Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
  • B22D18/00—Pressure casting; Vacuum casting
  • B22D18/02—Pressure casting making use of mechanical pressure devices, e.g. cast-forging
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
  • B22D18/00—Pressure casting; Vacuum casting
  • B22D18/04—Low pressure casting, i.e. making use of pressures up to a few bars to fill the mould
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
  • B22D2/00—Arrangement of indicating or measuring devices, e.g. for temperature or viscosity of the fused mass
  • B22D2/003—Arrangement of indicating or measuring devices, e.g. for temperature or viscosity of the fused mass for the level of the molten metal

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing articles made of aluminum, aluminum alloys, light alloys and the like, and to a method performed by said apparatus.
• the liquid metal must solidify, and this usually occurs over a relatively long period of time, further producing, at the liquid metal feed channel, a relatively large sprue.
• This type of casting has the drawback of having long casting times in addition to a waste of material produced by the sprue and to the fact that the cast article does not have a very compact structure, since casting occurs at low pressure.
• Another known type of casting method allows to provide articles with a structure that is particularly compact due to the fact that the two sections of the die that form the impression of the cast article are closed together with an application of pressure after the impression has been filled with liquid metal, thus achieving a compaction of the material and a considerable structural uniformity, and further avoiding the formation of a sprue, with the consequent benefits related to casting time.
• the aim of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, by providing an apparatus for manufacturing articles made of aluminum, aluminum alloys, light alloys and the like, which allows to obtain articles that have a very compact structure, without sprue and with considerably shorter times to achieve the solidification step.
• Another object is to provide an apparatus that does not require a dosage unit in order to introduce the liquid metal in the impression of the die.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that thanks to its particular constructive characteristics is capable of giving the greatest assurances of reliability and safety in use.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that can be obtained easily starting from commonly commercially available elements and materials and is further competitive from a merely economical standpoint.
• an apparatus for manufacturing articles made of aluminum, aluminum alloys, light alloys and the like which comprises a lower die section and at least one upper die section, which are associated with corresponding press platens for their closure so as to determine the shape of the article to be cast, a vertically elongated duct for introducing liquid metal that arrives from an underlying pressurized furnace leading into the lower die section, characterized in that said lower die section forms at least one lower impression that has at least one concave portion for introducing liquid metal through at least one corresponding inlet formed at the upper portion of said duct that rises from the lower die section, a male plug being associated with the upper die section, the male plug being able to move with respect to the upper die section and forming an upper impression portion, said at least one upper die section being closable onto said lower die section,
• the apparatus performs a process that consists in:
• Figures 1 and 6 are views of an apparatus according to the invention in one of its embodiments, respectively in the two initial and final steps for forming the central portion of a wheel for road vehicles;
• Figures 2 to 5 are views of a portion of the apparatus of Figure 1, in corresponding intermediate steps of operation;
• Figures 7 and 12 are views of an apparatus according to the invention in another embodiment, respectively in the two initial and final steps for producing a wheel for road vehicles;
• FIGS 8 to 11 are views of a portion of the apparatus of Figure 7, in corresponding intermediate operating steps. Ways of carrying out the invention
• an apparatus for manufacturing articles made of aluminum, aluminum alloys, light alloys and the like, according to the invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 10 in a first embodiment.
• the apparatus 10 is designed to form central portions 11 of wheels for road vehicles, and comprises a lower die section 12 and an upper die section 13, which are respectively associated with a lower press platen 14 and an upper press platen 15.
• the die sections 12 and 13 can be coupled by way of the movement of the upper press platen 15, forming a shape 23 of the article being cast.
• a vertical duct 16 leads into the lower die section 12 in order to introduce liquid metal 24 that arrives from an underlying pressurized furnace, provided in a way known in the art.
• the lower die section 12 forms a lower impression 17, which has at least one concave portion for introducing liquid metal 24 through a plurality of contoured inlets 18 that are formed at the upper portion of the duct 16 that rises through the lower die section 12.
• a male plug 19 is associated with the upper die section 13, can move with respect to the upper die section 13 and forms a portion 20 of an upper impression 21.
• the upper die section 13 can be closed onto the lower die section 12, determining the shape 23 of the article to be cast, i.e., of a central portion 11 of a wheel for road vehicles, and the male plug 19 acts as a flow control element for the inlets 18, whose overflow level determines the chosen quantity of liquid metal 24 that is present within the shape 23.
• the duct 16 forms, at its upper end 16a that rises from the lower die section 12, a plurality of contoured and circumferentially equidistant inlets 18 for introducing liquid metal 24, whose lower portions 18a determine the corresponding overflow level.
• the male plug 19 is arranged so as to be substantially coaxial to the duct 16 and is provided in a lower region with an axial hollow 22 whose cylindrical wall 22a is suitable to close the inlets 18, by arrangement thereof at their overflow level, and causing a clean separation between the liquid metal 24 that is present within the duct 16 and the liquid metal that is present within the shape 23.
• the male plug 19 cooperates so as to form the shape 23 of the article being cast when it is arranged at a lower level than the overflow level of the inlets 18, improving the feeding of the casting during setting.
• the various steps of the operation of the apparatus 10 are shown in succession from Figure 1 to Figure 6.
• the apparatus 10 performs a process that consists in:
• the step for introducing liquid metal 24 into the shape 23 consists in:
• the male plug 19 acts as a "feeder" of liquid metal of the article being cast during solidification, even after the closure of the inlets 18. This occurs because during the solidification of the article being cast, in the step for the further lowering of the male plug 19 after closing the inlets
• the male plug applies a very high pressure to the article (on the order of
• an apparatus for manufacturing articles made of aluminum, aluminum alloys, light alloys and the like, according to the invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 110 in a second embodiment.
• the apparatus 110 is designed to produce complete wheels 111 for road vehicles and comprises a lower die section 112, an upper die section 113, and lateral die sections 114, which are associated with corresponding press platens, generally designated by the reference numeral 115.
• the die sections 112, 113 and 114 can be mated by way of the movement of the press platens 115, defining the shape 123 of the article being cast.
• a vertically elongated duct 116 leads into the lower die section 112 in order to introduce liquid metal 124 that arrives from an underlying pressurized furnace, which is not shown for the sake of simplicity.
• the lower die section 112 forms a lower impression 117, which has at least one concave portion for the introduction of liquid metal 124 through a plurality of contoured inlets 118 which are formed at the upper portion of the duct 116 that rises through the lower die section 112.
• a male plug 119 is associated with the upper die section 113, can move with respect to the upper die section 113 and forms a portion 120 of the upper impression 121.
• the upper die section 113 and the lateral die sections 114 can be closed onto the lower die section 112, determining the shape 123 of the article to be cast, i.e., a wheel 111, and the male plug 119 acts as a flow control element for the inlets 118, whose overflow level determines the intended quantity of liquid metal 124 that is present within the shape 123.
• the duct 116 forms, at its upper end 116a that rises from the lower die section 112, a plurality of contoured and circumferentially equidistant inlets 118 for introducing liquid metal 124, whose lower portions 118a determine the corresponding overflow level.
• the male plug 119 is arranged substantially coaxially to the duct 116, provided in a lower region with an axial hollow 122, whose cylindrical wall
• the 122a is suitable to close the inlets 118, being arranged at their overflow level, causing a clean separation between the liquid metal 124 that is present within the duct 116 and the liquid metal that is present within the shape 123.
• the male plug 119 cooperates so as to form the shape 123 of the article being cast when it is arranged at a lower level than the overflow level of the inlets 118, improving the feeding of the casting during solidification.
• the various steps of the operation of the apparatus 110 are shown in succession from Figure 7 to Figure 12.
• the apparatus 110 performs a process that consists in:
• the step for introducing liquid metal 124 into the shape 123 consists in:
• the male plug 119 improves the feeding of the casting during solidification, since it applies a very high pressure to the article (on the order of 1200 kg/cm 2 ), particularly on its internal peripheral region, thus being able to keep fluid the metal that in that region starts to solidify upon contact with the central part of the die and to "push" it into the furthest peripheral regions, where the liquid metal arrives with the greatest difficulty.
• the structure of the article being cast is more compact by way of the great pressure applied by the male plug and is more uniform in all its parts by way of the correct distribution of the liquid metal.
• the lower die section there can be a plurality of lower impressions, which are distributed uniformly and circumferentially around the inlet duct.
• the lower impressions have concave portions that allow to introduce quantities of liquid metal that are a direct function of their geometry, so that by introducing the liquid metal, making said metal rise through the duct by way of a pressure application from the furnace, it is possible to fill the concave regions with an amount of liquid metal that in practice is dosed.
• level sensors 25 in order to stop the rise of the liquid metal 24, or it is optionally possible to preset the time and the pressure applied to the liquid metal so as to obtain a dosed overflow of said liquid metal.
• the movement of the male plug 19/119 applies pressure to the liquid metal 24/124, compacting said metal and thus obtaining parts that have considerable structural uniformity and improved mechanical strength.
• the apparatus according to the invention therefore allows correct dosage of liquid metal within the shape, defined by the die parts, of one or more articles to be produced.
• the male plug in practice provides a flow control element that closes the passages for connection to the duct for introducing the liquid metal, avoiding the formation of sprue and further applying a pressure to the solidifying liquid metal which helps to obtain a product that has high structural and mechanical characteristics, with a reduction of the solidification time.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Forging (AREA)
• Molds, Cores, And Manufacturing Methods Thereof (AREA)
• Continuous Casting (AREA)
• Shaping Metal By Deep-Drawing, Or The Like (AREA)
• Cylinder Crankcases Of Internal Combustion Engines (AREA)
• Casting Support Devices, Ladles, And Melt Control Thereby (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Families Citing this family (7)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 2002
  • 2002-06-21 IT IT2002PD000167A patent/ITPD20020167A1/it unknown
• 2003
  • 2003-06-06 JP JP2004514672A patent/JP2005530619A/ja active Pending
  • 2003-06-06 PL PL03374084A patent/PL374084A1/xx not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2003-06-06 AU AU2003250343A patent/AU2003250343A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-06-06 WO PCT/EP2003/005996 patent/WO2004000488A2/en active Application Filing
  • 2003-06-06 US US10/515,500 patent/US20050199362A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-06-06 CN CNA038144948A patent/CN1863627A/zh active Pending
  • 2003-06-06 EP EP03760595A patent/EP1515815A2/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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