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Sand Core Handling

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Sand core handling is a very delicate task and robots are perfectly suited for this application. Fragile, heavy  and complex shaped cores can be handled by robots with precision . Some of the applications in sand core handling are

  • Core pick and place from core shooters
  • Core inspection
  • Core trimming
  • Core assembly
  • Core dipping

Large sand cores used in  commercial truck engine blocks can weight upto 400Kgs. These cores need to be handled for dipping and assembly.  High payload foundry specification robots equipped with specialized grippers significantly reduce the breakage of cores. 

BENEFITS OF ROBOTIC SAND CORE HANDLING

  • Reduced breakage and chipping of cores
  • Elimination of operators exposed to silica dust
  • Precision placement of cores into moulds resulting in better quality castings
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SUCCESFUL PROJECTS
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YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

Industries Served

  • Foundry and Metal Casting

    Foundries have an acute shortage of labour and one of the areas that can be automated is sand core handling.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Sand core handling is the process of picking up, orienting, transporting, and placing the fragile sand cores used in metal casting moulds to create hollow sections in castings. Cores have three difficult characteristics: they are fragile, heavy, and complex in shape. Robots handle all three challenges well — they can be programmed to move gently along precise paths, and high-payload foundry-spec robots can manage cores that are far too heavy for safe manual handling.

Robots can handle core pick and place from core shooters; core inspection; core trimming; core assembly; and core dipping. Each requires a different approach in terms of gripper design, robot payload, and motion control.

Large sand cores used in commercial truck engine blocks can weigh up to 400 kg. Handling cores of this size requires high-payload foundry-specification robots capable of both the weight and the harsh foundry environment. The gripper must also be engineered to distribute handling forces across the core without causing breakage.

Three benefits are: reduced breakage and chipping of cores (reducing scrap and rework); elimination of operators from silica dust exposure (a serious respiratory health hazard); and precision placement of cores into moulds, resulting in better quality castings with tighter dimensional tolerances.

Sand cores are made from silica sand. Chipping, trimming, or any handling that generates dust releases fine silica particles into the air. Prolonged inhalation of silica dust causes silicosis — a permanent, progressive lung disease. Robotic handling removes workers from direct exposure, eliminating this occupational health risk at the core handling station.

Specialized grippers are essential because standard mechanical grippers designed for rigid metal parts are not suitable for fragile sand cores. The gripper must apply sufficient force to hold the core through the robot’s motion without exceeding the core’s breaking strength. For complex shapes, the contact points must also be designed around the core geometry to avoid concentrated stress that causes chipping.
Foundries have an acute shortage of labour and absenteeism due to the harsh work environment. Sand core handling is one of the areas that can be automated to address this. Foundry core handling is physically demanding, dusty, and often involves heavy lifting — conditions that make it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain workers.
Sand cores define the internal geometry of a casting. If a core is placed even slightly out of position in the mould, the resulting casting will have incorrect wall thickness, misaligned internal passages, or dimensional errors. Robotic placement is repeatable to the tolerances required by the casting process, whereas manual placement introduces variability that increases scrap rates.
The robot must handle the maximum core weight — up to 400 kg for large commercial truck engine block cores — at the full reach required by the cell layout. Heavy payload combined with extended reach significantly constrains robot model options. Smaller cores that require dipping and trimming can be handled by smaller robots.
Useful inputs include: core drawings with dimensions and weight, current core rejection rate and main causes of breakage, production volume and required cycle time, the specific tasks to be automated (pick and place, dipping, trimming, assembly), available floor space, and the type of core shooter or equipment the robot needs to interface with. This allows gripper design, robot payload, and cell layout to be properly matched to the process.