JP2014014865A - Apparatus and method for manufacturing semi-solidified metal and semi-solidified metal - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus for manufacturing a semi-solidified metal capable of suitably controlling the solid phase rate.SOLUTION: An apparatus for manufacturing a semi-solidified metal 1 comprises: a heating device 13 for heating a metal material 101; a container 21; a cooling device 23 for cooling the container 21; and a molten metal pouring device 5 for pouring the heated metal material 101 into the cooled container 21. The container 21 comprises: a hollow member 31 which constitutes a wall part of the container 21, in which both upper and lower ends are opened and into which the metal material 101 is poured from an upper opening; and a bottom member 33 which blocks a lower opening of the hollow member 31 and constitutes a bottom part of the container 21. Further, the cooling speed of the metal material 101 by the bottom member 33 is faster than the cooling speed of the metal material 101 by the hollow member 31.

Description

  The present invention relates to a semi-solid metal production apparatus, a semi-solid metal production method, and a semi-solid metal. Semi-solid metal is used, for example, in a semi-solid die casting method.

  As a method for producing a semi-solid metal, a metal material that is heated and in a liquid state is poured into a pre-cooled container to cool the metal material and bring the metal material into a semi-solid state. (Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  In the techniques of Patent Documents 1 and 2, a relatively small hole is formed at the center of the bottom in the container. The liquid metal material is poured into the container in a state where the hole is closed. And when the metal material in a container will be in a semi-solid state, a hole will be open | released and a part of liquid phase part contained in a semi-solid metal will be discharged | emitted through a hole. In Patent Documents 1 and 2, it is said that the solid phase ratio can be increased without a temperature change by discharging a part of the liquid phase part.

Special table 2003-505251 gazette Special table 2008-511443 gazette International Publication No. 2005/110644

  In the techniques of Patent Documents 1 and 2, since a part of the liquid phase portion is discharged from the container, various disadvantages occur. For example, when the liquid phase portion is discharged, a cavity is formed in the semi-solid metal, so that gas (for example, air) enters the cavity and product quality deteriorates. Moreover, since it is difficult to predict how much liquid phase portion is discharged, the casting weight cannot be accurately controlled.

  On the other hand, the solid phase ratio can be controlled by appropriately controlling the temperature of the metal material (Patent Document 3), and discharging from a part of the liquid phase part is not an essential process.

  However, when a part of the liquid phase part is not discharged from the container, it is considered that inconveniences such as the liquid phase part dripping from the semi-solid metal occur in the process of taking out the semi-solid metal from the container and supplying it to the injection device. It is done. In particular, at a position away from the wall of the container (center of the container), the solid phase ratio tends to be low, and the liquid phase portion may hang from the center of the bottom of the semi-solid metal. That is, when a part of the liquid phase portion is not discharged due to the fact that the solid phase ratio is not suitably controlled in a part of the semi-solid metal, the handleability of the semi-solid metal is lowered.

  Therefore, it is desirable to provide a semi-solid metal production apparatus and production method capable of suitably controlling the solid phase rate, and to provide a semi-solid metal having a solid phase rate suitably controlled. Is desirable.

  A semi-solid metal production apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a heating device that heats a metal material, a container, a cooling device that cools the container, and the heated metal material in the cooled container. A pouring device, and the container constitutes a wall portion of the container, both upper and lower ends are open, and the metal material is poured from the upper opening, and the hollow member A bottom member that closes the lower opening and forms the bottom of the container, and the cooling rate of the metal material by the bottom member is faster than the cooling rate of the metal material by the hollow member.

  Preferably, the thickness of the bottom member is thicker than the thickness of the hollow member.

  Preferably, the material of the bottom member is the same as the material of the hollow member.

  Preferably, the material of the bottom member has a higher thermal conductivity than the material of the hollow member.

  Preferably, the cooling device cools the bottom member to a temperature lower than that of the hollow member.

  Preferably, on the lower side of the container, the liquid phase part contained in the metal material cannot flow out of the container, and the gas in the container flows out of the container. A hole having a diameter capable of being formed is formed.

  Preferably, the hollow member and the bottom member can be separated from each other, and the hole is formed by a gap between the hollow member and the bottom member.

  Preferably, an edge portion that forms an opening below the hollow member abuts on an upper surface of the bottom member, and a notch that forms a gap between the hollow member and the bottom member is formed on the edge portion. Is formed.

  In the method for producing a semi-solid metal according to the second aspect of the present invention, the metal material is poured into a container having a temperature lower than the liquidus temperature in a state higher than the liquidus temperature of the metal material, A method for producing a semi-solid metal that makes the metal material semi-solid by bringing the temperature of the metal material to a temperature between the solidus temperature of the metal material and the liquidus temperature, The container constitutes a wall portion of the container, the upper and lower ends are open, the hollow member into which the metal material is poured from the upper opening, the lower opening of the hollow member is closed, and the bottom of the container is covered And a cooling rate of the metal material by the bottom member is faster than a cooling rate of the metal material by the hollow member.

  In the method for producing a semi-solid metal according to the third aspect of the present invention, the metal material is poured into a container having a temperature lower than the liquidus temperature in a state higher than the liquidus temperature of the metal material, A method for producing a semi-solid metal that makes the metal material semi-solid by bringing the temperature of the metal material to a temperature between the solidus temperature of the metal material and the liquidus temperature, In the metal material, the cooling rate of the portion in contact with the bottom of the container is made faster than the cooling rate of the portion in contact with the wall of the container.

  The semi-solid metal according to the fourth aspect of the present invention is a semi-solid metal that has been changed from liquid to semi-solid in a container, and the lower portion of the semi-solid metal is more solid than the upper portion of the semi-solid metal. High phase ratio.

  According to the present invention, the solid phase ratio can be suitably controlled.

The schematic diagram which shows the structure of the principal part of the manufacturing apparatus of the semi-solidified metal which concerns on embodiment of this invention. 2A is a perspective view showing a container of the semi-solid metal production apparatus of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IIb-IIb of FIG.

<First Embodiment>
(Configuration of manufacturing equipment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a semi-solid metal production apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

  The manufacturing apparatus 1 includes, for example, a holding furnace 3 that holds a liquid metal material 101, a pouring device 5 that pumps the liquid metal material from the holding furnace 3, and a liquid metal material is poured by the pouring apparatus 5. , A semi-solidification device 7 for bringing the poured liquid metal material into a semi-solid state, and a control device 9 for controlling these devices. The metal material 101 is, for example, an aluminum alloy.

  The holding furnace 3 may have a known configuration. The holding furnace 3 may also serve as a melting furnace. For example, the holding furnace 3 includes a furnace body 11 that houses the metal material 101, a heating device 13 that heats the metal material 101 housed in the furnace body 11, and the temperature of the metal material 101 housed in the furnace body 11. And a first temperature sensor 15 for detecting.

  Although the furnace body 11 is not specifically illustrated, for example, a container made of a metal having a solidus temperature or a melting point higher than the liquidus temperature of the metal material 101 is placed in a container made of a material having excellent heat insulation such as ceramic. Arranged and configured. The heating device 13 includes, for example, a coil that heats the metal material 101 by electromagnetic induction, or a combustion device that heats the metal material 101 by burning gas. The first temperature sensor 15 is constituted by, for example, a thermocouple type temperature sensor or a radiation thermometer.

  The pouring device 5 may have a known configuration. For example, the pouring device 5 includes a ladle 17 and a transport device 19 that can drive the ladle 17.

  The ladle 17 is a container having a spout 17 a made of a material having a solidus temperature or a melting point higher than the liquidus temperature of the metal material 101, and can accommodate one shot of the metal material 101. The transport device 19 is configured by, for example, an articulated robot, and can move the ladle 17 in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, and can tilt the ladle 17 so as to move the spout 17a up and down. It is.

  The semi-solidifying device 7 includes, for example, a container 21 into which the metal material 101 is poured by the pouring device 5, a cooling device 23 that cools the container 21, and a second temperature sensor 25 that detects the temperature of the container 21. doing.

  The container 21 is made of a material (preferably metal) having a solidus temperature or a melting point higher than the liquidus temperature of the metal material 101 and preferably having a relatively high thermal conductivity. The container 21 can accommodate one shot of the metal material 101.

  The cooling device 23 and the second temperature sensor 25 may have a known configuration. For example, the cooling device 23 is configured to include a flow path for flowing the refrigerant around the container 21, a heat exchanger for cooling the refrigerant, and a pump for sending the refrigerant, although not particularly illustrated. Preferably, the cooling device 23 can cool both the wall portion and the bottom portion of the container 21. For example, the flow path through which the refrigerant flows extends so as to be adjacent to both the wall portion and the bottom portion. The second temperature sensor 25 is constituted by, for example, a resistance type temperature sensor.

  The control device 9 is configured by a computer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an external storage device, and the like, for example. Detection values of an encoder (not shown) of the first temperature sensor 15, the second temperature sensor 25, and the transport device 19 are input to the control device 9. In addition, the control device 9 outputs a control signal to the heating device 13, a motor (not shown) of the transport device 19 and a cooling device 23 (for example, a pump that sends out a refrigerant).

  2A is a perspective view showing the container 21, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IIb-IIb in FIG. 2A.

  The container 21 has a hollow member 31 that constitutes a wall portion of the container 21 and a bottom member 33 that constitutes a bottom portion of the container 21.

  The hollow member 31 is formed in, for example, a hollow shape that is open at both upper and lower ends. Although the shape seen in the opening direction of the hollow member 31 may be appropriately set, a circular shape is preferable from the viewpoint of cooling the metal material 101 equally (the hollow member 31 is preferably cylindrical). Further, the inner diameter and the outer shape of the hollow member 31 are, for example, constant in the vertical direction, and the thickness is also constant. However, the inner diameter may be increased toward the upper side or the lower side, or the thickness may be increased toward the upper side or the lower side.

  The bottom member 33 is a substantially plate-shaped member, for example. The planar shape of the bottom member 33 may be set as appropriate, and a rectangular shape is illustrated in the present embodiment. The outer shape of the bottom member 33 in plan view is set wider than the opening of the hollow member 31. The thickness of the bottom member 33 is, for example, constant. However, the thickness may be different between the central side and the outer peripheral side. Further, the upper surface 33a of the bottom member 33 may be provided with an inclination such that the height is different between the center side and the outer peripheral side.

  The hollow member 31 is placed on the upper surface 33 a of the bottom member 33, and the opening below the hollow member 31 is closed by the bottom member 33, thereby configuring the container 21. Although not particularly shown, the hollow member 31 and the bottom member 33 are held immovably by an appropriate fixing device such as a clamp mechanism or a fixing jig. The hollow member 31 and the bottom member 33 may simply be placed on the horizontally placed bottom member 33 without using a fixing device. Further, the hollow member 31 and the bottom member 33 may be appropriately formed with positioning portions for positioning each other. For example, the bottom member 33 may be formed with a groove portion that accommodates the lower edge portion 31 a of the hollow member 31.

  Between the hollow member 31 and the bottom member 33, a plurality of gaps 21h (holes) communicating between the inside and the outside of the container 21 are formed. The gap 21 h is for letting gas (for example, air) in the container 21 escape to the outside of the container 21. Specifically, the plurality of gaps 21 h are configured by forming a plurality of notches 31 b in the lower edge 31 a of the hollow member 31. For example, the plurality of cutout portions 31b are formed in the same shape and size as each other, and are equally disposed along the edge portion 31a (circumference). The shape of each notch portion 31b may be set as appropriate, and in the present embodiment, the case of a slit shape (more specifically, an elongated rectangular shape) that is long in the direction along the edge portion 31a is illustrated.

  The diameter (particularly the minimum diameter) of the gap 21 h is set such that the liquid phase portion contained in the metal material 101 cannot pass from the inside of the container 21 to the outside. Here, the impossibility of passing is sufficient if it is impossible to pass in the process from when the liquid metal material 101 is poured into the container 21 until it becomes a semi-solid state, and it is not given in that process. It does not need to be impassable under conditions such as high pressure.

  For example, in this embodiment, as will be described later, the metal material 101 is only put into a cooled container 21 to be in a semi-solid state, and no electromagnetic stirring or mechanical stirring is performed. Accordingly, the diameter of the gap 21h may be such that the metal material 101 cannot pass under pressure due to its own weight and kinetic energy when it is poured. In addition, the metal material 101 partially becomes a solid phase immediately after being poured into the container 21, and the viscosity increases.

  The diameter of the gap 21h (in this embodiment, the slit width w shown in FIG. 2B) is, for example, 0.1 mm or less when the metal material 101 is an aluminum alloy. Further, the diameter of the gap 21h may be reduced within the range allowed by the machining accuracy. However, since the gap 21h is for escaping the gas in the container 21, it is preferable that the gap 21h has a certain size from the viewpoint of quickly discharging the gas in the container 21 to the outside of the container 21.

  The material constituting the bottom member 33 is made of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the material constituting the hollow member 31. For example, the hollow member 31 is made of stainless steel, whereas the bottom member 33 is made of copper (pure copper).

  Therefore, compared with the case where the bottom member 33 is made of the same material as that of the hollow member 31, the cooling rate of the metallic material 101 at the bottom of the container 21 is increased. From another viewpoint, the cooling rate of the metal material 101 at the bottom of the container 21 depends on the thickness of each part of the container 21 (see the second embodiment). It becomes faster than the cooling rate.

  Thereby, the metal material in the container 21 is given a temperature gradient such that the temperature is lower on the side in contact with the container 21 and the temperature is lower on the lower side. As a result, the solidification rate (or the height of the solidification action) of the semi-solid metal material 101 generated in the container 21 is such that the vicinity of the bottom member 33> the inner surface of the hollow member 31> the center of the hollow member 31. Will be satisfied.

  Therefore, the semi-solid metal material 101 (slurry) to be manufactured has a higher solid phase ratio (solidified) in the lower part than in the upper part. Preferably, in the semi-solid metal material 101, the portion from the bottom surface to 1/5 (more preferably 1/10) of the height of the semi-solid metal material 101 is the upper part (for example, semi-solid metal). The material 101 is more solidified than the center).

(Operation of manufacturing equipment)
Next, the operation of the manufacturing apparatus 1 will be described.

First, the control unit 9 based on the detection value of the first temperature sensor 15 controls the heating unit 13, thus, maintaining the temperature of the metal material 101 contained in the furnace body 11 to a predetermined first temperature T ₁ of To do. The first temperature T ₁ of is a temperature higher than the liquidus temperature of the metal material 101, the metal material 101 in its entirety is a liquid.

Further, the control unit 9, a cooling device 23 is controlled based on the detected value of the second temperature sensor 25, thus maintaining the temperature of the vessel 21 to a predetermined second temperature T _2. The second temperature T ₂ is a temperature lower than the liquidus temperature of the metal material 101. The hollow member 31 and the bottom member 33 are at the same temperature, for example.

  Then, the control device 9 controls the pouring device 5 to supply the container 21 with the metal material 101 accommodated in the furnace body 11. Specifically, first, the transport device 19 immerses the ladle 17 inclined at a predetermined angle in the liquid metal material 101 accommodated in the furnace body 11 and then raises it (or raises it and then tilts it). ) To pump out the metal material 101 for one shot while measuring. Then, the transport device 19 moves the ladle 17 onto the container 21 and further tilts the ladle 17 to pour the metal material 101 into the container 21. The cooling device 23 stops cooling the container 21 when pouring the metal material 101 into the container 21. However, the cooling device 23 may continue cooling until an appropriate time, such as a time until thermal equilibrium described later is reached.

  The metal material 101 poured into the container 21 is rapidly cooled by contacting the container 21, thereby generating a large number of crystal nuclei in the metal material 101. A large number of crystal nuclei are agitated by a flow generated by pouring the metal material 101 into the container 21 from a certain height. Thereby, the branches of the precipitated resinous crystals are cut or melted by shearing force, and crystal nuclei proliferate.

  The temperature of the container 21 is rapidly increased by pouring the metal material 101, and the function of cooling the metal material 101 in the container 21 is rapidly decreased. As a result, after a large number of crystal nuclei are formed, the crystal growth rate decreases rapidly, and the crystal grows round instead of growing in a resinous form.

And the metal material 101 and the container 21 will be in the state of thermal equilibrium as a result of heat exchange. At this time, the temperature of the metal material 101 and the container 21 (third temperature T ₃ ) is higher than the solidus temperature of the metal material 101 and lower than the liquidus temperature. Thereby, the metal material 101 is set to a temperature at which the liquid phase and the solid phase can coexist.

A third temperature T _3, there is a correlation between the solid fraction, the third temperature T ₃ is set such that a desired solid fraction is obtained. The first temperature T ₁ and the second temperature T ₂ are the density, volume and specific heat of the metal material 101 and the container 21 and the solidification latent heat of the metal material 101 so that the third temperature T ₃ becomes a desired value. It is set in consideration.

  Here, as already described, the bottom member 33 has higher thermal conductivity than the hollow member 31. Accordingly, in the vicinity of the bottom of the container 21, more crystal nuclei are likely to be generated and / or crystals grow than in the case where the thermal conductivity of the bottom member 33 is equal to the thermal conductivity of the hollow member 31. It's easy to do. As a result, the metal material 101 is agitated by the kinetic energy at the time of pouring, but the solid phase ratio becomes high near the bottom.

  When the liquid metal material 101 is poured into the container 21, the gas (for example, air) stored in the container 21 is pushed out of the container 21. However, on the lower side of the container 21, the gas escape field is lost, and as a result, the gas is caught in the metal material 101 and a nest may be generated. Here, in the present embodiment, a gap 21 h is formed on the lower side of the container 21. Therefore, the gas can flow out from the gap 21h, and nest generation is suppressed.

  The gap 21h is formed on the lower side of the container 21. On the other hand, the metal material 101 is easily cooled at the bottom of the container 21 as described above. Therefore, when the metal material 101 is rapidly cooled in the vicinity of the bottom and the viscosity increases, the outflow of the metal material 101 from the gap 21h is suppressed. In other words, the gap 21h can be made as large as possible to facilitate gas discharge.

  When the metal material 101 and the container 21 reach thermal equilibrium, or when a certain period of cooling has passed, the semi-solid metal material 101 is taken out from the container 21. For example, the hollow member 31 and the bottom member 33 are separated from each other, and the opening on the lower side of the hollow member 31 is opened. The semi-solid metal material 101 is subjected to its own weight and / or appropriate extrusion means (for example, an extrusion device). Thus, the hollow member 31 is taken out from below or above.

  The semi-solid metal material 101 taken out from the hollow member 31 is supplied to the injection sleeve of the injection device and may be used for forming a molded product as it is, or it is rapidly solidified to produce a semi-molten metal material ( Billet).

  Here, as described above, the semi-solid metal material 101 has a high solid phase ratio at the bottom, and therefore, in the process of taking the semi-solid metal material 101 from the container 21 and supplying it to the injection sleeve or the like. The liquid phase portion is prevented from dripping from the bottom of the semi-solid metal material 101.

  The container 21 from which the semi-solid metal material 101 has been taken out is cleaned to remove the remaining metal material 101. At this time, since the gap 21h is formed by the gap between the hollow member 31 and the bottom member 33, the gap 21h can be easily cleaned by separating the hollow member 31 and the bottom member 33 from each other.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the semi-solid metal production apparatus 1 includes the heating device 13 that heats the metal material 101, the container 21, the cooling device 23 that cools the container 21, and the heated metal material 101. And a hot water pouring device 5 for pouring the cooled container 21.

  And the container 21 comprises the wall part of the said container 21, the upper and lower ends are opened, the hollow member 31 into which the metal material 101 is poured from the upper opening, and the lower opening of the hollow member 31 are closed, And a bottom member 33 constituting the bottom of the container 21. The cooling rate of the metal material 101 by the bottom member 33 is faster than the cooling rate of the metal material 101 by the hollow member 31.

  Therefore, as already described, it is easy to increase the solid phase ratio at the bottom of the semi-solid metal material 101, and the possibility of the liquid phase portion dripping from the bottom is reduced. As a result, for example, an opening can be formed in the center of the bottom member 33 to eliminate the need to discharge a part of the liquid phase portion contained in the semi-solid metal material 101. Since part of the liquid phase part is not discharged, the casting weight can be controlled accurately, and a gas enters the cavity from which the liquid phase part is discharged, and a nest is formed. It is suppressed. As a result, the quality of the molded product is improved.

  In another aspect, in this embodiment, the semi-solid metal production apparatus 1 includes a heating device 13 that heats the metal material 101, a container 21, a cooling device 23 that cools the container 21, and a heated metal material 101. And a pouring device 5 that pours into the cooled container 21, the liquid phase part contained in the metal material 101 cannot flow out of the container 21 on the lower side of the container 21, and A hole (gap 21h) having a diameter through which the gas in the container 21 can flow out of the container 21 is formed.

  Therefore, as described above, the gas is prevented from losing the escape field on the lower side of the container, and the gas content of the semi-solid metal is reduced. As a result, the formation of nests in the molded product formed from the semi-solid metal is suppressed, and the quality of the molded product is improved.

<Second Embodiment>
The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in the material and dimensions of the container, more specifically, only in the material and dimensions of the bottom member. Therefore, the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment are used and FIGS. 1 and 2 are referred to. Further, points not particularly mentioned are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  In the second embodiment, the material constituting the bottom member 33 is the same as the material constituting the hollow member 31, and the thickness of the bottom member 33 is thicker than the thickness of the hollow member 31. For example, the thickness of the bottom member 33 is 1.5 times or more the thickness of the hollow member 31. More preferably, the thickness of the bottom member 33 is 2 to 3 times or more the thickness of the hollow member 31.

  In addition, when the thickness of the hollow member 31 and the bottom member 33 is not constant, for example, the maximum thickness of the hollow member 31 is compared with the minimum thickness of the bottom member 33, and the thickness of the bottom member 33 is equal to that of the hollow member 31. You may judge whether it is thicker than thickness. Further, for example, by comparing the average thickness of the hollow member 31 and the average thickness of the bottom member 33, it is determined whether or not the thickness of the bottom member 33 is 1.5 times or more the thickness of the hollow member 31. It's okay.

  However, in the above determination, it is appropriate not to consider the portion of the container 21 that is thick or thin from a viewpoint other than the cooling of the metal material 101. For example, even if a groove for fitting the lower edge of the hollow member 31 is formed on the upper surface of the bottom member 33 and the bottom member 33 is thinned, the above determination can be made by excluding that portion. It is reasonable.

  Since the thickness of the bottom member 33 is larger than the thickness of the hollow member 33 as described above, compared with the case where the thickness of the bottom member 33 is the same as the thickness of the hollow member 31, The cooling rate of the metal material 101 is increased. From another viewpoint, the cooling rate of the metal material 101 at the bottom of the container 21 depends on the material of each part of the container 21 (see the first embodiment). It becomes faster than the cooling rate. From another viewpoint, the bottom portion of the container 21 has a cooling power to the metal material 101 than the wall portion of the container 21. The cooling rate of the metal material 101 by the bottom member 33 is faster than the cooling rate of the metal material 101 by the hollow member 31.

  Therefore, when the metal material 101 is poured into the container 21, the metal material 101 near the bottom of the container 21 generates more crystal nuclei in the metal material than the metal material 101 near the wall, and / or Or a crystal grows. As a result, although the metal material 101 is agitated by the kinetic energy at the time of pouring, the solid fraction is higher in the vicinity of the bottom than in the vicinity of the wall.

  That is, as in the first embodiment, it is easy to increase the solid phase ratio at the bottom of the semi-solid metal material 101, and the possibility of the liquid phase portion dripping from the bottom is reduced. As a result, similar to the first embodiment, it is not necessary to discharge a part of the liquid phase part, and thus the casting weight can be accurately controlled, and the liquid phase part is discharged. It is also suppressed that a nest is formed by gas entering the cavity. As a result, the quality of the molded product is improved.

  In the above description, the material of the hollow member 31 and the material of the bottom member 33 are the same material, but they may be different from each other.

  For example, as in the first embodiment, the material of each member may be selected so that the thermal conductivity of the material of the bottom member 33 is higher than the thermal conductivity of the material of the hollow member 31. In this case, the effect that the cooling rate by the bottom member 33 is faster than the cooling rate by the hollow member 31 is increased.

  Conversely, the material of each member may be selected so that the thermal conductivity of the material of the bottom member 33 is lower than the thermal conductivity of the material of the hollow member 31. However, in this case, the thickness of the bottom member 33 needs to be sufficiently larger than the thickness of the hollow member 31 so that the cooling rate by the bottom member 33 is faster than the cooling rate by the hollow member 31.

<Third Embodiment>
The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in the temperature of the bottom member and the hollow member immediately before the liquid metal material is poured. Therefore, the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment are used and FIGS. 1 and 2 are referred to. Further, points not particularly mentioned are the same as those in the first embodiment.

In the third embodiment, the bottom member 33 and the hollow member 31 are set to different temperatures by the cooling device 23 immediately before the liquid metal material 101 is poured. Specifically, the hollow member 31 is a fourth temperature T ₄ lower than the liquidus temperature of the metal material 101, the bottom member 33 is a fifth temperature T ₅ lower than the fourth temperature T ₄ The

  Therefore, for example, when the thickness and material of the bottom member 33 and the hollow member 31 are the same, the cooling rate of the metal material 101 by the bottom member 33 is faster than the cooling rate of the hollow member 31.

  Also in the third embodiment, the method described in the first and second embodiments for making the cooling rate by the bottom member 33 faster than the cooling rate by the hollow member 31 may be adopted. That is, the material constituting the bottom member 33 may have a higher thermal conductivity than the material constituting the hollow member 31, or the bottom member 33 may be thicker than the hollow member 31.

In the third embodiment, the material constituting the bottom member 33 has a lower thermal conductivity than the material constituting the hollow member 31, and / or the thickness of the bottom member 33 is set to be equal to that of the hollow member 31. It may be thinner than the thickness. Even in such a case, if the fifth temperature T ₅ is set to a temperature sufficiently lower than the fourth temperature T ₄ , the cooling rate by the bottom member 33 is made larger than the cooling rate by the hollow member 31. Can do.

  In the third embodiment, it is preferable that a temperature sensor and a cooling device are provided in each of the hollow member 31 and the bottom member 33 and temperature feedback control is performed independently of each other.

  As described above, also in the third embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the cooling rate of the metal material 101 by the bottom member 33 is faster than the cooling rate of the metal material 101 by the hollow member 31.

  Therefore, as in the first embodiment, it is easy to increase the solid phase ratio at the bottom of the semi-solid metal material 101, and the possibility of the liquid phase portion dripping from the bottom is reduced. As a result, similar to the first embodiment, it is not necessary to discharge a part of the liquid phase part, and thus the casting weight can be accurately controlled, and the liquid phase part is discharged. It is also suppressed that a nest is formed by gas entering the cavity. As a result, the quality of the molded product is improved.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and may be implemented in various aspects.

  The entire configuration of the manufacturing apparatus is not limited to a configuration in which a liquid metal material is pumped out from a holding furnace by a ladle and poured into a container. For example, instead of the holding furnace and the ladle, a crucible for melting one shot of metal material may be used, and the metal material may be poured into the container with the crucible. Further, for example, a liquid metal material may be poured from the holding furnace to the container through an appropriate flow path.

  The production of semi-solid metal does not have to be performed automatically by the production equipment in all steps. For example, at least one of the control of the heating device, the control of the cooling device, and the control of the pouring device may be performed by an operator. Further, for example, at least one of heating, cooling, and pouring may be realized without using equipment that can be said to be an apparatus.

  In the present embodiment, a semi-solid metal is obtained by simply pouring a liquid metal material into a container from a certain height, but stirring or the like may be appropriately performed. Further, in the present embodiment, a part of the liquid phase portion is not discharged at all from the semi-solid metal, but the discharge may be performed. Even in this case, an effect of suppressing the discharge amount as compared with the related art is obtained by increasing the solid phase ratio at the bottom.

  The hollow member and the bottom member are not limited to being detachable from each other, and may be joined so as not to be separated from each other. The container may not be provided with a hole (gap 21h). The hole is not limited to the hole formed by the gap between the hollow member and the bottom member, and may be a hole formed in the hollow member itself or the bottom itself.

  In the case where the hole (gap 21h) is provided in the container, the container is not limited to the hollow member and the bottom member, and may be integrally formed as a whole. Further, the hole (gap 21h) is not limited to the one formed by the gap between the hollow member and the bottom member, but is a hole formed in an integrally formed container, or the hollow member itself or the bottom member itself. It may be a hole formed.

  The gap between the hollow member and the bottom member is not limited to one configured by forming a notch at the edge of the hollow member. For example, by providing a notch at the edge of the bottom member, a portion that cannot be blocked by a part of the opening of the hollow member may be generated to form a gap. Further, the hollow member and the bottom member may be held so as to float from the bottom member, or the outer shape of the bottom member may be made smaller than the opening of the hollow member, and the hollow member and the bottom member may be appropriately held. .

  The cooling device may have a difference between the cooling capacity of the hollow member and the cooling capacity of the bottom member. For example, the flow path for the refrigerant may be provided such that the flow path length per unit area of the bottom member is larger than the flow path length per unit area of the hollow member. The cooling device may be controllable separately from the temperature of the hollow member and the temperature of the bottom member. For example, a refrigerant flow path, a heat exchanger, a pump, and the like may be provided separately for the hollow member and the bottom member, and a temperature sensor may be provided separately for the hollow member and the bottom member. In such a case, even if the thermal conductivity of the bottom member is not higher than the thermal conductivity of the hollow member, the cooling rate of the metal material in contact with the bottom member is made higher than the cooling rate of the metal material in contact with the hollow member. Thus, the metal material and the container can be brought into thermal equilibrium, and the same effect as in the embodiment can be obtained.

  In the present application, the lower side of the container means the lower side when the container is divided into two equal parts, the upper side and the lower side, unless otherwise specified. The hole of the container is preferably provided in the range from the bottom of the container to 1/5 of the height of the container, more preferably in the range of 1/10.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Manufacturing apparatus, 5 ... Pouring apparatus, 9 ... Control apparatus, 13 ... Heating apparatus, 21 ... Container, 21h ... Crevice (hole), 23 ... Cooling device, 31 ... Hollow member, 33 ... Bottom member, 101 ... Metal material.

Claims (11)

A heating device for heating the metal material;
A container,
A cooling device for cooling the container;
A pouring device for pouring the heated metal material into the cooled container;
Have
The container is
Constituting the wall portion of the container, the upper and lower ends are open, and a hollow member into which the metal material is poured from the upper opening;
A bottom member that closes the lower opening of the hollow member and constitutes the bottom of the container;
Have
The cooling rate of the metal material by the bottom member is faster than the cooling rate of the metal material by the hollow member. The semi-solid metal manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the bottom member is thicker than a thickness of the hollow member. The semi-solid metal manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a material of the bottom member is the same as a material of the hollow member. The semi-solid metal manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the material of the bottom member has higher thermal conductivity than the material of the hollow member. The semi-solid metal production apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cooling device cools the bottom member to a temperature lower than that of the hollow member. On the lower side of the container, the diameter of the liquid phase contained in the metal material cannot flow out of the container and the gas in the container can flow out of the container. The semi-solid metal manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The hollow member and the bottom member are separable,
The semi-solid metal manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the hole is formed by a gap between the hollow member and the bottom member. An edge that constitutes an opening below the hollow member is in contact with an upper surface of the bottom member, and a notch that forms a gap between the hollow member and the bottom member is formed on the edge. The apparatus for producing a semi-solid metal according to claim 7. A metal material is poured into a container having a temperature lower than the liquidus temperature in a state higher than the liquidus temperature of the metal material, and the temperature of the metal material is set to the solidus temperature of the metal material and the liquid phase. A method for producing a semi-solid metal that makes the metal material semi-solid by reaching a temperature between the line temperature,
The container is
Constituting the wall portion of the container, the upper and lower ends are open, and a hollow member into which the metal material is poured from the upper opening;
A bottom member that closes the lower opening of the hollow member and constitutes the bottom of the container;
The method for producing a semi-solid metal, wherein the cooling rate of the metal material by the bottom member is faster than the cooling rate of the metal material by the hollow member. A metal material is poured into a container having a temperature lower than the liquidus temperature in a state higher than the liquidus temperature of the metal material, and the temperature of the metal material is set to the solidus temperature of the metal material and the liquid phase. A method for producing a semi-solid metal that makes the metal material semi-solid by reaching a temperature between the line temperature,
A method for producing a semi-solid metal, wherein a cooling rate of a portion in contact with the bottom portion of the container in the metal material is made higher than a cooling rate of a portion in contact with a wall portion of the container. A semi-solid metal that is liquid to semi-solid in a container,
The lower part of the semi-solid metal has a higher solid phase ratio than the upper part of the semi-solid metal.

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