Patent ID: 8498740
Filing Date: 2013-07-30
Classification: B22D

Abstract:
1. An arrangement for maintaining a sliding closure mounted on a spout of a container for molten metal and that has a housing part, a housing frame with a slider unit being releaseably braced in the housing part, a refractory slider plate being arranged in the slider unit, a driving rod being arranged in the slider unit, and a stroke limitation bolt that regulates the slider unit and thus opening or closing of a pouring channel of the container, the arrangement comprising: protective enclosures defining a robot cell; a robot arranged in said robot cell and having an automatic grip changing system; at least one tool magazine and at least one replacement part magazine, said robot cell being partly surrounded by said at least one tool magazine and said at least one replacement part magazine; a repository for storing piston/cylinder units for the sliding closure, each of the piston/cylinder units being removably attachable to the container and when attached to the container, providing linear adjustment of the slider unit by coupling to the driving rod, the stroke limitation bolt being associated with one of the piston/cylinder units, when attached to the container, to enable regulating of the slider unit and thus the opening or closing of the pouring channel of the container; a control unit operationally connected to said robot and arranged outside of said robot cell; and an operator panel arranged in association with said control unit, wherein said robot is configured to automatically detect a position of the container or of the sliding closure, and bring one of the piston/cylinder units from the repository to said sliding closure and mount that piston/cylinder unit in engagement with the sliding closure and enable connection of the thus-mounted piston/cylinder unit to a pressure source, wherein said robot is further configured to adjust the thus-mounted piston/cylinder unit such that the stroke limitation bolt associated with the thus-mounted piston/cylinder unit is engaged with or disengaged from the driving rod of the slider unit, wherein said robot is further configured to grip a tool from said at least one tool magazine or a replacement part from said at least one replacement part magazine and perform cleaning operations, dismantle components and replace or reinstall the same, and wherein said at least one replacement part magazine includes refractory spout covers each of which is attachable to the slider plate, closure plates of the sliding closure that are each insertable into the housing part, covers for an outlet of the container outlet, flushing cones, breakthrough safety devices and ceramic rings.