Magaldi Power S.p.A.

The MCC® (Magaldi Casting Cooler) is today a well-proven technology for castings conveyance and air cooling, that combines the outstanding reliability of the Magaldi Superbelt® to an efficient cooling process.   The MCC® creates a safer work environment for operators with no exposure to noise and dust emissions, furthermore proprietary calculation methods allow to predict and guarantee the MCC® cooling performances.   The Magaldi Casting Cooler is based on the Magaldi Superbelt® “P type” technology, designed to withstand very heavy mechanical loads with material that can weigh hundreds of kilograms. The Magaldi Superbelt® “P type” is capable of heavy bulk material conveyance, including castings, sprues and core sand.

The MCC® is equipped with a cooling tunnel, held under negative pressure, in which a stream of cooling air flows at controlled speed. The MCC® is completed with the MISS® (Magaldi Integrated Supervision System) in order to automatically control the cooling parameters in accordance with the different types of casting to be handled. The MISS®, equipped with a dedicated PLC, receives all the status signals of the Magaldi installation and elaborates the necessary process parameters, in order to control the operation of the cooling system according to a customized logic. Depending on the casting ID and the detected inlet temperature, the MISS® automatically adjusts the MCC® belt speed and the cooling air flow rate. Thermal simulations, performed through proprietary thermal heat exchange models and relevant calculation tools, allow the accurate prediction of the castings temperatures in order to properly moderate the cooling air flow rate, and can be used for the cooling tunnel designing.   Compared to conventional castings cooling technologies, the MCC® offers:

• high mechanical dependability (5 years warranty on the Superbelt® belt);
• flexible layout arrangement, inclined conveyance (up to 35°);
• no heavy foundations required;
• efficient air cooling;
• low power consumption, low spare parts requirements;
• fully integrated supervision system, for automatic and optimized operation;
• ability to convey fine core sand without any carry back or spillage during conveyance

The Magaldi Superbelt® is a steel belt made of partially overlapping steel pans bolted onto a steel double-wire mesh, that forms a virtually sealed conveyor belt. The patented method of connecting the pans to the mesh belt leaves all elements free to thermally expand in any direction without permanent deformation. As a result, the Superbelt® withstands temperatures higher than any other known conveyor. Its design is based on a multi-link concept. Even if the double-wire mesh is severely damaged, the conveyor continues to run without sudden failures and the plant operators can schedule its maintenance according to operation needs. Moreover, the steel belt is supported by carrying idlers across its entire width in order to withstand heavy mechanical loads. Next to the loading points, the idlers can be closely spaced or mounted onto a shock absorber frame. The Superbelt® conveys materials very slowly without any vibrating or shaking, thus no dust is released externally and noise is at minimum levels. This contributes to a healthy and more comfortable working environment for plant operators. In the foundry sector, the Magaldi Superbelt® “E type” is designed to be completely enclosed in a steel casing, suitable for preventing dust dispersion to the environment. This is the so called Magaldi Ecobelt® conveyor, generally used for hot sand conveying.   The Ecobelt® is equipped with a simple mechanical self-cleaning device, that removes the fine residuals from the bottom of the casing, and the O-chain®, which is a chain conveyor enclosed in an independent casing and tailored around the Ecobelt® tail section. Its function is to receive the fine residuals, collected by the self-cleaning device, and to reload them onto the Ecobelt®. The supports, both of the carrying and return idlers, are installed external to the casing and are equipped with special seals to protect the internal bearings from heat and dust, thus ensuring continuous operation and avoiding dust dispersion to the environment.   The main advantages of the Magaldi Ecobelt® as applied for hot sand conveying are: 

• contrarily to conventional vibrating technologies, the Ecobelt® does not generate or disperse any dust to the environment, thus effectively contributing to lowering the crystalline silica problem in foundries. Usually installed below ground level, it substantially reduces the cleaning workload in foundries;
• the Ecobelt® is capable of steep inclinations, thus reducing the engineering interventions usually required underneath the shakeout machines;
• the Ecobelt®, completely enclosed in a steel casing, is equipped on the bottom with a self-cleaning device to recover any sticky sand;
• low demand in maintenance and spare parts if compared to pneumatic conveying systems;
• noise and power demand are at minimum levels compared to alternative solutions.

The Magaldi Superbelt® is a steel belt made of partially overlapping steel pans bolted onto a steel double-wire mesh, thus forming a virtually sealed conveyor belt.

The patented method of connecting the pans to the mesh belt leaves all elements free to thermally expand in any direction without permanent deformation. As a result, the Superbelt® withstands temperatures higher than any other known conveyor. Its design is based on a multi-link concept. Even if the double-wire mesh is severely damaged, the conveyor continues to run without sudden failures and the plant operators can schedule its maintenance according to operation needs.

Moreover, the steel belt is supported by carrying idlers across its entire width in order to withstand heavy mechanical loads. Next to the loading points, the idlers can be closely spaced or mounted onto a shock absorber frame. The Superbelt® conveys materials very slowly without any vibration or shaking, thus no dust is released externally and noise is at minimum levels. This contributes to a healthy and more comfortable working environment for plant operators. In the foundry sector, the Superbelt® conveyor is used for the horizontal or inclined conveyance (up to 35°) of small or large castings, sprues, scraps, molds and hot sand.

The main advantages of the Magaldi Superbelt® as applied to castings conveying are: 

- Installed directly at the exit of the shakeout machines or rotating drums, the Superbelt® is capable of steep inclinations thus reducing its overall footprint and related capex. 
- Contrarily to conventional vibrating technologies, the Superbelt® does not generate or disperse any dust to the environment, thus effectively contributing to lowering the crystalline silica problem in foundries. 
- Used for casting sorting and sprue removal activities, due to its smooth operation with no vibrations, the Superbelt® provides a much more comfortable working table for the operators. 
- Noise and power demand are at minimum levels compared to alternative solutions.