CN110177635A

CN110177635A - The die-casting system of amorphous alloy

Info

Publication number: CN110177635A
Application number: CN201780074347.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 兰斯·安德伍德; 约翰·康; 春云·保罗·金; 布莱恩·P·瑞莫尔斯
Original assignee: Keystone Intellectual Property Co Ltd
Current assignee: Keystone Intellectual Property Co Ltd
Priority date: 2016-10-06
Filing date: 2017-10-06
Publication date: 2019-08-27
Also published as: WO2018067983A1; US20200180018A1

Abstract

Provide a kind of system and method being injected into the die cavity of injecting systems for measuring a certain amount of molten amorphous state alloy.Melting chamber in system be heated to alloy solidus temperature or higher than alloy solidus temperature to form hot cell.Chamber and mold are held in inert atmosphere.Molten alloy is measured from chamber using valve system, and molten alloy is injected in die cavity to be molded as moulded parts.Feed pipe can extend to valve system from hot cell.Gravity or pump pressure can be used to measure the molten alloy of certain volume in valve system.In another case, valve system may include the plunger and injection sleeve for injecting alloy in die cavity.In one embodiment, plunger itself measures the alloy of certain volume.It is alternatively possible to heat injection sleeve and plunger.

Description

The die-casting system of amorphous alloy

Background technique and problem description

Due to the atomic structure of amorphous alloy, amorphous alloy may have unique various characteristics, such as: high Intensity, corrosion resistance, low friction, and it is magnetic.But amorphous alloy, which must quench rapidly, can be only achieved amorphous structure, However it is few can be in molding/manufacturing process of production technology and economically feasible amorphous alloy product.

Die-casting process has been used for the amorphous alloy that casting has various characteristics.One of challenge is from crucible to mould During chamber, molten alloy is protected not influenced by melting process always.Many amorphous alloys in the molten state with oxygen And/or nitrogen is highly reactive.The reaction forms oxide, which becomes field trash in casting, leads to casting mechanical performance Decline and surface defect.

In order to solve the reactive nature of amorphous alloy, a kind of method be using vertical die-casting machine, in vertical die-casting machine, Entire melt system, running gate system, mold, and casting injection/removal/processing system are all closed in large-scale vacuum room.Material Expect raw material usually by vacuum lock chamber shuttle into chamber, and cast member equally pass through similar vacuum lock chamber from It is pierced by chamber.Typically for per injection, single ingot is directly melted in ladle crucible.The limitation of vertical die-casting machine Property is that circulation time is often very long.

Horizontal die casting machine generally also uses, and horizontal die casting machine is usually sealed against one another by die surface, once and mold close It closes, just only die cavity is vacuumized.However, a problem of this system is that melt system is isolated when mold is opened.In general, " cold spray booth ", referred to as " injection sleeve ", connect with fixing mould.Spraying sleeve usually has opening, molten alloy at top It is put into injection sleeve by the opening.It sprays sleeve and one plunger is housed, which retracts to open and be open to receive alloy, Then push alloy to mold and enter die cavity to form casting.For reactive alloy, cold house can be closed by vacuum chamber, should Vacuum chamber also accommodates crucible, into ingot to be used for per injection in the crucible.However, (such as popping up each casting when the mold is open Needed for part), plunger tip OD and injection sleeve ID are exposed in air (especially oxygen and nitrogen) and atmospheric pressure.Atmosphere and spray The unique sealing penetrated between sleeve/crucible vacuum chamber is plunger OD itself, but is necessarily deposited between plunger OD and injection sleeve ID Small―gap suture allow atmospheric air leakage enter vacuum chamber.Once mold is again switched off, it is necessary to by the air pressure drop in die cavity and chamber As low as acceptable vacuum level, the fusing of next ingot casting then could be started.It is anti-when handle using horizontal die casting machine When answering property amorphous alloy, the vacuum reduction time may cause too long circulation time.

The reactivity of amorphous alloy and their relatively high fusion temperatures are commonly used in amorphous alloy wetting The ferrous alloy of die casting can practically even soak some ceramic materials.This may cause amorphous alloy for component " pricker Weldering " together the problem of, especially when those components are lower than the solidus temperature of alloy, and when melt and above-mentioned component are protected When holding the contact quite a long time.This allows for being difficult with some regions of the component by die-casting system of such as valve etc (especially including the region of melt) and air insulated.

Another problem of vertical die-casting machine or horizontal die casting machine for foregoing description was melted within each casting cycle Change single ingot casting.Therefore, crucible must be subjected to thermal cycle repeatedly, this will lead to crucible and ruptures and lead to melt contamination.Moreover, Crucible can usually finally be ruptured from thermal cycle." hot cell " can be crucible or storage tank, and a large amount of meltings are accommodated in crucible or storage tank Alloy and at a temperature of being maintained at fairly constant, " hot cell " while it seem that be better solution, but for amorphous state Alloy, hot cell have other limitations.

Many amorphous alloys have higher fusing point or condensing temperature than other alloys, other alloys are, for example, usually to use In the alloy based on aluminium or magnesium of die casting.The liquidus temperature of many amorphous alloys is higher than commonly used in the high-strength of Die-casting Machines Spend the typical tempering temperature of steel.At these higher temperatures, steel can soften and lose very big intensity.Therefore, steel generally can not It is continuous with molten amorphous state alloy, it contacts for a long time.For example, the iron-based hot cell being traditionally used together with magnesium alloy not with amorphous State alloy is used together.These alloys they liquidus temperature or react with iron-based material under being higher than its liquidus temperature. Element pollution melt from iron-based material and the performance for reducing final casting product.In addition, the degradation of iron-based material make it is iron-based Material wears rapidly and reduces its intensity, so that iron-based material be made to cannot achieve its normal performance characteristic.For example, being permitted in fusing At a temperature of needed for more amorphous alloys, the pump in iron-based hot cell is unable to long-term existence, can not generate and its common melting Equally high pressure in magnesium environment.

When involving a need to the die-cast part of thin cross section and/or high polish as cast condition surface smoothness, some problems are outstanding It is obvious.Oxidation, hole, field trash, flow-related defect such as streamline, fold and cold shut are unacceptable in this kind of product Defect.

Traditional die casting uses very high injection rate, and melt flow stream flow velocity is 30 meter per seconds to 50 meter per seconds, to prevent Molten alloy with each channel contact that crucible is connected to die cavity due to cooling down.However, the turbulent flow as caused by this speed It may cause particulate matter caused by hole and the local solidification from bubble and spray droplet.If when being contacted with die cavity, this A little defects " freezing " or solidification, then may cause unacceptable defect.

In addition, cured particle is difficult to the small cross section by mold, which has limited the energy that designer manufactures lightweight component Power.

Flow velocity by reducing molten alloy can eliminate turbulent flow, but the contact due to molten alloy with inner passage is held The continuous time extends, and molten alloy is more likely to that premature setting occurs.

Therefore, a kind of system needed for effective die casting reactivity amorphous alloy is:

1, it melted alloy and is transported in the container/channel that will not pollute molten alloy:

A avoids that the thermal cycle of container/channel can be destroyed

B uses the material that will not be soaked alloy under fusion temperature or react with alloy

2, temperature of the melt from crucible to die cavity is maintained at enough levels:

A avoids any partial freezing that can introduce solid or semisolid particle, these solid or semisolid particles can prevent The flowing of thin-walled portion leads to surface/subsurface defect in streamline artifact or casting.

B prevents weld seam/fold/cold shut.

3, by alloy from fusing until solidification in a mold is kept in an inert atmosphere.In particular, when mold is opened When, it prevents air from entering mold by the opening in fixing mould and is contacted with molten alloy.

4, for control charge velocity to prevent injection/turbulent flow, injection/turbulent flow will lead to hole, streamline artifact and/or solidification folder Sundries defect.

5, metering be injected into die cavity controlled injection amount (alternatively, allow melt after per injection fast retractile to avoid With the component contact of any " cold " (that is, being lower than solidus temperature).

6, melt is made continuously to move up (that is, filling all channels bottom-up), preferably, to prevent on flowing road The defect that melt rolling is fallen with waterfall type is generated at position in diameter, and is eventually entered into casting and solidified as defect.(note Meaning-this become it is less important-but still be not it is inessential-because of other methods, such as above 2-4, for managing Melting behavior.)

7, injection process is completed under high pressure, to reduce porosity to the maximum extent, thus optimum strength performance and table Face finish.

8, mold is opened to pop up casting, is then shut off mold, is re-established inert atmosphere in range at a reasonable time.

All concepts in the application all have the advantage that

● allow to be used without the mold being encapsulated in large-scale vacuum room, various vacuum shed opens can also be saved.

● allow to eliminate thermal cycle, thermal cycle is that crucible ruptures and leads to melt contamination using large-scale (non-single) hot cell The reason of.

● before introducing melt, the vacuum of high quality can be quickly established in die cavity.

● a kind of sealing melt system when mold is opened is provided in order to avoid being exposed to the method for atmosphere.

● allow using lower injection speed.

This document details the term not being described in detail usually in each concept document, because these terms are all general.

Full text uses term " hot cell ".This is because in all concepts, the supply of molten metal can be directly from:

● new raw material supply is continuously fed in crucible or smelting furnace, crucible or smelting furnace (for example, ingot casting, waste material or former material Material), or

● the storage tank supplied from crucible or smelting furnace supplied materials, transfer groove, measuring tank or metering furnace are (that is, accommodate multiple dosage Slot or container, for measuring the given dose of per injection or the melted material of volume), then transport to die casting machine.

Concept disclosed herein is related to the casting of high fidelity amorphous metal and using heat channel, and amorphous state is injected in hot cell etc. The method of alloy supplies a machine to inject the method for amorphous alloy.

However, these concepts can be used for other methods, such as model casting, although here usually always with reference to pressure Casting.

Term " melt " is typically used as noun, refers to the molten alloy that will be cast.

In the molten state, amorphous alloy is usually and air reaction.Reaction product prevents final cast article realization table Face is bright and clean, and is also possible to reduce its mechanical performance.Therefore, to it when being ensured by the system that these concepts embody from melting sources When injecting and solidify in die cavity, raw material is not exposed in air, but is only exposed in inert environments.Exemplary inert ring Border includes but is not limited to vacuum and argon gas.

The amorphous alloy of molten condition is generally also reacted with many other metals (including iron).The exposed duration is One factor of the extent of reaction.Therefore, contacting in melt with system element is more than the element in several seconds any regions of system It should be made of the material not with fusant reaction.In general, certain ceramics are optimal material selections for this purpose.

Such as needed from crucible/heat channel to the ceramic component of the feed pipe and valve of jet chamber or valve and valve body itself It is heated the solidus temperature of the alloy at least above cast.Induction heating is not suitable for ceramics, therefore the best way quilt It is considered resistance heating.Resistance heating can be used in combination with the thermocouple in feedback loop, to realize accurate temperature control.

In the molten state, amorphous alloy shows the fluid rheology property varied with temperature.Therefore, by control with The temperature on the surface of melt contacts is important to control the temperature of the melt injected in each position of whole system.Therefore, Control melting temperature is a kind of to be prevented by preventing premature setting and ensuring that before melt solidifies, die cavity can be filled up completely The only method of the defects of final cast article.These concepts refer to specific heating requirements specific to each concept.However, In these concepts, if any, mold heating and cooling are almost without mentioning, because to a certain extent, they are recognized For a part for being each concept.This statement is suitable for all concepts: mold heating and cooling degree can be according to each germlines System changes the efficiency of melt conveying to die cavity with temperature appropriate and speed.Mold, die cavity and such as sprue bushing Various parts can use the heating of such as fluid of oil or heat-transfer fluid, or be heated with induction or resistance electrical heating elements.It can be with With oil, water or water-based heat transfer fluid complete cooling.According to the needs of specific position in system, element can be with laser heating, continuously It is cooling, it is not heated or cooled actively or each cycle alternation heats and cooling.

Each system is believed to the founding materials using recycling, by be fed in crucible carry out it is the smallest again Processing.

In these concepts of part, one of concept needs the pump in hot cell, and EM pump is cited as preferred Embodiment.But in each case, molten alloy is only transferred to PMV by the function of pump, is sprayed in sleeve or die cavity；Pump It does not need to generate high pressure.(it is considered that we can be with the rule of abandoning tradition --- heat pump room technology and these high melting temperatures Alloy --- one the reason is that last high-pressure extrusion comes from another source.) it is believed that EM pump will work, or can be with It works together with our alloy, because it can work together with aluminium, we are not above aluminium by the liquidus temperature of alloy.But It is that, if EM pump can not work, ceramic centrifugal pump or piston/sleeve immersible pump should be made of ceramic materials.

Definition:

" clout "-melt initially enters the part of die cavity.Clout is waste material, is being trimmed from casting after being discharged in die cavity Fall.The function of clout is the key area in casting as retraction slot, and is used as the collector of bubble and oxidation particle, these gas Bubble and oxidation particle tend to be entrained in last point melt to inject in mold.

Feed pipe-connection hot cell and another element (such as cold spray booth) and the pipe for supplying melt in-between.

- two, mold big plates are clipped together, and the power needed for constraint pressurization melt in injection process is provided.Mold usually wraps Containing mold cavity insert.Die casting machine usually has mobile or backing-out punch mold and fixing mould or cover mold.Usually pass through lid first It is molded into melt.Mold must be combined (close) to allow melt to inject die cavity, and it is cured to spray to separate (opening) Casting.

The inner surface that die cavity-mould inside is formed forms the outer surface of finished product cast itself.Die cavity is usually by being fixed on mould Mold insert on tool and the various parts for generating certain features (such as core and sliding block) are constituted.

Inert gas-gas or admixture of gas, the tendency almost no or no chemically reacted with melt.

Cold house or cold spray booth-piston and air cylinder device, inject die cavity for melt under high pressure.Cold house generally remains in remote low In the nominal temperature of melt itself.

Spray sleeve-receiving plunger cylinder.Injection sleeve usually has charging port, and melt is poured into the charging port In.When melt pours die cavity by plunger, injection sleeve must endure as very big pressure.

Piston in plunger-injection sleeve.

Injection-injects the melt of designated volume in die cavity to form casting.

Waterfall-melt usually leaves such as bubble and cured artifact, makes in casting along the state of surface flow Middle generation particle and layer.

The plunger that " advance "-causes melt to advance to die cavity, the movement of pump or melt itself.

" retraction "-leads to the plunger that melt is removed from die cavity, the movement of pump or melt itself.

" metering "-pumps or allows to shift the melt (" injection ") of predetermined volume, and a small amount of excessive melt of calculating is complete Full packing die cavity.

Define and provide the value of solidus and liquidus temperature

Aims of systems

● low melt fluid velocity (no turbulent flow)

● there is no entraining air bubbles in casting

● melt and air or container (hot cell, pump etc.) material are reactionless

● certain bright and clean surfaces (zero defect-is usually pure and clean without planar defect or internal flaw)

Concept disclosed herein is related to Atmosphere control (including sealing) and required makes system and method are effective mechanical to fill It sets.Further be included in entire circulation and keep melt temperature, with (relatively slow) rate injection melt with reduce turbulent flow and with stream It moves relevant injection, reduces circulation time (for example, being lower than 30 seconds), be equal to or about 15 seconds for example, will be reduced to the time.Cause This, improves efficiency in terms of cost and die-casting process, and will improve effect in terms of melt and isolated from atmosphere during technique Rate.

In the case that atmosphere in die cavity is inert gas, which can use under substantially atmospheric pressure, Huo Zheqi Pressure can increase with offer " back-pressure "-that is, pressure is greater than atmospheric pressure.One benefit of back-pressure is that it can be used for controlling melt The property of the front end of traveling.The trend of melt " wetting " cavity surface is influenced by counter-pressure.Another benefit of back-pressure is, In the case where there is any bubble in the melt, these bubbles are compressed to lesser size by back-pressure.In addition, being inhibited by back-pressure The effect of such as air pocket caused by flowing, cavitation effect can lead to the damage of cavity surface and leave defect in casting. Disclosed each concept has a table, for determining whether the use of counter-pressure in a given configuration is feasible selection.

Concept disclosed herein includes manufacturing the different metering methods of each the amount of injection of each casting.More wherein In, including metering pump.In other cases, plunger tip itself is measured.In other cases, there are several valves can be into Row metering.Each all describe control method of the casting from the volume being removed and placed in injection sleeve in hot cell every time.

In general, melt will not encounter in die cavity or Contact Temperature is any lower than its minimum temperature in each concept Metal, and will not be contacted with any reaction atmosphere when solidifying in a mold from melting.Material does not transfer to cold Room itself or cold spray casing.Cavity is reached up in the environment that melt is heated at one.In addition, it can be in shielded ring Die cavity is transferred in border (for example, vacuum).

In some cases, component is lined with ceramic material.

The summary of total system concept A to C for amorphous metal die casting

Concept A to C is directed to the valve gear adjacent with cover mold, with when mold is opened seal supply melt/hot cell with Exempt to be exposed to air.Valve mechanism needs the cooperation contact between two components, and when two component contacts, two components Between have initial molten metal.Molten metal, which exists, to be solidified and therefore has the danger of two components " soldering " together Necessity ensures that the temperature of any molten metal between the two is all not less than the solidus temperature of molten metal.Therefore, at these In concept, the conduit between hot cell and cover mold is all heated to above the solidus temperature of molten metal.The inner surface of conduit is extremely It is ceramics less, to prevent melt from reacting with inner surface.Plunger and jet chamber (if use) are also heated, and plunger and jet chamber are by making pottery Porcelain is made or is coated with ceramics.

In traditional " cold " injection chamber system, plunger and injection sheath are usually steel, thus they be exposed to it is molten The time of body must be very short.Which has limited the orientations that can be used, and usually require that melt pouring into injection sleeve top side Opening in.In concept A-C, since injection sleeve and plunger must be heated and be made of ceramics, these above-mentioned are wanted It asks and is not present.Therefore, various plungers and various feedstock directions are all possible.For example, plunger can be it is vertical, upward, And long contact can be continued with melt by spraying the feed inlet in sleeve.This may have such as faster circulation time and into The advantages of entering the melt less turbulent flow of jet chamber.

Concept A: melt is provided by a hot cell, in order to avoid contacting with air, melt is provided to be mounted in inert atmosphere protection It sprays in indoor plunger.Plunger in addition to by melt driving into die cavity other than, plunger also have there are two novel function, (1) The melt volume of injection is measured, (2) sealing hot cell/gooseneck when mold is opened enters against air.Melt can pass through Pump is driven from hot cell to plunger by gravity, and in which, the pressure difference between hot cell and die cavity is positive or zero, or passes through gas Body pressure is from hot cell driving to plunger, and in which, there are positive differential pressures between hot cell and die cavity.At the end of injection circulation, Squeeze pin is needed to provide required high pressure.There are two types of possible combinations for the atmosphere protection of melt:

Concept	Hot cell atmosphere	Mold atmosphere
			A1	Vacuum	Vacuum
A2	Inert gas	Vacuum

The design of plunger/metering valve needs gravity so that melt is transmitted to jet chamber from measuring room.Therefore, plunger axis is necessary In direction 1 or 2 as herein defined (referring to the definition at this document end).The requirement also limits the inert atmosphere in die cavity It is made as only vacuum.

Concept B: melt is supplied by hot cell, by inert atmosphere protection.There is no plunger, by pumping or (as concept A, depending on Whether allow these methods in pressure differential) melt is driven in by die cavity by gravity or gas pressure.Once mold close and Inert atmosphere appropriate is established in die cavity, valve allows for melt to enter die cavity.Valve is closed before mold opening, with Protect melt in hot cell/gooseneck not with air reaction.In one embodiment, pump can measure the melt body of injection die cavity Product, in other implementations, controls melt volume by the vacuum/gas shut-off valve in mold.At the end of injection circulation, need Squeeze pin is wanted to provide required high pressure, valve can be used for bearing the pressure of squeeze pin generation.Inert atmosphere combination is similar to general The combination of A is read, but inert gas can also be used in die cavity.

Concept	Hot cell atmosphere	Mold atmosphere
			B1	Vacuum	Vacuum
B2	Inert gas	Vacuum
			B3	Inert gas	Inert gas
B4	Vacuum	Inert gas

Concept C: as shown in concept A, melt is provided by a hot cell, inert atmosphere protection, and melt, which is provided to, to be mounted in It sprays in indoor plunger.In this case, plunger will not measure melt, but there is plunger a sealing to be used in combination Make the tip of valve, which prevents melt from exposing in air when mold is opened.Equally, squeeze pin is needed to provide height Pressure.Charging selection and inert atmosphere combination are identical as in concept B.

C1	Vacuum	Vacuum
			C2	Inert gas	Vacuum
C3	Inert gas	Inert gas
			C4	Vacuum	Inert gas

Above-mentioned concept and various chargings and direction selection have more detailed general introduction in the following table:

Concept A: by Combined plunger piston/metering valve (PMV) metered injection amount

System describe

● the source of supply (" melt ") of molten alloy is hot cell (that is, the crucible containing large volume melt or holding furnace (melt The volume injected more than once of volume)).

● by covering melt with constant inertia (vacuum or inert gas) environment, protect melt in hot cell not and greatly Oxygen reaction in gas.

● after the solidification of each casting, mold is opened to pop up casting, and then mold is closed and is purged using vacuum Die cavity (for example, removing the oxygen and nitrogen molecular with fusant reaction).

● the melt contacts when mold is opened in air and feed pipe/hot cell in order to prevent, plunger/metering valve (PMV) With tip, the tip seal is on the cooperation valve seat in cover mold.

● PMV also has " waist " part, which is used as measuring room, to measure essence when PMV is in " filling " position True injection size.

● PMV starts to 4 positions (see the figure of last page):

1, vacuum is sealed when the mold is open, to prevent atmosphere from entering

2, measuring room is filled

3, melt is poured into jet chamber from measuring room

4, melt is driven in into die cavity.

● it (is in the example shown 45 that PMV and metering/injection chamber axis tilt an angle relative to horizontal direction Degree) so that melt is transferred to jet chamber from measuring room by gravity.

● feed pipe axis is preferably attached to the bottom side of jet chamber, so that melt is fed bottom-up, so that turbulent flow is most Smallization.

● measuring room can supply melt, including gravity, gas differential pressure or pump from hot cell by various modes.

● in the case of a pump, two kinds of basic pump-type can be used.The first is non-metering or non-displacement pump；Namely It says, specific or known quantity liquid will not be discharged in non-metering or non-positive-dispacement pump, only push fluid (i.e. melt) straight by instruction To being closed.Such as low-lift pump of electromagnetism (EM) pump or vane pump is acceptable pump-type.In concept A, pump does not need to measure Melt volume, because PMV executes the function.

● alternatively, positive-displacement pump can be used, such as plunger pump (although its function of measuring is extra).In such case Under, pump will push fluid, and until PMV measuring room is full of, then pump keeps the position to carry out stroke movement and by fluid until PMV Inject die cavity.It is desirable that such pump will have check-valves, so that when plunger retracts and to suck more melts next to prepare When a spraying cycle, melt is remained in feed pipe.

● for above-mentioned all elements (element) mentioned, it is advantageous that

Zero said elements are made of ceramic, to avoid soaking and melting reaction/degradation

Zero said elements (opposite with traditional " cold chamber system ") are heated to steady temperature (higher than the solidus temperature of melt Degree) extremely:

■ is reduced to the maximum extent may destroy ceramics, thus the thermal cycle of contaminated melt

■ prevents melt in wall boundary local solidification when melt passes through these elements.Due to the jet velocity used It will be far below jet velocity used in conventional high-tension die casting, melt is in a wall boundary local solidification especially problem.

● feed pipe and hot cell liner and hot cell material pump can be made of various ceramic materials, including melting titanium dioxide Silicon, aluminium oxide, aluminium titanates, zirconium oxide and magnesia.Specific example is Al₂O₃+ MgO and Al₂O₃+SiO₂Ceramics.

● when mold is opened, PMV protection melt, and also allow this when mold is closed but before valve opening The vacuum of high quality is established in the section time in a mold.Realize that the vacuum-packed best approach is using pottery in this case Porcelain-ceramic plane sealing (such case is on the conical surface), rather than small―gap suture (leakage) seals, small―gap suture (leakage) is sealed in plunger Sealing between OD and the ID for spraying sleeve is typical (past attempts were attempted).

● it is vital that melt does not solidify in the region PMV.Melt between the tip PMV and cooperation valve seat must heat To more than its solidus temperature, with prevent melt from solidifying between each sealing surface and by these sealing surfaces " soldering " together. A kind of method is at least one of the tip PMV and jet chamber's cooperation valve seat or preferably two progress resistance heatings.Preferably Method is using the independent induction heating melt of induction coil for surrounding valve seat.In this case, valve and valve seat are by ceramic material Material is made, such as vitreous silica, and vitreous silica has low thermal conductivity and electric conductivity (" low-dielectric loss coefficient ")；Therefore, only There is melt rather than valve and valve seat itself will be heated by induction coil.

● best ceramic valve material is considered as vitreous silica.Other selections may include aluminium oxide and aluminium titanates.PMV Stroke is monitored by displacement sensor.Using metering/positive-displacement pump, it is necessary to send control signals to pump, with PMV discharge capacity closes pump (so that feed pipe is closed by PMV) when reaching position 3.

● once melt reaches jet chamber, is driven in melt in die cavity to eliminate rapids by the controlled movement speed of plunger Stream, turbulent flow may cause the defect of finished product cast.

● PMV must touch the bottom in its end of travel, to provide vacuum sealing when mold is opened.Therefore, no PMV can be relied on to provide predictable final pressure to die cavity, because the precise volumes of injection may be between different injections It is slightly different.Squeeze pin can provide final pressure.Squeeze pin can be hydraulically operated, or only spring loads to provide Predetermined pressure.Spring loads are preferably as control system does not need expected or uses sensing device to provide predetermined pressure To determine the correct moment of activation squeeze pin.In spring loads to provide predetermined pressure in this case, PMV will provide pressure Source, once and mold be full of, squeeze pin will adjust the pressure (being similar to pressure reducing valve).In this case, the melt of metering The size of volume should make when plunger touches the bottom, and there is a small amount of excessive melt, in die cavity to ensure to depress Squeeze pin is to compensate the excessive volume.

The exemplary injection circulation of non-metering pump is as follows:

In the above example, due to pump be it is non-metering, pump can continuously be kept it turning on so that melt always with spray Penetrate the contact of sleeve feed inlet.Gravity or air pressure charging are also such.

It discusses

The advantages of this system, is:

● allow to eliminate crucible using large-scale (non-single injection event) crucible/heat channel and rupture and the heat of melt contamination is caused to be followed Ring

● a kind of sealing melt system when mold is opened is provided in order to avoid melt system is exposed to the method for atmosphere

● before introducing melt, the vacuum of high quality can be quickly established in die cavity

● allow to be used without the mold being encapsulated in large-scale vacuum room, various vacuum shed opens can also be saved

● a kind of method that accurate measurement is ejected into the amount of injection of mold is provided

● it can be used together with vacuum/inert gas, to protect the melt in hot cell from exposure to atmosphere.

One latent defect of the system is that the requirement to PMV is higher than the requirement to most of other systems/elements； PMV must keep vacuum, but also be exposed in the molten alloy for flowing through it, and preferably must be held in alloy solidus temperature with On.

Due to needing to be exposed to the valve of melt near the melt of supply, valve must also keep vacuum, this disclosed side Method is not yet attempted or known.(most of vacuum valves in evacuated die-casting process system are located at the top of mold, reach in the melt of inflow Rearmost point, therefore vacuum valve is exposed to much lower temperature.)

Whole system concept is as shown in the following figure A1 and A2 (sectional view):

According to another embodiment, inert gas is used in crucible, in a mold using vacuum (referring to following A2).A2 is similar to concept A1 in mechanical structure；Only difference is that the control of atmospheric pressure.For example, crucible/hot cell is in Under the constant pressure of inert gas, such as under the constant pressure of argon gas.Other than previously mentioned advantage, due to crucible/heat Normal pressure in slot, A2 do not depend critically upon the level of vacuum that PMV can be kept.

PMV must keep vacuum in a mold, but be also exposed to the molten alloy for flowing through it, and preferably must be held in summary Higher than alloy liquid phase temperature.

In another embodiment, inert gas is still vacuum in crucible in a mold, but melt origin It is driven from the gas pressure of crucible, and without using pump (referring to the following figure).Here, this concept is the pressure using inert gas Melt is driven in into the injection sleeve measuring room or valve.Therefore, although above-mentioned two embodiment has non-metering pump in crucible, For example, not pumping in crucible in the present embodiment, using the inert gas pressure in crucible, (it is slightly above the indifferent gas in crucible Body pressure, for example, 15PSI absolute value) melt is driven in measuring room in plunger.In crucible pressure (be just above atmospheric pressure, About 15psia) and the pressure difference of the pressure (substantially 0psia) in the die cavity that vacuumizes melt is pushed into PMV measuring room.

● in this embodiment, when PMV is displaced in-position 3 (referring to following figure), PMV closes feed pipe, does not have Mechanism enters the pressure of feed pipe to discharge driving fluid.Therefore, it is necessary to entire feed pipe is heated to liquidus temperature or more, To prevent molten alloy therein from solidifying.

In another embodiment, inert gas is in hot cell, but existing not instead of vacuum in a mold, by indifferent gas Body is introduced into mold, using as a kind of different mode control pressure.This gas can be used for providing usually said counter-pressure. That is, there are normal pressure in mold, gas push resists normal pressure；For the front of melt, this positive pressure has one A little beneficial effects.

The front of melt is the part for initially entering die cavity of melt.Therefore back-pressure has some shadows to the surface tension of melt It rings, and influences the behavior of melt front.When melt comes out from opening, it is more preferable that back-pressure can make melt show, will not It ruptures, will not spray, for example, turbulent flow will not occur.

However, counter-pressure may or may not be controlled as by introducing the inert gas of die cavity.But it is true by applying first Then sky applies inert gas and then vacuumizes again, then reuses inert gas, can quickly remove in die cavity Oxygen and nitrogen.For example, vacuumized for the first time to die cavity, for example, 99% oxygen and nitrogen are removed, but in order to enable its Remaining part point discharge can continue to vacuumize to obtain last 1% vacuum, or with inert gas Fast Filling vacuum space, and And wherein still have 1% air and 99% inert gas, inert gas and oxygen combination are then sucked out again.If to die cavity Apply the vacuum of phase same level, this can be reduced to 0.1% oxygen and nitrogen.

In short, This embodiment describes in die cavity other than above-mentioned above-mentioned mechanical features (for example, with reference to A2) It is middle to use inert gas and positive pressure.

First by carrying out vacuum purging to mold, inert gas (such as argon gas) is subsequently filled during melt is injected Counter-pressure is provided to help prevent melt front that turbulent flow and rupture occurs.

Mold fill process may include each of vacuum and inert gas filling step or multiple steps, example If vacuum/inert gas fills/vacuum/inert gas filling again again, to further decrease the oxygen level in die cavity.

As concept A1 and A2, but it is different from third, and pump pushes fluid to measuring room according to instruction；Such as EM pumps it The low-lift pump of class is acceptable pump-type.In this embodiment, pump does not need metering fusing volume, because PMV executes the function.

It can introduce normal pressure to prevent these bubbles from initially forming, this is also an advantage.

The system may need the additional overflow area and/or pressure reducing valve for back-pressure gas, the maximum pressure of pressure reducing valve limitation Inert gas is simultaneously drained back into inert gas source so that it is recycled by power.

Before introducing melt, the vacuum and positive pressure inert gas atmosphere of high quality can be established in die cavity.

In one embodiment, general conception is the plunger with metered injection amount, therefore there are two function for plunger tool itself Energy.Melt is pushed into die cavity by it, but it can also measure the amount of injection itself, therefore any class can be used in hot cell The pump of type.For the application using the amorphous metal in the concept of hot cell, this is never to do in the past, and it is solved really Some problems.For example, it solves the problems, such as repeated thermal cycles and individually primary injection fusing.

In the figure shown in concept A1, some melts are pumped into jet chamber, but because the application not re-melting list A ingot casting, the size of the single ingot casting comply fully with required injection size, and the application uses metered injection to cover to injection now The method of the melt amount of the injection room of cylinder.In this case, plunger inherently metering device.

As above for figure with shown in the following figure, the angle of plunger is about 45 degree.Its reason is this special concept, once metering Chamber is full of, then plunger is placed on different location, and the chamber which needs gravity that melt is transported to next stage is (heavy Power charging).The reason of here it is sloped plungers.In this case, pump can be the pump of similar EM (electromagnetic pump), in this feelings Under condition, pump does not need the metering of oneself.Pump can be used in combination with sensor, such as EM sensor, according to sensor measurement Volume can control the melt flow for being sent to pump.So the two combinations can be metering pump.But as long as the chamber has There is fixed volume, metering pump can be only used for ON/OFF mode with feeding chamber.

Clout by be injection casting a part.Configuration as shown in the figure is the drafting angle for being easy to pop up.Therefore, remaining Material has some drafting angles not instead of using traditional round clout, in its two sides, the shape of clout can slightly with circle Clout is different, so that it can be popped up.

It is vacuum system in concept A1, therefore does not have air, and melt can find the level of oneself, plunger can connects Nearly melt, until encountering melt and starting melt being pushed into vacuum system.

In one embodiment, simple there may be the circular die of multiple rotations, such as the mold of pumping and flowing Ground is continued for carrying out.

Squeeze pin is also shown in figure.Squeeze pin in die casting be commonly used in increasing pressure-at the end of circulation for example, At the end of injection circulation.Substantially their devices for being similar piston, they can be extended slightly into die cavity, or can be by Melt, which forces, to be slightly retracted into their hole.Identical pin can be used as thimble, once therefore casting solidification and one Denier mold is opened, and casting is ready to be ejected, is then pushed back casting using squeeze pin.Squeeze pin can play a dual role.

In one embodiment, in the hole where squeeze pin, the spring in the hole pushes squeeze pin to add to form spring The pin of load.In some embodiments, it is preloaded by applying on it, retracts plunger with predetermined pressure.

(details for please referring to following PMV and its position)

Position 1 shows angled jet chamber and plunger.The downward pipe for being branched off into lower right is and hot cell itself (melts Alloy sources) connection feed pipe.At position 1, plunger tip seals hot cell.All these components are held at the liquid of alloy More than liquidus temperature, because when the plunger tip is pressed on ceramics seat, it is undesirable to which alloy is as brazing material and sharp by plunger End is soldered on valve seat.Therefore alloy is maintained at solidus temperature or more.Equally in the position 1 shown in, mold is open, And plunger tip itself acts as valve to seal anything above other all thing-plunger tips so that atmosphere is isolated. Then, once mold is closed and vacuumizes on mold, then plunger is pulled back to position 2, and position 2 is filling position.

At position 2, there is ring packing around the outer diameter of plunger.That is, plunger outer diameter and the spray for sealing Penetrate between sleeve diameter there are the volume in the very small gap-gap be used to metered volume.Therefore, in position 2, actuating heat Pump in room is to drive melt to fill the volume.Once the volume is filled up, position 3 will be continued to, filling the volume only needs Want part second.

At position 3, the major diameter of plunger has been switched off feed pipe, which drops to hot cell.Now, in plunger The melt in annular region around necked-in region, by gravity, can be entered by plunger tip die region-i.e. into Enter the clout region.

Then finally in position 4, once all melts are all empirically fed through plunger tip by gravity；(example Such as, it is based on scheduled time quantum, for example, 0.05 second), then plunger advancement.Once plunger enters final straight in injection sleeve Diameter, then plunger becomes piston rather than valve, and it is driven further along.It is that squeeze pin can play a role now Place.If only plunger tip is shifted always to the bottom of cooperation valve seat onto, and if the fluid volume in jet chamber is somewhat few, Pressure so in die cavity would not increase.On the other hand, as fruit volume is a little more, plunger tip will be unable to advance completely and close It is enclosed on valve seat.It is therefore possible to use squeeze pin compensates any difference of volume.Therefore, squeeze pin can be simply by Springs preload or squeeze pin can be by hydraulic or be pneumatically pre-loaded to certain pressure.Key is that squeeze pin can be by column The pressure push-in generated in seat bottom portion is filled in, and compensates any variation of volume.

In yet another embodiment, plunger and pump are not provided.On the contrary, it only one valve-beside clout I.e. just beside casting.This valve only opens and closes, therefore has a pressure source.Pressure source is pressure difference.In hot cell Pressure be higher than die cavity in pressure because one of them is with inert gas, another is with vacuum.

For example, (substantially by the pressure (being just above atmospheric pressure, about 15psia) in crucible and the die cavity vacuumized Pressure difference 0psia), melt are inhaled into die cavity.In order to which crucible/heat channel is isolated when mold is opened from atmosphere pollution, remaining Material nearby has a valve.

It is different from concept before, there is no metered injection amount.Valve only stays open, until die cavity is full of.

After die cavity is full of, valve is closed, and shortly after that, the squeeze pin of hydraulic-driven will be activated, to increase finally Die pressure.Increasing stressed purpose is to minimize the porosity in casting, and do so, and increases mechanical performance and improves The surface smoothness of casting.Valve cannot generate this pressure, but must endure as it because it is not plunger.

● particularly, valve and cooperation at least one of valve seat or it is both preferred must be heated to liquidus temperature with On, with prevent melt from solidifying between each sealing surface and by these sealing surfaces " soldering " together.

● no mechanism enters the pressure of feed pipe to mitigate driving fluid.Therefore, entire feed pipe preferably must be held in height In the temperature of liquidus curve (or at least solidus) temperature, to prevent molten alloy therein from solidifying.In feed pipe and crucible/heat channel The roughly the same temperature of melt would be desirable.

Injection cycle is as follows:

It discusses

The advantages of system, is:

● allow to eliminate crucible using large-scale (non-single injection event) crucible/heat channel and rupture and the heat of melt contamination is caused to be followed Ring.

● a kind of sealing melt system when mold is opened is provided in order to avoid melt system is exposed to the method in atmosphere, but It is due to the positive pressure in crucible/heat channel, PMV is depended critically upon unlike concept A1 can keep the degree of vacuum.

● before introducing melt, the vacuum of high quality can be established in die cavity.

● this concept is simpler than other concepts, because it does not need to pump, and valve driving may operation than PMV It is slightly simple.For instance, it is not necessary to the speed of control valve.It (fully opens and closes completely in addition, it only needs to drive to two positions Close), therefore do not need stroke sensor or high-speed feedback control loop.Therefore, control system requires simpler.

As previous concept, the latent defect of the system is that the requirement to valve compares most of other systems/members The requirement of part is higher；Valve must keep vacuum in a mold, but also be exposed in the molten alloy for flowing through it, and necessary It is maintained slightly above aluminium alloy liquidus temperature.

The embodiment haves the shortcomings that other potential (as shown in following concepts 5).One is because melt volume only leads to Vacuum suck is crossed, so cannot correctly control/measure.Moreover, filling rate is controlled unlike PMV or plunger piston type system, And it may be too slow or too fast.

This method is unknown and did not carry out before, it may be possible to since it is desired that the exposure near the melt of supply In the valve of melt, valve must also keep vacuum, and this disclosed method is not yet attempted or known.It is (big in evacuated die-casting process system Most vacuum valves are located at the top of mold, and in the rearmost point that the melt of inflow reaches, therefore vacuum valve is exposed to much lower temperature Degree.)

Valve protects melt, and this period when mold is closed but before opening valve when mold is opened Interior, valve also allows to establish the vacuum of high quality in a mold.Realize that the vacuum-packed best approach is to make in this case (such case is on the conical surface) is sealed with ceramic to ceramic face, rather than small―gap suture (leakage) seals, small―gap suture (leakage) is sealed in Sealing between plunger OD and the ID for launching sleeve is typical (past attempts were attempted).

Melt is not most important in valve region solidification.Here it is the design of valve and orientation so that interior surface is not The reason of (melt cannot merge) of level, and be the reason of valve must remain near or above liquidus temperature.Therefore, All valve interior surfaces and valve itself have to be the ceramic materials that melt will not soak.Best ceramic material is considered as oxidation Zirconium.Other selections may include aluminium oxide, magnesia and silica；Specific example is Al₂O₃+ MgO and Al₂O₃+SiO₂Ceramics.

(being detailed in valve and its position)

Concept B: the valve (no plunger) adjacent with die cavity

System describe

1, the source of supply (" melt ") of molten alloy is hot cell (that is, the crucible containing large volume melt or holding furnace (melt The volume injected more than once of volume)).

2, by covering melt with constant inertia (vacuum or inert gas) environment, melt in hot cell is protected not and greatly Oxygen reaction in gas.

3, after the solidification of each casting, mold is opened to pop up casting, and then mold is closed and is purged using vacuum Die cavity.

4, the system fills die cavity without using the plunger in cold spray booth.Die cavity is filled by following either type:

The pressure difference between gas (or vacuum) pressure in gas pressure and die cavity in the hot cell a, such as 1 to 2 bar.

B gravity (i.e. compared with die cavity, hot cell is increased)

Pump in the hot cell c

5, in order to which melt is isolated with atmosphere pollution when mold is opened, valve is adjacent with die cavity and connects.In a reality It applies in example, valve can be adjacent with clout.

6, optimal valve shaft is vertical (upward), or vertically and horizontally between (also point up).Bottom panel show 45 degree The axis in direction.In inclined direction, jet chamber can be filled from the port of jet chamber's downside by feed pipe.When melt enters injection When room, this underfill configuration will cause the smallest flow disturbance.If the using gas in die cavity, appointing in these directions What one all ensures that gas may pass through mould cast first, and comes out from the vacuum valve at the top of die cavity, to reduce gas A possibility that staying in casting.

7, hot cell is connected to valve by the feed pipe heated.In operation, feed pipe is full of melt always.

8, optimal feed pipe axis also is located between vertically and horizontally and (is shown as vertical), in order to the smallest turbulent flow Fill jet chamber.

9, at least carry out metered shot amount there are three types of method.One is that valve only stays open, until die cavity is full of.This is general Thought will need gas/vacuum valve, and gas/vacuum valve prevents the inflow of melt and keeps squeeze pressure.The valve for preventing melt from flowing into Door is well known in the art.Valve by that can execute the function as follows:

A freezes (solidification) melt (or cooling cut-off)

B closes the inflow of melt by inertia

C cuts off the inflow of melt by solenoid valve

D other modes

10, another method of measurement pump volume is that accurate volume is conveyed using metering pump to die cavity.One example can To be plunger pump, plunger pump is for known stroke length conveying designated volume.

11, the third method is to pump non-positive displacement to be used in combination with flow measurement device, such as streamline sensor.

12, using the system of vacuum valve, the biography of the temperature for cooling down shut-off valve is can be used in control system Sensor, or electrical contact for inertia or solenoid valve or stroke sensor determine whether die cavity has expired.In measurement pump volume In the case where system, pump stroke or flow sensor can be used for determining that die cavity has been expired.

13, after die cavity is full of, control system closes valve immediately, and shortly after that, one or more squeeze pins are activated To increase final die pressure.It may then turn off pump itself.Squeeze pin can be by hydraulic, pneumatically, electrical or mechanical dress Set driving.It is illustrative methods that the hydraulic cylinder of pressure, which is controlled, to generate required pressure in melt itself.Increase stressed mesh Be to minimize the porosity in casting, and do so, increase the mechanical performance of casting and improve any surface finish of casting Degree.Since valve is not plunger, this pressure cannot be generated, but must endure as it.

14, the melt between valve tip and cooperation valve seat must be heated to its solidus temperature or more, to prevent melt Between each sealing surface solidification and by these sealing surfaces " soldering " together.A kind of method is in valve tip and cooperation valve seat At least one or preferably two progress resistance heatings.Add it is preferable that individually being incuded with the induction coil around valve seat Hot melt.In this case, valve and valve seat are made of ceramic materials, such as vitreous silica, with low thermal conductivity and Electric conductivity (" low-dielectric loss coefficient ")；Therefore, only melt rather than valve and valve seat itself will be heated by induction coil.

15, for above-mentioned all elements, it is advantageous that

A said elements are made of ceramic, to avoid soaking and melting reaction/degradation

B said elements (opposite with traditional " cold chamber system ") are heated to the steady temperature of melt solidus temperature or more Extremely:

I) ceramics may be destroyed by reducing to the maximum extent, thus the thermal cycle of contaminated melt

Ii) when melt passes through these elements, prevent melt in wall boundary local solidification.Due to the jet velocity used It will be far below jet velocity used in conventional high-tension die casting, melt is in a wall boundary local solidification especially problem.

16, according to one embodiment, it is not necessary that provide the mechanism for mitigating the pressure of the fluid in driving feed pipe.If Feed pipe is full of melt always, then the amount of injection metering will be most simple, most accurately.Therefore, entire feed pipe preferably must be held in At a temperature of melt solid-state temperature, to prevent molten alloy therein from solidifying.Feed pipe and the melt in crucible/heat channel are big Identical temperature is caused to would be desirable.

The injection circulation of non-metering pump is as follows:

Upper table gives the circulation of pump；However, gravity or pressure-feed system are also such.

According to embodiment, pump can be EM pump, centrifugal pump, piston pump or any pump that can be exposed for a long time in the melt. Do not require high pressure.The flow velocity for controlling pump is very useful, but does not need the flow of metering pump.Valve can simply be stayed open until mould Chamber is full of.

It discusses

The advantages of system, is:

● a kind of sealing melt system when mold is opened is provided in order to avoid melt system is exposed to the method in atmosphere.

● it only needs to drive to two positions (fully open and fully closed), therefore does not need stroke sensor or height Fast feedback control loop.Therefore, control system requires simpler.

● the flow velocity into die cavity can be controlled more preferably.If pumped using positive-displacement pump (for example, piston pump) or EM, flow The especially more preferable control of speed.

In general, this disclosed method is unknown, it is likely to since it is desired that being exposed near the melt of supply molten The valve of body, valve must also keep vacuum.(most of vacuum valves in evacuated die-casting process system are located at the top of mold, in inflow The rearmost point that melt reaches, therefore vacuum valve is exposed to much lower temperature.In addition, melt will not pass through valve itself；But Valve control mechanism be designed to melt is practical pass through valve before close valve.)

Valve protects melt, and this period when they are closed but before opening valve when mold is opened Interior, valve also allows to establish the vacuum of high quality in a mold.It realizes in this case vacuum-packed best Method is to seal (such case is on the conical surface) using ceramic to ceramic face, rather than small―gap suture (leakage) seals, and small―gap suture (is let out Leakage) sealing that is sealed between plunger OD and the ID for launching sleeve is typical (past attempts were attempted).

It is vital that melt will not solidify in valve region.Here it is valves must remain near or above melt The reason of liquidus temperature.

Best ceramic valve material is considered as vitreous silica.Other selections may include aluminium oxide and aluminium titanates.Charging Pipe and hot cell lining and hot cell material pump can be made of various ceramic materials, including fused silica, aluminium oxide, metatitanic acid Aluminium, zirconium oxide and magnesia；Specific example is Al₂O₃+ MgO and Al₂O₃+SiO₂Ceramics.

Whole system concept is as follows:

Above-mentioned " concept B2 " shows the inert gas in crucible/heat channel, and wherein melt is driven in die cavity by pump, And have valve with when mold is opened by crucible/heat channel and isolated from atmosphere.

In the concept B2 being illustrated above, without jet chamber or plunger, but system has the valve instead of plunger.The concept Melt purely is provided from hot cell by pressure, and hot cell is positive pressure.As described above, die cavity has vacuum, once so that valve is beaten It opens, die cavity is based on pressure difference filling.Once mold is full of, valve is just simply shut off, squeeze pin is then started.

Traditionally, hot chamber diecasting is the process of relatively low pressure, because pump is immersed in hot cell, and because so high At a temperature of, the component of pump cannot bear very big pressure.Pump is usually piston type or ram type pump.Therefore, thermal flexure process is logical It is often relatively low pressure, such as 500 to 1500PSI or its left and right.But in past 10-15, industry has been realized It arrives, especially in aluminum products, needs high-pressure extrusion that could obtain the casting of high quality.Therefore, some known methods are related to Melt is injected using low-lift pump in hot cell, freezes melt in the inlet region then to provide institute in the inlet region The valve (plug) needed.Once gate area is cooling or effective cooling, as long as melt freezes there, but remaining in casting Before melt solidification, squeeze pin will be used pressure rise (being likely to be breached 10,000PSI).It has been found that high pressure casting Good mechanical performance, especially low porosity performance are obtained in part.

In the disclosure, melt is introduced into die cavity with low voltage difference, once then cavity is filled, it is identical to close the valve- Valve with when mold is opened be isolated hot cell from atmospheric pressure influence.Therefore, it once cavity is full of, closes the valve and swashs Squeeze pin living is to increase the pressure in die cavity in melt, then already solidified melt.This is most important to this process.

(having the details of closing valve and its position, refer to nextpage)

In one embodiment, replace gas driving melt from hot cell into mold using metering pump, into die cavity.

In another embodiment, non-metering pump is for driving melt.

In either case, the vacuum valve in die cavity can vacuumize die cavity in no push-in liquid melts, Then when liquid melts dash valve, melt rapid curing and substantially sealed chamber.It can further press at this time.

In one embodiment, vacuum is used in hot cell and mold, and inert gas is used in hot cell, Vacuum is used in mold.

In another embodiment, crucible/hot cell is under vacuum environment, but does not need inert gas system.

Concept C: the plunger with seal tips

System describe

4, the plunger being contained in jet chamber drives melt into die cavity.However, with traditional " cold house " die-casting system Difference, plunger and injection sleeve keep " heat " state (that is, the solidus temperature for being higher than melt).

5, plunger tip is used as valve, when the mold is open, plunger tip by jet chamber and feed pipe/hot cell sealing with every Exhausted atmosphere.Plunger tip is sealed on the cooperation valve seat in cover mold.

6, plunger is driven to 3 positions (referring to the figure of last page):

A) when the mold is open, vacuum is sealed to resist atmospheric pressure

B) hot cell is filled

C) feed pipe is closed from hot cell and melt is driven in into die cavity

7, injection quill axis is preferably placed between vertically and horizontally (45 degree).It in the range, can be from jet chamber The port of downside jet chamber is filled by feed pipe.When melt enters jet chamber, this underfill configuration will cause minimum Flow disturbance.

8, feed pipe axis is also located preferably between vertically and horizontally and (is shown as vertical), in order to the smallest turbulent flow Fill jet chamber.

9, jet chamber can supply melt, including gravity, gas differential pressure or pump from hot cell by various modes.

10, in concept B, it is necessary to which metering is transported to the melt volume of jet chamber.

11, by gravity feed, gas pressure or non-positive displacement pump (such as EM or vane pump) by the melt in hot cell into In the case where expecting jet chamber, it is necessary to monitor flow velocity (for example, by EM flow sensor).It must movement to plunger and melt Flow velocity be timed and control, so as to when the melt of correct volume is pumped into jet chamber, plunger sealing charging pipe port (under Position 3 in figure).

12 or, preferred configuration uses positive-displacement pump, such as plunger pump.In this case, pump is based on its piston area Long-pending and stroke will push the melt of known volume, then keep the position until plunger carries out stroke movement and is injected into melt Enter die cavity.It is desirable that such pump will have check-valves, so that when plunger retracts and to suck more melts next to prepare When spraying cycle, melt is remained in feed pipe.

13, for above-mentioned all elements (valve seat, plunger tip etc.), it is advantageous that

A) said elements are made of ceramic, to avoid soaking and melting reaction/degradation

B) said elements (opposite with traditional " cold chamber system ") are heated to steady temperature (higher than the solidus temperature of melt Degree) extremely:

14, the melt between plunger tip and cooperation valve seat must be heated to its solidus temperature or more, to prevent from melting Body solidify between each sealing surface and by these sealing surfaces " soldering " together.A kind of method is to the tip PMV and cooperation spray Penetrate at least one of room valve seat or preferably two progress resistance heatings.It is preferable that with the induction coil for surrounding valve seat Independent induction heating melt.In this case, valve and valve seat are made of ceramic materials, such as vitreous silica, with low Thermal conductivity and electric conductivity (" low-dielectric loss coefficient ")；Therefore, only melt rather than valve and valve seat itself will be incuded Coil heats.

Once 15, melt reaches jet chamber, just melt is driven in eliminate turbulent flow in die cavity by the controlled velocity of plunger, Turbulent flow may cause the defect of finished product cast.

16, plunger tip must touch the bottom in its end of travel, to provide vacuum sealing when opening mold.Cause This, cannot rely on plunger to die cavity and provide predictable final pressure, because the precise volumes of injection may be in different sprays It is slightly different between penetrating.Squeeze pin can provide final pressure.Squeeze pin can be hydraulically operated, or only spring loads To provide predetermined pressure.In the latter case, plunger will provide pressure source, once and mold fill, squeeze pin will be simple Ground adjusts the pressure (being similar to pressure reducing valve).In this case, the size of the melt volume of metering should to reach when plunger When minimum point, there is a small amount of excessive melt, in die cavity to ensure to depress squeeze pin to compensate the excessive volume.

Pump can be metering pump, such as (that is, melt is transported to the insert port of jet chamber from hot cell and can convey spy Determine the pump of the melt of volume).

The exemplary injection circulation of metering pump is as follows:

In the above example, due to pump be metering (that is, positive discharge capacity), pump can when plunger jet chamber is not filled by guarantor It holds in place, so that melt is contacted with injection sleeve feed inlet always.

It discusses

The advantages of system, is:

● allow to eliminate crucible using large-scale (non-single injection event) hot cell and rupture and lead to the thermal cycle of melt contamination.

The latent defect of the system is that the requirement to plunger is higher than the requirement to most of other systems/elements；Plunger Tip must keep vacuum, but also be exposed in the molten alloy for flowing through it, and preferably must be held in alloy solidus temperature More than.

Plunger tip as valve protects melt when mold is opened, and also allows when mold is closed but in valve The vacuum of high quality is established before opening in a mold.Realize that the vacuum-packed best approach is using pottery in this case Porcelain-ceramic plane sealing (such case is on the conical surface), rather than small―gap suture (leakage) seals, small―gap suture (leakage) is sealed in plunger Sealing between OD and the ID for launching sleeve is typical (past attempts were attempted).

In piston zone, solidification is not most important to melt.Here it is plungers must remain near or above liquidus temperature The reason of.

In the specific configuration shown in, plunger tip is sealed against individual valve seat.Valve seat is made of ceramic.Individual valve Seat is considered as preferably configuring, because valve seat may show the wear rate different from sleeve is sprayed or need different materials Expect characteristic.However, since the shot sleeve in the concept also must be made of ceramic or be lined with ceramics, so valve seat can also be with It is integrally formed in injection sleeve.

Best ceramic valve material is considered as vitreous silica.Other selections may include aluminium oxide and aluminium titanates.Charging Pipe and hot cell lining and hot cell material pump can be made of various ceramic materials, including fused silica, aluminium oxide, metatitanic acid Aluminium, zirconium oxide and magnesia；Specific example is Al₂O3+MgO and Al₂O₃+SiO₂Ceramics.

Whole system concept is as follows:

(being detailed in following plunger and its position)

For illustrative purposes, jet chamber is oriented to 45 degree of angles, with reduce such as waterfall type fall or bubble it is negative It influences.

Concept D: vacuum+inert gas-tradition plunger/injection sheath

System describe: the amount of injection of metering is sent into " cold " jet chamber (or cold injection sleeve) by the low-lift pump in hot cell, this Melt is forced to enter mold at elevated pressures.The inert gas pressure at the plunger back side can prevent air from invading when mold is opened Enter.

● the source of supply of molten alloy is hot cell.

● by using insulation and heating, hot cell is maintained a relatively constant temperature, it is higher than the liquidus temperature of melt About 200 DEG C.

● hot cell be fed to it is cold penetrate room, which includes the plunger being contained in " cold " injection sleeve, which will melt Fusion gold driving is into die cavity.By insulating and/or heating and/or cooling, injection sleeve is maintained at the solid phase lower than melt The relative constant temperature of line temperature.

● in all nodes and entire injection process of system, pass through " covering " or logical of inert gas (such as argon gas) Crossing vacuum protection makes melt from exposure to air.Therefore, injection sleeve in have a port, to plunger on rear side of chamber Room provides inert gas.This is the key that the system, because plunger cannot effectively seal atmospheric pressure.Air pressure is slightly above Atmospheric pressure；For example, 15 to 16psia.Its object is to when the mold is open, positive air pressure will prevent atmosphere from letting out by plunger tip It leaks and enters hot cell (if plunger rear side chamber and/or hot cell are under vacuum).

● the positive pressure inert gas system does not need plunger and is fully sealed, therefore allows using traditional OD clearance seal. (that is, the small―gap suture or radial clearance between plunger outer diameter OD and injection cannula ID allow so few leakage, to provide enough Sealing to reach reasonable vacuum level in die cavity).

● hot cell is equally full of the inert gas of similar pressure.

● when the mold is open, injection room plunger be in be identified as herein position 1 position (referring to this document last Figure on page).Due to the small pressure difference between plunger rear side chamber and atmosphere, no air enters feed pipe；Only a small amount of is lazy Property gas can leak into atmosphere from plunger.

● in the case that plunger is still in position 1 in jet chamber, mold is closed, and vacuumized to die cavity to evacuate and melt The oxygen of precursor reactant.A small amount of inert gas will be leaked into die cavity by plunger.This is acceptable, because using vacuum-evacuate The purpose of die cavity is not only to reduce its pressure, and mainly removes oxygen/nitrogen of possible contaminated melt.

● before injection, the atmosphere in die cavity can remain vacuum, or can fill inert gas.

Once ● enough vacuum/gas quality are realized in die cavity, jet chamber's plunger will retract into filling position, This is identified as position 2.In the position, jet chamber's charging port is connected to feed pipe and hot cell, and the pump in hot cell fills injection Room.

● the system is best suited for the positive-displacement pump in hot cell, can be with metered injection amount (that is, conveying is specific predetermined Amount).Ideal pump is piston/plunger pump, and piston/plunger pump is similar to the pump of traditional gooseneck hot cell system；The volume that it is pumped It can be controlled by the length of its stroke.However, different from traditional hot cell plunger pump, these components are by ceramic material system At can be chronically exposed in melt, without decomposing and failing or contaminated melt.

● hot cell pump has intrinsic pressure limit since they are submerged in the molten metal.In this environment The tensile strength of tool steel and yield strength are reduced to the sub-fraction of its intensity at room temperature by high temperature.Ceramic material also will receive The influence of strength reduction although not being very big, but has the limited limitation of tensile strength.Piston cylinder bears circumferential direction and answers Power, this is a kind of form of tensile stress.In addition, amorphous alloy is with liquidus curve more higher than many alloys (such as aluminium) and admittedly Liquidus temperature, these alloys have been deemed out the range of common plunger pump.Therefore, using double pump system；It is low in hot cell Then press pump supplies " cold house " near mold and sprays sleeve.Hot cell pump may be limited to 1,000psi, even lower but cold Final pressure can be increased to 10,000psi or higher by room, because temperature drift still is below significant decrease tool hardness of steel Temperature.

● once required injection volume is transported to jet chamber from hot cell, and hot cell pump closes and liquid level is maintained at injection pipe In, and jet chamber's plunger starts to move.

● jet chamber's plunger position is monitored by displacement sensor.When plunger arrival in jet chamber's is identified as the position of position 3 When, charging port is closed by plunger；Order hot cell pump is started to retract by control system at this time.Once by position 3, plunger is by melt It is pushed into die cavity, until the pressure increase in die cavity.Within the system, squeeze pin is optional, but is not required.Plunger, Because it reaches bottom unlike in concept A-C in face seal, it is possible to which stroke as needed is (such as following Position 5 shown in), with to melt apply it is maximum needed for pressure.

● during complete stroke, plunger is by position 4, and the inert chamber on rear side of plunger is connected to charging at this time Pipe.The contraction of the hot cell pump started when plunger is by position 3 will generate suction pressure in the melt in feed pipe, therefore work as When feed inlet is opened to rear side chamber, melt will be returned in feed pipe by promotion.Feed pipe is opposite with rear side chamber is entered.Indifferent gas Body will fill feed pipe from jet chamber's rear side chamber.

● the system is designed such as melt only with plunger/injection barrel contacts very short duration (that is, about one Second or it is shorter) to prevent these elements to be heated to certain temperature, at such a temperature, 1) strength reductions of these elements arrives more than can connect The level received or 2.) at such a temperature, it may occur however that on melt " welding " to these elements.

● in " underfill " or " side filling " design, feed pipe is connected to the bottom or side of injection sleeve, and It is not top.In the designs, it is desirable to which after the filling of injection room, the melt in feed pipe should be expelled back into feed pipe Predeterminated level, so that melt will not be kept and injection room plunger contact for a long time.Feed pipe direction should tilt vertically or upwards (under Direction 4 or 5 in square directionkeys), in order to be discharged.However, melt should only be retracted into predeterminated level, to fill every time Metered volume can be pumped in stroke.Hot cell pump can design check-valves and shuttle-type piston on entrance and exit.Shuttle-type Piston does not allow melt to pass through, but a certain amount of fluid is allowed to retract (see Fig. 1) in each stroke.This will accurately ensure next Secondary the amount of injection.

● hot cell pump and reciprocating-piston material should be manufactured from the same material, or at least by having similar thermal expansion coefficient (CTE) material is made, so that gap under the high-temperature in hot cell will not excessive variation.

● check valve components can be made of the high density material of such as tungsten carbide, with prevent they float in the melt and It is not to sink.Alternatively, the check-valves in pump can be mounted with the bar (not shown)-upwardly extended in its channel if desired, very To extending through cover board and leave hot cell to provide additional sealing force.

● in the case where " top filling " design, hot cell pump need not use reciprocating-piston feature.In the designs, into Expects pipe is connected to the top side of injection sleeve (see Fig. 2 and 3).The link position allow supply pipe axis with respect to the horizontal plane at Angle (as shown in the figure) or axis can even is that vertical (that is, orientation 1 or 2 in following directional bond).It is connected to The part of injection sleeve feed inlet is known as part 1.The part is made of the low ceramic material of thermal conductivity (referring to herein below " insulation spacer "), to prevent the heat of feed pipe for the liquidus temperature for being heated to above melt from making to spray sleeve overheat, so Afterwards, feed pipe have elbow, the elbow rotation and it is downwardly directed enter hot cell.The part in downwardly directed hot cell is known as the 2nd Point.At the top of turning, inert gas supply pipe line is connected to feed pipe by valve (not shown).

● while vacuumizing in die cavity, valve is opened, so as to by the vacuum in the gap plunger OD will simply by In a small amount of inert gas sucking die cavity.Once establishing acceptable atmosphere in die cavity, being shut off inert gas valve and taking out Plunger is to open the charging port of feed pipe.Hot cell pump is activated, melt is pumped into jet chamber.When hot cell, pump reaches its end of travel When, the melt of any fusing is discharged into jet chamber's feed inlet in part 1, and quickly will be in injection die cavity；Appointing in part 2 What melt will all be flushed with the bottom of bend pipe inside radius.Inert gas valve will be opened, and the melt fed in pipe bend will use inertia Gas covering, to prevent from being exposed in air.

● in the filling configuration of top, melt enters injection from feed pipe by " nozzle " or less than the opening of port sizes Room port be it is useful, such melt will not contact, the injection set that will not be soaked, and will not be attached to around charging port region Pipe.

● once die cavity is full of and solidifies with the melt in the clout region of plunger contact, if it is desired, plunger can be with Position 1. is retracted into (to take out plunger in order to manage ram temperature from the contact with clout.) in this position, it can beat Mold is to pop up casting.The accurate location of position 1 is not important, as long as to retain towards mold mobile enough to remote for plunger, makes Charging port is obtained not to atmosphere opening.The fact that chamber has slight normal pressure on rear side of injection sleeve ensures inert gas at most It can slightly be leaked by plunger outer diameter, and prevent atmosphere from passing through plunger and enter filling pipe/hot chamber.

● due to charging port by pump fill, with gravity charging on the contrary, plunger axis can not be it is horizontal；If desired, very To vertical.Moreover, charging port can be the somewhere in addition to " high side ".In fact, plunger vertical (upward) or closer vertical Rather than level is advantageous, and if angled, charging port is located at downside, or close to downside rather than high side (i.e. just To 4 or 5, with reference to following directionkeys).Following Fig. 4 is shown with " underfill " feed pipe/charging port direction angulation Spend plunger direction.In underfill configuration, melt flow stream can smoothly fill jet chamber without turbulent flow and/or " waterfall Formula is fallen ", turbulent flow and/or " waterfall type falls " may cause the premature setting of gas/hole and/or particle.If jet chamber The temperature of (in design idea) is lower than the solidus temperature of alloy, then turbulent flow and/or waterfall should be especially paid attention to, because alloy can Can around gas/hole local solidification, and these artifacts may still in final cast article as defect exist.

● in fact, an advantage of the system is It is not necessary to which jet chamber to be heated to height required in concept A-C Temperature.Although certain heating of injection sleeve may be it is beneficial, melt may remain in lower than at a temperature of solidus temperature, only Melt is wanted not have stay long enough in injection sleeve to form local solidification region.

● as described above, system can configure (for example, in order to easily manufactured) (orientation in the horizontal plane with jet chamber's axis 3).The system has still maintained protection melt (by positive pressure inert gas) from the benefit of atmosphere pollution.In horizontal-jet room In axis configuration, in order to avoid waterfall type falls effect, fill port be located at downside rather than high side be still it is beneficial (although It is not absolutely to require).The configuration is as shown in following Fig. 5.

● injection quill can also orient between horizontal and vertical, under direction (that is, orientation 2, with reference to following orientation Key).However, the orientation can only be used to the vacuum in die cavity/jet chamber.

● it should be by more than the solidus temperature of feed pipe laser heating to melt, to prevent melt premature setting in pipe. The insulation spacer made of the material (for example, alumina titanate ceramics) with low heat conductivity is used between feed pipe and jet chamber, To minimize conduction heat transfer between the two.

● for the indoor all elements of heat, the element between hot cell itself and hot cell and insulation spacer advantageously:

Zero is made of ceramic or is lined with ceramics, to avoid soaking and melting reaction/degradation

Zero is heated to constant " warm " (more than solidus) temperature:

It (is limited by casting size) depending on such as the amount of injection, casts cross section minimum thickness and used mold adds The variables such as hot degree, plunger and jet chamber, since relatively short-term time exposure (compared with concept A-C) is in melt liquid, Casting machine can be made of high temperature tool steel, and high temperature tool steel will not damage under sufficiently high temperature and sufficiently low speed will Melt conveying to die cavity ability, thus avoid damage casting quality.However, some large-scale and/or complicated casting machine may need It wants plunger and/or jet chamber to be also made of ceramics, and is maintained at higher temperature (that is, close or even higher than solidus temperature).

Once melt reaches jet chamber, just driven in die cavity by controlled velocity of plunger to prevent from may cause into The turbulent flow of the defect of product casting.It is recommended that maximum melt velocity is 0.5 meter per second.

Injection cycle is as follows:

In the case where being not intended to chamber to must be heated to maximum temperature or more, above mentioned embodiment provide a kind of holdings Atmosphere does not enter the method for chamber and contaminated melt.

Melt will be heated to about 1000 degrees Celsius/about 1800 degrees Fahrenheits and about 1500 degrees Celsius, at such a temperature, iron-based Material will redden.Wherein.At such temperatures, material almost loses their strength character.(in about 1200 Fahrenheits When spending, the intensity of most of materials is begun to decline.) therefore, when attempting at these tem-peratures using ferroalloy, ferroalloy will not have There is any intensity, and cannot therefrom obtain high pressure.In addition, ferroalloy easily can be scraped and be scratched, and can be soldered on steel.

Therefore, which is intended to spray sleeve and is maintained under the temperature range, quickly by molten alloy Injection sleeve is poured into, and quickly injects molten alloy.

It discusses

The unique advantage of the system is:

● a kind of sealing melt system when mold is opened is provided in order to avoid melt system is exposed to the method in atmosphere, but It is due to the positive pressure in hot cell and plunger rear side chamber, cold house's plunger is depended critically upon unlike concept A-C can seal to protect Hold the degree of vacuum.

● provide a kind of accurate measurement be injected into die cavity volume injected device (that is, low-lift pump in hot cell) with The device (that is, cold house's injection sleeve) of high pressure is generated at the end of injection circulation.

● a kind of device (i.e. reciprocating-piston) is provided, for retracting melt with completely cut off with it is cold injection sleeve contact, to prevent Only injection sleeve overheat.

● underfill feed inlet can be used in jet chamber, and can also be oriented in direction 4 or 5, both provides Smaller turbulent flow is orientated than other.

● the complexity of the system is minimum；In particular, without the valve that must seal melt and vacuum.

Jet chamber or injection sleeve not necessarily preferably must be held on the minimum temperature of alloy.

In general, when the mold is open, air can be leaked into melting chamber by plunger, and air is by contaminated melt. Once mold is closed, it is also possible to take a long time that vacuumize and the melting chamber is sucked out in air.The disclosure, which solves, to be passed through Simply made with inert gas pressurized containment crucible/ladle chamber of slightly above atmospheric pressure (such as 15-16psi atmospheric pressure) The process is more effectively challenged.

According to one embodiment, jet chamber's orientation between vertical and horizontal somewhere (for example, be upwardly directed to mold, and It is horizontal unlike common conventional spray room).

Hot cell pump with reciprocating-piston is illustrated in fig. 1 shown below:

Following Fig. 2 shows the nozzle of feed pipe and top feed, and the injection sleeve of horizontal direction is (with underpressure pattern Display):

Following Fig. 3 shows that the nozzle of feed pipe and top feed, the injection sleeve of horizontal direction are (shown here to be The mode of injection sleeve is filled with melt):

The total system concept in D1 is configured, plunger is as shown in Figure 4 towards 4 (angled, upward):

The total system concept in D1 is configured, plunger direction 3 (level) is illustrated in fig. 5 shown below:

(please referring to the term and details of injection sleeve and plunger position in lower page)

The term of concept D is as follows (to be note that for clarity, spray sleeve, insulation spacer and bushing are segmentations ):

Following image is the typical image of concept D1 and D2；Only difference is that die cavity vacuumizes first in D2, then Full of inert gas.

In this position (position 1 above), mold is open, and substantially only holds a plunger in the last one row Cheng Zhong, or retract a bit, therefore plunger will not be kept in contact with clout, because clout is solidifying, or still red heat.? This position, the port that plunger posterior region is connected to as its supplying inert gas, inert gas can also decline and fill charging Pipe.So all are all surrounded by inert gas, the pressure ratio atmospheric pressure of this gas is slightly higher.

Position 4 shows that piston is first begin to open feed pipe to the position of rear side chamber, and inert gas can push melt, or Person actually only allows melt to fall back to feed pipe and returns in hot cell.

The inline measuring room formed between hot cell and cold house of E: two valves of concept

System describe: melt is sent into measuring room from hot cell by low-lift pump, and measuring room supplies cold spray booth.Measuring room volume is by two Space between a valve limits.When the mold is open, valve also the melt in feed pipe/hot cell is isolated in order to avoid being exposed to sky Gas.Cold spray booth provides final high-pressure injection.

● the source of supply of melt is hot cell.

● hot cell supplies measuring room, which is generated by being located at hot cell and spraying two inline valves between sleeve. The volume in the channel between two valves is for limiting the volume sprayed every time.Measuring room passes through its internal diameter (or other cross section rulers It is very little) and length carry out metered injection amount.

● nethermost one is used for melt and isolated from atmosphere when mold is opened in two valves.

● melt, which is supplied to measuring room/cold house method from hot cell, can be pump, by inert gas generate pressure difference or Gravity.

● measuring room supply is cold to penetrate room, which includes the plunger being contained in " cold " injection sleeve, which will melt Fusion gold driving is into die cavity.By insulating and/or heating and/or cooling, injection sleeve is maintained at the solid phase lower than melt The relative constant temperature of line temperature.

● in all nodes and entire injection process of system, pass through " covering " or logical of inert gas (such as argon gas) Vacuum protection melt is crossed from exposure to air.

● before injection, die cavity is purged to evacuate the oxygen with fusant reaction by vacuum.

● in first circulation, lower part valve must be kept open during vacuum purges；Measuring room must be taken out Vacuum, to be completely melt object filling.During evacuation, plunger should be retracted into " filling " position, and jet chamber's charging port is beaten Filling pipe is reached, to allow any air to be quickly discharged from filling pipe and metering chamber body.In subsequent circulation, as long as in mold Lower valve remains turned-off when opening, and measuring room will remain in vacuum state, therefore does not need repeatedly evacuated measuring room.

● two valves allow for bearing to be continuously exposed to molten alloy, and must keep (at least) higher than alloy Solidus temperature.

● due to upper valve mold open when by melt and air insulated, plunger/shot sleeve need not execute this function Energy.Therefore, plunger can use traditional radial clearance, and plunger itself need not realize positive sealing to injection sleeve.Cause This, plunger and injection sleeve do not need to be heated beyond usually requiring that for traditional die casting.

● the feed pipe from hot cell to valve, valve and measuring room preferably must be held in the temperature higher than melt solidus temperature (by using heating element and/or insulation), to prevent melt from solidifying between valve and matching seat and the two " soldering " exists Together.

● although melt can be transferred to measuring room from hot cell by various methods, melt passes through gravity from metering Room is transferred to jet chamber.Therefore, measuring room main body (managing), the inlet tube and injection sheath charging port for connecting lower valve should be with foots Enough high angle (relative to horizontal direction) inclinations, so that melt quickly flows, but also sufficiently low, so that melt smooth outflow Without turbulent flow.10 degree to 45 degree are considered as optimum range.

● therefore, jet chamber's charging port must be positioned at top or the near top of injection sleeve (not in bottom).

● due to the necessary orientation of filling pipe, the vacuum (not being gas) which can only be used in die cavity.If used Gas, when melt fills jet chamber, gas will be raised above and rest in the measuring room near the valve of top.(this can be hampered Hinder accurate metering post-injection amount.)

● injection sleeve/plunger axis orientation (referring to following directionkeys) can be it is horizontal, or vertical and Inclination (that is, being respectively orientation 3 or 2) between level.It is each to have the advantage that and disadvantage, but it is horizontal (orientation 3) or close Horizontal injection sleeve orientation is preferably as melt can be filled up completely jet chamber before starting to be injected into die cavity.( In direction 1 or 2, melt will start to fill die cavity before jet chamber is full of, and there are melts to start cured risk too early.)

● as concept D, using nozzle be in charging port it is beneficial, such melt would not contact and soak feed inlet Itself (referring to fig. 2, end of file).

● an advantage of the system is It is not necessary to which jet chamber is heated to high temperature required by concept 1-4.Although spray It may be beneficial for penetrating certain heating of casing, but the design idea of the system is will to spray the solidus that sleeve is maintained at melt Below temperature.For this purpose, injection rate must be sufficiently fast so that melt does not allow the stay long enough in injection sleeve To form local solidification region.

● liner and internal all elements, the element between hot cell and hot cell and lower valve (including valve and valve body) must Must be:

Zero is made of ceramic, to avoid soaking and melting reaction/degradation

Zero is heated to constant temperature (higher than the solidus temperature of melt) extremely:

● best ceramic valve and seat material is considered as vitreous silica.Other selections may include aluminium oxide and metatitanic acid Aluminium.Feed pipe and hot cell lining and hot cell material pump can be made of various ceramic materials, including fused silica, oxidation Aluminium, aluminium titanates, zirconium oxide and magnesia；Specific example is Al₂O₃+ MgO and Al₂O₃+SiO₂Ceramics.

Since valve is heated to the solidus temperature of melt or more, but sprays sleeve and be designed to keep below the temperature Degree, the inlet tube between lower valve and injection sleeve are the ceramic materials that selection is used for low heat conductivity and high resistance of heat shocks.Example Property material is aluminium titanates.

It (is determined by casting size) depending on such as the amount of injection, casts cross section minimum thickness and used mold adds The variables such as hot degree, plunger and jet chamber, since relatively short-term exposure (compared with concept 1-4) is in melt liquid, casting Machine can be made of high temperature tool steel, and high temperature tool steel will not damage under sufficiently high temperature and sufficiently low speed by melt It is transported to the ability of die cavity, to avoid damage casting quality.However, some large-scale and/or complicated casting machine may need Plunger and/or jet chamber are also made of ceramics, and are maintained at higher temperature (that is, close or even higher than solidus temperature).

Although in this type of design plunger tip do not need sealing vacuum, plunger rod still have to keep vacuum sealing (or Person, plunger guide bush and plunger actuator must be enclosed in vacuum chamber), it in this way could be when mold be closed, in mold effectively Vacuum is established on ground.It is beneficial for providing individual vacuum ports for plunger rear side chamber, so that the vacuum for being applied to the region need not Across die cavity and surround the gap plunger OD.

Once mold is closed, the vacuum source of die cavity can also be used for evacuating spray chamber.

Once melt reaches jet chamber, just driven in melt in die cavity by the controlled velocity of plunger may cause with eliminating The turbulent flow of finished product cast defect.It is recommended that maximum melt velocity is 0.5 meter per second.

It discusses

The advantages of system, is:

● provide it is a kind of effectively when mold is opened sealing melt system in order to avoid melt system is exposed in atmosphere Method, but plunger sealing is not needed, therefore allow using traditional cold house's injection sheath system.

● the metering system based on bivalve in hot cell without installing metering pump.In fact, even if using gravity or gas For pressure as feeding method, it is accurate which also provides a kind of metering without using metering pump or flow sensor Method of the amount of injection to mold.

● one kind, which is provided, using only vacuum (non-inert gas) establishes the effective of inert atmosphere in die cavity and injection sleeve System.

Total system concept (band horizontal-jet sleeve) is illustrated in fig. 1 shown below

Two valves can be put into system before melt is by jet chamber to obtain metered injection amount by the embodiment Ability.Valve is between hot cell and jet chamber.In this concept, plunger can not be sealed to resist atmosphere.When mold is beaten When opening, lower one will be closed in the two valves.When the mold is open, atmosphere can enter plunger cavity.Once mold closes It closes, is just vacuumized on die cavity, (i.e. jet chamber) is sucked out in plunger chamber air.Meanwhile opening top valve, two valves Between feed pipe will fill the melt of designated volume.The volume is limited by the length and diameter of the feed pipe.Once establishing true Sky opens bottom valve and allows melt by then injecting melt in mold in the case where mold is closed.

According to one embodiment, the concept of the disclosure is fed using gravity.In another embodiment, identical two are configured A valve is used together with pump.

Nozzle can be used to prevent the feed inlet wetting in the filling mode of top:

Example valve is as follows:

As for the material and type of valve, in one embodiment, valve body and valve plug itself are all made of ceramic.At another In embodiment, at least valve plug is made of ceramic.In yet another embodiment, valve plug and valve rod are made of ceramic.Valve needs to connect It is continuous to be heated to maximum temperature or more.In one embodiment, valve is manufactured to the valve seat area of the valve and its angle makes Valve be not present horizontal surface, thus melt will not exposure level surface.Valve must keep heating, so that valve material is not It can be brazed, valve material, which does not solidify, to be soldered to valve on valve body.

In order to remove any air in valve or around valve, when the mold is open, it is fully extended that plunger is maintained at its Position so that only having small gap between plunger and the internal diameter of jet chamber.Leak into any air all will slowly move, because This will not generate thermal shock to the valve.Then, it once mold is closed, is vacuumized on mold.Once extracting out true in mold Sky just retracts plunger, so that plunger is open feed inlet, to be to open to the channel for leading to valve bottom part down , all air are discharged.

Concept F: an inline valve between hot cell and cold house

System describe: chamber system is penetrated in combined type hot cell/cold.Cold spray booth provides last injection.Close to injection in feed pipe The valve of room is when mold is opened by melt and isolated from atmosphere.Hot cell pump and/or control system metered injection amount must be passed through.

(note: the system is similar with concept D and E in many aspects.The use of valve is similar to concept E, but due to only One valve, it is therefore necessary to which injection metering is carried out by the mode other than measuring room.As concept D, function of measuring is by just arranging Calorimetric room pump, or the non-positive displacement pump combined with flow sensor and control system provide.

● the source of supply of melt is hot cell.

● hot cell is fed to " cold " room, cold " room driving molten alloy enter die cavity.Cold house includes being contained in injection sleeve Jet chamber's plunger.Injection sleeve will remain in relative constant temperature (lower than molten by insulating and/or heating and/or cooling The solidus temperature of body).

● after purging, die cavity be may remain under vacuum state for injecting or die cavity can use indifferent gas Body filling.

● in addition, valve is embedded in the feed pipe between hot cell and shot sleeve in the concept.The function of valve is When mold is opened by melt and isolated from atmosphere.

● valve allows for bearing to be continuously exposed to molten alloy, and must keep (at least) being higher than consolidating for alloy Liquidus temperature.

● it is different from concept E, without individual measuring room between hot cell pump and jet chamber.But as concept D, Function of measuring must be pumped by hot cell and be executed.As concept D, positive-displacement pump is the best side from hot cell to cold house's supply melt Method.

● piston pump described in such as concept D can be used.As in concept D, it is expected that melt is retracted into downwards Feed pipe is so that the contact between melt and plunger/shot sleeve minimizes, to prevent these element over-temperatures.Function and material are wanted Ask identical as described in concept D.

● alternatively, can be used gas pressure (if you are using, higher than the pressure of gas in die cavity) in hot cell or Melt is transferred to cold house from hot cell by gravity charging.Flow sensor is needed to allow to pump and close in the correct time.

● during plunger stroke, inline feed pipe valve must be stayed open, to allow melt to retract.Only when melt contracts When returning to the level lower than valve, valve could be closed.

● as concept E, the feed pipe from hot cell and inline valve must be respectively maintained at higher than melt solidus temperature The temperature (by using heating element and/or insulation) of degree, to prevent melt from solidifying between valve and matching valve seat and by two Person's " soldering " is together.

● as concept D and E, inlet tube or insulation spacer connect inline valve and injection sleeve.These elements should be by having There is the ceramic material of low heat conductivity and high thermal shock resistance to be made.Exemplary materials are aluminium titanates.

● as concept E, since melt is isolated in inline feed pipe valve, plunger/injection sleeve need not execute this function Energy.Therefore, it can use traditional radial clearance, and plunger itself need not realize positive sealing to injection sleeve.Plunger It does not need to be heated beyond usually requiring that for traditional die casting with injection sleeve yet.

● still, since valve can be effectively isolated melt, inert atmosphere range of choice is more wider than concept D；It is practical On, it is identical as concept E.Specifically, vacuum may be used as the substitute of the inert gas in plunger rear side chamber, and can also use In hot cell.

● it is different from concept E, gravity is not needed when finally by melt transfer into cold spray booth.Therefore, it is possible to use with general Read the jet chamber of same range and feed pipe orientation in D.

● as concept D and E, when jet chamber is at or approximately at horizontal direction (direction 3), nozzle is used in charging port It is advantageous, such melt will not contact and soak feed inlet itself (see Fig. 2, document end).

● as concept D and E, when using vacuum only in jet chamber/die cavity, injection sleeve just should the side of being merely positioned Into 1 and 2.If (used with the gases, melt will reach the lower area of jet chamber, and gas will be trapped in plunger Near.Once plunger drives melt into die cavity, some gases may be retained in plunger/clout near zone, some may It can be migrated as bubble, these bubbles may remain in cured casting ..., and this is a kind of adverse effect.)

● an advantage of the system is It is not necessary to which jet chamber is heated to high temperature required by concept 1-4.Although spray It may be beneficial for penetrating certain heating of casing, but the design idea of the system is will to spray the solidus that sleeve is maintained at melt Below temperature.For this purpose, injection rate is sufficiently fast so that melt may not allow the stay long enough in injection sleeve To form local solidification region.

● since valve is heated to the solidus temperature of melt or more, but sprays sleeve and be designed to keep below this Temperature, the inlet tube between lower valve and injection sleeve are the ceramic materials that selection is used for low heat conductivity and high resistance of heat shocks.Show Example property material is aluminium titanates.

● such as the amount of injection (being determined by casting size) is depended on, cross section minimum thickness and used mold are cast The variables such as degree of heat, plunger and jet chamber, since relatively short-term exposure (compared with concept 1-4) is in melt liquid, casting The machine of making can be made of high temperature tool steel, and high temperature tool steel will not damage under sufficiently high temperature and sufficiently low speed to be melted Body is transported to the ability of die cavity, to avoid damage casting quality.However, some large-scale and/or complicated casting machine may need It wants plunger and/or jet chamber to be also made of ceramics, and is maintained at higher temperature (that is, close or even higher than solidus temperature Degree).

● as concept E, although plunger tip does not need sealing to prevent vacuum in this design, plunger rod still must Vacuum sealing must be kept (alternatively, plunger guide bush and plunger actuator must be enclosed in vacuum chamber, or to be sealed in full of inertia The chamber of gas), vacuum can be effectively established once mold closing in this way.

● once mold closure, the vacuum source of die cavity can also be used for evacuating injection chamber.

● once melt reaches jet chamber, and just being driven in die cavity by the controlled velocity of plunger may cause with eliminating The turbulent flow of finished product cast defect.It is recommended that maximum melt velocity is 0.5 meter per second.

Injection cycle is as follows:

It discusses

The unique advantage of the system is:

● a kind of method that accurate measurement is ejected into the amount of injection of mold is provided.

● compared with concept E, allow a greater variety of jet chambers and feed pipe direction.In particular, jet chamber can be used Underfill feed inlet can also be oriented to direction 4 or 5, and less turbulent flow face is both provided than other directions.

Claims (according to the 19th article of modification of treaty)

1. a kind of method, comprising:

Melting chamber into injecting systems provides amorphous alloy, and the injecting systems further include the die cavity for moulding alloy, The melting chamber and the die cavity are held in inert atmosphere；

The melting chamber is heated to the solidus temperature of at least described amorphous alloy to form hot cell；

The amorphous alloy is melted in the hot cell to form molten alloy；

The molten alloy is supplied to the die cavity from the hot cell using valve system；And

The molten alloy is molded as moulded parts using the die cavity,

Wherein, the valve system is configured in the molten alloy that will the be measured injection die cavity；

Wherein, the injecting systems further include the feed pipe that the valve system is extended to from the hot cell, wherein the feed pipe It is supplied in the die cavity for receiving the molten alloy in the hot cell, and by the molten alloy of metering；

Wherein, the valve system includes the plunger being contained in injection sleeve, wherein the injection sleeve is relative to horizontal axis Setting at an acute angle.

2. according to the method described in claim 1, wherein, the injecting systems further include extending to the valve system from the hot cell The feed pipe of system, the method also includes the molten alloy is supplied to the feed pipe from the hot cell, and from it is described into The molten alloy of expects pipe supply metering is to the die cavity.

3. according to the method described in claim 1, wherein, the valve system includes the plunger being contained in injection sleeve, described Method further includes the molten alloy being supplied to the injection sleeve from the hot cell, and use the plunger by the institute of metering Molten alloy is stated to inject in the die cavity.

4. according to the method described in claim 3, wherein, the method also includes the molten alloy inject the die cavity it Before, use the molten alloy of plunger metering certain volume.

5. according to the method described in claim 3, wherein, the method also includes heating the plunger and the injection sleeve To the solidus temperature of at least described amorphous alloy.

6. according to the method described in claim 3, wherein, the plunger includes plunger tip, the method also includes using It states plunger tip the molten alloy is sealed in the injection sleeve to completely cut off atmosphere.

7. according to the method described in claim 1, wherein, the method also includes using gravity or pump pressure as the valve system A part measure the molten alloy of certain volume to inject the die cavity.

8. according to the method described in claim 1, wherein, the inert atmosphere is provided by using the vacuum of vacuum source, or is made It is provided with the inert gas of inert gas source.

9. a kind of injecting systems, comprising:

Melting chamber and die cavity, the melting chamber are fused into molten alloy for receiving amorphous alloy, and for passing through heat source The solidus temperature of at least described amorphous alloy is heated to form the hot cell for accommodating the molten alloy, the die cavity is used for The molten alloy is molded as moulded parts, the melting chamber and the die cavity are held in inert atmosphere；And

Valve system between the hot cell and the die cavity, the valve system is for supplying the molten alloy from the hot cell The die cavity should be arrived, wherein the molten alloy that the valve system is used to measure injects in the die cavity；

10. the injecting systems according to claim 9, wherein the injection sleeve is used to receive the described molten of the hot cell Fusion gold, the molten alloy that the plunger is used to measure inject in the die cavity.

11. the injecting systems according to claim 9, wherein the plunger is relative to horizontal axis setting at an acute angle.

12. the injecting systems according to claim 9, wherein the valve system is used to measure one using gravity or pump pressure The molten alloy of volume is determined to inject the die cavity.

13. the injecting systems according to claim 9, wherein the inert atmosphere is provided by using the vacuum of vacuum source, Or it is provided using the inert gas of inert gas source.

Claims

1. a kind of method, comprising:

The amorphous alloy is melted in the hot cell to form molten alloy；

The molten alloy is molded as moulded parts using the die cavity；

Wherein, the valve system is configured in the molten alloy that will the be measured injection die cavity.

9. a kind of injecting systems, comprising:

Valve system between the hot cell and the die cavity, the valve system is for supplying the molten alloy from the hot cell The die cavity should be arrived, wherein the molten alloy that the valve system is used to measure injects in the die cavity.

10. the injecting systems according to claim 9, wherein the injecting systems further include extending to institute from the hot cell State the feed pipe of valve system, the feed pipe is used to receive the molten alloy in the hot cell, and by the melting of metering Alloy is supplied in the die cavity.

11. the injecting systems according to claim 9, wherein the valve system includes the plunger being contained in injection sleeve, The injection sleeve is used to receive the molten alloy in the hot cell, the molten alloy note that the plunger is used to measure Enter in the die cavity.

12. the injecting systems according to claim 11, wherein the injection sleeve is set relative to horizontal axis is at an acute angle It sets.

13. the injecting systems according to claim 11, wherein the plunger is relative to horizontal axis setting at an acute angle.

14. the injecting systems according to claim 9, wherein the valve system is used to measure one using gravity or pump pressure The molten alloy of volume is determined to inject the die cavity.

15. the injecting systems according to claim 9, wherein the inert atmosphere is provided by using the vacuum of vacuum source, Or it is provided using the inert gas of inert gas source.