# US 2018/0021852 A1 · System and method for transporting molen metal > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0021852 A1 - Document ID: US20180021852A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/552,406 - Filed: 2015-03-04 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2015-03-04 - Assignees: Sintokogio, Ltd.; Fujiwa Denki Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Sintokogio. Ltd.; Fujiwa Denki Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Tadashi NISHIDA; Masanori HOSHINO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180021852A1 ## CPC - B22D 41/12: Travelling ladles or similar containers; Cars for ladles (casting cranes B66C) - B22D: CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES (shaping of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29C; metallurgical processing, selection of substances to be added to metal C21, C22) ## Abstract To provide a system and a method for transporting molten metal, in which feeding an alloyed metal to a ladle for reaction is automated, in which transporting molten metal from the ladle for reaction to the pouring machine is automated, and in which a cast product with stable qualities is safely produced. The system (1) for transporting molten metal from a furnace (F) to a pouring machine (100) comprises a ladle (10) for reaction, a device (50) for feeding an alloyed metal, a ladle (60) for pouring, a bogie (20) for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring, and a bogie (70) for transporting the ladle for pouring, and a pouring machine (100). The bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring has a controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring. The bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring has a controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring. At least two of the controllers among the controller for the pouring machine, the controller for the device for feeding an alloyed metal, the controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring, and the controller for the bogie for transporting the ladle for pouring, are linked for the data communication. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for transporting molten metal from a furnace to a pouring machine comprising: a ladle for reaction that receives molten metal from the furnace so as to transfer the molten metal to a ladle for pouring; a device for feeding an alloyed metal that feeds an alloyed metal to the ladle for reaction; the ladle for pouring that receives the molten metal from the ladle for reaction and that transports the molten metal to the pouring machine; a bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring, which bogie moves the ladle for reaction among a position for feeding the alloyed metal where the device for feeding an alloyed metal puts the alloyed metal in the ladle for reaction, a position for receiving the molten metal where the ladle for reaction receives the molten metal from the furnace, and a position for transferring the molten metal where the ladle for reaction transfers the molten metal to the ladle for pouring; a bogie for transporting the ladle for pouring that moves the ladle for pouring from the position for transferring the molten metal so as to transfer the ladle for pouring to the pouring machine; and the pouring machine that receives the ladle for pouring from the bogie for transporting the ladle for pouring and that pours the molten metal into a mold; wherein the pouring machine has a controller for controlling the pouring machine, wherein the device for feeding an alloyed metal has a controller for controlling the device for feeding an alloyed metal, wherein the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring has a controller for controlling the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring, wherein the bogie for transporting the ladle for pouring has a controller for controlling the bogie for transporting the ladle for pouring, and wherein at least two of the controllers among the controller for the pouring, machine, the controller for the device for feeding an alloyed metal, the controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring, and the controller for the bogie for transporting the ladle for pouring, are linked for data communication. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system for transporting molten metal of claim 1, wherein the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring has a first weighing scale that weighs the ladle for reaction, wherein the data on the weight of the ladle for reaction that has been measured by the first weighing scale is transmitted to the controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring, wherein the pouring machine has a second weighing scale that weighs the ladle for pouring, wherein the data on the weight of the ladle for pouring that has been measured by the second weighing scale is transmitted to the controller for the pouring machine, wherein the controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring receives, as first data of information on weight, data on the weight of the molten metal in the ladle for reaction when the molten metal from the furnace has been received by the ladle for reaction, and wherein the controller for the pouring machine receives, as second data of information on weight, data on the weight of the molten metal in the ladle for pouring, which molten metal has been transferred from the ladle for reaction, and further receives the first data of information on weight from the controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring, the controller for the pouring, machine generating an error signal when a difference between the first data of information on weight and the second data of information on weight exceeds a predetermined first threshold. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system for transporting molten metal of claim 2, wherein the alloyed metal includes magnesium, and wherein the controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring detects a start of fading in the ladle for reaction by means of a variation of the weight that is measured by the first weighing scale. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system for transporting molten metal of claim 3, wherein, when the start of fading is detected, the controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring sends a fading-started signal to indicate that fading has started or sends a fading-time signal that is an elapsed time calculated from the start of fading, to another controller. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system for transporting molten metal of claim 4, wherein the controller for the pouring machine generates an error signal if the time that is calculated from the fading-started signal or the elapsed time from the start of fading that is received from any other controller exceeds a second threshold before the weight of the molten metal in the ladle for pouring becomes less than a predetermined weight. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) The system for transporting molten metal of any of claims 1-5, wherein the device for feeding an alloyed metal has a hopper for weighing that stores an. alloyed metal to be put into the ladle for reaction and a third weighing scale that measures the weight of the alloyed metal in the hopper for weighing, wherein data on the weight of the alloyed metal that is measured by means of the third weighing scale is transmitted to the controller for the device for feeding an alloyed metal as third data of information on weight, wherein the controller for the device for feeding an alloyed metal transmits the third data of information on weight to the controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring, wherein the first weighing scale measures the weight of the alloyed metal that is put into the ladle for reaction to transmit the data on the weight to the controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring as fourth data of information on weight, and wherein the controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring generates an error signal if a difference between the third data of information on weight and the fourth data of information on weight exceeds a predetermined third threshold. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The system for transporting molten metal of claim 2, wherein the first weighing scale measures a weight of the ladle for reaction before the alloyed metal is put in the ladle for reaction, to transmit the data on weight to the controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring as fifth data of information on weight, wherein the first weighing scale measures the weight of the ladle for reaction after the molten metal is transferred to the ladle for pouring, to transmit the data on weight to the controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring as sixth data of information on weight, and wherein the controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring generates an error signal if a difference between the fifth data of information on weight and the sixth data of information on weight exceeds a predetermined fourth threshold. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system for transporting molten metal of claim 1, further comprising: a device for inoculating while transferring the molten metal, the device inoculating the molten metal with an inoculant, which molten metal is being transferred from the ladle for reaction to the ladle for pouring. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The system for transporting molten metal of claim 6, wherein at least two of the positions among the position for feeding the alloyed metal, the position for receiving the molten metal, and the position for transferring the molten metal where the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring travels, are the same. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system for transporting molten metal of claim 9, wherein the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring has a device for tilting that supports and tilts the ladle for reaction so as to transfer the molten metal from the ladle for reaction to the ladle for pouring. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system for transporting molten metal of claim 10, wherein the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring has a body of the bogie that has wheels to travel on a track, and a pantagraph-type device for vertically moving a table, which device is provided on the body of the bogie and vertically moves the device for tilting by means of a pantagraph. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system for transporting molten metal of claim 10, wherein the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring has a body of the bogie that has wheels to travel on a track, guiding columns that are provided on the body of the bogie, a vertically-moving table that horizontally extends from the guiding columns, that vertically moves above the bogie, and that mounts the device for tilting thereon, and a device for vertically moving the table. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The system for transporting molten metal of claim 10, wherein the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring has a body of the bogie that has wheels to travel on a track and a roller conveyor that is provided on the body of the bogie and that moves the ladle for reaction, and wherein the device for tilting has a shaft for transferring the molten metal, which shaft holds the ladle for reaction at a center line to tilt the ladle for reaction, a sector gear that is connected to the ladle for reaction at a position that is different from the center line, to tilt the ladle for reaction, and a driver for driving the sector gear, ### Claim 14 (depends on 6) The system for transporting molten metal of claim 6, wherein the device for feeding an alloyed metal has a plurality of hoppers that store the alloyed metal, a plurality of hoppers for weighing that feed a predetermined amount of the alloyed metal from the plurality of the hoppers to a chute, a plurality of the third weighing scales, and a plurality of gates that supply the alloyed metal that has been measured by the hoppers for weighing to the chute, and wherein the third data of information on weight is the sum of the weights that are measured by the respective third weighing scales. ### Claim 15 A method for transporting molten metal from a furnace to a pouring machine, comprising the steps of: transporting a ladle for reaction that receives molten metal from the furnace and that transfers the molten metal to a ladle for pouring to a position for feeding an alloyed metal, where the alloyed metal is put in the ladle for reaction; putting the alloyed metal in the ladle for reaction; transporting the ladle for reaction in which the alloyed metal has been put in to a position for receiving the molten metal from the furnace; causing the ladle for reaction to receive molten metal from the furnace, which ladle for reaction has been transported to the position for receiving the molten metal; transporting the ladle for reaction that has received the molten metal to a position for transferring the molten metal where the molten metal is transferred to the ladle for pouring; and transferring the molten metal from the ladle for reaction, which has been transported to the position for transferring the molten metal, to the ladle for pouring; wherein a first difference in the weights is calculated by using a weight of the molten metal that has been transferred from the ladle for reaction to the ladle for pouring by weighing the ladle for reaction and using a weight of the molten metal that has been transferred to the ladle for pouring by weighing the ladle for pouring, and wherein the method further comprises the step of generating an error signal if the first difference in the weights exceeds a first threshold, ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method for transporting molten metal of claim 15 further comprising the steps of: weighing the ladle for reaction that has received the molten metal from the furnace to detect a start of fading based on a variation of the weight and calculating an elapsed time from the start of fading; and generating an error signal if the elapsed time from the start of fading exceeds a predetermined second threshold before the weight of the molten metal in the ladle for pouring after having poured the molten metal into a mold becomes less than a predetermined weight. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15, 16) The method for transporting molten metal of claim 15 or 16 further comprising the steps of: calculating a second difference in the weights based on a weight of the alloyed metal that is to be put in the ladle for reaction and a weight of the alloyed metal that has been put in the ladle for reaction by weighing the ladle for reaction; and generating an error signal if the second difference in the weights exceeds a third threshold. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method for transporting molten metal of claim 15, wherein at least two of the position for feeding the alloyed racial, the position for transferring the molten metal, and the position for receiving the molten metal, are the same, so that in the step of transporting the ladle for reaction the ladle for reaction is not transported between the same positions. ### Claim 19 A system for transporting molten metal from a furnace to a pouring machine comprising: a ladle for reaction that receives molten metal from the furnace so as to transfer the molten metal to a ladle for pouring; a device for feeding an alloyed metal that feeds an alloyed metal to the ladle for reaction; the ladle for pouring that receives the molten metal from the ladle for reaction and that pours the molten metal into a mold; a bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring, which bogie moves the ladle for reaction among a position for feeding the alloyed metal where the device for feeding an alloyed metal puts the alloyed metal in the ladle for reaction, a position for receiving the molten metal where the ladle for reaction receives the molten metal from the furnace, and a position for transferring the molten metal where the ladle for reaction transfers the molten metal to the ladle for pouring; and a pouring machine that pours the molten metal in the ladle for pouring into the mold; wherein the pouring machine has a controller for controlling the pouring machine, wherein the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring has a controller for controlling the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring, and wherein the controller for controlling the pouring machine and the controller for controlling the bogie for receiving molten metal are linked for data communication.