JP5437648B2 - Vertical casting apparatus and casting method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a novel vertical casting apparatus and casting method.

  A casting method in which a metal or alloy is melted, semi-molten, or semi-solidified and poured into a mold cavity as a product is used for manufacturing various automobile parts, mechanical / electrical parts, and the like. Particularly for Al alloys, Mg alloys, etc., in addition to the die casting method which can produce a thin product with high productivity and dimensional accuracy, a low pressure casting method which can produce a high quality product is frequently used.

  The die casting method is classified into a horizontal die casting method and a vertical die casting method, and a cold chamber type horizontal die casting method is frequently used (Non-Patent Document 1). However, since the sleeve is horizontal in the horizontal die casting method, it is difficult to fill the sleeve with molten metal, and an oxide film is formed on the molten metal surface. Furthermore, oxidation and solidification occur at the contact surface between the molten metal and the sleeve. For this reason, the air, the oxide film, and the solidified layer in the sleeve are easily caught in the mold cavity, and the mechanical properties and airtightness are deteriorated. This situation is the same in the semi-solid processing method or semi-melt processing method (Non-patent Document 1) in which a semi-solid ingot is injected.

  On the other hand, in the squeeze casting method (Non-Patent Document 1), which is one of the vertical die casting methods, air is present at the upper portion of the sleeve, but since it is injected first, the gas entrainment can be reduced as compared with the horizontal die casting method. Is possible. However, there is no change in that the molten metal in the sleeve is covered with an oxide film and solidification occurs on the contact surface with the sleeve, and these are likely to be caught in the same manner as in horizontal die casting.

  In these conventional die casting methods, the gate cross-sectional area is considerably reduced. This is necessary not only to facilitate separation of the product and other parts, but also to prevent the aforementioned oxide film or solidified layer from being involved. However, since the gate cross-sectional area is small, the molten metal speed at the gate portion is increased, and it is easy to entrain gas in the mold cavity, which becomes a defect.

  In addition, in the low pressure casting method, there is a risk of involving an oxide film generated on the molten metal surface in the stalk or inclusions that have fallen, and productivity is low, and it is difficult to achieve a high vacuum in the mold cavity.

  In order to solve the problems of these conventional casting methods, a high-speed, high-vacuum casting method and the like have been developed (Non-patent Document 2). However, the casting apparatus used in these methods has a more complicated structure and is more expensive. For this reason, development of the casting method or casting apparatus suitable for production on an industrial scale is desired.

JP2008-213034

Ohnaka Ikuo, Melt Processing, Corona (2004) Raw material, Vol. 44 (2003) 1, 6 Material Center Die Casting Technology Outlook (19988.6) Japan Die Casting Association

  On the other hand, the present inventor cuts off the stalk in the mold cavity and the molten metal holding furnace with a seal plate, depressurizes the inside of the stalk, sucks up the molten metal, removes oxide on the molten metal surface, and then opens the seal plate. A method of sucking molten metal into a mold cavity that has been made a high vacuum from a part has been previously proposed and patent application has been filed (Patent Document 1).

  However, it has been found that this method also has room for further improvement. For example, casting may be difficult if there is a slight security failure or gas generation from the coating mold. This problem is considered to be particularly noticeable when manufacturing a large casting. Moreover, this method is difficult to apply to the semi-solid casting method in which a semi-solid ingot is injected.

  Accordingly, the main object of the present invention is to provide a casting method and apparatus capable of producing a high-quality cast product at a lower cost than the conventional die casting method or low-pressure casting method with less entrainment of air, oxide film or the like. It is in.

  As a result of intensive studies in view of the problems of the prior art, the present inventor has found that the above object can be achieved by performing casting by a specific method, and has completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention relates to the following vertical casting apparatus and casting method.
1. An apparatus for producing a cast body by pushing up a molten, semi-solid or semi-molten starting material and introducing it into an upper mold,
(1) A mold having a pouring spout at the bottom,
(2) Material introduction means for containing the starting material and introducing the starting material into the mold from the pouring spout,
(3) including an opening and closing member that can be opened and closed by horizontal movement between the pouring gate and the introducing means,
The material introducing means is
(A) a device having a sleeve and a plunger tip corresponding to the sleeve or (b) b-1) a holding furnace containing the molten metal, b-2) stalk immersed in the molten metal in the holding furnace, and b-3) holding. Pressurizing means for introducing and pushing up the starting material in the furnace into the stalk, the pressurizing means being i) a plunger tip disposed in the stalk provided with the molten metal inlet, ii) the plunger A drive unit that moves the chip up and down via the drive shaft; iii) an inert gas for introducing an inert gas into the through-hole so that the through-hole through which the drive shaft passes through the holding furnace is not immersed in the starting material A device having a pressurizing device including a gas inlet,
The opening / closing member is a) a by-product trapping cavity formed by a depression formed in a part of the surface in contact with the starting material in the member, and b) an opening for introducing the starting material into the mold cavity through the pouring port. Having a part,
A vertical casting apparatus characterized by that.
2. Item 2. The vertical casting apparatus according to Item 1, wherein the diameter of the opening is smaller than the inner diameter of the sleeve or the inner diameter of the stalk.
3. In the case where the material introduction means is (a), a ring-shaped member having an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the sleeve or the inner diameter of the stalk is installed to remove the surface portion of the side surface of the semi-molten ingot that is the starting material. Item 2. The vertical casting apparatus according to Item 1, wherein
4). Item 2. The vertical casting apparatus according to Item 1, wherein an exhaust passage for exhausting the gas in the byproduct trapping gap to the outside of the apparatus is formed in the opening / closing member .
5. Item 2. The longitudinal section according to Item 1, wherein at least one of (a) at least one part in contact with the starting material in the opening and (b) at least one part in contact with the starting material in the byproduct trapping void is formed of an abrasion resistant material. Mold casting equipment.
6). A process for producing a cast body by pushing up a molten, semi-solid or semi-molten starting material and introducing it into an upper mold,
(1) When the starting material is introduced into the accommodating portion of the material introducing means by the material introducing means for accommodating the starting material and introducing the starting material into the mold from the pouring port, the starting portion is started without reducing the pressure. A first step of pushing up the material and introducing it into the housing;
(2) including a second step of removing the surface portion of the starting material accommodated in the accommodating portion, and (3) a third step of introducing the starting material after the surface portion is removed into the mold cavity,
Means for pushing up the starting material in the first step,
(A) a device having a sleeve and a plunger tip corresponding to the sleeve or (b) b-1) a holding furnace containing the molten metal, b-2) stalk immersed in the molten metal in the holding furnace, and b-3) holding. Pressurizing means for introducing and pushing up the starting material in the furnace into the stalk, the pressurizing means being i) a plunger tip disposed in the stalk provided with the molten metal inlet, ii) the plunger A drive unit that moves the chip up and down via the drive shaft; iii) an inert gas for introducing an inert gas into the through-hole so that the through-hole through which the drive shaft passes through the holding furnace is not immersed in the starting material Performed by a device having a pressurizing device including a gas inlet,
Means for removing a surface portion of the starting material in the second step;
An opening / closing member having a recess formed as a by-product trapping gap is disposed above the starting material, and after the surface portion of the starting material is guided to the by-product trapping gap, the opening / closing member is moved horizontally, It is performed by dividing an upper surface portion containing a relatively large amount of living organisms and a starting material under the upper portion.
A casting method characterized by the above.
7). Item 7. The vertical casting method according to Item 6, wherein, in the third step, when the starting material is introduced into the mold gap, the inside of the mold gap is under reduced pressure or vacuum.
8). Item 7. The vertical casting method according to Item 6, comprising a step of pressurizing the starting material in the mold gap after filling the mold gap in the starting material.

  According to the method of the present invention or the device of the present invention, the starting material can be pushed up and introduced into the mold without using suction under reduced pressure. The possibility can be further reduced, and the cost can be reduced as compared with the case of vacuum suction. In addition, since the by-product is removed prior to the introduction of the starting material into the mold, a higher quality casting can be produced. More specifically, the following effects (1) to (8) can be obtained.

(1) The air or gas in the upper part of the accommodating portion (sleeve or the like) of the material introducing means is discharged to the outside in the mold or through the exhaust groove. Further, the gas remaining in the sleeve or the like or the upper part of the molten metal covered with the oxide film is removed before being introduced into the mold cavity. Thereby, casting can be performed in a state where almost no air or oxide film is involved.
(2) When the starting material is inserted into the mold cavity from an opening having an inner diameter smaller than the sleeve inner diameter or the Stoke inner diameter, the oxidized / solidified layer around the molten metal can be made difficult to enter the mold cavity. In particular, an oxide film or the like is captured by a depression (by-product capturing void) provided around the entrance of the opening, and the penetration into the mold void can be suppressed.
(3) Since the opening cross-sectional area (which corresponds to the gate cross-sectional area) can be made considerably larger than that of the conventional die casting method, even if the moving speed of the starting material (molten metal, etc.) at the gate is low The inside of the mold space can be filled quickly, and the entrainment of air or gas can be reduced.
(4) When the inside of the mold gap is sealed with a member for opening and closing and the pressure is reduced, the inside of the mold gap can be easily evacuated without losing productivity or using a large-capacity vacuum system. Can do.
(5) After the mold cavity is filled with the starting material, the mold cavity can be sealed with the opening and closing member, so that the starting material can be pressurized other than the plunger tip, and by filling the molten metal into the cavity details and solidification shrinkage It is possible to easily prevent shrinkage or compress gas bubbles generated from the coating mold.
(6) In the method of the present invention or the device of the present invention, there is a possibility that the starting material may be bitten when the starting material (especially molten metal) is cut at the byproduct trapping void and opening, and the opening / closing member and the opening / closing member support When the durability of the member becomes a problem, higher durability can be obtained at a lower cost by partially applying an excellent wear resistant material to these portions.
(7) When casting a semi-molten ingot through a ring-shaped part whose inner diameter is smaller than the outer diameter of the semi-molten ingot, the outer surface of the ingot covered with oxide is scraped, and the upper part is a byproduct trapping void Therefore, since only a clean part of the starting material is introduced into the mold cavity, a high-quality casting can be obtained.
(8) Even when the stalk is installed in the lower part of the opening / closing member in place of the sleeve and the plunger tip and the molten metal in the holding furnace or the melting furnace is pushed up through the stalk, the same effect as described above can be obtained. In addition, the cost of the apparatus can be made lower than when a plunger is used. However, in this case, the molten metal cannot be pressurized as in the case of the plunger tip. Therefore, if necessary, after the mold gap is filled with the molten metal, the mold gap is sealed with the molten metal blocking member and then pressed or pushed. You only need to carry out hot water. In this case, by applying pressure or the like, the gap between the casting and the mold is reduced, heat transfer is promoted, and the solidification time is shortened. Therefore, productivity similar to that of the die casting method can be obtained. Furthermore, it is possible to minimize the entrainment of air, gas, or oxide film by setting the mold cavity to a high vacuum, and to obtain a higher quality casting.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing main components of the first embodiment. 3 is a detailed view of a molten metal blocking member used in Example 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing main steps of Example 1. (A) Step of inserting molten metal or semi-solidified ingot (b) Step of inserting molten metal into oxide film capturing cavity 6 (c) Step of inserting molten metal into mold cavity 2 (d) Lowering sleeve 4 and unnecessary solidification The process of removing objects and preparing for the next casting 6 is a side view of a molten metal blocking member used in Example 2. FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating main components and steps of Example 3. (A) Step of inserting semi-solid ingot (b) Step of raising sleeve tip to oxide film backing plate (c) Step of removing side oxide film through oxide film removal ring (d) Tip inner cylinder 9-2 Step of pushing up and pushing the upper part of the semi-molten ingot 5 into the oxide trapping cavity 6 (e) Step of removing residual coagulum and cleaning 6 is a side view of a molten metal blocking member as viewed from a cross-sectional direction in Example 3. FIG. FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating main components of Example 5. It is a figure which shows the structure which pushes up molten metal with the plunger chip | tip installed in the stalk of Example 5. FIG.

1 Mold 2 Mold cavity 3 Opening / closing member 4 Sleeve 5 Starting material (molten metal or semi-solid ingot)
6 Byproduct capture gap 7 Opening 8 Exhaust groove 9 Plunger tip 9.1 Chip outer cylinder 9.2 Chip inner cylinder 10 Push pin 11 Hydraulic pipe 12 Pressurized piston 13 Byproduct capture gap 14 Opening / closing member support 15 Electric Servo Motor 16 Ball Screw 17 Exhaust Port 18 Wear Resistant Material 19 Ring Holding Plate 20 Oxide Film Removal Ring 21 Oxide Film Receiving Plate 22 Removed Oxide Film 23 Cleaning Tip 24 Overflow 25 Tie Bar 26 Solidified Material 27 Holding Furnace 28 Stoke 29 Gas port for pressurization 30 Plunger drive part 31 Drive shaft 32 Through part 33 Inert gas inlet 34 Molten metal inlet

1. Vertical casting apparatus The vertical casting apparatus of the present invention is an apparatus for producing a cast body by pushing up a starting material in a molten state, a semi-solid state or a semi-molten state and introducing it into an upper mold,
(1) A mold having a pouring spout at the bottom,
(2) Material introduction means for containing the starting material and introducing the starting material into the mold from the pouring spout,
(3) including an opening and closing member capable of opening and closing between the pouring gate and the introducing means,
The opening / closing member has a) a by-product capturing gap formed on the side of the member that contacts the starting material, and b) an opening for introducing the starting material into the mold gap through the pouring port.
It is characterized by

  In the present invention, a metal, an alloy in a molten state, a semi-solid state or a semi-molten state can be used as a starting material. Thus, for example, semi-solid ingots, semi-molten ingots, etc. can be used as starting materials. The type of starting material is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include metals such as iron, aluminum, and copper, and alloys such as steel, aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, and copper alloy.

  In the apparatus of the present invention, when a casting is manufactured by pushing up a starting material and introducing it into an upper mold, a pouring port is provided at the bottom of the mold. The starting material arranged at the lower part of the mold is filled into the mold gap through the pouring spout. Normally, only one pouring gate may be provided, but a plurality of pouring gates may be provided as necessary. Further, the shape of the pouring gate is not limited, and may be any shape such as a circle, an ellipse, and a rectangle (square).

  The material introduction means is not limited as long as it can accommodate the starting material and can introduce the starting material into the mold from the pouring port, but in particular, the means can introduce the starting material into the mold by a method other than suction by reduced pressure. preferable. For example, (a) a device having a sleeve (tubular sleeve) and a corresponding plunger tip (piston-like member), (b) b-1) a holding furnace containing molten metal, b-2) in the holding furnace Stoke immersed in the molten metal and b-3) a pressurizing means for introducing and pushing up the starting material in the holding furnace into the stalk can be suitably used as the introducing means. In particular, as the pressurizing means in the above b-3), i) a plunger tip disposed in a stalk provided with a molten metal inlet, ii) a drive unit for moving the plunger tip up and down via a drive shaft Iii) It is preferable to employ a pressurizing device including an inert gas inlet for introducing an inert gas into the through portion so that the through portion through which the drive shaft passes through the holding furnace is not immersed in the starting material. be able to.

  The present invention further includes an opening / closing member capable of opening and closing between the pouring gate and the introducing means. The opening / closing member has a) a by-product capturing gap formed on the side in contact with the starting material in the member, and b) an opening for introducing the starting material into the mold gap through the pouring port.

  As the opening / closing member, for example, a plate-like material (metal, ceramics, or a composite material thereof) is used, and the by-product capturing void portion and the opening portion may be formed by processing the plate-like material. The material, dimensions (length × width × thickness), etc. of the plate-like material can be appropriately set according to the scale of the apparatus, the type or use of the target casting.

  The timing for introducing the starting material into the mold gap can be controlled by the opening / closing member of the present invention. For example, when the starting material is immediately introduced into the mold cavity, the pouring port is opened by the opening / closing member, and the starting material accommodated in the material introducing means can be introduced into the mold cavity as it is. The pouring gate can be opened, for example, by matching the positions of the pouring gate and the opening. For example, when the starting material is once held in the material introduction means, the pouring gate can be closed by the opening / closing member. In this case, the opening / closing member is preferably movable. For example, if the pouring gate can be opened and closed by horizontal movement, the pouring gate can be easily opened and closed only by horizontal movement of the opening and closing member without providing a special opening and closing device.

  The opening / closing member by-product capturing gap is formed on the opening / closing member on the side in contact with the starting material. For example, a depression (concave part) is provided in a part of the surface of the opening / closing member that contacts the starting material, and this is used as a byproduct trapping cavity. What is necessary is just to induce | guide the upper surface part (molten metal surface part) of a starting material in this space | gap part. As described above, in the byproduct trapping void portion, a portion containing a byproduct such as an oxide generated on the surface of the starting material (particularly the surface in contact with air or gas) is introduced before the starting material is introduced into the mold void. Stay. Finally, the upper and lower starting materials are divided by the opening / closing member, and the lower starting material, which is a clean portion, can be selectively obtained. As a result, it is possible to efficiently reduce or remove substances that cause deterioration of the quality of the cast body, and as a result, a high-quality cast body can be manufactured. Although the by-product trapping gap is provided separately from the opening, it is desirable that the by-product trapping gap and the opening are formed on the same straight line, considering that it can be opened and closed by horizontal movement.

  It is preferable that the diameter of the opening is set smaller than the inner diameter of the sleeve or the inner diameter of the stalk. In particular, it is preferable that the shape of the opening is circular and the diameter thereof is smaller than the inner diameter of the sleeve or the inner diameter of the stalk. Then, for example, by arranging the center of the circular opening and the center of the circular sleeve or the stalk so as to coincide with or be close to each other, the surface portion of the side surface of the starting material supplied from the sleeve or the stalk is obtained. It is removed almost evenly. That is, the surface portion of the side surface of the starting material supplied from the sleeve contains a large amount of by-products such as metal oxides and coagulates, but it is possible to efficiently remove the portion containing such a by-product. it can. This makes it possible to provide a higher quality casting.

  In the apparatus of the present invention, an exhaust passage for exhausting the air or gas in the sleeve or stalk or the air or gas in the byproduct trapping gap to the outside of the apparatus may be formed in the opening / closing member. In addition to by-products, air or gas may be mixed in the by-product trapping void. In such a case, it is preferable to discharge to the outside of the apparatus by providing an exhaust passage so as to be connected to the by-product capturing gap. The method of forming the exhaust passage is not limited. For example, the opening / closing member is formed in a groove shape on the surface in contact with the introducing means, or a through hole that directly connects the outside of the apparatus and the byproduct capturing gap is provided in the opening / closing member. You can also.

2. Casting method The casting method of the present invention is a method for producing a cast body by pushing up a molten, semi-solidified or semi-molten starting material and introducing it into an upper mold,
(1) When the starting material is introduced into the accommodating portion of the material introducing means by the material introducing means for accommodating the starting material and introducing the starting material into the mold from the pouring port, the starting portion is started without reducing the pressure. A first step of pushing up the material and introducing it into the housing;
(2) including a second step of removing the surface portion of the starting material accommodated in the accommodating portion, and (3) a third step of introducing the starting material after the surface portion is removed into the mold cavity. To do.

  The method of the present invention is a method for producing a cast body by pushing up a molten, semi-solid or semi-molten starting material and introducing it into an upper mold. As starting materials, the metals or alloys listed above can be used.

In the first step , the starting material is accommodated, and when the starting material is introduced into the accommodating portion of the material introducing means by the material introducing means for introducing the starting material into the mold from the pouring port, the accommodating portion is The starting material is pushed up and introduced into the housing without decompression.

  The material introducing means is not limited as long as it can accommodate the starting material and can introduce the starting material into the mold from the pouring port. In particular, means capable of introducing the starting material into the mold by a method other than suction by reduced pressure is used. For example, (a) a device having a sleeve (tubular sleeve) and a corresponding plunger tip (piston-like member), (b) b-1) a holding furnace containing molten metal, b-2) in the holding furnace An apparatus having a stalk immersed in the molten metal and b-3) a pressurizing means for introducing and pushing up the starting material in the holding furnace into the stalk can be suitably used as the introducing means. In this case, as the pressurizing means in the above b-3), for example, i) a plunger tip disposed in a stalk provided with a molten metal inlet, ii) the plunger tip is moved up and down via a drive shaft. A drive unit, and iii) a pressurizing device including an inert gas inlet for introducing an inert gas into the contact unit so that a through-portion through which the drive shaft passes through the holding furnace is not immersed in the starting material is preferably provided Can be used.

Second Step In the second step, the surface portion of the starting material accommodated in the accommodating portion is removed. The starting material is in a state of being accommodated in the accommodating portion, and its surface comes into contact with air or gas. That is, by-products such as oxides and coagulates are generated in the portion that is in contact with air or gas, which causes the quality of the finally obtained casting to deteriorate. For this reason, prior to introducing the starting material into the mold cavity, the surface portions that are in contact with air or gas are removed beforehand. This makes it possible to provide a high-quality casting.

  Since the part that comes into contact with air or gas is usually the upper surface of the starting material, the upper surface portion may be removed. In the case of a semi-solidified ingot or the like, the side surface may also come into contact with air or gas. In this case, the surface portion of the side surface may be removed. In either case, it is necessary to remove at least the upper surface portion.

  Accordingly, the means for removing the surface portion is not limited, but, for example, an opening / closing member (for example, a plate-like member) in which a recess is formed as a by-product capturing gap as in the apparatus of the present invention is disposed above the starting material. Then, after the surface portion (upper surface portion) of the starting material is guided to the by-product capturing gap portion, the opening / closing member is moved horizontally, whereby the upper surface portion containing a relatively large amount of by-products and the starting material at the lower portion thereof are separated. By dividing, the latter can be obtained as a clean starting material.

Third Step In the third step, the starting material from which the surface portion has been removed is introduced into the mold cavity. A high quality casting can be obtained by introducing clean starting material into the mold cavity after removing the surface portion containing a relatively large amount of by-products.

  The method for introducing the starting material is not particularly limited. For example, the starting material can be introduced into the mold cavity using the material introducing means used in the first step.

After the introduction into the mold cavity, a cast body is produced according to a known method. In this case, after the starting material is filled (filled) in the mold cavity, the starting material can be pressurized as necessary. By pressurizing the starting material before it completely solidifies, it is possible to more reliably fill the starting material to the minute dimension part where the starting material is difficult to flow in due to resistance due to the surface tension of the starting material, resulting in higher dimensional accuracy. A casting can be obtained. Further, shrinkage nests generated by coagulation shrinkage can be prevented.

  The features of the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to examples. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the examples.

<Example 1>
FIG. 1 shows the overall main components of the first embodiment, FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the opening / closing member (hereinafter also referred to as “molten blocking member”) 3 used in the first embodiment, and FIG. 3 shows the main steps of the first embodiment. Each figure is shown. In this embodiment, the mold cavity 2 is sealed with the opening / closing member 3 and the mold 1 and the sleeve 4 are separated (FIG. 3A), or the molten metal 5 is injected into the sleeve 4 or semi-solid ingot. Is inserted using a robot or the like. When pouring, it is desirable to tilt the sleeve 4 so that the molten metal enters the sleeve 4 gently. During this time, the mold cavity 2 is depressurized to a vacuum. Next, the sleeve 4 is raised and the tip is pressed against the opening / closing member 3 or is positioned in the vicinity of the opening / closing member. Then, the plunger tip 9 is pushed up, and the upper part of the molten metal or semi-solidified ingot 5 (covered with oxide) is inserted into a byproduct trapping cavity (hereinafter also referred to as “oxide film trapping cavity”) 6 (see FIG. 3 (b)). At this time, the air in the sleeve 4 is discharged through the exhaust groove 8 (FIG. 2). A part of the molten metal may enter the exhaust groove 8 slightly, but immediately solidifies, and the air is not discharged thereafter. Next, the opening / closing member 3 is moved to cut the molten metal (partially solidified) of the byproduct trapping gap 6 and the opening 7 is positioned at the center of the sleeve. The ingot 5 is inserted into the mold cavity 2 (FIG. 3 (c)). When the mold cavity 2 is filled with the molten metal, the opening / closing member 3 is further moved to seal the mold cavity 2. At the same time, the molten metal in the mold cavity is pressurized with the piston 12 provided in the upper part of the mold cavity. During this time, the coagulum 26 coagulated in the byproduct trapping gap 6 and the opening 7 is pushed downward (FIG. 3 (d)). Further, the solidified material 26 remaining on the upper portion of the plunger tip moves the sleeve 4 downward and pushes it out by the plunger tip 9. Between these, the sleeve 4 is cleaned, and the molten metal or semi-solid ingot 5 is inserted. During this time, the molds 1, 1 'are opened, the product is taken out, a release agent is applied to the mold, the mold is closed, and the next casting is prepared.

  In addition, when extruding the solidified material 26 in the by-product trapping cavity 6, the extrusion pin 10 provided on the by-product trapping cavity 6 may be driven by hydraulic pressure and pushed out. However, air pressure or a spring may be used instead of the oil pressure. The molten metal blocking member 3 is driven using the electric servo motor 15 and the ball screw 16, but a hydraulic servo, a pneumatic servo, a motor and a worm gear, or the like may be used. Further, the plunger tip may be driven not by hydraulic or pneumatic driving but by an electric servo motor.

<Example 2>
FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of the opening / closing member 3 used in the second embodiment. In this case, an exhaust port 17 is provided in the upper part of the by-product capturing gap 6, and air and gas in the sleeve 4 are discharged into the mold through the exhaust port 17. When it is desired to reduce the pressure of the mold cavity 2 in this embodiment, it is necessary to reduce the pressure of the mold cavity 2 within a short time until the molten metal is inserted after the molten metal in the byproduct trapping cavity 6 is cut by the opening / closing member 3. is there. However, it is easy to remove the coagulum generated in the byproduct trapping cavity 6. Further, in this embodiment, at least one wear-resistant material 18 of, for example, high chromium cast iron, high vanadium cast iron, and a composite material of these and ceramics is partially used in the vicinity of the byproduct trapping gap 6 and the vicinity of the opening. Thus, the life of the opening / closing member 3 can be extended. Moreover, the shape of the by-product capture | acquisition space | gap part 13 of the lower part of an opening part is various other than this. In some cases, it may be a simple cylindrical opening (however, it is desirable to have a taper).

  In addition to the mold, for example, a ceramic mold or a sand mold can be used as the mold.

<Example 3>
FIG. 5 shows the structure and the casting process in the vicinity of the sleeve 4 and the byproduct trapping cavity 6 in Example 3 used in the semi-melt processing method. In this embodiment, in order to remove the oxide film present on the side surface of the semi-molten ingot 5 before injection, the oxide film removing ring 20 having an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the sleeve 4, the ring holding plate 19 for holding it, and the removed oxidation film It has a receiving plate 21 for coating (including partially molten metal), a cleaning tip 23 for pushing out an oxide coating and residual solidified matter 24, and the plunger tip in the sleeve 4 is a tip outer cylinder 9-1 and a chip inner cylinder 9-2. It is a combination of. As the casting process, the sleeve 4 is moved downward as shown in FIG. 5A, the semi-molten ingot 5 is inserted into the sleeve 4, and the sleeve 4 is oxidized as shown in FIG. 5B. The tip outer cylinder 9-1 and the chip inner cylinder 9-2 are simultaneously pushed up and the semi-molten ingot 5 is pushed into the oxide film removal ring 20. Since the inner diameter of the oxide film removing ring 20 is smaller than the inner diameter of the sleeve 4, the side surface is scraped off and pushed out between the ring holding plate 19 and the oxide film receiving plate 21 (FIG. 5C). After the tip outer cylinder 9-1 comes into contact with the lower end of the oxide film removing ring 20, thereafter, the tip inner cylinder 9-2 is pushed up and the upper part of the semi-molten ingot 5 is pushed into the byproduct trapping gap 6 (FIG. 5D )). Thereafter, the opening / closing member 3 is moved in the same manner as in Example 1 so that the opening 7 is positioned at the center of the sleeve, and the semi-molten ingot 5 containing less oxide is pushed into the mold cavity 2. Thereafter, the opening / closing member 3 is further moved, and when the solidification is completed, the product is taken out from the mold cavity 2, and the oxide receiving plate 21 is moved downward during the mold cleaning and the mold release material application to thereby remove the oxide film removing ring cylinder. The lower end of 20 is positioned at least above the lower end of the oxide receiving plate 21, and the sleeve outer cylinder 9-1 and the inner cylinder 9-2 are pulled down so as to be aligned with the upper end of the oxide receiving plate 21, and cleaned. The chip 23 extrudes the residual ingot and oxide and cleans the inside (FIG. 5E). Thereafter, the process returns to the process of FIG.

<Example 4>
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the opening / closing member 3 used in Example 3, in which the cross-section is not a rectangle but a circle, and a mold is passed through. By using a circular cross section, the processing cost for appropriately setting the gap between the mold and the opening / closing member can be reduced. In addition, by installing a metal or ceramic ring in the vicinity of the oxide film capturing cavity 6 or the opening 7, it is possible to prevent the molten metal from being caught. The opening / closing member may have a cross section other than circular or rectangular. The division of the mold may be the same as the moving direction of the opening / closing member as shown in FIG.

<Example 5>
FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the device of the present invention. In this apparatus, instead of using the above-described plunger and plunger tip, a stalk 28 is installed between the molten metal 5 in the holding furnace 27 and the opening / closing member 3. The inside of the holding furnace 27 is pressurized to push up the molten metal in the stalk, and when the dirty hot water in the vicinity of the molten metal is pushed into the by-product capturing gap 10, the opening / closing member 3 is moved to remove the dirty hot water. Further, the opening 7 can be moved to the upper part of the stalk, and a clean molten metal can be pushed into the mold cavity 2.

  In this embodiment, the mold cavity 2 is open to atmospheric pressure, but after removing the dirty hot water, the mold cavity 2 may be decompressed to a vacuum while moving the opening 7 to the upper part of the stalk 28. . Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 1, the upper part of the byproduct trapping cavity 10 is not opened and another vent is provided so that the mold cavity 2 can be decompressed to a vacuum while the molten metal is moving in the stalk. good.

  After the mold gap 2 is filled with the molten metal, the opening / closing member 3 is further moved to seal the mold gap 2, but after that, the pressure piston 12 may be pressurized from above.

  The holding furnace may be a melting furnace, or in addition to a method of pushing up the molten metal by gas pressurization, for example, a method of inserting a piston into the molten metal may be employed.

  In Example 1 or Example 5, a sand mold or the like may be used instead of the metal mold, or a vacuum box may be installed and a sand mold or the like installed therein.

<Example 6>
FIG. 8 shows an example of driving the graphite plunger chip installed in the stalk in Example 5 to push up the molten metal. Specifically, i) a plunger tip 9 disposed in a stalk 28 provided with a molten metal inlet 34, ii) a drive unit 30 for moving the plunger tip 9 up and down via a drive shaft 31, iii) A pressurization device including an inert gas inlet 33 for introducing an inert gas into the contact portion 32 is installed so that the through portion 32 through which the drive shaft 31 penetrates the holding furnace is not immersed in the starting material 5. ing.

  The molten metal inlet 34 is preferably provided at a lower position so that the molten metal 5 of the holding furnace 27 can be used as much as possible, but can be appropriately set according to the capacity of the holding furnace 27 and the like. The plunger tip 9 has an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the stalk 28 so that the molten metal (starting material) 5 can be pushed up efficiently. The drive shaft 31 connected to the plunger tip 9 is connected to the drive unit 30 below it and drives the plunger tip 9 up and down. As the drive unit 30, for example, a known drive device such as an electric servo motor can be used. The position, the number, and the like of the inert gas inlet 33 are not limited as long as the above object can be achieved, but the position is preferably as low as possible. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, it is desirable to provide an inert gas inlet 32 outside the holding furnace. In FIG. 8, an inert gas introduction chamber having a drive shaft penetrating between the holding furnace 27 and the drive unit 30 is provided outside the holding furnace, and an inert gas introduction port 33 is provided in a part thereof. Further, an inert gas inlet 33 may be provided directly on the drive shaft 31 so that a part of the drive shaft 31 is made porous and air bubbles are ejected to the through portion 32.

  As described above, the plunger can be driven by the electric servo motor in which the drive shaft 31 connected to the lower portion of the plunger chip 9 is installed outside the furnace. The molten metal 5 is guided into the stalk as indicated by an arrow in the drawing from a molten metal inlet 34 provided below the stalk 28. In the pressurizing device, the molten metal is also introduced into the lower part of the plunger tip 9 to reduce the driving resistance. By pressurizing the through-hole 32 where the drive shaft 31 and the holding furnace 27 may contact with an inert gas and filling it with the inert gas, the molten metal can be prevented from entering and solidifying the through-hole 32. The moving resistance of the drive shaft 31 can be reduced. Although some inert gas may be injected into the molten metal (especially when the drive shaft temperature is low, the flow is intentionally increased), in this case, the molten metal is rather stirred at the bottom of the furnace to solidify. (It is desirable to increase the inert gas temperature using heat transfer from the furnace body). Further, in order to reduce the amount of the inert gas injected into the molten metal 5 as much as possible, the diameter of the drive shaft 31 is made as small as possible to narrow the gap with the furnace bottom. Further, since there is almost no frictional resistance between the drive shaft 31 and the furnace body 27, energy is saved and the durability of the drive shaft 31 is improved. The inert gas can also reduce harmful gases such as hydrogen gas while rising in the molten metal. Further, the molten metal pressure acting on the penetrating portion of the drive shaft 31 is estimated by measuring the molten metal surface position, and the gas pressurization is controlled by using the actual measurement value of the gas pressure, the temperature measurement at the driving portion, etc. It is also possible to minimize the amount of gas flowing out into the tank.

Claims (8)

An apparatus for producing a cast body by pushing up a molten, semi-solid or semi-molten starting material and introducing it into an upper mold,
(1) A mold having a pouring spout at the bottom,
(2) Material introduction means for containing the starting material and introducing the starting material into the mold from the pouring spout,
(3) including an opening and closing member that can be opened and closed by horizontal movement between the pouring gate and the introducing means,
The material introducing means is
(A) a device having a sleeve and a plunger tip corresponding to the sleeve or (b) b-1) a holding furnace containing the molten metal, b-2) stalk immersed in the molten metal in the holding furnace, and b-3) holding. Pressurizing means for introducing and pushing up the starting material in the furnace into the stalk, the pressurizing means being i) a plunger tip disposed in the stalk provided with the molten metal inlet, ii) the plunger A drive unit that moves the chip up and down via the drive shaft; iii) an inert gas for introducing an inert gas into the through-hole so that the through-hole through which the drive shaft passes through the holding furnace is not immersed in the starting material A device having a pressurizing device including a gas inlet,
The opening / closing member is a) a by-product trapping cavity formed by a depression formed in a part of the surface in contact with the starting material in the member, and b) an opening for introducing the starting material into the mold cavity through the pouring port. Having a part,
A vertical casting apparatus characterized by that. The vertical casting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a diameter of the opening is smaller than an inner diameter of the sleeve or an inner diameter of the stalk. In the case where the material introduction means is (a), a ring-shaped member having an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the sleeve or the inner diameter of the stalk is installed to remove the surface portion of the side surface of the semi-molten ingot that is the starting material. The vertical casting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The vertical casting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an exhaust passage for exhausting the gas in the byproduct trapping gap to the outside of the apparatus is formed in the opening / closing member . 2. The longitudinal direction according to claim 1, wherein at least one of (a) at least one portion in contact with the starting material in the opening and (b) at least one portion in contact with the starting material in the byproduct trapping void is formed of a wear-resistant material. Mold casting equipment. A process for producing a cast body by pushing up a molten, semi-solid or semi-molten starting material and introducing it into an upper mold,
(1) When the starting material is introduced into the accommodating portion of the material introducing means by the material introducing means for accommodating the starting material and introducing the starting material into the mold from the pouring port, the starting portion is started without reducing the pressure. A first step of pushing up the material and introducing it into the housing;
(2) including a second step of removing the surface portion of the starting material accommodated in the accommodating portion, and (3) a third step of introducing the starting material after the surface portion is removed into the mold cavity,
Means for pushing up the starting material in the first step,
(A) a device having a sleeve and a plunger tip corresponding to the sleeve or (b) b-1) a holding furnace containing the molten metal, b-2) stalk immersed in the molten metal in the holding furnace, and b-3) holding. Pressurizing means for introducing and pushing up the starting material in the furnace into the stalk, the pressurizing means being i) a plunger tip disposed in the stalk provided with the molten metal inlet, ii) the plunger A drive unit that moves the chip up and down via the drive shaft; iii) an inert gas for introducing an inert gas into the through-hole so that the through-hole through which the drive shaft passes through the holding furnace is not immersed in the starting material Performed by a device having a pressurizing device including a gas inlet,
Means for removing a surface portion of the starting material in the second step;
An opening / closing member having a recess formed as a by-product trapping gap is disposed above the starting material, and after the surface portion of the starting material is guided to the by-product trapping gap, the opening / closing member is moved horizontally, It is performed by dividing an upper surface portion containing a relatively large amount of living organisms and a starting material under the upper portion.
A casting method characterized by the above. The vertical casting method according to claim 6, wherein, in the third step, when the starting material is introduced into the mold gap, the inside of the mold gap is under reduced pressure or vacuum. The vertical casting method according to claim 6, further comprising a step of pressurizing the starting material in the mold gap after filling the starting gap in the mold gap.