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US 12,280,950 B2Granted
Sow casting automated guided vehicle
AssigneeStas Inc.
InventorsJoel Murray, Nicolas Bauret, Caroline Boily, Jean-Michel Tremblay-Goupille
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An automated guided vehicle (AGV) including a frame, ground-contacting elements connected to the frame for supporting the AGV and a heat shield is used in an automated sow casting facility. AGVs are adapted to get hold of, to move and to release moulds used for producing sows. A method of operating the casting facility involving AGVs to move moulds between stations is also described.
Claims20
A method for producing sows from liquid metal cast into moulds, the method comprises:
- providing a plurality of stations, each one of the stations adapted for performing one of different tasks in the producing of the sows, each one of the stations having one or more dedicated positions and operating at a dedicated rate in terms of number of sows per time unit, wherein, during the producing of the sows, tasks relative to producing sows are performed in a preset order;
- providing a plurality of moulds movable independently to one another between the one or more dedicated positions of the stations;
- providing support structures, each one of the support structures adapted to hold at least one of the plurality of moulds, the support structures comprising members configured to provide space underneath;
- and
- providing a plurality of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) capable of independently moving between the stations, the AGVs being able to move one of the moulds from any one of the dedicated positions of the stations to any other one of the dedicated positions of the stations,
- wherein the space underneath the support structures allows any one of the AGVs to take place underneath.
3 more elements
A method for producing sows from liquid metal cast into moulds, the method comprises:
- providing a plurality of stations for performing different tasks in the producing of the sows, each one of the stations having one or more dedicated positions and operating at a dedicated rate in terms of number of sows per time unit, wherein, during the producing of the sows, tasks relative to producing sows are performed in a preset order;
- providing a plurality of moulds movable independently between the one or more dedicated positions of the stations;
- providing support structures on which are individually placed a held one of the moulds, wherein each of the support structures comprises upwardly extending prongs for hindering horizontal movements of the held one of the moulds;
- and
- providing a plurality of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) capable of independently moving between the stations, the AGVs being able to move one of the moulds from any one of the dedicated positions of the stations to any other one of the dedicated positions of the stations,
- wherein the support structures comprise members configured to provide space underneath for any one of the AGVs to take place underneath.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.