CN114450101A

CN114450101A - Vertical casting crystallization mold for casting aluminum ingot

Info

Publication number: CN114450101A
Application number: CN202080068517.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: V·K·曼; A·Y·西多罗夫; O·V·维比茨基; A·G·佩莱文; S·V·索尔达托夫; V·G·瓦西连科
Original assignee: Russian Engineering Technology Center Co ltd
Current assignee: Russian Engineering Technology Center Co ltd
Priority date: 2019-09-24
Filing date: 2020-09-18
Publication date: 2022-05-06
Also published as: EP4035796A1; RU2742553C1; WO2021061017A1; CA3154702A1; EP4035796A4

Abstract

A vertical casting crystallization mold for producing an aluminum ingot, the crystallization mold comprising a body having an upper flange and a lower flange. In the examples herein, the crystalline mold body is manufactured in the form of a prefabricated composite structure comprising a casting frame and at least one water supply unit attached to said frame. Furthermore, the crystallization mold further comprises at least one of the following systems: a cooling control system for the crystallization mold and ingot including a lubricant supply and a lubricant control system for the ingot maintained, a crystallization mold positioning system on the casting station relative to the bottom plate of the crystallization mold. The invention can prolong the service life of the crystallization mould, and has the final effects of shortening the preparation time of casting and improving the productivity of the crystallization mould.

Description

Vertical casting crystallization mold for casting aluminum ingot

Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of casting production, and can be used for vertical casting of metal ingots, in particular to vertical casting of aluminum ingots and aluminum alloy ingots.

Background

For the production of aluminum ingots, a widely used method is vertical semi-continuous casting of directly cooled ingots. The essence of this method consists in continuously supplying the liquid metal to a special water-cooled crystallization mould having a movable bottom realized by a vertically movable bottom plate. The casting device for semi-continuous ingots comprises two main components: a crystallization mold and a bottom plate movement mechanism. The crystallization molds are typically made of copper or solid aluminum alloys. The speed of the lowering floor is selected so that the ingot does not freeze over the entire cross-section, but rather forms a shell. When the surface of the ingot is cooled with water, the ingot is further crystallized. When the ingot reaches the specified length, casting is stopped and the process is repeated again. For example, see odditinov m.v. analysis of aluminum casting process in bottom movable crystallization molds// engineering science: problems and prospects: international scientific conference material (st. peter castle, 3 months 2011). -st peterburgh: renomim, 2011, pages 126 and 129. Therein for teaching

For the purpose of illustrating an apparatus for carrying out vertical semi-continuous casting of directly cooled ingots, the accompanying drawings show a typical construction of the apparatus, and are described in detail as follows:

FIG. 1-schematic view of vertical direct-cooling ingot casting equipment;

FIGS. 2 and 3-alternative designs of vertical casters;

FIG. 4-an overall view of the bottom plate of the casting apparatus;

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6-an overall view of a crystallization mold;

FIG. 7 and FIG. 8-a cross-sectional view of a crystallization die body;

FIG. 9-partial schematic view of a longitudinal section of the upper flange;

FIG. 10-schematic cross-sectional view of a crystallization mold with an upper flange mounted;

FIG. 11-schematic cross-sectional view of a crystallization mold with lower flange and cylinder positioning system installed;

FIG. 12-bottom view of a crystallization mold with a bottom plate during positioning.

Fig. 1 shows a typical structure of a direct-cooling ingot casting vertical casting apparatus. Liquid metal 1 is fed through a barrel 2 into a water-cooled crystallization mold 3 having a movable bottom (direction a), wherein the movement of the bottom is effected by a bottom plate 4 moving on a table 5 by driving means in a direction perpendicular to direction B. Cooling water is supplied to the inner water chamber 6 of the crystallization mould to maintain the necessary temperature of the inner wall in contact with the liquid metal 1. The intensity of cooling can be varied by adjusting the water flow. Due to this primary cooling, an initial solidified shell of the ingot 7 is formed near the inner wall of the crystallization mold 3. The water chamber 6 of the crystallization mold 3 is provided with a group of water holes. As the water stream passes through the holes in the water chamber 6, water jets 8 are formed, washing the surface of the ingot 7 directly formed, thereby providing further crystallization. The platform 5, with the base plate 4 attached, descends at a set speed and the metal, after hardening, is removed from the cavity of the crystallization mould 3, forming an ingot. When the ingot reaches the desired length, casting is stopped. And removing the finished ingot from the platform, and continuously casting a new ingot.

Fig. 2 and 3 show one of many designs of vertical caster that allow four ingots to be cast simultaneously. The platform 5 with the drive is mounted in the casting pit 9 below the casting room floor. A transition plate 10 with a bottom plate 4 is mounted on the platform 5. The crystallization mould 3 is mounted on the casting machine table 11 and is connected to a water supply system by means of a detachably connected hose 13. In order to remove the ingot obtained from the platform after casting, the casting machine has a drive 12 which raises the table 11 from the horizontal position a to the vertical position B.

Figure 4 is an overall view of one of the many designs of the base plate. The base plate is a machined metal mold having flat or hemispherical bottom and edge profiles that coincide with the profile of the crystallization mold cavity. The bottom plate is of a size which enables the bottom plate to keep a certain distance with the working cavity of the crystallization mold. The crystallization mold and the bottom plate form a single integral casting mold.

The crystallization mold in the prior art is provided with an auxiliary system, so that the quality of cast ingots can be improved, and the operation preparation time can be shortened.

These auxiliary systems are:

-a control system for cooling the ingot, which allows varying the cooling intensity, thereby affecting the metal structure and its shrinkage;

-a system for supplying and maintaining a lubricant inside the crystallization mould, which distributes the lubricant on the working surfaces of the crystallization mould to obtain an ingot with a smooth surface and prevents the lubricant from leaking from the crystallization mould when lifting the casting table into the vertical position;

a crystallization mold positioning system, located on the casting station opposite the base plate, for automatically aligning the mold cavities with the base plate edge profile prior to casting, thereby reducing the casting preparation time.

Fig. 5 and 6 are general views of one of a plurality of crystallization mold design options. The crystallisation tool comprises a body 14, a working cavity a defined by the inner walls of the body 14, an upper flange 15, side walls 17, a lower flange 16, the lower flange 16 having a cylinder 18 mounted thereon for positioning the tool on a casting table relative to a base plate. Prior to casting, the bottom plate is inserted into the working chamber and liquid metal is injected during casting.

Fig. 7 and 8 are schematic cross-sectional views of a crystallization die body. The body 14 and the side walls 17 combine to form two internal cooling chambers. The primary cooling chamber 19 and the secondary cooling chamber 20 are separated by a partition plate including a connecting passage 21. A water flow control valve 22 is mounted on the body. Water is supplied to the primary cooling chamber 19 through the water supply passage 23. The primary cooling chamber 19 supplies water to the secondary cooling chamber 20 through a connecting passage 21. From each of the primary and

secondary cooling chambers

19, 20, a plurality of outlet channels 24 exit, designed to supply water to the surface of the ingot being formed.

During casting, the circulation pump is continuously operated to ensure that a constant pressure exists and to ensure that cooling water flows into the crystallization mold through the supply channel 23. During the initial stages of casting, pressurized air enters valve 22 through the conduits of the water flow control system. The opening and closing member 25 of the valve extends and closes the connection passage 21, preventing the cooling water from entering the secondary cooling chamber 20. The water flowing through the water supply passage 23 fills the cavity of the primary cooling chamber 19 and is supplied from the cavity of the primary cooling chamber 19 to the surface of the ingot through the outlet passage 24. The use of only a primary cooling chamber and a discharge outlet passage reduces the cooling intensity of the ingot during the initial stage of casting. When switching to the casting mode of operation, the air pressure inside the valve 22 is removed. The opening and closing member 25 of the valve opens the connection passage 21 to allow the cooling water to flow into the secondary cooling chamber 20. Cooling water flows from the secondary cooling chamber 20 through the outlet passage 24 to the surface of the ingot. So that the cooling strength of the ingot is increased.

The upper flange 15 of the crystallization mould contains a lubricant supply system. Fig. 9 is a partial structure diagram of the longitudinal section of the upper flange. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a crystallization die body with an upper flange installed. The upper flange 15 contains a lubricant fill groove 26 connected to an inlet fitting 27 and an outlet port 28. The outlet holes 28 are located on the surface of the flange inner profile at intervals to ensure uniform distribution of the lubricant over the working surface of the crystallization die 14. During casting, the drain pump is maintained at an overpressure and ensures that lubricant flows from the supply tank to the lubricant supply through the inlet fitting 27. The lubricant fills the grooves 26 and exits through the exit orifice 28 to lubricate the working surfaces of the crystallization die body 14. Furthermore, the outlet opening contains a switch element which serves to retain the lubricant in the flange when the casting machine table is lifted into the vertical position at the end of the casting process.

The lower flange 16 of the mold includes a mold positioning system relative to the base plate. FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a crystallization mold body including a lower flange 16 and a cylinder 18 with an alignment system installed. Fig. 12 is a bottom view of the mold including the base plate in position (cylinder piston extended). Prior to casting, the bottom plate 4, connected to the movable platform of the casting machine, is brought into the working cavity of the crystallization mould body 14. Compressed air enters the working chamber of the cylinder 18 through the recess 29 in the lower flange 16, according to the commands of the control panel. Under the influence of the air pressure, the piston 30 is pushed out of the cylinder 18, resting against the side wall of the base plate 4, moving the crystallization mold so that its working chamber is aligned with the base plate. After positioning, the compressed air supply is closed and the piston returns to its initial position under the influence of the spring force. The crystallization mold is fixed at this position by being fixed to the table of the casting machine.

Many design options for the above-described crystallization mold system are known from the prior art.

For example, international application WO 9523044(IPC B22D11/049, published: 8/31. 1995) discloses the design of a crystallization mold comprising a body, an upper lid and a lower lid. The mold body and the lid together form cooling chambers-one primary cooling chamber and four secondary cooling chambers. Each chamber contains an outlet channel for supplying water to the surface of the ingot. The die body is provided with a connecting channel between the cavities. On the lower cover, a water flow control valve made in the form of a cylinder is installed, and the connection passage can be blocked by a switching element in the water flow control valve, thereby changing the cooling intensity of the ingot.

International application WO 2012126108(IPC B22D11/049, published: 9/27/2012) discloses a design of a crystallization mold comprising a body, an upper lid and a lower lid. The body and the cover form two cooling chambers. Each chamber contains an outlet channel for supplying water to the surface of the ingot. The die body is provided with connecting channels between the cavities. The water flow control valve is arranged in the valve body and is formed by stretching an air bag made of elastic materials under air pressure. The valve can block the connecting channel with its shut-off element, thereby changing the cooling intensity of the ingot.

International application WO 2004035246(IPC B22D11/07, published: 4/29/2004) discloses the design of a die lubrication supply system comprising a lubrication duct providing lubricant flow and distribution around the die cavity, and a lubrication duct plug preventing natural leakage of lubricant through the exit orifice of the duct after the end of the ingot casting process. The plug is placed inside the pipe, in or beside the lubrication outlet hole. The plug is made of an elastic balloon, or a porous membrane, or a rotary valve or a partition with capillary holes.

International application WO 9409930(IPC B22D11/049, published: 11/4.1992) discloses the design of a crystallization mold comprising a body and a lid. The body and the cover together constitute a cooling chamber. The upper cover contains the channels of the die lubricant supply system. Eight cylinders of the die positioning system associated with the base plate are connected to the underside of the die body. The cylinders are mounted along the edge of the working cavity of the die, two for each face. Compressed air is supplied to the cylinder through slots in the die body. When compressed air is supplied, the cylinder rod extends and the mold is aligned with the base plate.

According to the RF patent, patent No. 2281183(IPC B22D11/04, 11/07, published: 8/10/2006), the crystallization mold has two independent chambers: a cooling chamber and a pre-chamber with inlet and outlet channels. In order to provide a liquid lubricant to the working surface of the crystallization die, a groove is provided in the upper portion of the die body. Due to the vertical and horizontal partitions of the chamber, a uniform flow of cooling liquid is achieved. In the cooling chamber, a lower horizontal partition is installed above the inlet passage, with a gap formed in the middle of the upper horizontal partition. In the pre-chamber, the horizontal partitions are mounted with clearance relative to the side covers of the die body, and the vertical partitions are mounted with clearance relative to the upper edge of the pre-chamber. The bottom of the prechamber also has an additional inlet channel. The present invention can improve the casting speed and productivity of the casting machine while ensuring high quality of the surface of the cast ingot by adjusting the cooling strength of the cast ingot.

RU 2659548(IPC B22D 11/04.11/07, release date: 2018, 7/2/7) obtained from russian aluminum industries discloses a crystallization mold for vertical semi-continuous casting of aluminum ingots, comprising a body, a lid located at the upper part of the body, and a device for supplying lubricant to the working surface of the mold, with an inlet pipe and outlet holes. The lubricant supply means is made in the form of two recesses inside the die cover, one of which is made from the outer contour side of the cover and the other of which is made from the inner contour side of the cover connected by a connecting channel, and the recesses made from the outer contour side of the cover are connected to the lubricant supply inlet pipe and the recesses formed from the inner contour side of the cover are connected to the outlet hole located near the edge of the cover. At the same time, the hydraulic check valve, installed in the connecting channel, is able to open the connecting channel under pressure and supply lubricant from one groove to the other, and then through the outlet orifice to the working surface of the die body. The invention can shorten the time for filling the lubricant into the feeding device, ensure that the lubricant is supplied from the outlet hole surrounding the whole cover edge at the same time, keep the lubricant in the groove formed by the outer contour of the cover after the ingot casting process is finished, and simplify the process of cleaning the outlet hole. The use of the lubricant supply and retention system does not prevent the automatic draining of lubricant residues from the groove on the side of the internal contour of the cover when the casting table is lifted. According to the safety requirements, the automatic evacuation of the lubricant from the crystallization mould and the formation of oil stains on the casting shop floor are unacceptable.

The solution of the crystallization mold according to international application WO 9409930 is considered to be the prototype of the present invention.

All of the above-described similar crystallization molds and prototypes need to overcome the drawbacks and further improve the design and auxiliary systems of the crystallization molds to improve the quality of the ingot. For example, according to international applications WO 9523044 and WO 2012126108, a water supply passage, a connection passage between chambers, a water flow control valve, a compressed air supply passage are provided in the crystallization mold body. In addition, installing a water flow control valve in the form of a cylinder in the die body can lead to further design complications because it requires additional channels to be made in the die body to vent air below the cylinder piston. As is readily understood by those skilled in the art, this mold body design requires significant skill and cost in the manufacturing process. The disadvantage is that the service life of the die body is limited due to the increasing wear and deformation of the die working cavity surfaces during casting and the electrochemical corrosion of the water flow control valve seat. In patent RU 2659548, the proposed system for supplying and retaining lubricant when lifting the casting table does not prevent the automatic evacuation of lubricant residues from the grooves of the sides of the internal contour of the cover. According to the safety requirements, the automatic evacuation of the lubricant from the crystallization mould and the formation of oil stains on the casting shop floor are unacceptable. The drawbacks of the design of the lubricant supply and retention system disclosed in application WO 2004035246 are: the complexity of the actual implementation of the proposed option; compressed air needs to be provided to stretch the elastic bladder; clogging of the separator holes or separator capillaries occurs.

In addition, the design drawbacks of the apparatus are inherent in other similar and prototype crystallization molds, and in connection therewith the main task of the present invention is to make an improved design of the ingot cooling and water flow control system, so as to extend the useful life of the difficult-to-manufacture crystallization mold parts and to improve the design of the lubricant supply and holding system, and to include a device that allows the addition of a metered supply of lubricant and the maintenance of the lubricant quantity when the casting bench is raised.

It can be seen from the application of WO 9409930 that in the positioning system all the cylinders mounted along the edge of the working chamber of the crystallisation mould are activated simultaneously-two cylinders on each face. In fact, the simultaneous actuation of the cylinders on both the wide and narrow sides of the working cavity of the mould may lead to unsatisfactory positioning results, since the mould may wedge with the projecting cylinder rod. In view of the foregoing, there is a need to design a positioning system with an alternative cylinder activation algorithm.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to prolong the service life of a crystallization mold, eliminate contamination of the ingot and the work site around the casting machine by lubricants, and finally exhibit the effects of shortening the preparation time for casting and improving the productivity of the crystallization mold.

In order to achieve this, there is a need to improve the design of the crystallization mold, develop an auxiliary control system for cooling the ingot, to extend the useful life of the mold parts that are difficult to manufacture; designing a lubrication control system comprising a device having the function of adding and maintaining the lubricant supplied when the casting bench is raised; and designing a positioning system with an alternative cylinder activation algorithm.

At the same time, it is important to allow these auxiliary systems to be used simultaneously and individually, as well as in combination, in the mold.

The implementation of the allocation tasks and the achievement of the technical result are ensured by the following facts: according to the invention, the mould body is manufactured in the form of a prefabricated composite structure comprising a casting frame and at least one and preferably two water supply units bolted to the frame. The water supply unit comprises a connecting channel between the water supply fitting and the water chamber. The material of the casting frame is aluminum alloy. In some embodiments, the water supply unit may be made of a corrosion resistant material, such as stainless steel, titanium alloy. This design will ensure a longer service life of the apparatus since only the casting frame is in contact with the molten metal during ingot casting.

Furthermore, the crystallization mold may comprise an optional cooling system, wherein the water supply unit further comprises a water flow control valve and a channel for supplying compressed air to the valve. The water flow control valve takes the form of a one-way cylinder with a return spring and an exhaust passing through the piston rod through the space below the piston. This design does not require an additional air passage to be arranged in the water supply unit. Furthermore, in order to avoid the influence of galvanic corrosion on the device, the mould body and the switching element may be provided with a corrosion-resistant coating made of a polymer material, such as polypropylene, polyurethane, fluoropolymer. The anti-corrosive coating of the valve body may be made in the form of a housing, and the anti-corrosive coating of the valve opening and closing member may be made in the form of a cover plate.

Another optional element of the crystallization die is a lubricant supply and retention system in the flange on the die body, which contains a nozzle with a shut-off element, able to open under the action of the lubricant pressure. The proposed design of the lubricant control system allows to distribute the amount of lubricant supplied by installing nozzles with outlet holes of different diameters, in order to avoid the natural outflow of lubricant through the locking outlet holes (e.g. the elastic shut-off elements of the nozzles) when lifting the bench of the casting machine into the vertical position.

An alternative system has also been developed for positioning the mold on the casting table relative to the base plate and incorporates a pneumatic block containing a cylinder with a time delay valve. The design proposed by the mould positioning system on the casting table relative to the mould base plate can change the algorithm (sequence) of cylinder actuation and overcome the problem of wedging of the mould and the elongate cylinder rod.

Drawings

The invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 13-crystallization mold of a pre-composite design.

Fig. 14-side view of the water supply unit.

Figure 15-cross-sectional view of the casting frame.

Figure 16-schematic view of water flow control valve.

Figure 17-schematic view of the upper flange part with the nozzle mounted.

Fig. 18a and 18 b-schematic view of nozzle design with O-ring type shut-off element.

Fig. 19a and 19 b-nozzle design schematic of a switching element with a T-shaped (mushroom) valve.

Figure 20 a-cylinder diagram of the positioning system unit.

Fig. 20b and 20 c-operating diagram of the pneumatic unit.

Fig. 21-crystallization mold bottom view.

Detailed Description

Fig. 13, 14 and 15 are schematic views of a die body and include the following structure: a casting frame 31, a water supply unit 32, a side wall 17, and a water flow control valve 22.

FIG. 13 shows the main structure of a pre-crystallization mold.

Fig. 14 is a side view showing the water supply unit 32 provided with the water flow control valve 22.

Fig. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a casting frame 31 in which a water supply unit 32 and a water flow control valve 22 are installed.

The design of the water supply unit with one or more valves can be simplified by using one or more water flow control valves made in the form of one-way cylinders with return springs and de-aeration means through the piston rod through the space under the piston. This design does not require an additional air passage to be arranged in the water supply unit.

Furthermore, in order to avoid the influence of galvanic corrosion on the water supply unit, the mould body and the switching element may be provided with a corrosion-resistant coating made of a polymer material, such as polypropylene, polyurethane, fluoropolymer. The corrosion-resistant coating of the valve body may be made in the form of a housing, and the corrosion-resistant coating of the valve opening and closing member may be made in the form of a cover plate.

Fig. 16 discloses a proposed design of the water flow control valve. The water flow control valve comprises the following structural elements: a crystallization die body 33, a piston rod 34, a shut-off element 25, a cover 35, a lock ring 36, a spring 37, a gas passage 38 in the crystallization die body, an air passage 39 in the rod, a polymer housing 40 and a polymer cover plate 41.

The operation of the water flow control valve is as follows:

in order to reduce the cooling intensity of the ingot during casting, compressed air is supplied to the space between the piston rod 34 and the cover 35 through the passage 38 of the mold body 33 by a command (for example, a command from a control panel). Under the influence of the pressure, piston rod 34 moves upwards, compressing spring 37. Air from the space below the piston is vented from the valve through passage 39 in piston rod 34. The elongated shut-off element 25 blocks the passage between the water chambers.

In order to exclude the influence of galvanic corrosion on the valve block, the die body 33 has an anticorrosive coating in the form of a polymer housing 40 and the shut-off element 25 has an anticorrosive coating in the form of a polymer cover plate 41.

Furthermore, according to the proposed invention, an optional lubricant supply and retention system is provided in the upper flange of the die body, which system comprises a nozzle of the shut-off element that can be opened by the action of the lubricant pressure. Fig. 17 is a schematic view of the upper flange portion of the crystallization mold 15 with the nozzle 42 installed.

The shut-off element of the nozzle can be made as an O-ring or as a T-valve.

Fig. 18a and 18b show the design and the operating principle of a nozzle with a shut-off element in the form of an O-ring. The method comprises the following steps: a casting frame 31, a crystallization mold upper flange 15, a groove 26, an upper flange outlet hole 28, a nozzle 42, a nozzle shut-off element 43, and a nozzle outlet hole 44.

The nozzle 42 comprises a radial slot in which the outlet orifice 44 is located. The groove is sealed by a shut-off element 43 in the form of an O-ring. An O-ring made of an elastic material (e.g. rubber or elastic plastic) ensures that the oil outlet is cleaned at a preset pressure (above ambient pressure) in the lubricant supply system. As the lubrication pressure increases, at some point the O-ring loses contact with the groove edge, at least at some part of the groove edge, thereby ensuring that the lubricant flows out to the outside, until the pressure drops to such an extent that the elastic recovery of the O-ring causes the O-ring to rest again on the groove edge along the entire periphery of the groove. In a particular version, the lubricant flows out at a system pressure of at least 0.2-1.0bar and a nozzle outlet orifice diameter of 0.4-1.2mm, preferably 0.6-1.0 mm.

Fig. 19a and 19b show a schematic view of the design and operating principle of a nozzle with a shut-off element in the form of a T-valve, which comprises: a casting frame 31, a crystallization mold upper flange 15, a groove 26, an upper flange outlet hole 28, a nozzle 42, a nozzle shut-off element 43, and a nozzle outlet hole 44.

The nozzle 42 contains an outlet orifice 44 which is sealed by a stop element 43 of a T-shaped valve having a tapered hook on the leg of the T-shaped valve, which is made of a resilient material (e.g. rubber or resilient plastic), and the sealing surface of the valve is the back surface of the valve cover, which is flat to ensure that the outlet orifice opens at a predetermined pressure in the lubricant supply system, which is higher than ambient pressure. When the lubricating pressure increases, at some point the valve cover surface loses contact with the surface of the nozzle 42, thereby ensuring that the lubricant flows out to the outside, until the pressure decreases such that the elasticity of the valve recovers, and the valve cover surface will again seal the outlet orifice. In a particular version, the lubricant flows out at a system pressure of at least 0.2-1.0bar and a nozzle outlet orifice diameter of 0.4-1.2mm, preferably 0.6-1.0 mm.

The proposed design of the lubrication control system allows to distribute the amount of lubricant supplied by installing nozzles with outlet holes of different diameters, preventing automatic discharge of lubricant when lifting the work table of the casting machine into the vertical position, by locking the outlet holes with the elastic stop elements of the nozzles.

Furthermore, according to the invention, an alternative system is provided for positioning the mould on the casting table with respect to the base plate, for which a pneumatic unit comprising a cylinder with a time-delay valve is installed.

Fig. 20a shows the pneumatic circuit of the pneumatic unit. The working principle of the pneumatic unit is shown in fig. 20b and 20 c. Which comprises the following steps: the device comprises a pneumatic air storage tank 45, an air cylinder 46, an accelerator 47, a slide valve type pilot 48, a control channel a, a feeding channel b, a slide valve type pilot exhaust channel c, a slide valve type pilot outlet channel d and an air cylinder exhaust channel e.

The delay valve is composed of a slide valve type pilot valve 48, a throttle valve 47 with a one-way valve and a small air storage tank 45. The compressed air is delivered to the valve through channel b. The pneumatic control signal applies an input for control channel a and begins to charge air reservoir 45 through adjustable choke 47. The setting of the throttle valve 47 will affect the gas flow rate and thus the time for the pressure to rise in the reservoir 45. When the pressure in the reservoir 45 reaches a preset pressure value, the shut-off device of the spool-type pilot 48 is moved (see fig. 20 b). The shutoff device first blocks a line from the outlet passage of the spool valve pilot d to the exhaust passage of the spool valve pilot c, and then opens a line from the oil supply passage b to the outlet passage of the spool valve pilot d. Compressed air is supplied to the cylinder 46. The time required for injecting the compressed air into the pneumatic air storage tank to reach the preset pressure value is the set time of the device.

To switch the delay valve to the initial position, the signal should be removed from the input of control channel a. Air from the air reservoir 45 will be quickly exhausted to atmosphere through the one-way valve and the spool pilot valve 48 will return to its original position under the action of the spring, blocking the feed channel b and connecting the outlet channel of the spool pilot d to the exhaust channel of the spool pilot c. The piston of the cylinder 46 will return to its initial position under the influence of the spring force (see fig. 20 c).

FIG. 21 is a bottom view of the crystallization mold with 6 pneumatic units 49 mounted on the lower flange 16 (two of which are mounted on the broad face and one on the narrow face of the crystallization mold cavity).

The most important difference of the solution proposed by the present invention is the use of time delay valves, which allow to change the algorithm (sequence) of the cylinder actuation, i.e. to adjust the system design in order to further control the casting process, in order to improve its performance and thus the quality of the final product.

In some embodiments, the delay valve provides a delay time ranging from 0 to 30 seconds. For example, by changing the throttle setting, the following sequence may be set:

stage 1-delay time is 0 second-start two cylinders with wide surfaces;

stage 2-delay time is 5 seconds-starting two cylinders on opposite broad surfaces;

stage 3-delay time is 10 seconds-starting a narrow-face cylinder;

stage 4-delay time 15 seconds-activation of one cylinder on the opposite narrow side.

The proposed design allows the cylinder driven algorithm (sequence) to be changed on the casting table relative to the mould base plate mould positioning system, overcoming the wedging problem of the mould with the extended cylinder rod.

The implementation of the auxiliary system for the crystallization mold in the proposed design can be implemented simultaneously or separately, the service life of the crystallization mold can be prolonged, the contamination of the work sites around the ingot and the casting machine by lubricants can be avoided, and the final effects are represented by shortening the preparation time for casting and improving the productivity of the crystallization mold.

In light of the foregoing description and claims, the following claims are intended to cover the full scope of legal protection:

1. a vertical crystallisation mould for producing aluminium ingots, comprising a body having upper and lower flanges, characterised in that the mould body is made in the form of a pre-fabricated composite structure comprising a casting frame and at least one water supply unit attached to the frame.

2. The crystallization mold according to claim 1, wherein the water supply unit is made of a different material from the casting frame, such as stainless steel or a titanium alloy.

3. The crystallization mold according to claim 1, wherein the water supply unit comprises at least one water flow control valve made in the form of a one-way cylinder with a return spring and an air exhaust passing through the piston rod from the space below the piston.

4. The crystallization mold according to claim 3, wherein the valve body of the water flow control valve comprises a coating in the form of an outer shell made of a polymer material, and the shut-off element of the valve comprises a coating in the form of an inner liner made of a polymer material.

5. Crystallization mold according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one pneumatic unit is mounted on the lower flange, said pneumatic unit comprising at least one air cylinder with at least one time delay valve.

6. The crystallization mold of claim 5, wherein the delay valve is configured to provide a delay time in a range of 0 to 30 seconds.

7. The crystallization mold according to claim 1, characterized in that the water supply unit is attached to the casting frame by detachable connections, in particular bolted connections.

8. The crystallization mold according to claim 1, wherein the water supply unit is made of a corrosion resistant material, such as stainless steel or titanium alloy.

9. The crystallization mold according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises at least one of the following auxiliary systems: a mold and ingot cooling control system including a lubricant supply and ingot lubrication control system, and a mold positioning system on the casting table relative to the mold floor.

10. The crystallization mold of claim 9, wherein in the upper flange there is a control system for lubricating the ingot and in the lower flange there is a gas passage of the mold positioning system on the casting table relative to the mold bottom plate.

11. A vertical casting mold for producing an aluminum ingot according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising at least one of the following systems: a mold and ingot cooling control system, a control system for lubricating the ingot, supplying lubricant and retaining lubricant, a mold positioning system on the casting table relative to the mold base plate.

12. The crystallization mold of claim 11, wherein in the upper flange there is a control system for lubricating the ingot and in the lower flange there is a gas passage of the mold positioning system on the casting table relative to the crystallization mold bottom plate.

13. The crystallization mold of claim 11, wherein in the lubricant feed outlet channel of the ingot lubrication control system located in the upper flange, a nozzle with a shut-off element is included, the nozzle being openable under the action of lubricant pressure.

14. The crystallization mold according to claim 13, wherein the shut-off element of the nozzle is an O-ring made of an elastic material.

15. The crystallization mold according to claim 13, wherein the shut-off element of the nozzle is a T-shaped valve made of an elastic material.

16. The crystallization mold according to claim 13, wherein the preferred opening pressure of the nozzle shut-off element is 0.2-1.0 bar.

17. A crystallisation tool as claimed in claim 13, wherein the outlet of the nozzle is preferably 0.4-1.2mm in diameter, most preferably 0.6-1.0mm in diameter.

18. The crystallization mold of claim 11, wherein at least one pneumatic unit is mounted on the lower flange, the pneumatic unit comprising at least one air cylinder with at least one time delay valve.

19. The crystallization mold of claim 18, wherein the delay valve is configured to provide a delay in a range of 0 to 30 seconds.

20. The cooling control system for molds and ingots for molds according to claim 11, which comprises a water supply unit comprising at least one coolant flow control valve made in the form of a one-way cylinder with a return spring and an exhaust through the piston rod from the space under the piston.

21. A control system for a mold for lubricating an ingot according to claim 11, which includes a lubricant supply and retention system, a lubricant supply outlet passage being located in an upper flange of the mold body and a nozzle with a closure element in the outlet passage, the nozzle opening under the pressure of the lubricant.

22. A mold positioning system on a casting table relative to a mold bottom plate as recited in claim 11, including a pneumatic unit disposed along a periphery of a lower flange of a crystallization mold body, the pneumatic unit having a cylinder and a drive delay valve disposed therein.

Claims

2. The crystallization mold according to claim 1, wherein the water supply unit is made of a different material from the casting frame, such as stainless steel or titanium alloy.

5. The crystallization mold of claim 1, wherein at least one pneumatic unit is mounted on the lower flange, the pneumatic unit comprising at least one air cylinder with at least one time delay valve.

21. A control system for the die for lubricating ingots according to claim 11, including a lubricant supply and retention system, a lubricant supply outlet passage in the upper flange of the die body with a nozzle with a closure element in the outlet passage, the nozzle opening under the action of lubricant pressure.