At a plant handling material preparation and processing for foundry operations, manual loading of foundry sand had become a serious operational burden. Every day, workers manually moved around 20 tons of material, which not only slowed production but also created a high risk of injury and the associated compensation costs.
The end result was not only higher efficiency, but also a marked improvement in ergonomics and safety across the entire production process.
The Challenge
In the sand-casting process, manually shoveling sand into molding boxes (the top and bottom parts of the mold) was one of the most physically demanding tasks in the entire plant.
At the client’s foundry, this looked as follows: each worker carried and shoveled an average of around 20 tons of sand per day, completing as many as 70–80 molds in a single shift. The sand had a very high density — around 1,600 kg/m³ — which further increased the physical effort required.
This heavy physical load led to frequent injuries and health problems among workers, generating very high costs for the company related to compensation claims and absences.
As workers became fatigued, production output also declined. This had a direct impact on order fulfillment delays and the foundry’s customer satisfaction levels.
An additional challenge was the conveying of the foundry sand itself. The material contained a lot of moisture, making it heavy and difficult to move through standard conveying systems. The foundry’s management knew they needed a solution built specifically to address these particular technological and organizational problems.
The Solution
After a series of site visits and material testing, a specially tailored sand conveying system was developed. A drag conveyor with a built-in hopper was used, designed to operate under the demanding conditions of a foundry.
Key elements of the implemented solution:
- The system was fitted with an integrated stainless-steel tank with a smooth, easy-to-clean surface. Sand is loaded directly into the hopper using loaders.
- To prevent the moist sand from blocking, an agitator and a vibratory system were installed to maintain even material flow.
- A screener was added at the system’s inlet to remove larger contaminants, such as aluminum fragments or other unwanted objects.
- The main conveying assembly was built from highly durable metal alloys resistant to abrasion and the intensive use typical of foundry operations.
- The components responsible for moving the sand were made from a durable, wear-resistant material. As a result, the system runs quieter, and sand adheres less to the equipment’s surfaces.
- The entire construction was designed to require minimal maintenance and to operate continuously even under demanding production conditions.
After the new solution was implemented, the need for manually shoveling sand into molds was completely eliminated. The operator’s role is now limited to monitoring the discharge point, while the conveying of the material itself happens automatically and evenly.
Results
The new system delivered benefits simultaneously in worker wellbeing, production efficiency, and company finances:
- Production output increased by more than 30%, enabling the foundry to fulfill more orders without increasing headcount.
- The investment paid for itself in under 6 months — significantly faster than initially projected.
- The daily, heavy manual carrying of sand by molders was completely eliminated. This reduced the risk of injury, improved work ergonomics, and lowered costs related to worker absences and compensation claims.
- Shorter order fulfillment times translated into a higher level of customer service and further growth of the business.
- Following the successful implementation of the first system, the client decided to install 14 additional units. All mold-filling lines at the foundry now run on Hapman solutions.
If your production line experiences similar problems with material conveying or process efficiency, get in touch with us. We’ll help you select a solution tailored to the specifics of your facility and production process.
