
mately 100 psi.
Step 11: Adjust the pressure switch one quar-
ter (1/4) turn more in the same (i.e.
lower pressure) direction. This adjust-
ment will set the pressure difference
between the relief valve and the pres-
sure switch at about 50 psi. As can
be seen, the pressure switch monitors
(not controls) the pressure in the ac-
cumulator. The relief valve controls
55
Chapte r 8 Accumulato r Systems
the pressure. To À nd the exact pres-
sure at which the pressure switch is
now set refer to the section on "Test
the Pressure Switch Setting" below.
Note: When the accumulator is charged to
the ü nal required pressure, no more † uid is
needed in the accumulator. The pumps are
now unloaded by using the relief valve venting
circuit. The purpose of this venting circuit is to
save power.
Note: The contacts in the pressure switch
being used to cause the de-vent directional
valve to energize are now open which allows
the de-vent valve to de-energize. The opposite
contacts in the switch are now closed. These
closed contacts allows (but does not actually
cause) the shot to be made. When the accumu-
lator pressure is below the required pressure,
the switch will not allow a shot to be made. It
is critical that this switch be properly adjusted.
Accumulator Charge Procedure for
Accumulators WITH Internal Pistons
Step 1: Drain all the hydraulic Á uid out of the
accumulator. Close the accumulator
drain and shutoff valves.
Step 2: Adjust the relief valve (or any other
pressure control valve that may be
used) to the lowest possible pressure
setting. This practice should always
be followed for safety reasons and to
check if this valve is working properly.
Step 3: Adjust the pressure switch to a high
setting. The pressure switch is set
high to close the switch contacts,
causing the de-vent directional valve
to energize, the relief valve to de-
vent and the pump to load after the
motor is started.
Step 4: Adjust the differential pressure
adjustment of the pressure switch (if
the switch has such an adjustment)
to its minimum setting. On most
machines, the switch cover must be
removed to À nd this differential pres-
sure adjustment.
56
Step 5: Decide on what the À nal pressure in
the accumulator is to be at the start
of the shot. This pressure should be
noted on the process set up sheet for
the die and machine being used. This
is the pressure required in the accu-
mulator at the time the shot cylinder
starts to move forward.
Step 6: Pre-charge the accumulator with ni-
trogen to what is speciÀ ed on the hy-
draulic circuit or tag on the machine.
For example, it the shot pressure is
to be 1000 psi, and the pre-charge
is 73%, then the nitrogen is charged
until it reaches 730 psi (1000 x 0.73).
Nitrogen that is put into the accumu-
lator under pressure before the hy-
draulic Á uid is pumped in is referred
to as the nitrogen pre-charge.
Note: Use the nitrogen charge valve on the ac-
cumulator for pre-charging. Use the regulating
valve on the nitrogen tank that is designed for
high pressure gas.
Step 7: Start the pump. The de-vent direction-
al valve will energize and the pump
will run at the relief valve setting. The
pressure at the relief valve at this time
should be about 100 psi. maximum.
Step 8: Adjust the relief valve pressure setting
(or any other pressure control valve
that may be used) to equal the À nal
required pressure. The pump will now
pump hydraulic Á uid into the accumu-
lator and compress the nitrogen even
farther creating stored hydraulic ener-
gy. When the pressure in the accumu-
lator and at the relief valve reaches the
À nal required pressure (i.e. the relief
valve setting), the hydraulic Á uid from
the pump will dump over the relief
valve and not go into the accumulator.
Step 9: Adjust the pressure switch to lower
the pressure setting until the de-vent
directional valve de-energizes and the
relief valve vents. At this time, the
pump will unload and run at approxi-
mately 100 psi.

Step 10: Adjust the pressure switch one quar-
ter (1/4) turn more in the same (i.e.
lower pressure) direction. This adjust-
ment will set the pressure difference
between the relief valve and the pres-
sure switch at about 50 psi. As can
be seen, the pressure switch monitors
(not controls) the pressure in the ac-
cumulator. The relief valve controls
the pressure. To À nd the exact pres-
sure at which the pressure switch is
now set refer to the section on "Test
the Pressure Switch Setting" below.
Note: When the accumulator is charged to
the ü nal required pressure, no more † uid is
needed in the accumulator. The pumps are
now unloaded by using the relief valve venting
circuit. The purpose of this venting circuit is to
save power.
Note: The contacts in the pressure switch be-
ing used to cause the de-vent directional valve
to energize is now open which allows the de-
vent valve to de-energize. The opposite contacts
in the switch are now closed. These closed con-
tacts allows (but does not actually cause) the
shot to be made. When the accumulator pres-
sure is below the required pressure, the switch
will not allow a shot to be made. It is critical
that this switch be properly adjusted.
Testing the Pressure Switch Setting
After completing the above "Accumulator
Charge Procedure", the exact pressure switch
setting is not known. The one quarter turn ad-
justment made to it after the de-vent direction-
al valve de-energized may not result in the best
setting. The following procedure determines the
actual setting and shows how to establish the
correct setting.
Note: Before this procedure is executed, the
pressure differential adjustment of the pressure
switch MUST be set to its minimum.
Step 1: Open the accumulator drain valve.
Hydraulic Á uid will drain out of the
accumulator lowering the pressure in
the accumulator. When the pressure
drops low enough to trip the contacts
in the pressure switch, the de-vent
Accumulato r Systems Chapte r 8
directional valve de-energizes, the
relief valve will de-vent and the
pump will be loaded.
Step 2: Close the accumulator drain valve.
The accumulator pressure will recov-
er up to the pressure switch setting
and the de-vent directional valve will
again de-energize.
Step 3: Read the pressure on the accumu-
lator pressure gage. The pressure
read is the pressure setting of the
pressure switch. It must be between
50 and 75 psi lower than the À nal
required pressure. If it is not within
that range, adjust the setting and
repeat the procedure.
Note: The difference between the pressure
switch setting and the ü nal required pressure
is not something to be concerned about. When
the machine begins to close in the semi-auto
or auto cycle the de-vent directional valve will
be energized by other contacts in the machine
control circuit. The energizing of the de-vent di-
rectional valve causes the accumulator to "top
off" to the relief valve setting before the shot is
made. So every shot will have the same accu-
mulator pressure at the beginning of the shot.
Changing the Accumulator Pressure
Step 1: Put the machine in to MANUAL
CYCLE MODE.
Step 2: Adjust the pressure switch to a high
pressure setting. This adjustment
causes the de-vent directional valve to
energize and the relief valve to de-
vent. The pump will then be running
at the relief valve setting.
Step 3a: TO INCREASE PRESSURE: Add
nitrogen until the À nal required pres-
sure is reached. Read the pressure on
the accumulator pressure gage.
Increase the pressure setting on the
relief valve until the À nal required
pressure is reached. Read the pres-
sure on the gage on the relief valve.
57
Chapte r 8 Accumulato r Systems
Step 3b: TO DECREASE PRESSURE: Lower
the setting of the relief valve until the
À nal required pressure is reached.
Read the pressure on the gage on the
relief valve.
Blow off nitrogen from the accumula-
tor until the À nal required pressure
is reached. Read the pressure on the
accumulator pressure gage.
Step 4: Adjust the pressure switch as de-
scribed in the "Testing the Pressure
Switch Setting" above.
Troubleshooting Typical
Problems with Accumulators
WITHOUT Internal Pistons
Problem 1:
The Á uid rises higher in the accumulator over a
long period of time while the machine is running.
Cause:
Nitrogen leak.
Fix:
Check all ü ttings that are exposed to the nitrogen.
Tighten the ü ttings that are leaking. Note: Never
tighten ü ttings with the accumulator charged.
Completely drain the accumulator before per-
forming any work.
Problem 2:
The shot relay will not energize, so the shot
cycle will not start.
Causes:
1. The pressure switch is set too high and the pres-
sure in the accumulator will not trip the switch.
2. The relief valve setting is too low. The pressure
in the accumulator is not high enough to trip the
pressure switch.
3. The relief and/or de-vent directional valves are
worn, keeping the pressure in the accumulator
from building up to the required level.
58
Fix:
1. Adjust the pressure switch to the correct setting.
2. Adjust the relief valve to the ü nal required
pressure.
3. Repair or replace the relief and/or de-vent direc-
tional valve.
Problem 3:
The accumulator does not recover to the same
pressure level each cycle.
Cause:
1. The relief valve and/or de-vent directional valves
are worn causing the pressure at the relief valve
and accumulator to vary from one cycle to the
next.
2. The de-vent directional valve is not being ener-
gized at the correct time in the cycle.
3. The pump is losing volume.
Fix:
1. Repair or replace the relief valve and/or the de-
vent directional valve.
2. Check the electrical circuit.
3. Check the pump for volume efü ciency and repair
or replace the pump if needed.
Problem 4:
The Á uid level in the accumulator continues to
drop during the time the shot rod is forward.
Cause:
The shot cylinder and/or the shot valves are leak-
ing allowing a continuous † ow of hydraulic † uid
from the accumulator to the reservoir during the
dwell time in the cycle.. The most likely cause for
the leakage is component wear.
Fix:
Repair the shot cylinder and/or the shot valves.
Problem 5:
The shot does not "hit hard" (the condition is
sometimes referred to as a "spongy" shot) and

the hydraulic Á uid level in the accumulator
drops too low during the shot forward stroke.
Cause:
1. Air in the shot cylinder
2. Aerated hydraulic † uid
Fix:
1. Bleed the air out of the shot cylinder when the
piston is forward and under pressure. Use a high
pressure hose and needle valve and direct the
† uid into a container.
2. Shut the machine down until the air has come
out of the † uid. This can, in some instances, take
several days. The aerated † uid may have to be
replaced, the aerated † uid stored to allow the air
to come out, and then the † uid is used later.
Problem 6:
Sight gage leaks
Fix:
Disassemble the leaking joint and reassemble using
new sealant and/or gaskets.
Note: Never tighten a ü tting with the accu-
mulator under pressure. Completely drain the
accumulator of hydraulic † uid and nitrogen
before performing any work on it.
Note: When replacing seals and/or gaskets
on the sight gage, follow the manufacturer's
recommendations.
Problem 7:
The accumulator drains when the machine is
not running.
Cause:
The accumulator pilot operated check valve, the
charge line check valve, the pressure switch or the
accumulator drain valve is leaking internally.
Fix:
Check each valve and determine which one is leak-
ing. Drain the accumulator completely of hydrau-
lic † uid and nitrogen and repair/replace the
leaking valve.
Accumulato r Systems Chapte r 8
Problem 8:
The accumulator drains down with the accu-
mulator shut off valve closed.
Cause:
The shut off valve leaks, and also the above problem
7 exists.
Fix:
Drain all the hydraulic † uid and nitrogen from the
accumulator and repair or replace the shut off
valve. Then return to problem 7.
Troubleshooting Typical
Problems with Accumulators
with Internal Pistons
Problem 1:
The pressure in the accumulator drops too low
during the forward stroke of the shot.
Cause:
1. The nitrogen pressure is too low.
2. The seals on the accumulator piston are leaking
Fix:
1. Recharge the accumulator
2. Blow off the nitrogen SLOWLY by opening the
charge valve (the pump must be left running).
Allow time for the piston to reach the top of the
accumulator. If hydraulic † uid comes out of the
charge valve, the piston seal needs to be replaced.
Problem 2:
There is too much pressure drop during the
shot forward stroke.
Cause:
1. Nitrogen leak. The seal on the top of the accumu-
lator and/or the seals and ü tting in the charge
line may be leaking.
2. The nitrogen charge valve may not be tightly
closed.
59
Chapte r 8 Accumulato r Systems
Fix:
1. Check for leaks and make necessary repairs
2. Tighten the charge valve. It is advisable to put
a pipe plug in the valve outlet to help seal the
nitrogen.
Problem 3:
The plunger comes to a near stop during the
forward stroke and then continues forward very
slowly.
Cause:
The accumulator ran out of hydraulic † uid because
the piston had reached the bottom. The percent of
nitrogen is too high.
Fix:
Charge the accumulator with the correct amount
of nitrogen. Follow the "Charging Accumulator
Procedure".
Problem 4:
The pressure level in the accumulator continues
to drop during the time the shot rod is forward.
Cause:
The shot cylinder is leaking. The most likely compo-
nent in the cylinder assembly that needs repair is
the piston rings or the cylinder sleeve.
Fix:
Disassemble the shot cylinder and repair or replace
the worn parts.
Problem 5:
The accumulator does not recover to the same
pressure after each cycle.
Cause:
1. The relief valve and/or directional valves are
worn.
2. The de-vent directional valve is not being ener-
gized at the start of the machine close cycle.
3. The pump is loosing volume
60
Fix:
4. Repair or replace the relief valve and/or the de-
vent directional valve.
5. Check the electrical circuit. The de-vent direc-
tional valve must be energized each cycle as the
machine starts to close.
6. Check the pump for volume efü ciency and repair
or replace the pump if needed.
Problem 6:
The accumulator drains when the machine is
not running.
Cause:
The accumulator pilot operated check valve, the
charge line check valve, the pressure switch or the
accumulator drain valve is leaking internally.
Fix:
Check each valve and determine which one is leak-
ing. Drain the accumulator completely of hydrau-
lic † uid and nitrogen and repair/replace the
leaking valve.
Problem 7:
The de-vent directional valve energizes and de-
energizes every few seconds.
Cause:
1. The pilot operated check valve and/or charge line
check valve is leaking.
2. The accumulator drain is not closed.
3. The nitrogen pre-charge is too low.
Fix:
1. Repair or replace the valves.
2. Close the accumulator drain valve.
3. Recharge the accumulator. Follow the "Recharg-
ing Accumulator" procedure.
Problem 8:
The shot relay will not energize, so the shot
cycle will not start.

Cause:
1. The pressure switch is set too high and the pres-
sure in the accumulator will not trip the switch.
2. The relief valve setting is too low. The pressure
in the accumulator is not high enough to trip the
pressure switch.
3. The relief and/or de-vent directional valves are
worn, keeping the pressure in the accumulator
from building up to the required level.
Fix:
1. Adjust the pressure switch to the correct setting.
2. Adjust the relief valve to the ü nal required pressure.
3. Repair or replace the relief and/or de-vent direc-
tional valve.
Problem 9:
The shot does not "hit hard" (the condition is
sometimes referred to as a "spongy" shot) and
the hydraulic Á uid level in the accumulator
drops too low during the shot forward stroke.
Cause:
1. Air in the shot cylinder
2. Aerated hydraulic † uid
Fix:
1. Bleed the air out of the shot cylinder when the
piston is forward and under pressure. Use a high
pressure hose and needle valve and direct the
† uid into a container.
2. Shut the machine down until the air has come
out of the † uid. This can, in some instances, take
several days. The aerated † uid may have to be
replaced, and the aerated † uid stored to allow
the air to come out, and then used later.
Problem 10:
The pressure in the intensiÀ cation accumulator
drops too low during intensiÀ cation.
Cause:
1. The nitrogen pre-charge is too low.
2. The seals on the accumulator piston are leaking.
Accumulato r Systems Chapte r 8
3. The intensiü cation signal is too early allowing
the † uid from the intensiü cation accumulator to
enter the shot cylinder before the end of the stroke.
Fix:
1. Increase the nitrogen pre-charge.
2. While the pump is running, blow off the nitrogen by
slowly opening the nitrogen charge valve. The pis-
ton will go the top of the cylinder. If † uid comes out
of the charge line, the piston seal must be replaced.
3. Start the intensiü cation later in the shot cylinder
stroke.
Problem 11:
The pressure in the intensiÀ cation accumula-
tor, and in the shot cylinder, continue to drop
during the intensiÀ cation hold time.
Cause:
1. Hydraulic † uid is leaking past the piston rings
in the shot cylinder.
2. The intensiü er pilot operated check valve is leaking.
Fix:
1. Repair the shot cylinder.
2. Repair or replace the intensiü er or the pilot oper-
ated check valve.
Review Questions:
1. Accumulators are used on die casting machines to:
a. Cushion the shot
b. Store hydraulic power
c. Save energy
2. The term "nitrogen pre-charge" refers to:
a. Nitrogen in the accumulator under pressure
before the hydraulic † uid is pumped in.
b. Using nitrogen to move hydraulic † uid
c. Compressing nitrogen when hydraulic † uid
is pumped into the accumulator.
3. The function of the nitrogen is to:
a. Hold the hydraulic † uid at the bottom of the
accumulator
61
Chapte r 8 Accumulato r Systems

b. Develop pressure 10. If an accumulator is pre-charged with nitrogen

to a pressure of 666 psi and reaches 1000 psi
c. Compress under pressure to store energy
when the hydraulic Á uid is pumped in, the Á uid
4. The term " À nal required pressure" is the: level will be:

a. Required pressure in the accumulator at the
start of the shot.
b. Pressure on the metal when the cavity is full.
c. Pressure in the shot cylinder.
5. The component in the system that controls the
À nal required pressure is the:
a. Pressure switch.
b. Relief valve.
c. Pump.
6. When the de-vent directional control valve de-en-
ergizes, the:
a. One half of the way up in the accumulator.
b. Two thirds of the way up in the accumulator.
c. One third of the way up in the accumulator.
11. When hydraulic Á uid is taken out of an accumu-
lator, the pressure in the accumulator goes:
a. Up.
b. Down.
c. Stays the same.
12. If nitrogen leaks from the accumulator while the
machine is running, the Á uid level in the accu-
mulator goes:

a. Relief valve vents and pump unloads. a. Down.

b. Pump vents. b. Stays the same, but the pressure drops.

c. Accumulator unloads. c. Up.

7. Venting circuits are used to:

a. Control the accumulator pressure

b. Give the pump a rest

c. Save power

8. Pressure switches:

a. Monitor the accumulator pressure

b. Control the accumulator pressure

c. Set the maximum system pressure

9. The pressure switch must be set:

a. Higher than the relief valve setting

b. Lower than the relief valve setting

c. The same as the relief valve setting.

62
 CHAP T E R

NINE

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE
SUMMARY

The productivity of a die casting machine will Clamp System

gradually deteriorate if the machine is not
properly maintained. Often the loss of produc- The machine must be level
tivity is gradual and not noticed. Even when
The rails and plate supports must be in good
the poor performance is recognized, it is not al- condition
ways attributed to the gradual deterioration of
the machine. Such deterioration in performance The tie bars and locking mechanism (i.e. linkage)
can be a major cost factor for the die casting must be parallel to the base
facility, and it occurs long before the machine
Plates
actually breaks and quits working altogether.
The front plate must be perpendicular to the base
The following sections identify the major The plates must not be bent
machine conditions that must be checked
periodically and put back in order if found to There must be no "caved in" areas where the die
have deteriorated. Such checking and À xing makes contact with the plate
before noticeable loss of performance is preven- The "T" slots must be in good condition with
tive maintenance. The die casting management no cracks
must decide how often to perform the checks on
each condition and develop a preventive main- The tie bars and load indicators must be in good
tenance schedule. Then the production schedule working order
must provide time for the preventive mainte- The linkage and bearing housing must have
nance when it is to be done. minimal wear
Chapte r 9 Prevent ive Maintenance Summa r y

The traveling plate supports must be supporting
the plate so there is no weight applied to the tie
bars
Die carriers must be used when needed
The machine lubrication system must be working
properly
Ejector System
Shot System: Hot Chamber
The gooseneck must locate in the saddle ("A"
frame) to maintain alignment between the goose-
neck bore and the hydraulic shot cylinder
The saddle supporting bushings must be in good
condition and greased with high temperature
grease so the nozzle adjustment and force can be
maintained

The load bearing surfaces of the plunger coupler,

The bumper pins must be straight and of equal
length hydraulic piston rod and plunger must be Á at
and perpendicular to the shot cylinder center line
The pull back rods must be equal in length and
The spring tension and hydraulic pressure in the
tight
saddle bar cylinders must be to speciÀ cations
The surface of the ejector plate must be smooth
and even where the bumper pins contact it

Shot System: Cold Chamber

The shot cylinder must be aligned with the bore
in the front plate

The bore in the front plate where the cold cham-

ber is located/held must not be worn and must
have the correct clearance to the cold chamber

The outside diameter of the plunger tip must be

concentric to the thread on the plunger rod

The plunger rod must be straight and the end of

the coupler that carries the load must be Á at and
perpendicular to the center line of the rod

The coupler must be free of wear so it properly

couples the rod to the hydraulic cylinder's piston
rod and supports the plunger rod

64
 CHAP T E R

APPENDIX A

REVIEW QUESTION ANSWERS

Chapte r Appendix A Review Quest ion Answe rs

Answers in Bold

Chapter 2 Clamp System Review Questions

1. What are the functions of the clamp system of the machine:

a. Open and close the die on a straight line keeping the parting surfaces parallel.

b. Provide clamping force.

c. Provide power for moving cores in the die and for ejection.

2. List three things for which clamping force is needed:

a. Hold the die closed against the force of the metal.

b. Seal off the die parting line.

c. Operate core slides and locks

3. How is the clamping force developed?

Machine components compress/de † ect and the tie bars stretch.

4. How is the clamping force of the machine monitored and controlled?

By measuring and controlling how much the tie bars stretch.

5. How can the casting process and quality of the casting be affected if the clamping force is too
high? It will be difü cult for the die to vent.

6. If the die is not positioned on the machine centerline will the clamping force of the individual tie
bars be affected? Yes, the load on the tie bar closest to the die will be the highest.

7. The limit as to how far an individual tie bar may be adjusted away from the "home" position is

a. +/- 5%

b. +/1 25%

c. +/- 10%

of the maximum rated tie bar load.

8. If an 8 inch diameter tie bar stretches 0.0139 inches over 40 inches of length, what is the load on
the tie bar?
260 tons

66
 Review Quest ion Answe rs Chapte r Appendix A

Answers in Bold

Chapter 3 Dies Review Questions

1. What is the ideal minimum die size for a machine?
50% of the plate surface area between the tie bar centers.

2. If a die is too small for a machine what damage that can occur to the machine?
The traveling and front plates will become bent.

3. What is the maximum surface loading recommended on the machine plates?

10,000 psi

4. The machine provides clamping force. If that force is used effectively depends on the die.
True

5. If a die is not centered between the tie bars of the machine the load on the tie bars is affected.
True

6. Will the total available clamping force be affected if the die is not centered between the tie bars?
Yes

67
Chapte r Appendix A Review Quest ion Answe rs

Answers in Bold

Chapter 4 Ejector Systems Review Questions

1. One of the functions of the die is to eject the casting.
True

2. The die casting machine provides the power to eject the casting.
True

3. The lengths of all the ejector rods must be the same within:
0.005 inch

4. If a casting is not ejected from the cavity in a straight line, the casting may become __________.
bent or cracked

5. Name the three types of ejector systems.

a. Bumper plate

b. Center hydraulic

c. Hydraulic bumper place

68
 Review Quest ion Answe rs Chapte r Appendix A

Answers in Bold

Chapter 5 Cold Chamber Shot System Review Questions

1. What are the three functions of the shot system?

1. Provide plunger velocity

2. Provide a position to change the plunger velocity

3. Provides a pressure or force

2. What are the four phases of the shot process and the primary purpose of each?

1. Slow shot velocity: Controls the wave formation of metal in the cold
chamber while the chamber is being ü lled

2. Slow to fast velocity transition: Provide a velocity transition at the

desired position

3. Fast shot velocity: Provides the desired gate velocity and cavity ü lling time

4. Pressure or force: Provides the required metal pressure during casting

solidi ü cation

3. What is the purpose of the critical slow shot speed?

To keep the air ahead of the metal and up the runner and out the die vents

4. What is the function of the "C" Frame?

To support the shot cylinder and to maintain its alignment to the cold chamber.

5. What does and intensiü er do and what is the purpose?

Increases the output force of the shot cylinder so the plunger moves forward after the
cavity is full and while the solidifying metal is shrinking.

69
Chapte r Appendix A Review Quest ion Answe rs

Answers in Bold

Chapter 6 Hot Chamber Shot System Review Questions

1. What are the three functions of the shot system?

1. Provide plunger velocity

2. Provide a position to change the plunger velocity

3. Provides a pressure or force

2. What are the four phases of the shot process and the primary purpose of each?

1. Slow shot velocity: Controls the wave formation of metal in the

cold chamber while the chamber is being ü lled

2. Slow to fast velocity transition: Provide a velocity transition at

the desired position

3. Fast shot velocity: Provides the desired gate velocity and cavity ü lling time

4. Pressure or force: Provides the required metal pressure during

casting solidi ü cation

3. What is the purpose of the slow shot speed?

Close the gooseneck ü ll hole and start the metal up the gooseneck and nozzle giving
time for some of the air to get out of the die vents before the fast shot starts.

4. What is the function of the "A" Frame?

To support and maintain alignment between the hydraulic shot cylinder and the
gooseneck bore; and to hold the gooseneck and nozzle tightly against the die sprue.

5. What is the purpose of the plunger pressure during casting solidiü cation?
Apply pressure to the molten metal to feed shrinkage in the casting as the shrinkage
develops during solidi ü cation.

6. What is the purpose of saddle cylinders?

Hold the nozzle against the die to keep the force of the metal pressure from moving
the nozzle away from the die.

7. When plunger drift increases, what does it indicate?

Plunger rings are worn and are leaking.

70
 Review Quest ion Answe rs Chapte r Appendix A

Answers in Bold

Chapter 7 Measuring Machine Capabilities Review Questions

1. List some of the data that you must collect during a capability study.

1. Velocity

2. Positions of velocity changes

3. Pressure

4. Time

5. Clamping force

2. How, and for what purpose, can these data collected in question 1, be used?

1. Determining if a machine is capable to run a given job.

2. Helping determine the cause of problems when they occur.

3. Comparing with data collected on future capability tests.

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Chapte r Appendix A Review Quest ion Answe rs

Answers in Bold

Chapter 8 Accumulator Systems Review Questions

1. Accumulators are used on die casting machines to:
Store hydraulic power

2. The term "nitrogen pre-charge" refers to:

Nitrogen in the accumulator under pressure before the hydraulic † uid is pumped in.

3. The function of the nitrogen is to:

Compress under pressure to store energy

4. The term " ü nal required pressure" is the:

Required pressure in the accumulator at the start of the shot.

5. The component in the system that controls the ü nal required pressure is the:
Relief valve.

6. When the de-vent directional control valve de-energizes, the:

Relief valve vents and pump unloads.

7. Venting circuits are used to:

Save power

8. Pressure switches:
Monitor the accumulator pressure

9. The pressure switch must be set:

Lower than the relief valve setting

10. If an accumulator is pre-charged with nitrogen to a pressure of 666 psi and reaches 1000 psi
when the hydraulic † uid is pumped in, the † uid level will be:
One third of the way up in the accumulator.

11. When hydraulic † uid is taken out of an accumulator, the pressure in the accumulator goes:
Down.

12. If nitrogen leaks from the accumulator while the machine is running, the † uid level in the ac-
cumulator goes:
Up.

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 CHAP T E R

APPENDIX B

MASTER TEST BLOCK

Hot Roll Bars

Hot Roll Plate

1. The Master Test Block must be made to À t the 2. The thickness of the "Hot Roll Plates" should be:
machine for which it will be used. For best
results the block must cover at least 50% of the 200 thru 400 ton 3" thick
plate surface between the ti bar centers. Tie 500 ton 4" thick
bar centers multiplied by 0.707 will equal the
minimum length of one side of the block. The 600 and 800 ton 5" thick
block must be square. The thickness of the block 1000 thru 1600 ton 6" thick
must match the die height speciÀ cations of the
1600 ton and above 8" thick
machine.

Example: 3. The "Hot Roll Bars" must be equal to the tie

800 ton = tie bar centers of 44"
44 * 0.707 = 31"
The Master Test Block for an 800 ton must be 31"
square. A larger block will be an advantage but
for convenience it should À t between the tie bars.
bar diameter of the machine for which it is be-
ing used.
When a Master Test Block is used that is smaller
than the above recommendations, it is advisable
to not apply the full tonnage of the machine.
Chapte r Appendix B Maste r Test Block

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