CN108472719A

CN108472719A - Method for improving heat treating castings

Info

Publication number: CN108472719A
Application number: CN201680072670.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: S·P·克拉夫顿
Original assignee: Consolidated Engineering Co Inc
Current assignee: Consolidated Engineering Co Inc
Priority date: 2015-11-05
Filing date: 2016-10-25
Publication date: 2018-08-31
Also published as: EP3362205A4; US20180237884A1; MX2018005095A; JP6622913B2; JP2018537290A; EP3362205A1; WO2017078968A1

Abstract

Method for improving heat treating castings comprising：Obtain multiple green castings of given design；The three-dimensional surface measurement value of green casting is acquired to determine reference figure；The first support fixture with the first support profiles is obtained, which is configured to support casting during heating treatment；And implement heat-treatment protocol to the first casting being supported on the first support fixture.This method further includes：The three-dimensional surface measurement value of the first casting is acquired to determine its treated shape；By reference figure and the first casting, treated that shape is compared；And identify the size distortion of the result as insufficient support or positioning during heating treatment.This method continues to obtain the second support fixture with second support profiles different from the first support profiles, implement heat-treatment protocol to the second casting being supported on the second support fixture, the three-dimensional surface measurement value of the second casting is acquired to determine its treated shape, by reference figure and the second casting, treated that shape is compared, then the reduction for identifying size distortion, be deformed into to verify size be partially due to insufficient support or positioning during heat-treatment protocol and caused by.

Description

Method for improving heat treating castings

Technical field

This patent disclosure relates generally to for improving casting in heat treatment cycle (such as solution heat treatment, quenching and burin-in process) The heat-treating methods of period, and more particularly to it is used to improve the heat-treating methods of the casting formed with HPDC processes.

Background technology

In history, for being formed with high pressure die casting (high pressure die cast, write a Chinese character in simplified form into HPDC) process To improve the thin-walled aluminium alloy castings of its metallurgical performance and performance in the application of high demand, heat treatment is there are problem and leads to Often result in defective FRU and high rejection rate.For example, the casting of these types usually has a complex shape, surface characteristics, hole And the variation in terms of its tranverse sectional thickness, this makes it difficult to right in a uniform manner during typical high volume production process Casting applies heat treatment.It has been found that during heating treatment, the heat treatment applied would generally be in the whole of alloy material unequally On a thickness or prodigious temperature gradient is being generated across broad regions, is causing to complete in heat treatment and casting has cooled down The size distortion of setting is kept after to environmental balance temperature in casting material.In addition, if in such as solution heat treatment period Etc heat treatment during cannot suitably support casting, then the casting can also be particularly easy to deform, this can make its temperature increase To higher level, so that alloy material is softened and allow thin-walled portion sagging under its own weight or weight in heavier lap The lower flexure of amount or buckling.No matter the size distortion of be heat-treated after casting is caused by temperature gradient or by sagging or buckling, as long as The size distortion of casting is more than predetermined tolerance after the heat treatment, which will usually be scrapped.

It is previously used for controlling sagging, the flexure or in the wrong generated during solution heat treatment by modified casting support system Bent trial includes being not shown but being known to the skilled in the art all positon fixture, immediately in by casting from pressing mold It tightly or with stringent tolerance clamps around the casting after taking out, then leaves with casting one during entire heat treatment Into rigidly to support and constrain casting, to reduce sagging and other deformations that may make metal parts disengaging dimensional tolerance.So And as casting complexity and variation increase, all positon fixture becomes more to be difficult to manufacture, and is led to due to their presence The various pieces that can often hinder or hot fluid is prevented to flow to casting material, to increase the temperature gradient in component.This can cause The formation of internal stress, flexural deformation when taking out all positon fixture after the completion of heat treatment so as to cause casting.

In addition, previous trial below also achieves limited success：The trial for heat treatment (its by it is big and/ Or quick temperature change is applied to component (such as solution heat treatment and quenching)) during control hot fluid (such as hot-air, cold Empty gas and water, oil, ethylene glycol etc.) application to casting, be reduced or avoided in component and whole part on generate big temperature Spend gradient.

Invention content

In brief, one embodiment of the disclosure includes a kind of for improving casting (especially producing casting in enormous quantities) Heat treatment to enhance the method for metallurgical performance.This approach includes the following steps：It obtains and gives the multiple without place of casting design Manage casting；Then the three-dimensional surface measurement value of acquisition green casting is to determine the reference three-dimensional shape of casting.This method is also Including：The first support fixture with the first support profiles is obtained, it is one or more which is configured to support Casting in thermal treatment zone；And then heat-treatment protocol is implemented into be supported in one or more thermal treatment zones The first casting on one support fixture.This method further includes：The three-dimensional surface measurement value of the first casting is acquired to determine its processing 3D shape afterwards；By reference figure and the first casting, treated that shape is compared；And then identification is used as at heat One or more of the first casting of insufficient result recoverable size distortion is supported or positioned during reason scheme.Then, should Method continues to execute following steps：The second support fixture is obtained, which is configured to different from the first support Second support profiles of profile support casting；Heat-treatment protocol is implemented into the second casting being supported on the second support fixture Part.This method is further comprising the steps of：The three-dimensional surface measurement value of the second casting is acquired to determine its treated 3D shape； By reference figure and the second casting, treated that shape is compared；And the reduction for then identifying size distortion, with verification Size distortion be at least partly due to support or position during heat-treatment protocol it is insufficient and caused by.

Another embodiment of the disclosure includes for improving heat treating castings to enhance the method for metallurgical performance comprising Following steps：Obtain the multiple green castings for giving casting design；Then the three-dimensional surface measurement value of acquisition casting is with true Determine the reference three-dimensional shape of casting.This method further includes：Support fixture is obtained, with open frame structure, this is open There are frame structure multiple top edges, these top edges to limit jointly open with the basic complementation of the downside surface of casting Support surface, and the support fixture is configured to that loosely casting is supported on screen work top and casting is located in propclip In the space for having top.This method further includes：Heat-treatment protocol is implemented to the first casting being supported on support fixture；Acquisition the The three-dimensional surface measurement value of one casting is to determine its treated 3D shape；By reference figure and the first casting, treated Shape；And then identify the size distortion in the first casting.

It, should when supporting during the recoverable size distortion in the first casting is heat-treatment protocol or position insufficient result Method can continue to execute following steps：The second support fixture is obtained, which includes open screen work, the opening There are formula screen work multiple top edges, these top edges to limit the second open support different from the first support fixture jointly Surface；Heat-treatment protocol is implemented into the second casting being supported on the second support fixture；Acquire the three-dimensional surface of the second casting Measured value is to determine its treated 3D shape；Compare the reference figure of the second casting with treated shape；And The reduction for identifying size distortion in the second casting is deformed into to verify size and is at least partially due to support during heat-treatment protocol Or positioning it is insufficient and caused by.

It optionally, should when the recoverable size distortion in the first casting is the result of high gas content in alloy material Method can continue to execute following steps：Second heat-treatment protocol is implemented into the second casting being supported on support fixture；It adopts Collect the three-dimensional surface measurement value of the second casting to determine its treated 3D shape；By the reference figure of the second casting and processing Shape afterwards is compared；And identify the second casting in size distortion reduction, with verify size be deformed into small part by High gas content in alloy material and caused by.In one aspect, the second heat-treatment protocol further includes reducing by the second casting Period of the experience higher than the temperature of the predetermined silicon solid solubility temperature of alloy material.

These and other aspects, the feature and advantage of disclosed method tie those skilled in the art below reading It will become obvious when closing the detailed description that attached drawing carries out, these attached drawings are briefly described below.

Description of the drawings

Fig. 1 is the perspective view of thin-walled aluminium alloy castings known in the art.

Fig. 2 is the top view of flat casting support pallet known in the art.

Fig. 3 is the perspective of the various heat treatment methods that can apply the disclosure or the representative HPDC aluminium alloy castings of embodiment Figure.

Fig. 4 is multiple casting according to the Fig. 3 of the representative embodiment of the disclosure being supported on casting support system top Perspective view.

Fig. 5 is according to the casting support system of another representative embodiment and with the perspective view of the casting shown in profile.

Fig. 6 is the cross-sectional side view from the casting support system and casting of hatching A-A Fig. 5 observed.

Fig. 7 is the perspective view of the casting support system of the Fig. 5 observed from opposite side.

Fig. 8 is the feature of one end of the cross-sectional side view of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is the vertical view according to the casting support system of another representative embodiment.

Figure 10 is the cross-sectional schematic side view from the casting support system of hatching B-B Fig. 9 observed.

Figure 11 is the cross-sectional schematic side view from the casting support system of hatching C-C Fig. 9 observed.

Figure 12 is being passed through by aluminium alloy castings during heat-treatment protocol according to another representative embodiment of the disclosure The temperature-time curve figure for the temperature received.

Figure 13 is the side view in the casting by Fig. 3 after heat-treatment protocol, wherein size displacement isogram weight It is folded on the outer surface to indicate various heat treatments caused by size distortion position and degree.

Figure 14 is the cross sectional side view in the casting by Figure 13 after heat-treatment protocol, and wherein size displacement diagram is overlapped On an internal surface to indicate various heat treatments caused by size distortion position and degree.

Figure 15 is one according to the heat-treatment protocol for implementing Figure 12 of another representative embodiment of the disclosure The schematic diagram of the heat treatment system divided.

Figure 16 is one according to the heat-treatment protocol for realizing Figure 12 of another representative embodiment of the disclosure The schematic diagram of another heat treatment system divided.

Figure 17 is one according to the heat-treatment protocol for implementing Figure 12 of another representative embodiment of the disclosure The schematic diagram of another heat treatment system divided.

Figure 18 is the multistage according to the part for implementing heat-treatment protocol of another representative embodiment of the disclosure The schematic diagram of quenching system.

Figure 19 is the temperature-time curve figure of the temperature change for the multistage quenching process medium casting for indicating entire Figure 18.

Figure 20 is according to the another of the part for implementing heat-treatment protocol of another representative embodiment of the disclosure The schematic diagram of multistage quenching system.

Figure 21 is the pressure according to the part for implementing heat-treatment protocol of another representative embodiment of the disclosure The schematic side elevation of air hardening system.

Figure 22 is according to the another of the part for implementing heat-treatment protocol of the another representative embodiment of the disclosure Forced air quenches the schematic side elevation of system.

Figure 23 is the impact during a part for heat treatment according to another representative embodiment in the casting support by Fig. 6 The cross-sectional view for the hot fluid stream on casting that system is carried.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that and understand, according to conventional practice, the various features of drawings discussed below differ It is fixed drawn to scale, and the various features of attached drawing and the size of element may expand or shrink and be retouched herein with more clearly illustrating The embodiment of the disclosure stated.

Specific implementation mode

There is provided be described below as improve heat treating castings with enhance metallurgical property method and system it is exemplary The implement directions of embodiment.Those skilled in the relevant art are it will be recognized that can be changed described embodiment, simultaneously Still beneficial result can be obtained.It will also be apparent that can be by some features of selection example without utilizing it His feature obtains some desired benefits of described embodiment.In other words, the spy from one embodiment or aspect Sign can be combined with any combination appropriate with the feature from other embodiment or aspect.For example, method aspect or embodiment Any independence or collective features can be applied to equipment, product or component in terms of or embodiment, vice versa.Correspondingly, originally Field technology personnel are it will be recognized that be possible to many modifications and changes of described embodiment, and in certain situations Under be possibly even desired, and be the present invention a part.Therefore, description below is provided as the principle of embodiment Illustrate and not limit because the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims.

Illustrated in Fig. 1-2 3 is the spy for improving heat treating castings (such as solution heat treatment, quenching and aging) Be not for improving the heat treatment of the thin-walled aluminium alloy castings formed with high pressure die casting (HPDC) process, with enhance metallurgical performance, Several representative embodiments of the method and system of rejection rate are reduced simultaneously.As described below, method and system of the invention can be with Several remarkable advantages and benefit for the heat treatment method and system of casting (especially HPDC casting) better than other are provided.So And cited advantage is not meant to be limited in any way, because it will be understood to those of skill in the art that putting into practice Other advantages can also be realized when the disclosure.

Illustrated in Fig. 1 is exemplary thin-walled aluminium alloy castings 10, is especially used for the damping of automobile suspension system Tower 12 is the representative of the casting type with complex shape become increasingly prevalent in recent years.For example, cast system Latest developments in terms of design and processing have allowed for will be separately fabricated in advance and fit together as damping tower assembly Multiple stamped metal board members and fastener are integrated into single complicated damping tower casting 12, and this single complicated damping tower casting 12 weight of part is significantly lighter, while providing the structural behaviour quite or improved.Weight saving in electric vehicle especially to improving Battery life is attractive.However, these complicated thin-walled aluminium alloy castings 10 are due to its greater amount of procedure of processing, increase Setting and equipment cost and limited productivity and cause using the casting of such as sand, low pressure die casting and high vacuum die casting etc More conventional and expensive casting process to manufacture be also likely to be costly.

Less equipment intensity high pressure die casting (HPDC) process is promised to undertake with higher rate and the casting cost reduced The casting of these identical complexities is provided；However, HPDC processes have the characteristics of own and disadvantage.For example, when in high pressure and height Being present in the indoor gas of die cavity and gasifying liquid usually when introducing molten metal under speed can be absorbed by alloy material, cause to coagulate Solid casting than those with other casting methods formed casting contain more dissolved gas.These dissolved gas usually may be It is uneven or be irregularly distributed in whole part, to form the increased region of concentration.Dissolved gas is inclined during heating treatment To in being migrated out from solution, to form microvesicle in alloy material, these low concentration microvesicle relative harmless.However, In the increased region of concentration, microvesicle can combine at elevated temperatures in a long time, to depend on them in specific casting Position in the structure of part, and the Lamellar cracking defect and bubble for damaging its finished product are formed about on surface, and in casting Portion forms the bubble or porous structure of bigger, may show as in the more remote size distortion with broad sense of outer surface.Although Surface defect is generally easy to observe and identify, it can be difficult to distinguish the size distortion that is generated by inner porosity with above-mentioned Due to supporting or positioning size distortion that is insufficient and generating during heat-treatment protocol.For thin-section casting with complex shape, Such as damping tower 12 shown in FIG. 1, this may be particularly problematic.

Fig. 2 is the diagram of the general casting pallet 20 of type known in the art, and casting pallet 20 in casting for being removed Fortune passes through heat treatment furnace and may be by supporting casting when subsequent quenching and ageing step.This casting pallet 20 is usual It is designed and configured to simultaneously support one or more casting, while repeating experience casting and only undergoing primary identical heat cycle. As can be seen that these casting pallets 20 generally include multiple heavy wall ribs 22 being made of a variety of materials, the multiple material includes Cast iron, carbon steel and its alloy, ceramics, graphite etc., and the heavy wall rib 22 is separated from each other and interconnects to form hole 24, The hole 24 allows heating fluid easily to pass through pallet before or after contacting supported casting.Casting pallet 20 is usual May include additional structure feature, for example, the infall in rib heavy wall circle 23, support is reduced with time and use The size distortion of disk.It is understood that general casting pallet 20, which is typically aimed in its entire service life, carries various differences The casting of type, the top edge 26 of middle rib 22 and circle 23 limit flat discontinuous upper support surface 28, and casting is drawing It can be placed on this on support surface 28 before entering heat treatment process.

Traditionally, casting can be generally placed on its most stable of orientation on the support surface 28 of casting pallet 20, So that they will not remove, roll out or skid off support plate when passing through heat treatment furnace, because closing heat during production Processing smelting furnace is simultaneously allowed to cool possible sufficiently expensive to fetch the cost of the casting fallen.For self-supporting and be easy to be exposed to Casting (including such as engine cylinder body, head-shield and case of transmission etc of many types on the top of upper support element surface 28 Heavy type or thick-walled casting) for, with the disappearance of time, such casting support system 20 has proven to effective 's.However, for complicated thin-section casting, damping tower 12 such as shown in Figure 1, with component be increased to softening temperature with On, most stable of orientation may not be able to provide enough supports for all parts of casting, to allow the various pieces of component Sagging under its own weight or flexure.In addition, most stable of orientation can also be to hinder or prevent applied hot fluid from arriving Mode up to certain parts of casting positions the component, thus during heating treatment in the whole thickness of alloy material or in cross Lead to prodigious temperature gradient across broad regions.As described above, any type situation is likely to lead to that component report may be caused Useless size distortion.

Fig. 3 is that can apply various methods or the embodiment of the disclosure to improve the heat treatment of casting 100 to enhance smelting The perspective view of the exemplary thin-walled aluminium alloy castings 100 of golden performance.This representativeness high-performance production casting 100 can use high pressure Die casting (HPDC) process is formed, and may include multiple thin-walled portions 103, thick wall part 105, hole 107 and various multiple Miscellaneous surface characteristics, such as ribs 109.In orientation shown in Fig. 3, casting 100 can further include outside or top surface 104 With inside or downside surface 106.

In an aspect, the casting 100 of Fig. 3 can be designed and be configured for use as the damping tower in vehicle suspension system 102.However, disclosed method is not limited to be applied to damping tower, applied to the HPDC components for being intended for auto industry, or very To the casting for being applied to be formed with HPDC processes.Rather, it should recognized that disclosed method can be applied to be intended for respectively The various high cast members of kind industry, industry (such as automobile, aerospace, iron including but not limited to based on transport Road and shipping), the industry (such as oil and natural gas, chemistry and papermaking) of Kernel-based methods, production of energy industry (such as stone Oil, natural gas, wind energy, solar energy, nuclear heat and underground heat) etc..

In general, casting 100 can be intended to that type produced in enormous quantities, the manufacturing process used includes： With HPDC process initial formations, one or many heat treatments are then carried out to be provided to component in a particular application to structural behaviour The metallurgical property of required expected range.However, before starting large-scale production, it may be desirable to determine the heat of casting 100 Processing scheme and casting supported configurations, this is useless with what is reduced by the above problem during reduction or mitigation HPDC, and thus The component of product rate, improved yield rate and production efficiency production casting enhancing metallurgical performance.Optionally, for identical original Cause, it may be desirable to the existing mass production assembly line of improvement or more new casting 100.

In order to realize that these purposes, a kind of method of the disclosure can design (i.e. damping tower from given production casting is obtained 102) sample sets of multiple unprocessed test casting 100 or unprocessed test casting 100 start.In one aspect, this Can be the prototype casting group formed during pressing mold is developed that will be used during large-scale production, and on the other hand, it surveys The sample sets for trying casting 100 can be the production casting taken out from existing manufacturing process before heat treatment stages. Under any case, allow casting 100 cooling in the environment of controlled temperature or stand a period of time, and being generally near or Reach thermal equilibrium state at a temperature of scheduled measurement in environment temperature or room temperature.

It then, can be with the full surface geometry shape of the outer surface of collecting test casting 100 when measuring temperature reaches thermal balance Digital three-dimensional (3D) measured value of shape and the storage that it is stored in the computer system based on electronic processors in a digital format In device.It is a kind of for acquire the measuring system of 3D surface measurements to be to be located at the GOM mbH of Braunschweig, Germany by general headquarters^TMIt provides ATOS Triple Scan^TMSurface Measurement Systems.In general, the top side appearance of test casting 100 can be acquired, be handled and stored The 3D measured values of 106 the two of face 104 and bottom side outer surface are to determine the Digital Three-Dimensional benchmark shape of the casting in sample sets. In some aspects, any inner cavity chamber for receiving the sensing head of measuring system to enter with sufficient size and enough can also be acquired Or space and store in computer systems.In addition, in one aspect, each unprocessed test casting 100 can also be compared Three-dimensional surface measurement as a result, any inconsistent in casting process to identify and compensate.

This method further includes obtaining to may customize support fixture, which is configured to one or more heat-treatment zones The first support profiles in domain or system support casting 100.Casting support system 110 including may customize support fixture 140 One embodiment diagram in Fig. 4.Casting support system 110 generally includes 120 He of the bedframe with thickness or pallet The top surface 122 of restriction level base plane 124.Pallet 120 further includes multiple vertical alignments of the thickness 128 through pallet Pallet hole or opening 126, allow the hot fluid of such as hot-air, cooling air, water, oil etc to pass through without blockage support The base plane 124 of disk is supported on one or more casting 100 of 124 top of base plane to impact.Depending on heating fluid It is from below, top or is laterally inwardly applied to casting side, heating fluid can leads to before or after encountering casting 100 Cross tray openings 126.In one aspect, pallet 120 may include peripheral frame 130, which, which has, passes through a pair The combined one or more pairs of side levers 132 of side pole 134 and one extended between side lever or more among side pole 134 A cross bar 136, they collectively define the tray openings 126 inside peripheral frame 130.The various assemblies for forming pallet 120 can To be fabricated by structural steel.

It is understood that pallet 120, which is usually configured to, is mounted in chain, roller conveyor or similar transport mechanism On, while casting 100 is carried by one or more thermal treatment zones, such as smelting furnace, quenching system, kiln etc., by casting It is exposed to heat treatment.In some embodiments, pallet 120 can be used in continuous process, and one will be supported in the continuous process Each in multiple pallets 120 of group casting 100 is sequentially transported through thermal treatment zone.In some respects, pallet 120 can be with Directly it is mounted on roller or chain, and in other respects, pallet may include the contact provided between transport mechanism and pallet 120 The supported underneath structure (not shown) in face.By thermal management application in discrete batch-type smelting furnace or quench system other embodiments In, pallet 120 may be adapted to robot arm, fork truck, shuttle car or the class by making pallet and casting group be moved between heat treatment As executor be transmitted.

Casting support system 110 further includes being attached to the customizable support fixture 140 of one or more of pallet 120, will Casting 100 (exemplary automobile damping tower 102 such as shown in Figure 3) supports and is aligned in one or more tray openings 126 In the space of top.Each support fixture 140 generally includes multiple support plates 142, and the multiple support plate 142 is vertically fixed To, there is the top edge 146 extended across the lower part 144 that tray openings 126 extend and above tray openings 126, wherein The top edge 146 of support plate 142 has the forming section that the length along support plate extends.In an aspect, as schemed institute Show, each support plate 142 can intersect at least one other support plate to form the open lattice with multiple top edges Frame 150, the top edge limit open support surface or support profiles, the open support surface or support wheel jointly It is wide substantially complementary or be consistent with the lower surface of casting 100.However, in other respects in (not shown), support plate can be with that This does not intersect, but can be aligned with another kind configuration (the parallel non-crossing row being such as linked together with crossbeam or bracket), To limit open support surface.Form the contact casting 100 of the various assemblies of support fixture 140, especially support plate 142 Top edge can be made of stainless steel material.

While not limited to any certain types of casting, but casting support system 110 can be reduced especially suitable for passing through Associated with the heat treatment of these above-mentioned components many problems support the thin-wall aluminum alloy formed during HPDC Casting.For example, customizable support fixture 140 can be configured to support often at key position during high temperature solid solution is heat-treated A casting 100, while hot fluid being still provided, nearly all surface of casting is immediately adjacent to.It in this way, can be with It prevents casting support system 110 sagging, while promoting the heat treatment implemented uniformly and coequally, with the bulk temperature of component It is raised and lowered and reduces the internal temperature gradient of entire processing component.

Other aspects of casting support system 210 can see that other in which may customize support fixture in figs. 5 to 8 240 are separately constructed into from different unique shaped castings 200 (such as the thin-wall aluminum alloy HPDC dampings of other vehicles Tower 202, as shown in the contour line in Fig. 5) it is securely engaged and difference uniqueness shaped casting 200 is supported on tray openings In the space of 226 tops.As described above, support fixture 240 can be to allow heating fluid to be immediately adjacent to the almost institute of casting 200 There is surface (and especially downside surface 206, the downside surface 206 may be stopped by pallet 220 or support fixture 240) Mode supports casting 200.In addition, casting 200 can also be located in the space of 226 top of tray openings by fixture 240, with The top surface 204 of casting and/or each section of bottom side surface 206 are aligned with impacting heat flux body stream, so as to preferably with equal Even mode transfers heat to the alloy material of casting 200 or extracts heat from the alloy material of casting 200.

As shown in the cross-sectional side view of the casting support system 210 and casting 200 that are provided in 6, in some applications In, casting 200 may include highly irregular and complicated shape, such as along the top surface 204 of the length of cross section and bottom Shown in the irregular contour of side surface 206.In addition, thickness of the casting 200 between top side and bottom side surface can also be along cross Section significant changes, lead to the thin-walled portion that can be rapidly heated or cooled down 203 and need more heat inputs or extraction with Realize the relatively thick wall part 205 or compact structure bulky part 207 of target temperature variation.It should be understood that such as fruit As component simply rest on the inclined flat top surface of general casting pallet (casting pallet 20 such as shown in Fig. 2), then The heavier thick wall part of the casting is likely to be raised and supported by thin-walled portion.As a result, when the yield strength of alloy material is in heat When being reduced during processing due to softening under solid solubility temperature, thin-walled portion may be not heavier robust enough to support casting enough Partial weight is without bending and deforming.

The casting support system 210 of the disclosure can be by independent at the key position 248 across the downside of casting 200 Ground supports each of casting part (including each bulky part 207 or thick wall part 205 and thin-walled portion 203) to overcome The difficulty.This can realize by providing irregular shape profile along its length to the top edge 246 of support plate 242, institute The irregular downside surface 206 for stating profile and casting is complementary at least partly.Once support plate is assembled and optionally interconnects Together to form screen work 250, multiple top edges 246 of screen work 250 just define open support surface or support profiles, The support surface or support profiles are substantially complementary with the downside surface of (although being not necessarily consistent) casting 206.Such as this field As the skilled person will understand that, support surface is " open ", because it is not continuous, but only by under casting The top edge 246 for forming the pattern of narrow contact line or the support plate 242 of grid limits.Remaining most of " surface " is the imagination And be open to the polygon flow region limited by vertical support plate or channel, and can be by individual hot-fluid Body stream is booted up from tray openings 226 to the lower surface 206 of casting 200.

The support surface limited by multiple top edges 246 of support plate 242 can be with the downside surface 206 of casting 200 It is substantially complementary, because casting only may be assemblied on the top of grid 250 on single position or become securely to be connect by screen work It closes.This engagement with screen work may include multiple contact positions 248, has the vertical component of carrying casting weight and prevents Casting transverse shifting or both horizontal assemblies of offset.Therefore, once casting 200 is placed on the position on the top of support fixture 240 It sets, can be moved with casting pallet 220 through one or more heat treatment sections and is held because of impacting heat flux body By various application load, and it is securely held in this position.For example, casting support system 210 can promote be heat-treated Period uses the direction stream of high speed hot fluid, the including but not limited to jet stream of the pressure-air during quenching the period or water, It is invariably prone to reposition or deviate the component being not firmly supported on casting pallet.

Nevertheless, even if the support surface limited by multiple top edges 246 of support plate 242 may be with casting 200 Downside be substantially complementary, the length for also needing not be along support plate 242 is substantially consistent with downside surface 206.Support table Face can include instead the discrete touch position 248 separated by gap 247, wherein top edge 246 and downside surface 206 every Open the distance for being enough that hot fluid is allowed to flow between two surfaces.In one aspect, in the screen work 250 of casting 200 and downside At the predetermined key position for the broad regions that contact position 248 between 206 can advisably be positioned across downside surface, otherwise If do not supported by support fixture 240 directly, which will tend to sagging or deformation.It in this way, can be with Using the critical contact position 248 for reducing quantity come the support casting 200 in the space of 226 top of opening, while allowing casting The rest part on surface can be approached directly by heating fluid.

In addition, being fixed thermal treatment zone 290 shown in Fig. 6, it is pressurized with top pressurized chamber 294 and lower part Chamber 297, which has downwardly directed nozzle 295 or outlet, for generating hot fluid (such as hot place Manage the hot-air in region or the cold air in hardened area) the downwardly directed flowings 296 of one or more, impact casting In the top surface 204 of the exposure of part 200, and lower part pressurized chamber 297 has the nozzle 298 being directed upwards towards or outlet, is used for The flowing 299 that the one or more of hot fluid is directed upwards towards is generated, is impacted on the downside surface 206 of the exposure of casting 200. In addition, the customizable fixture 240 of support casting 200 is connected to pallet 220 in itself, which is carried on roll-type conveyer system Roller 292 on pass through thermal treatment zone 290.In one aspect, downwardly directed flowing 296 and 299 liang of flowing being directed upwards towards Person can with 207 substantial alignment of thick wall part 205 and compact structure part of casting 200, so as to the needs with direct neighbor Less heat is transmitted to realize that the thin-walled portion of identical temperature change is compared, can be by more heat transfers to these portions of casting Divide or is extracted from these parts.In addition, in an aspect, being limited by multiple top edges 246 of support plate 242 Casting 200 can be positioned and be oriented in space with by thick wall part 205 and compact structure part 207 and two groups by support surface Nozzle 295,298 is aligned.In addition, the flowing 299 of hot fluid being directed upwards towards can be opened substantially across pallet in the clear The screen work 250 of mouth 226 and cross support plate 242, to impact the downside surface 206 of casting 200.

Fig. 7 is the perspective view of the casting support system 210 of Figures 5 and 6, and illustrates customizable fixture 240, this is customizable Fixture 240 is formed by four intersecting vertical support plates 242 for being installed to pallet 220 above tray openings 226 in this case. As can be seen that in this embodiment, the peripheral frame 230 of pallet 220 may include the multipair side lever for having cylindrical cross section 232, it is connected to side pole 234 or cross bar 236 with rectangular cross section in their end, they limit peripheral frame jointly Multiple tray openings 226 inside frame 230.In an aspect, the size of side lever 232, side pole 234 and cross bar 236 can be by It sets and is configured to that standardization pallet 220 is collectively formed, the base framework with modular size is may be used as, so as to various The fixture 240 of different configuration removedly and can be interchangeably mounted at the top of tray openings 226.In addition, peripheral frame 230 It, can on the top for the roller 292 that can be directly mounted in conveyer system (Fig. 6) with the downside surface of cross bar 236, and in one aspect The modularization pallet 220 that can as expected apply and extend or shorten is formed to be removedly coupled to each other, and Wherein impaired side lever or side pole/cross bar can individually take out and with undamaged part replacement without replacing entire pallet 220。

The customizable fixture 240 of representative support system 210 may include four support plates 242, be opened with across pallet The lower parts 244 and 246 vertical orientation of top edge of extension and formation one together above tray openings 226 that mouth 226 extends Frame structure 250, the wherein top edge 246 limit the open support surface or support profiles for casting.A side Face, support plate 242 can be substantially aligned with the main horizontal axis 212,216 of peripheral frame 230, wherein lower edge 244 across The length or width of tray openings 226 extend.On the other hand in (not shown), support plate can be relative to peripheral frame 230 Main horizontal axis with diagonal line or another angular alignment.For the generation of 212 parallel alignment of longitudinal axis with peripheral frame 230 Two support plates 252 of table fixture 240, lower end can terminate in be engaged with the inward flange of rectangle side pole 234 and cross bar 236 Recess 253, and can not extend across the center line of cross bar 236, so as not to which the fixture of covering adjacent trays opening can be interfered. Two support plates 256 that width axis 216 for being parallel to peripheral frame 230 is aligned, lower end can extend outward past side Bar 232 and may include the recess 257 being formed in the edge of its underpart, the recess and the upper table from cylindrical side lever 232 The mounting rod 238 extended upwardly engages.

In an aspect, as known in the art, support plate 242 can be by being formed as lower support plate The pre-position that half slot of 252 pairs of upward opening limits intersects and is connected to each other, half slot and the formation of the upward opening It is matched for 256 pairs of half downwardly open slot of upper support board.In this way, the support plate 242 of support fixture 240 can Be interlocked before being attached to pallet 220 to form screen work 250.In addition, as described in greater detail below, interlocking Position of the support plate 252,256 in screen work 250 can relative to each other and the surrounding structure of pallet 220 is modified, with Just contact position 248 of the top edge 246 below the casting portion for needing maximum support is repositioned.In illustrated embodiment In, this can realize that wherein the end of support plate is along side pole 234 by the position of half slot of length adjustment along support plate Cross bar 236 or along side lever 232 top on mounting rod 238 move corresponding distance.It will be understood, however, that for that will prop up Fagging 242, which is connected to each other and is connected to other connection methods of pallet 220 or mechanism, to be also possible and is considered within this In scope of disclosure.

Equally in fig. 5-7 it is seen that multiple holes 245, can pass through the thickness of support plate 242 to be formed, this allows Hot fluid crosses support plate flowing.As shown in figure 5 and figure 7, in one aspect, hole 245 can be in the vertical of support system 210 It is extended on the direction of axis 218.This can cause Frame Supports structure 250 due to may hinder its by and reduce its speed The flat face regions of minimum and perpendicular to the corner that hot fluid path orients and caused by the hot fluid that is directed upwards towards Stream is " transparent " mostly.However, in the another aspect of support fixture 240 shown in Fig. 6, in the support plate of vertical alignment Hole 245 can be extended along the direction of the main horizontal axis 212,216 of support system 210.This may cause support construction 250 to have The corner that has much bigger flat face regions and oriented perpendicular to hot fluid path, thus being directed upwards towards to heat-conducting fluid Flowing generates a greater degree of obstruction, this may be decreased its flow velocity, while increase its turbulence and mixing.Those skilled in the art will It recognizes, depend on application, two kinds of selections may be used to the modified for providing heat into or away from the downside surface of casting It transmits.

Casting 200 similar to thin-wall aluminum alloy HPDC dampings tower 202 shown in Fig. 5-6 may include usually to evagination Go out the thin-walled protrusion of the alloy material to limit outer edge 209 or flange (Fig. 5).These are logical along the unsupported thin-wall construction in side Often during heating treatment be easier occur flexure or deformation, and therefore may need than in casting substantially by alloy material packet Other thin-walled interior sections enclosed greatly support or constraint.In order to provide this extra support, in an aspect, branch The end of fagging 242 may include defining the outer edge 209 of casting to upwardly extend protrusion 249.

Fig. 8 is the close up view of the left-hand end of the support plate 242 of Fig. 6, and shows an outer edge for defining casting 200 209 upwardly extend protrusion 249.In one aspect, the lower inner edge of protrusion 249 may include recess 255, the ruler of the recess The very little thermally grown outer edge 209 for receiving casting later for being set to consider both casting and support plate during heating treatment. In addition, the top edge 246 of support plate 242 can be along casting close to the downside surface of the thin-walled portion 203 of outer edge 209 206 provide extended line on the contact point at contact position 248.It should be understood that limiting the appropriate location of thin-walled portion 203 Contact point extended line and/or the recess 255 that does not pull up during heating treatment of constraint outer edge 209 may be used to keep It is aligned and prevents the outer edge part of casting from being deformed during multiple heat treatment.

Support fixture 240 shown in Fig. 5-7 can be engaged along lower surface 206 and outer edge 209 with casting 200, with Casting 200 is firmly supported on single position and prevents it from unexpectedly deviating from from fixture during heating treatment.At other In embodiment, such as casting support system 110 shown in Fig. 4, support fixture 140 can be mainly along its downside surface and casting 100 engagements, single position is firmly supported at by casting, without engaging outer edge.

Fig. 9 is the vertical view of another representative embodiment of casting support system 310, and the casting support system 310 is also Including fixture 340, fixture 340 includes the support plate of four vertical alignments and intersection, and two of which support plate 352 is parallel to pedestal The longitudinal axis 312 of pallet 320 extends, and the width axis 316 that two support plates 356 are parallel to pedestal disk 320 extends.Work as group When dress, support plate 352,356 limits nine polygon flow channels 360 jointly, can be by hot fluid stream from tray openings 326 It boots up to the downside surface of casting (not shown).In this embodiment, one in multiple support plates can also include leading Flowing plate 362,366, the deflector 362,366 extend outwardly into channel so that hot fluid stream to be redirected to opposite support plate. In one aspect, deflector 362 outward and can be upwardly extended along the direction of flowing 363, by the flow direction same channels Opposite side redirect, as shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 10.On the other hand, deflector 366 can be with reverse flow 367 Direction outward and extend downwardly, by flow re-direction by the hole 368 in support plate and towards the opposite of adjacency channel Side, as shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 11.

Other details and information about casting support system disclosed above can be in the topics submitted on the 23rd of September in 2015 For " SYSTEM FOR SUPPORTING CASTINGS DURING THERMAL TREATMENT " co-own and it is common not It is found in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.62/222,407 (it is incorporated herein by reference in their entirety) certainly.

As above with reference to described in Fig. 3-4, disclosed method generally includes to obtain one or more propclips Tool 140, which, which has, is configured to the initial support casting 100 in one or a thermal treatment zone or system Support profiles.In an aspect, each initial support profile being opened by what multiple support plates 142 were formed by support fixture 140 The restriction of formula screen work 150 is put, wherein the top edge of support plate limits open support surface, the open support surface jointly It is substantially complementary with the downside surface 106 of casting 100 and is configured to casting 100 being loosely supported on tray openings 126 On the top of screen work 150 in the space of top on initial position and orientation.In addition, open support surface can further include by propping up Multiple discrete predetermined contact positions that the gap that the top edge of fagging 142 is spaced apart with the downside surface 106 of casting 100 separates It sets, to allow hot fluid to be immediately adjacent to nearly all downside surface 106.It is supported although shown as on unit casting pallet 120 One group of four support fixture 140 of four test casting 100, it is to be understood that desired test can use less support Fixture 140 and casting 100 carry out, to execute test period in a more economical way.Once the master meter of aluminium alloy castings 100 Planar survey value acquires and has been obtained for initial or the first support fixture in three dimensions, then initial or the first heat treatment Scheme can be applied to be supported on one or more test casting 100 on support fixture 140.

Figure 12 temperature in an aspect of this disclosure shown in time plot, heat-treatment protocol 400 can be with Including three individual heat treatment stages, i.e. the first heating period 420, the second heating period 430 and hardening phase 440.First Heating period 420 includes the first time for entering smelting furnace from casting and being heated to the first casting temperature 425 from initial temperature 421 Section (t1) 424, first casting temperature 425 are less than the predetermined solid solubility temperature 414 of the silicon components of aluminium alloy, but do not reach or surpass Cross predetermined silicon solid solubility temperature 414.For example, in the case of without being bound to any particular theory, inventors believe that, cause to cast Inside " pore-creating " process of formation and the expansion of internal porosity or bubble in part starts from the silicon components of aluminium alloy when casting reaches It is dissolved when to silicon solid solubility temperature.When silicon is by pass into solution, grown as silicon particle sum is presented, the size of silicon particle is in It now shrinks, to allow in the gas transfer carried secretly in casting to entire material.However, finally as smaller silicon particle is given birth to together Grow up to obstruction or prevents the larger particles of gas transfer, trend reversion.Then the gas embedded is combined together to form gas Bubble or stomata, as long as casting is kept at high temperature, these bubbles or stomata are by continued growth.If do not inhibited, surface is attached Close increase bubble or stomata may be used as bubble to break through surface, and the increase bubble or stomata of cast-internal can lead to size Deformation.

Also theory thinks, because the solid solubility temperature of silicon components is different from and is less than one or more metallic alloying groups The solid solubility temperature divided, eventually leading to the solutionizing heat treatment for the aluminium alloy that desired mechanical performance improves may not start, directly Their metal of alloying solid solubility temperature is heated to casting.Therefore, by recognizing and taking into account that silicon solid solubility temperature and alloy Change the difference between metal solid solubility temperature, it is further contemplated that silicon components can will be spent in by casting or will be higher than before quenching Solid solubility temperature 414 and time (t3) 436 of both solid solubility temperatures 418 of metallic alloying component control at the waste material of reduction Aluminium alloy castings of the rate production with excellent mechanical properties, and its medium casting has the size distortion being substantially reduced, always It is generated by the formation of the increase bubble of embedding gas.

It should be understood that duration (t1) 424 and first rate of heat addition of the casting in the first heating period 420 Both 422 can substantially change between the different embodiments of heat-treatment protocol 400.For reference purposes, the first heating speed Rising/operation of rate 422 is defined as DEG C/min, and can be used as the instantaneous rate of heat addition or as designated time period (for example, The only only a part of 420 or first heating period 420 of entire first heating period) in average heating rate application.Influence is held The factor of continuous time (t1) and/or first rate of heat addition 422 may include that the type of smelting furnace and configuration, casting first enter smelting furnace Initial temperature 421, casting thickness and/or surface region exposed amount etc..

For example, in some embodiments, casting can be very thick, such as the casting of engine cylinder body.In addition, thick casting It is also likely to be preferred that the essentially all material of part reaches the first casting temperature 425 before entering for the second heating period 430. In such embodiments, target heating curves can be by heating casting with slower rate and then allowing for casting first 425 times immersions a few minutes (such as 2-5 minutes or similar extension period) of casting temperature are terminated until the first heating period 420 Heat is set to become to be evenly distributed in entire casting with the time for providing sufficient.In other embodiments, casting can be tool There is the thin-wall construction of the exposed surface area of greater proportion, be easy to receive and distribute the heat of application in the first casting temperature 425 are in the shorter period and reach thermal balance, and in this case, the heat soaking period may shorten or eliminate.

In in other respects, such as embodiment shown in Figure 12, within the most of the time of the first heating period 420, Casting can be heated with first rate of heat addition 422 of substantial constant, then be cast close to expected first with casting Temperature 425 and the rate of heat addition are gradually reduced towards the ending of the first heating period.The technology can be provided to heat-treatment protocol more Good control, and ensure that casting temperature will not be more than the first casting temperature 425 unintentionally and corrode or reach predetermined silicon and be dissolved Temperature 414, while casting was maintained in the first heating period 420, and to prematurely trigger above-mentioned poration process.

In in terms of other of the disclosure, the first heating period of smelting furnace may remain in more than the first casting temperature 425 Substantial constant first stage temperature, so as in entire first heating period 420 keep heat flow into casting in. One phase temperature is more than the embodiment that silicon components quickly enter the predetermined silicon solid solubility temperature 414 of solid metal solution under it In, casting can periodically, so that casting reaches the first casting temperature 425 and is reaching predetermined silicon solid solution temperature by the movement of smelting furnace Degree 414 left for the first heating period 420 before with first stage temperature thermal balance.Temperature is solid less than predetermined silicon in the first stage In the embodiment of solubility temperature 414, the duration (t1) 424 in the first heating period of casting 420 can extend, so that casting connects Closely with first stage temperature thermal balance, while reaching the first casting temperature 425.

Correspondingly, in an aspect, the first stage temperature of the first heating period may remain in predetermined silicon solid solution temperature In plus or minus about 10 DEG C of degree 414.On the other hand, the first stage temperature of the first heating period 420 may remain in higher than pre- At a temperature of determining 414 or more 10 DEG C of silicon solid solubility temperature, so as to corresponding with the duration (t1) 424 to the first heating period It reduces and provides the increase of first rate of heat addition 422 in entire first heating period 420 in association, and can also include accurate Movement of the casting by the first heating period 420 is controlled, the is left to ensure casting before reaching predetermined silicon solid solubility temperature 414 One heating period 420.

After reaching the first casting temperature 425 at the end of the first heating period 420, then casting with transition or can be moved to In second heating period 430 of heat-treatment protocol 400, which generally includes to enter the second heating rank from casting Section 430 extends up to the second time period (t2) 434 that they leave and are moved in hardening phase 440.Entering the second heating When stage 430, casting is heated rapidly to from the first casting temperature 425 to be more than or substantially equal to predetermined metal of alloying solid solubility temperature 418 the second casting temperature 435.Then, casting can be in substantially isothermal (i.e. constant temperature) part 437 of scheme 400 Two casting temperatures 435 times keep remaining time section (t2) 434 of the second heating period 430.Depending on entering for the second heating period Casting is heated to 435 the time it takes of the second casting temperature, heat-treatment protocol 400 from the first casting temperature 425 after 430 The range that substantially equal isothermal segments 437 under the second casting temperature 435 usually may be at from about 10 minutes to about 20 minute It is interior.However, substantially equal isothermal segments of the duration less than 10 minutes (such as the duration is between 5 minutes and 10 minutes) 437 are also possible and are considered in the scope of the present disclosure.

In one aspect, the second casting temperature 435 can be higher than the predetermined solid solubility temperature 418 about 5 of metallic alloying component DEG C between 10 DEG C, the metallic alloying component in all parts to ensure casting meets or exceeds metal of alloying solid solution temperature Solid solution is spent and entered, but not is excessively more than metal of alloying solid solubility temperature in a manner of it may lead to harmful side effect. Other aspects, such as when accurately knowing metal of alloying solid solubility temperature and strictly can control heat-treatment protocol 400, second Casting temperature 435 can be than 418 high 5 DEG C or lower of the predetermined solid solubility temperature of metallic alloying component.

As shown in figure 12, in an aspect, heating casting may relate to initially in the second heating period 430 or second adds Hot rate 432, heating casting in the first heating period 420 of the speed ratio before entering for the second heating period 430 Rate sharply increases.This can cause casting temperature to be stepwise increased to the second casting temperature 435 within the period of shortening, And wherein casting temperature 412 reaches predetermined silicon solid solubility temperature 414 in entered for the second heating period 430 several seconds.For example, to the greatest extent Pipe casting reaches predetermined metal of alloying solid solubility temperature 418 usually with initial or second rate of heat addition 432 may need to spend 3 to arrive 5 minutes, but casting temperature can quickly reach after entering for the second heating period 430 and be more than predetermined silicon solid solubility temperature 414. In fact, the first casting temperature 425 especially at the end of the first heating period 420 is in predetermined silicon solid solubility temperature 414 In the case of in several years, casting temperature can be less than or equal in 60 seconds into the time of the second heating period 430 and reach and surpass Cross predetermined silicon solid solubility temperature 414.Therefore, in an aspect, casting spend in time of 414 or more predetermined silicon solid solubility temperature can To be substantially equal to the time (t2) 434 spent within the second heating period 430, this feature can be used for simplifying subsequent meter It calculates.

In addition, the second heating period 430 of smelting furnace may remain in of the substantial constant more than first stage temperature Two-stage temperature, to keep heat to flow into casting at least during the first part of the second heating period 430.A side Face can be heated in order to which casting temperature to be risen rapidly to the additional heat input needed for the second casting temperature 435 by additional Equipment (such as directional heater or high flowing hot air nozzle) provides, and this additional heating equipment can draw additional heat It leads on casting and the promotion to initial second rate of heat addition 432 is provided.In addition, this additional heating equipment can be configured to In the second heating period part of smelting furnace in the case where not increasing second stage temperature within the period of shortening by casting Temperature is increased to the second casting temperature 435.

Once casting reaches second casting temperature associated with the substantially equal isothermal segments 437 of scheme 400 435, and second Phase temperature can prevent heat from being flowed out from casting in the remainder of the period (t2) 434 of the second heating period 430. In one aspect, second stage temperature is substantially equal to the second casting temperature 435, and in other respects, second stage temperature Degree can be slightly higher than the second casting temperature 435, so that casting temperature continues to omit during the remainder of the second heating period Micro- rising, but it is usually only a small amount of, because the remaining time is relatively short in the second heating period.In one embodiment, Two-stage temperature can be no more than about 10 DEG C than predetermined metal of alloying solid solubility temperature 418, at this temperature at least one metal Alloying constituents rapidly enter in solid metal solution.

In the relatively period (t3) 436, casting at the predetermined solid solubility temperature 418 of metallic alloying component or on flower Take the entire duration (t2) 434 of the second heating period 430, such as from entering for the second heating period 430 into hardening phase As 440 is measured, (t3)/(t2) time ratio of the casting under metal of alloying solid solubility temperature 418 can for 50% or Bigger.This time ratio is referred to as processing time ratio.As the skilled person will appreciate, processing time Ratio can be casting in addition to quickly entering silicon solid solubility temperature in solid metal solution to reach at or above silicon components, also with place It is spent in or higher than metal of alloying solid solubility temperature (metallic alloying component rapidly enters under it in solid metal solution) The good approximation of the actual percentage of time in solutionizing heat treatment.It will be further understood that provided by the disclosure Processing time ratio the solid solution heat treatment method for HPDC casting that is known and putting into practice can significantly improve than in the prior art.

In fact, depending between predetermined silicon solid solubility temperature 414 and predetermined metal of alloying solid solubility temperature 418 and first The configuration of the temperature difference and smelting furnace between casting temperature 425 and predetermined silicon solid solubility temperature 414, it is contemplated that in some embodiments In, (t3)/(t2) processing time ratio at or greater than the casting of predetermined metal of alloying solid solubility temperature 418 can be more than 60%, it is more than 70% or even 80% or bigger.For example, if it have been determined that (t2) value of particular alloy is restricted to 418 points Clock on the casting of high percentage to avoid occurring blistering and/or size distortion, then 75% (t3)/(t2) processing time ratio It can ensure that casting is kept at or greater than predetermined metal of alloying solid solubility temperature about 13.5 minutes.In this way, casting can To greatly increase the beneficial effect of metal of alloying solutionizing heat treatment, while silicon solid solubility temperature is spent in by limitation or is higher than The time of silicon solid solubility temperature avoids the adverse effect based on gas hole defect.

It is, therefore, to be understood that being heated to the casting in the first heating period 420 close to predetermined silicon solid solubility temperature 414 First casting temperature 425 is for reducing the heating requirements in the second heating period 430 and reducing when casting is in the second heating period Reaching the time needed for predetermined metal of alloying solid solubility temperature 418 when being heated to the second casting temperature 435 in 430 may all be It is advantageous.

When reaching the ending of the second heating period 430, then casting with transition or can be moved to quenching for heat-treatment protocol 400 The fiery stage 440, at this stage medium casting be cooled fast to hardening heat 445 from the second casting temperature 435, hardening heat 445 is logical Often it is less than 250 DEG C, but remains above environment temperature.Hardening phase 440 generally includes liquid spray cooling system, forced air or gas Body cooling system, liquid immersion cooling system or combination above-mentioned.During hardening phase 440, casting can be with cooling speed Rate 442 cools down a period (t4) 444, and the period (t4) 444 is usually in the range of 1 to about 5 minute.It completes to quench rank Section 440 after, casting can be taken out to ambient enviroment and be allowed to cool and naturally aging to carry out T4 tempering, Huo Zhequ Go out to individual temperature control room (being not shown but known to those skilled in the art) for artificial old at elevated temperatures Change predetermined amount of time to reach T6 tempering.As the skilled person will recognize, other quenchings and aging scheme It is possible and is considered in the scope of the present disclosure.

It can be on April 28th, 2015 about the additional detail of disclosed heat-treatment protocol 400 and information in fig. 12 Entitled " the SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THERMAL TREATING ALUMINUM ALLOY CASTINGS's " submitted It co-owns and is looked for in the U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.62/153,724 of co-pending (it is incorporated herein by reference in their entirety) It arrives.It should be appreciated, however, that above-mentioned heat-treatment protocol 400 is only an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, and other are different Heat-treatment protocol can also be applied to the test casting 100 (Fig. 4) being supported on support fixture 140 and be considered to fall within In the scope of the present disclosure.

After the completion of initial or the first heat-treatment protocol, one or more processed test casting can be allowed again When 101 (opposite with the green casting 100 before or during heat treatment) are cooling in temperature controlled environment or stand one section Between and at a temperature of scheduled measurement reach thermal equilibrium state.At this point, this method can continue the second of collecting test casting 101 Digital Three-Dimensional surface measurement, later can will treated shape and reference figure to determine its treated 3D shape Whether the shape for being compared to determine component changes during heating treatment, if it is, be happened at where and hair Give birth to how many.As shown in the side view of Figure 13 and the cross sectional side view of Figure 14, for example, in one aspect, this can pass through by Treated that shape electronically combines is contour to form the three-dimensional of casting 101 for the digitlization reference figure of casting 101 and digitlization Line chart or model 180 (it can illustrate one or more regions 182,184 of sizable size distortion) are realized.If this A little change in size are more than predetermined tolerance, then disclosed method can proceed with to identify that size distortion 182,184 is in Re Chu Underbraced during reason scheme, hot fluid relative in 101 thermal treatment zone of casting position and orientation inadequately apply As a result, the still performance as the notable porosity of cast-internal (excess of the instruction dissolved gas in alloy material).It should Understand, the combination of above-mentioned deformation sources is also possible, and may be needed for mitigating a plurality of of deformation in some cases Approach.

It is on the outer surface of processed casting 101 in a large amount of dissolved gas of cast-internal and the common index of porosity Bubble, and in one aspect can check the surface of the processed test casting close to size distortion to identify and alloy The related surface porosity factor of the concentration of dissolved gas of increase in material.However, it is possible to which there are the inside of high gas content parts Region causes external dimensions to be deformed without apparent with surface blistering or defect.In this case, casting can also Subdivision is carried out to identify interior porosity related with the high gas content in alloy material close to size distortion.

Contain if it is determined that the size distortion 182,184 in processed test casting 101 is high gas in alloy material Amount as a result, then in one embodiment, this method can continue to the second different heat treatment scheme, be intended to eliminate or base Internal deformation related with porosity showing in other untreated test casting is reduced in sheet.For example, in order to verify At least part source for size distortion is the high gas content in alloy material, can be by reducing casting during it The period of the temperature of the predetermined silicon solid solubility temperature 414 higher than alloy material is undergone to change the initial of green casting 100 Or the heat-treatment protocol suggested, above with reference to as described in Figure 12.This is depended on for applying first and the in heat-treatment protocol The type of the thermal treatment zone or system (i.e. smelting furnace) of two heating periods, can realize in various ways.

If the temperature of Figure 12 for example, casting 100 is worked as in the first heating period 420 and second to shown in time graph, heating It, can be by First Transition region 429, then again by the second heating period 430 and quenching rank when being converted between the stage 430 The second transitional region 439 between section 440.Second transitional region 439 is typically included casting out of smelting furnace to outside smelting furnace The physics of the quenching station in portion moves, such as the ejection door at the outlet end for passing through smelting furnace.However, 420 He of the first heating period First Transition region 429 between second heating period 430 may include movement or the rate of heat addition by physical barriers Increase, typically depends on the type of the smelting furnace for executing heat treatment.As explained in greater detail below, for example, even Continuous mobile casting passes through the side that the processing smelting furnace of the heating inner space in conveyer system may include between limiting two stages The inside door on boundary.Optionally, the batch-type smelting furnace of heating casting in place may include additional heater, high flowing hot-air Nozzle or similar heating equipment can become active to increase the rate of heat addition and quickly be cast from first in First Transition region The 425 to the second casting temperature of temperature 435 is made to increase casting temperature 412.

Figure 15 is the schematic diagram of one embodiment of Continuous maching smelting furnace 450, and the Continuous maching smelting furnace 450 includes operation Across the endless conveyor chain 452 (that is, pairs of chain of parallel synchronous) of lagging casing 454, have into introduction in arrival end 456, and there is ejection door 458 in outlet end.Smelting furnace 450 can also include along smelting furnace 450 length sequence arrange it is multiple plus Hot cell 460, each heating unit 460 include extending in unit adding for (for example, extending downwardly through the ceiling of shell 454) Hot device assembly 462, and include such as unit heater and motro drivien air blower, having heated air, driving is arrived downwards In shell 454, to be flowed across with around casting 405, which is just carrying to slow transit through the smelting furnace on pallet, the support Disk diverges the distance between each chain between transmission chain 452.Although processing smelting furnace 450 shows the length along the smelting furnace Seven heating units 460 of arrangement are spent, each heating unit 460 has the heater assembly based on air blower of their own 462, but it is to be understood that, Figure 15 is the processing smelting furnace 450 of a part for the heat-treatment protocol 400 for implementing Figure 12 or is System a kind of possible configuration rough schematic, and the quantity of various heating units and arrangement and it is various types of plus Hot device assembly and technology are also possible and are considered in the scope of the present disclosure.

It may include the internal barrier with gate or intermediate door 464 to process smelting furnace 450, will be in thermally insulating housing 454 Part is at the first heating period 420 overlapped with the first heating period 420 as shown in figure 12 and the second heating period 430 and the Two heating periods 430.When casting 405 is transported through smelting furnace by single transmission chain 452 by the two stages with constant speed When 450, it will be appreciated that, the speed of transmission chain 452, the total length of smelting furnace shell 454 and intermediate door 464 are long along shell The position of degree can determine the duration of the duration (t1) 424 and the second heating period 430 of the first heating period 420 (t2)434.In an aspect, the duration (t2) 434 of the second heating period 430 can be restricted to 25 minutes or more It is few, and preferably 20 minutes or less, to ensure that casting 405 leaves smelting furnace before any defect based on stomata displays 450.As a result, can adjust the thermal output that is generated by heating unit 460 in the first heating period 420 come with desired first plus Hot rate 422 heats casting 405, before casting 405 reaches intermediate door 464 or substantially same so as to the temperature 412 of casting 405 When reach the first casting temperature 425.

In one aspect, the temperature of the first heating period 420 may remain in the first casting temperature 425 and duration (t1) 424 can extend until in casting 405 and having heated that gradually build up heat between air flat in the first heating period 420 Weighing apparatus.The temperature of the second heating period 430 can be equally maintained under the second casting temperature 435, but in the second heating period 430 make casting quickly enter casting 405 in the second heating period 430 and have heated air when starting by additional heat input Between thermal balance.

Equally in fig.15 as it can be seen that in one aspect, intermediate door 464 can be with along the position of the length of smelting furnace shell 454 Change, to better adapt to the expectation casting temperature curve of special aluminum alloy casting.If such as at the center of smelting furnace shell 454 In each heating unit 460 between provide and white space 466 and use insulating spacer when not in use in white space 466 467 fillings, then intermediate door 464 can be as needed in upstream or lower downstream to be re-assigned to the respectively by adjacent heating unit In two heating periods 430 or the first heating period 420.By providing speed and heating beyond transmission chain 452 to user The output of device assembly 462, in the second heating period for optimizing the supplementary variables of (t3)/(t2) time ratios, this feature It can be more advantageous than the smelting furnace with the intermediate door being in a fixed position.

Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the output of the heater assembly in the first heating unit of the second heating period 430 may not It is enough initial or second rate of heat addition 432 being increased to desired value.In such a case, it is possible to add to impacted heating unit Add one or more additional heating equipments 468 (such as additional heater or hot air nozzle) additional heat is directed to casting On 405 and initial or second rate of heat addition 432 the promotion is provided, this be lifted in the shortening period increases casting temperature To the second casting temperature 435.It, can also be at each additional optional position for the smelting furnace 450 with adjustable intermediate door 464 Empty support fixture filled with insulating plug 469 is provided, it can be again fixed together with intermediate door 464 to add heating equipment 468 Position.

The processing smelting furnace 470 schematically shown in figure 16 illustrates the expectation for adapting to specific HPDC aluminium alloy castings Another selection of casting temperature curve.Similar to processing smelting furnace embodiment before, processing smelting furnace 470 generally includes lagging casing 474, have in arrival end into introduction 476, shell is separated into the first heating period 420 and the second heating period 430 Intermediate door 484 and ejection door 478 in outlet end.Smelting furnace 450 further includes rows of more along the length arrangement of stove 470 A heating unit 480, each heating unit 480 include heater assembly 482, and the heater assembly 482, which extends downwardly, to be worn It crosses ceiling and is directed downwards onto in shell 454 so that air will have been heated and flowed slowly over impacting following being just mounted in conveyer system The casting 405 of smelting furnace.Additional heating equipment 488 can also be directly appended to the downstream of intermediate door 484, to provide the second heating rank Initial or second rate of heat addition 432 the promotion of section 430.

However, in this embodiment of processing smelting furnace 470, intermediate door 484 can be with along the position of the length of shell 454 Be it is fixed, and conveyer system may include with can independent control the speed of service transmission chain 472,473 (that is, flat The synchronous pairs of chain of row).Two can independent control transmission chain 472,473 can provide to the user separate configurations first plus The ability of the duration (t1) in hot stage and the duration (t2) of the second heating period, this can allow optimization second to add again First rate of heat addition 422 in the hot stage 430 and (t3)/(t2) processing time ratios.In one aspect, as shown in figure 12, two A transmission chain 472,473 can meet together at First Transition region 429 (i.e. intermediate door 484), and in other respects, At another position that transmission chain can be in smelting furnace shell 474, such as within the second heating period 430 and in intermediate door (not shown) meets together at the position in 484 downstream.

The solution heat treatment system 550 illustrated in the plan view of Figure 17 may include the multiple batch-types heat being arranged side by side Handle smelting furnace 560.Each smelting furnace 560 may include lagging casing 562, have entrance door 564 on side, and it is all enter Mouth door 564 is towards identical direction.Each smelting furnace 560 can also include at least one primary heater assembly 566, extend downwardly Across the ceiling of shell 562, and include that for example unit heater and air driving downwards will have been heated to the horse in shell 562 Up to drive-type air blower, the size of the shell 562 is typically configured as accommodating and is loaded onto with interval and/or stacked relation Multiple casting 505 on pallet or holder can be substantially uniformly applied to have heated air on each casting.At one Aspect, primary heater assembly 566 can be configured to provide Variable Heat output, and such as utilization can increase into shell 562 The flow for having heated air inverter motor driver 567.On the other hand, there are one heat treatment furnace 560 can be arranged Or multiple additional auxiliary heaters 568, such as additional heater or high flow capacity hot air nozzle, to provide to initial or second adds The promotion of hot rate 532, the temperature of casting 505 is increased to the second casting temperature 535 by this within the period of shortening.

Same as shown in Figure 17, solution heat treatment system 550 can further include removable quenching station 570, this is removable Dynamic quenching station 570 before the entrance door 564 (i.e. the second transitional region 539) in each smelting furnace 560 anterior-posterior translation to connect It receives and quenches the holder for having heated casting immediately after casting takes out from smelting furnace 560.Quenching station generally includes to have extremely The shell 572 of the opening 574 of a few direction smelting furnace 560, to receive the holder of casting, and the shell also supports cooling system 576, such as liquid spray cooling system or forced air or gas system.In an aspect, quenching station is moved 570 can be supported on the wheeled bracket that can be moved between each smelting furnace on track 578.As those skilled in the art will manage As solution, the movement of quenching station 570 can be synchronous with the heat treatment cycle occurred in each batch-type smelting furnace 560, with As soon as just quenching station gets out the end that every batch of casting reaches its second heating period 530, processed casting is received as early as possible.

Utilize the batch-type heat treatment furnace 560 of the solution heat treatment system 550 of Figure 17, the first heating period 420 and First Transition 429 between two heating periods 430 (Figure 12) can be " virtual " transition comprising will heat the rate of casting from First rate of heat addition 422 in first heating period is increased to initial or second rate of heat addition in the second heating period 430 432.In one aspect, increasing for the rate of heat addition can be by the heat increased that is exported from primary heater assembly 566 (such as It is one or more additional auxiliary as described above using the increase of the speed of inverter motor driver 567, or by enabling temporarily Help heater 568) it realizes.

Although the repetition generation heat cycle batch-type heat treatment efficiency in furnace chamber is low, by the heat treatment of Figure 17 The advantage that smelting furnace 560 provides is exactly that the duration (t1) 424 of the first heating period 420 can be by first rate of heat addition 422 limit, and the duration (t2) 433 of the second heating period 430 can be by open entrance door 564 and outside smelting furnace Shell 562 takes out casting 505 to limit.

It is that other details and information about heat treatment system disclosed above can also be previously mentioned, as above It quotes and is attached to and found in the U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.62/153,724 in the application.

When applying the second different heat treatment scheme to the second test casting, identical support fixture and support can be used Profile carries casting in thermal treatment zone, to reduce the quantity of the variable for the result that may influence second test.Once the Two heat-treatment protocols are completed, and can also allow to cool down the second processed casting 101 until reaching at a temperature of scheduled measurement Thermal equilibrium state, can acquiring another Digital Three-Dimensional surface measurement of the second casting 101 at this time, treated to determine it 3D shape.Next the second casting treated shape and its reference figure (can be similar to shown in Figure 13-14 Shape) it is compared, to determine the reduction for the size distortion being previously identified out or even be not present, previously deformed to verification Be partly or entirely due to the high gas content in alloy material and caused by.

It should be appreciated that high gas content in HPDC casting is explicitly indicated, especially if deformation and dissolved gas It is confined in the specific region of casting, may be useful information for the manufacturer of HPDC pressing molds or designer.It utilizes These information, pressing mold manufacturer can redesign pressing mold or HPDC processes, enable to reduce melting casting material The gas flow that can be used for absorbing.For example, in one aspect, the ventilation opening in mold chamber can be changed or reposition, so as to When with high pressure and introducing hot melt at high speed, preferably effusion road is provided to be present in the indoor gas of die cavity and steam Diameter.In other respects, the cast gate for guiding molten metal to enter mold chamber can also change or reposition, to work as casting Material fills plenum chamber and preferably controls flow pattern when gas and steam release are passed through ventilation opening.

Referring back to Fig. 4 and 13-14, if it is determined that the size distortion 182,184 in processed test casting 101 is The insufficient support provided by the support profiles of the first support fixture 140 as a result, then the relative position of support plate 142 and/or it Top edge shape can be modified to adjustment the second or modified support fixture open support surface (prop up Support profile) contact position between the downside or lateral edges of casting 101.For example, if being to be caused by sagging by deformation recognition , then it can change support fixture 140 to be included in the supplementary contact position between the top edge of support plate and casting 101, Preferably to support impacted part during production run.This can be by repositioning support plate or in impacted part Be added below new support plate and/or by the top edge of the support plate for having been positioned at impacted beneath portions that shapes again come It completes.

Then initial or the first heat-treatment protocol can be re-applied to the second casting being supported on the second fixture, with Reduce the quantity of the variable for the result that may influence the second test.Once completing second of operation passes through the first heat-treatment protocol, The second casting can also be allowed to cool down, until reaching thermal equilibrium state at a temperature of scheduled measurement, can be acquired at this time processed The second casting 101 another Digital Three-Dimensional surface measurement to determine its treated 3D shape.Next it can incite somebody to action Treated that shape is compared with its reference figure (being similar to shape shown in Figure 13 and 14) for second casting, with determination The reduction for the size distortion being previously identified out is even not present, to verification portion or it is all deformed be due to by first support Fixture provide insufficient support and caused by.At this point, the support fixture for mass production can be with the second support wheel Exterior feature is manufactured.

As described above, the size distortion 182,184 in processed test casting 101 is also likely to be incomplete by hot fluid Or caused by being inadequately applied to casting in thermal treatment zone, and especially in the following manner caused by：Which exists In the whole thickness of alloy material or generating prodigious temperature gradient across broad regions, cause to complete in heat treatment and Casting has been cooled to after environmental balance temperature the size distortion that setting is kept in casting material.Moreover, in heat-treatment protocol During the hardening phase 440 of 400 (Figure 12), inadequately apply the problem that hot fluid is typically other.This is because the quenching phase Between cooling rate 442 it is more much bigger than the rate of heat addition 422,432 during the heating period, this makes it difficult to from final casting temperature Keep the relative temperature of the various pieces of casting substantially mutually equal during spending the fast transition that 435 arrive hardening heat 445.Hair A person of good sense is it has been determined that by controlling or changing the type for heating fluid being applied on casting and direction, casting relative to heating The position of fluid stream and orientation or this two, may be implemented the improvement of the heat treating castings for reducing size distortion.

For example, in another aspect of the present disclosure shown in Figure 18, hardening phase 440 can be by multistage quenching system 600 It executes, multistage quenching system 600 generally includes shell 620 comprising around the shell 622 of quenching chamber 626, in the quenching chamber Interior can be used supports the identical support system 110 of casting to position one during the heat treatment stage of hot scheme 400 Or multiple hot-cast parts (being expressed as single test casting 100 in the accompanying drawings).As described above, support system 110 may include from support The support fixture 140 that disk 120 upwardly extends, to contact casting at several positions of its downside surface and/or lower edge Part, to which loosely casting is maintained on the desired locations and orientation in quenching chamber 626, but wherein support fixture 104 It is open or empty mostly in other cases with 120 the two of pallet, so as not to stop that various cooling fluid streams reach casting Part.

Multistage quenching system 600 also typically includes fluid under pressure spray cooling system 630 and big scale of construction air cooling system 640.Liquid spray cooling system 630 may include pressurized cooling fluid body source, with multiple nozzles 632 with nozzle head 634 It is in fluid communication by one or more manifolds 631.Nozzle 632 is configured to will during one or more parts in quenching period Cooling liquid 636 is ejected on hot-cast part 100 to provide liquid spray quenching.Cooling liquid 636 usually can include water or water With the mixture of one or more other liquid components (such as ethylene glycol).In addition, nozzle head 634 can be configured to provide From the high pressure with big drop/flow at a high speed by with being less than or the atomization mist of the droplet formation of about 100 μm of average-size Various states cooling liquid 636.On the other hand, temperature of the cooling liquid 636 before being spread from nozzle can be kept Under the predetermined temperature for being optimized to provide desired cooling effect.

The nozzle 632 and nozzle head 634 of liquid spray cooling system 630 can carry out in direction and in terms of flowing the two Configuration, to be accurately controlled to application offer of the cooling liquid 636 on hot-cast part 100, therefrom to extract heat.For example, each The configuration of a nozzle 632 and nozzle head 634 can or by being customized either manually or by programmable actuation, so as to With specific cast member, to increase relative to the cooling amount of liquid for the thin-walled portion for being applied to casting and be applied to the test The amount of the cooling liquid 636 of the thicker portion of casting.In addition, cooling liquid can be applied to all sides or sudden and violent of casting simultaneously Reveal surface (i.e. front, back, side, bottom surface, top surface or inside).In this way, casting can quench the whole of period It is substantially homogeneously cooled down in a liquid spray cooling segment.Because entirely quenching period medium casting each section relative temperature can To keep essentially identical, so any thermotropic internal stress of casting and the size distortion of generation can greatly reduce.

Big scale of construction air cooling system 640 may include one or more rotatable cooling fans 642, be configured to carry The big scale of construction cooling air stream 644 for entering quenching chamber 626 for use by entrance 624 passes through and around the appearance of hot-cast part 100 Face reaches from casting and takes away heat, and being then used as waste gas stream 648 by one or more outlet 628 leaves chamber 626.At one In aspect, temperature and the flow of big scale of construction cooling air 644 can be controlled to provide desired cooling characteristics.For example, driving can The motor of rotation cooling fan 642 can be powered by variable frequency drives (VFD), and the variable frequency drives can be in very wide operation The cooling air stream of continuous variable is provided in speed or frequency range.Big scale of construction air cooling system 640 and chamber 626 can also structures It causes to ensure that cooling air 644 passes through on the outer surface of the substantially all exposure of casting, to quench the entire strong of period Casting is cooled down on air cooling part processed in a substantially uniform manner.

In addition, as understood by those skilled in the art, big scale of construction air cooling system 640 depicted in figure 18 One of the configuration big scale of construction air system of broad sense that is only to provide the cooling air stream 644 around casting 100 illustrative show Example.This is because cooling fan 642 can be positioned above or below chamber 626 or even remotely from chamber, and construct Chamber is passed through in any direction aspirating or pushing cooling air and across casting.In fact, due to heating exhaust gas 648 sometimes It can be mixed with the steam from liquid spray cooling system 630, so cooling air 644 is drawn into chamber simultaneously from below By the outlet positioned at 626 top of chamber along with shown in Figure 18 side be discharged in the opposite direction the exhaust gas 648 mixed and plus It may be advantageous for the water vapour of heat.

Multistage quenching system 600 also typically includes programmable controller 616, for example, computer or it is similar based on electronics at The device for managing device is configured to enable and deactivate big scale of construction air cooling system 40 and fluid under pressure spray cooling system 630. Therefore, controller 616, which can be used for adjusting, is provided by liquid spray cooling system 630 and big scale of construction air cooling system 640 It is cooling, to ensure that each type of casting 100 can undergo specific pre-programmed quenching process.In one aspect, controller 616 can be used for automatically adjusting positioning and flowing of the liquid by each nozzle 32 as described above.Optionally, quenching system System 600 can utilize basic timer system, wherein by the timetable of setting for sequentially enabling and deactivating each cooling system 630、640。

Equally, shown in Figure 18 it is optional temperature sensing system 610, can be passed by using one or more temperature Sensor 612 measures and monitors the surface temperature of casting 100.In one aspect, temperature sensor 612 can remotely measure casting One or more positions surface temperature without contact surface, such as use infrared sensor.In other respects, one or more A temperature sensor can be in cast member or in cast member.It can be by control line 614 in temperature sensor It establishes and is electrically connected between 612 and programmable controller 616, wherein programmable controller 616 is quenched for monitoring and being recorded in experience The reduction of cast(ing) surface temperature when fiery process.

Once hot-cast part 100 is positioned or fixed in quenching chamber 626, big 640 He of scale of construction air cooling system Liquid spray cooling system 630 can be run separately or together, be come with the hardening phase or step that use predetermined order fast Speed quenching casting.For example, be expressed as below using an exemplary embodiment of the multistage quenching system 600 of the disclosure can Applied to aluminium alloy castings.Specifically, providing the temperature of the exemplary process 650 for quenching aluminium alloy castings in Figure 19 For degree to time plot (also referred to as quenching curve), wherein casting temperature 652 can be including big scale of construction air cooling system 640 With three or more different phases of the blocked operation of liquid spray cooling system 630 or when interim quickly and uniformly subtract It is few.As described above, quickly but controllably reduction casting temperature 652 can cause with minimum dimension in a substantially even way The high-strength parts of deformation.

It, can be with when casting leaves dissolving smelting furnace before the first stage (" stage I ") 660 for entering quenching process 650 Under initial temperature 662 (such as raised heating post-processing temperature), hot-cast part is placed in quenching system.Can then it start big Casting is cooled to the stage I air of the first medium temperature 672 to provide by scale of construction air cooling system 640 from initial temperature 662 Quenching 664.During stage I air hardening 664 is happened at the period in stage I 666, in one embodiment, the period 666 can hold It renews a contract 5 seconds to about 20 seconds.In some respects, stage I cooling rates 668 can be substantially linear or constant (also as schemed Shown in 19), and in other respects, stage I cooling rate 668 can be nonlinear or variable.

At the end of first stage 660 of quenching process 600, big scale of construction air cooling system 640 can be deactivated and enabled Liquid spray cooling system 630, will to provide second stage (" stage II ") liquid (or liquid/air) fog quenching 674 Casting is cooled further to the second medium temperature 682 from the first medium temperature 672.When stage II fog quenching 674 can have Between section 676, in one embodiment, which can last about 5 seconds to about 20 seconds.In some respects, stage II coolings speed Rate 678 can be with substantial constant, and in other respects, and stage II cooling rate 678 can be variable.

After casting temperature has reached the second medium temperature 682, liquid spray cooling system 630 can be deactivated, And big scale of construction air cooling system 640 is re-enabled to provide phase III (" stage III ") air hardening 684, will Casting is further cooled to final hardening heat 692 from the second medium temperature 682.When stage III fog quenching 684 can have Between section 686, in one embodiment, which lasts about 5 seconds to about 10 seconds.In some respects, stage III coolings speed Rate 688 can be with substantial constant, and in other respects, and stage III cooling rate 688 can be variable.When stage II is cold But when liquid is water, the air hardening of stage III can be used for the drying after stage II fog quenching 674 and remain on casting Residual moisture.After reaching final hardening heat 692, casting can be allowed gradually to cool down 144 to environment temperature to carry out nature Aging can also be transferred to auxiliary furnace in order to carry out artificial ageing one at elevated temperatures before allowing natural cooling The extended period.

As described above, each in air hardening stage 664,684 and flash quenching stage 674 may be configured to Casting is cooled down in a substantially even way in entire quenching Step, to reduce the thermotropic stress that may show in component. This feature of the disclosure can be used for minimizing or substantially reduce may generate in other cases during quenching process Thermotropic size distortion, be rejected so as to cause less casting due to falling except dimensional tolerance.

In one embodiment, it is executed from initial temperature 662 to the more of final hardening heat 692 on hot aluminium alloy castings In the range of the total time of interrupted hardening process 650 can arrive about 50 seconds at about 15 seconds.Although as this field is currently available that Sample, multistage quenching process 650 may take longer time than submergence quenching immediately in water or oil, but entirely quench The ability of the cooling rate of casting is changeably controlled in the process can cause to quench casting improvement metallurgical performance and reduce size change Shape.In addition, in some respects, it is contemplated that multistage quenching process 650 is for terminating the solution heat treatment process suitably optimized When, improved metallurgical performance can be provided to obtained casting, so that coming artificially with raised temperature in auxiliary furnace The additional step of aging casting may be unwanted for meeting structural performance requirements.

It should be understood that multistage quenching system 600 and quenching process 650 shown in Figure 18 and 19 be based on batch or Quenching system based on unit, each stage wherein in quenching process is in being essentially fixed in space or at least in shell It is executed at the same position on casting in 620 chamber 626.However, produce in enormous quantities casting can also or possibly even The multistage quenching process 650 of experience moves simultaneously through continuous process quenching system, such as quenches system 700 shown in Figure 20.

Multistage quenching system 700 generally includes elongate housing 202, limits quenching chamber 206, plurality of casting is (not Show) at a substantially constant speed 701 from the entrance opening 704 of the at one end positioned at shell 702 be advanced through chamber 706 to Up to the exit opening 708 at opposite end.Shell 702 may include have offer stage I air hardenings 664 (Figure 19) big The first part 710 of scale of construction air cooling system 712.The speed 701 of shell 702 is advanced through depending on casting, first substantially It may include one or more cooling fans 714 to measure air cooling system 712, provides and is cooled down by the big scale of construction of chamber 706 Air stream.In one aspect, cooling fan 714 can be provided with VFD drivers, so that big scale of construction cooling air stream is across operation The wide scope of speed and continuous variable so that the cooling rate provided in the stage I air hardening 664 of quenching system 700 can It adjusts to adapt to have various types of casting of different quenching curves.

After by first part 710, then casting can enter has offer stage II fog quenchings 674 (Figure 19) Liquid spray cooling system 722 second part 720.Liquid spray cooling system 722 may include multiple rows of with nozzle head 726 nozzle 724, nozzle head 726 will cooling liquid such as water or water/ethylene glycol during the intermediate stage II part of quenching process Mixture is ejected on hot-cast part.

Once reaching the end of second part 720, casting, which can enter, has (the figure of offer stage III air hardenings 684 19) Part III 730 of another big scale of construction air cooling system 732.Such as the first big scale of construction of the entrance close to shell 702 As air cooling system 712, the second largest scale of construction air cooling system 732 can also include one or more cooling fans 734, This depends on the speed 701 that casting is advanced through shell 702.Cooling fan 734 in the Part III 730 of quenching system 700 VFD drivers can also be provided with so that the cooling rate provided in III level air hardening 734 can be adjustable.

Equally, as shown in Figure 20, multistage quenching system 700 can also include optional temperature sensing system 760, can To measure the surface temperature of casting by using multiple temperature sensors 762, the multiple temperature sensor 762 can be along The length of shell 702 is spaced apart.In other respects, one or more temperature sensors in cast member or can be cast It makes in component.Although being not shown, it will be appreciated that, temperature sensing system 760 can be electrically connected with above-mentioned programmable controller, The programmable controller can be used for monitoring, control and record surface temperature of the casting when they are by quenching system 700 Reduction.

It returns with continued reference to Fig. 4 and Figure 13-14, if it is determined that size distortion 182 in processed test casting 101, 184 be hot fluid to the incomplete of the casting in thermal treatment zone or inadequately apply as a result, then in an aspect, Multistage quenching system 600,700 disclosed in Figure 18-20 can be used for controlling the hot fluid being applied in hardening phase on casting Type and direction, to reduce thermal gradient and be quickly cooled down casting in a substantially uniform manner.It is this multistage process for quenching with Support system 110 and support fixture 140 can especially effectively when combining, which can be supported on casting quenching In the indoor appropriate space of chamber, and it is open or empty mostly in other cases, so as not to stop various cooling fluids Stream reaches casting.

It is entitled that additional detail and information about these multistage quenching systems can be that September in 2015 is submitted on the 16th " SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR QUENCHING CASTINGS " co-own and Co-pending U.S. Patent Application It is found in No.14/855,498 (it is fully incorporated the application by reference).

Optionally, in the another aspect of the disclosure shown in Figure 21, the hardening phase of hot scheme can be cold by being used for But the single-stage forced air quenching system 800 of the casting 880 of quenching shell 820 is generally included to execute, and wherein at least one has There is the roll-type conveyer system 830 of multiple support rollers 832 to extend across the central part 822 of quenching shell 820.Forced air fan (not shown) can be located in the lower part of quenching shell 820, to provide the cooling air stream 890 for flowing upwardly through shell to pass through position In one or more of quenching upper part of the housing, opening (being also not shown) is left.Roll-type conveyer system 830 is configured to load There are one or more casting pallets 860 of casting 880 to be moved in the central part 822 of quenching shell 820, it will meet there To the cooling air 890 provided by pressure fan.

Quenching air system 800 can also include multiple nozzle flappers 840, inside from the side wall 824 of quenching shell 820 Towards the internal stretch of roller conveyor outermost roller 832.Nozzle flapper 840 can be operated with will be along quenching shell 820 The central part of those of the cooling air 890 that side wall 824 flows up part 892 towards quenching shell 820 re-directs, by This increases the speed of the pressure cooling air 890 when forcing cooling air 890 to flow upwards through casting pallet 860.One A aspect, nozzle flapper 840 may include fixed upwardly and inwardly inclined part 842, are bent on aerodynamics At vertical lip 846, the vertical lip 846 is upward and extends without contacting adjacent to the inward flange of outermost roller 842 Roller, to maximize the speed of cooling air 890 while to minimize the pressure loss.However, other for nozzle flapper 840 are matched It sets and/or shape is possible and is considered in the scope of the present disclosure.

Although being not shown in the schematic side elevation of Figure 21, but it is understood that, similar nozzle flapper can also Inwardly prolong from the side wall of the quenching shell 820 perpendicular to side wall shown in figure 824 (that is, into or leave the paper of attached drawing) It stretches.In this case, nozzle flapper may include the notch or cut out assembled around roller 832.Therefore, in some respects, spray Pressure cooling air 890 can be redirected and focus on the support casting for corresponding essentially to casting pallet 860 by mouth baffle 840 In the region of the occupied area of 880 part, and the region is generally much less than the total cross sectional area for quenching shell 820.Cause This, nozzle flapper 840 can provide the first redirection for forcing air-flow or the cooling air 890 of concentration and corresponding first stage Flow velocity or speed increase.

Same as shown in Figure 21, in some embodiments, air hardening system 800 can further include in multiple move Heart baffle 850 is located in the gap 834 between the support roller 832 in the central part 822 of quenching shell 820.Although from figure In end observation, it is understood that, center baffle 850 can be elongated blade-shaped structure, can be substantially horizontal Across the length of support roller.In addition, center baffle 850 can they end or in one or more at cross-location support Actuated support system, actuated support system can make the substantially horizontal orientation movement shown in Figure 21 of center baffle 850 for this Or rotate to any desired angle orientation being oriented substantially vertically and between them.Determine when the level that is moved to or at tilting Xiang Shi, the pressure cooling air that center baffle can be used for further will flow up re-direct union centre to centre heart baffle In close clearance or channel 836 between 850 and the peripheral surface of support roller 832, thus when cooling air 890 around and through When casting 880 flows, further speed increases the speed that cooling air 890 enters in pre- routing.Force this of air-flow Two and more localization to redirect or concentrate may include that second stage flow velocity increases, be collected so as to cause heat and from having heated The corresponding increase for the rate taken away in casting metal.

Although invisible attached drawing, the width of center baffle 850 can be along the length of blade-shaped structure in one aspect (that is, when being moved perpendicular to figure plane) changes, and to limit the channel of different sizes and shapes, can be optimized to more Cooling air stream 890 is limited and shaped well.For example, in some respects, the profile of center baffle 850 can be shaped as matching and wear The big opening 882 (such as hollow round column hole or bent axle hole) for crossing casting 880 formation itself, so as in addition to across casting 880 Except the Fast Cooling air stream of outer surface flowing, Fast Cooling air stream can also be guided to flow upwardly through the inside of casting.It is logical This mode is crossed, casting can be cooled down using the cooling air of the greater proportion provided by pressure fan, thus increases quenching Validity, efficiency and the cooling rate of system 800.

Figure 22 is the single-stage forced air quenching including two roll-type conveyer systems 930,935 for cooling down casting 980 The schematic side elevation of another representative embodiment of system 900, wherein second or top roller conveyor 935 located immediately at First or lower part roller conveyor 930 in the central part 922 of quenching shell 920.However, in this embodiment, forcing Fan (not shown) can be located above quenching station, so that the cooling air stream 990 provided by fan flows down through two rollers Formula conveyer system 930,935.In this embodiment, the second roller conveyor 935, which can be used for minimizing, is mounted with first group of casting First casting pallet 960 of part 980 and the shut-in time being mounted between the second casting pallet of second group of casting, because of top Casting pallet 966 can be moved to the position in the quenching station of top without interfering lower part casting pallet 960 to be quenched from lower part Station is extracted out simultaneously.

Two quenching stations in quenching air system 900 may include nozzle flapper 940,946 and removable center gear Plate 950,956.The cooling that nozzle flapper 940,946 can be fixed, and can be used for flow downward along side wall 924 Those of air 990 part 992 towards quenching shell 920 central part 922 redirect, thus focus and increase force it is cold But speed of the air 990 when it is flowed downwardly through around the casting being supported on casting pallet.However, in this embodiment, spray Mouth baffle 940,946 can inwardly prolong at the position on the roller conveyor 930,935 of each quenching station from side wall 924 A distance 926 is stretched, which allows the casting pallet for being mounted with casting to be rolled in nozzle flapper, may include in one aspect The lower vertical lip 944,948 shown in the shown embodiment.In addition, since nozzle flapper is located above quenching station, Therefore the size and shape of nozzle flapper 940,946 are not limited by roller conveyor.If necessary, this can allow to spray Mouth baffle is constructed or is customized to more accurately to meet the occupancy for the casting 980 being loaded on their own casting pallet 960 Region.Since these flow regions are generally much less than total cross sectional area of quenching shell 920, nozzle flapper 940,946 can It forces the first of air-flow to re-direct or concentrate with offer and corresponding first stage flow velocity increases.

Similar to the embodiment of above-mentioned quenching air system, it is located at the oral area of nozzle flapper 940,946 near or within Removable center baffle 950,956 can provide the second of forced air stream and more localization redirects or collection neutralizes corresponding second Stage flow velocity increases.Center baffle 950,956 can also be provided with shaped profile, can limit and shape cooling air stream with It is formed to the opening and/or other structures in casting corresponding to below, and can be used for adjusting cooling stream in this way To provide modified cooling for specific casting.However, since removable center baffle 950,956 also is located above quenching station simultaneously And do not constrained by roller conveyor 930,935, so the quantity of center baffle 950,956, size and shape can be dramatically different (for example, see the embodiment of Figure 21) is designed in those of mixing removable baffle plate with roller.

When the first casting pallet 960 for being mounted with first group of casting 980 is located in the quenching station of lower part, with the first work It (is in the illustrated case, horizontal fixed that the associated center baffle in position 950, which can be moved or rotated their activity orientation, To), the pressure cooling air to flow downward is redirected and focused in close clearance or formed channel 935, it is described narrow Gap or formed channel 935, which correspond to, to be formed below to the opening or other structures in casting 980.Meanwhile it being quenched with second The associated center baffle of station (current upstream of the first quenching station) 956 can be moved to the vertical or inactive fixed of them To reduce any resistance and the pressure loss by overlay structure.

When the first casting pallet 960 is extracted out from lower part quenching station and is mounted with the second casting pallet of second group of casting When being positioned in the quenching station (not shown) of top, it should be understood that center baffle associated with the first station 950 can be with It is moved to their vertical or inactive orientation, to reduce by the structure generation positioned at the current downstream of the casting quenched Back pressure.At the same time, it is fixed can be moved or rotated their activity for center baffle associated with the second quenching station 956 To (such as horizontal orientation), redirects and concentrates the pressure cooling air that flows downward to close clearance or formed channel 935, And close clearance or formed channel 935 correspond to the opening or other structures for being adjacent to lower section formation to casting 986.

It is entitled that additional detail and information about the quenching of these forced airs can be that on July 27th, 2015 submits Co-owning for " SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPROVING QUENCH AIR FLOW " is faced with the U.S. of co-pending When patent application No.62/197,199 (it, which is incorporated by reference, is integrally incorporated the application) in find.

It, can also be during developing heat-treatment protocol to casting 200, casting in the another aspect of the disclosure shown in Figure 23 Part support system 210 and thermal treatment zone 290 (Fig. 6) execute the numerical analysis of such as hot finite element analysis etc, are enclosed with determination Around the flow pattern 293 of the hot fluid (such as having heated air or cooling air) of casting 200 and across the pre- of cast(ing) surface Count the coefficient of overall heat transmission.If it is determined that the coefficient of overall heat transmission is inadequately balanced between thin-walled portion 203 and thick wall part 205 so that can be In the whole thickness of alloy material and/or temperature gradient is being generated across broad regions, then can change the branch of support fixture 240 Support profile will be flowed to adjust position and/or orientation of the casting 200 in flow pattern 293, or using one or more deflectors 206 downside of casting is improved or be redirected to dynamic model formula.In this way, can be promoted using casting support system 210 Uniform coequally application heat treatment, as the bulk temperature of component is raised and lowered and reduces across processed casting 200 Internal temperature gradient.

In short, disclosed method and system can be used for improving heat treating castings, the heat of HPDC casting is especially produced Processing, to enhance metallurgical performance and reduce size distortion.This method and system generally include above-mentioned customizable casting support system With can adjustably using heat-treatment protocol be alleviated or avoided formed during (HPDC) with mass production it is thin The ingenious application that the heat treatment system of the associated many problems of wall aluminium alloy castings is combined.

Here according to preferred embodiment and inventor think to represent the method for preferred embodiment of the present invention come Describe the present invention.However, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, Extensive not only delicate but also rough addition, deletion and modification can be made to show and exemplary embodiment.It is not departing from The present invention the spirit and scope being only limited by the following claims in the case of, those skilled in the art can make these and Other modifications.

Claims

1. a kind of for improving heat treating castings to enhance the method for metallurgical performance, this method includes：

Obtain the multiple green castings for giving casting design；

The three-dimensional surface measurement value of casting is acquired to determine the reference three-dimensional shape of casting；

Obtain the first support fixture, first support fixture be configured to using the first support profiles by the casting be supported on to In a few thermal treatment zone；

Heat-treatment protocol is implemented to the first casting being supported on first support fixture；

The three-dimensional surface measurement value of first casting is acquired to determine its treated 3D shape；

By the reference figure and first casting, treated that shape is compared；

Identification due in first casting caused by insufficient support or positioning during the heat-treatment protocol extremely A kind of few size distortion；

The second support fixture is obtained, second support fixture is configured to utilize second different from first support profiles Support casting described in skeletal support；

The heat-treatment protocol is implemented into the second casting being supported on second support fixture；

The three-dimensional surface measurement value of second casting is acquired to determine its treated 3D shape；

By the reference figure and second casting, treated that shape is compared；With

The reduction of identification size distortion is at least partly due to verifying the size distortion during the heat-treatment protocol Insufficient support or positioning and caused by.

2. according to the method described in claim 1, wherein described first support fixture and second support fixture all further include Open screen work, with multiple top edges, the top edge limits first support profiles and described jointly respectively Second support profiles, first support profiles and second support profiles and the downside surface of the casting are substantially complementary And it is configured to that loosely the casting is supported on the screen work top and the casting is located in first support In space above fixture.

3. according to the method described in claim 2, wherein described first support profiles and second support profiles further include leading to Cross multiple discrete touch positions that the gap for the top edge to be spaced apart with the downside surface of the casting separates.

4. according to the method described in claim 3, multiple discrete contact points of wherein described second support profiles are different from described Multiple discrete contact points of first support profiles.

5. according to the method described in claim 1, position and orientation of its medium casting in second support profiles are different from Position and orientation of the casting in first support profiles.

6. according to the method described in claim 5, it further includes changing that the heat-treatment protocol, which is wherein implemented into second casting, Become the hot fluid stream for the position for being directed toward at least one size distortion.

7. according to the method described in claim 6, the wherein described hot fluid stream further includes the cooling fluid in quenching process.

8. according to the method described in claim 1, the wherein described green casting is pre-manufactured prototype casting.

9. according to the method described in claim 1, further including the three-dimensional surface measurement value of each green casting of comparison to know Inconsistency in the not described casting process.

10. according to the method described in claim 1, further including identifying during the heat-treatment protocol by first casting At least one size distortion that high gas content in alloy material generates.

11. being become by least one size that high gas content generates according to the method described in claim 10, wherein identifying Shape further includes the surface for the close at least one size distortion for checking first casting, with identification and the alloy material In the relevant surface porosity factor of high gas content.

12. being become by least one size that high gas content generates according to the method described in claim 10, wherein identifying Shape further includes close to the first casting described at least one size distortion subdivision to identify and the high gas in the alloy material The relevant interior porosity of body content.

13. according to the method described in claim 10, further including：

The heat-treatment protocol of change is implemented into the third casting being supported on second support fixture；

The three-dimensional surface measurement value of the third casting is acquired to determine its treated 3D shape；

By the reference figure and the third casting, treated that shape is compared；With

The reduction for identifying another size distortion is at least partly due to verify the size distortion in the alloy material High gas content and caused by.

14. according to the method for claim 13, wherein the heat-treatment protocol for implementing the change further includes shortening the casting Period of the part experience higher than the temperature of predetermined silicon solid solubility temperature.

15. a kind of for optimizing heat treating castings to enhance the method for metallurgical performance, this method includes：

Obtain the multiple green castings for giving casting design；

The three-dimensional surface measurement value of the casting is acquired with the reference three-dimensional shape of the determination casting；

Support fixture is obtained, the support fixture includes the open screen work for having multiple top edges, and the top edge is total With open support surface is limited, the downside surface of the open support surface and the casting is substantially complementary and by structure It causes that loosely the casting is supported on the screen work top and the casting is located in above the gripping clamping apparatus In space；

Heat-treatment protocol is implemented into the first casting being supported on the support fixture；

By the reference figure and first casting, treated that shape is compared；With

Identify the size distortion in first casting.

16. according to the method for claim 15, further including：

The second support fixture is obtained, second support fixture includes the open screen work for having multiple top edges, the top Portion edge limits the second open support surface of the open support surface different from first support fixture jointly；

The reduction for identifying the size distortion in second casting is at least partly due to verifying the size distortion in institute Insufficient support or positioning during stating heat-treatment protocol and caused by.

17. according to the method for claim 16, wherein the first open support surface and the second open branch It further includes multiple discrete touch positions to support surface, and the multiple discrete touch position is by being used for the top edge and the casting The downside surface of part gap spaced apart separates, wherein multiple discrete contact points of the second open support surface are different from Multiple discrete contact points of the first open support surface.

18. according to the method for claim 16, wherein position of the casting on the described second open support surface It is different from position and orientation of the casting on the described first open support surface with orientation.

19. according to the method for claim 16, wherein implement the heat-treatment protocol to second casting further include changing Become the hot fluid stream for the position for being directed toward at least one size distortion.

20. according to the method for claim 15, further including：

Second heat-treatment protocol is implemented into the second casting being supported on the support fixture；

The reduction for identifying the size distortion in second casting, with verify the size distortion be at least partly due to it is described High gas content in alloy material and caused by.

21. according to the method for claim 20, wherein it further includes shortening described second to apply second heat-treatment protocol Period of the casting experience higher than the temperature of the predetermined silicon solid solubility temperature of the alloy material.

22. a kind of improvement heat treating castings are to enhance the method for metallurgical performance, this method includes：

Obtain the multiple green castings for giving casting design；

The first support fixture is obtained, first support fixture is configured to use the first support profiles and is supported on the casting In at least one thermal treatment zone；

Heat-treatment protocol is implemented into the first casting being supported on first support fixture；

Identify at least one of first casting size distortion.