JP7191605B2 - Slurry generator and slurry generation system - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a slurry production device and a slurry production system, and more particularly to a slurry production device and a slurry production system provided with a container for producing slurry.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, there has been known a slurry generator provided with a container for generating slurry (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses a slurry generating apparatus including a container for generating slurry (solid-liquid coexisting metal) and a control unit for controlling the temperature of the metal material in the container to generate the slurry. disclosed. The control unit is configured to set the molding cycle time to a predetermined time (60 seconds) and perform continuous operation control. That is, the slurry generator manages the timing of supplying the slurry to the sleeve.

JP-A-10-211565

However, in the slurry generating apparatus of Patent Document 1, the molding cycle time is set, and the timing of supplying the slurry to the sleeve is managed by time, so the repetition of the cycle, changes in the surrounding environment, etc. As a result, there is a problem that the solid phase ratio of the slurry when supplied to the sleeve varies. If the solid phase ratio of the slurry varies, the shape of the slurry will collapse in the sleeve, making it easier for air to be entrained during injection, and problems such as not being able to obtain a dense molded product are likely to occur, which is not preferable.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and one object of the present invention is to suppress variations in the solid fraction of slurry when supplied to a sleeve. It is an object of the present invention to provide a slurry production device and a slurry production system.

In order to achieve the above object, the slurry generating apparatus in the first aspect of the present invention is provided with a container into which a liquid metal material is poured and an empty container, and for pouring the liquid metal material into the container. a container installation part, a first temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the container installed in the container installation part, and the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor changes from a liquid state to a semi-solid state of the metal material poured into the container. a control unit for outputting a control signal for supplying the semi-solid metal material in the container to the sleeve of the die casting machine to the metal material conveying device based on the fact that the predetermined temperature has been reached , The cooling unit cools the empty container before it is placed on the container installation unit over a first period of time, and the control unit cools the empty container installed on the container installation unit in a state in which no metal material is poured. When the initial temperature measured by the first temperature sensor of the container is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, control is performed to set the cooling time in the cooling section to a second time longer than the first time .

In the slurry generator according to the first aspect of the present invention, as described above, the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor reaches a predetermined temperature at which the metal material poured into the container changes from liquid to semi-solid state. Based on what has been done, a control unit is provided for outputting a control signal to the conveying device for the metal material for supplying the semi-solid metal material in the container to the sleeve of the die casting machine. As a result, the metal material poured into the container changes from a liquid state to a semi-solid state, unlike the conventional case where the timing of supplying slurry (semi-solid metal material) to the sleeve is controlled by time. Given the temperature of the first temperature sensor, the timing of supplying the slurry to the sleeve can be determined. For this reason, even if the timing at which the metal material changes from liquid to semi-solid state changes due to repeated cycles or changes in the surrounding environment, by controlling the timing of supplying the slurry to the sleeve according to the temperature of the container, , it is possible to suppress the occurrence of variations in the solid phase ratio of the slurry when supplied to the sleeve. As a result, the sleeve can be supplied with a slurry having a solid fraction suitable for molding. Further, when the initial temperature of the container installed in the container installation unit is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, the control unit performs control to set the cooling time in the cooling unit to a second time longer than the first time. Thus, even if the number of repetitions of the cycle increases and the initial temperature of the container becomes high, the temperature of the container can be returned to an appropriate initial temperature. As a result, heat can be effectively removed from the metal material by the container, so that the cooling speed of the metal material by the container is increased, and the metal material reaches a predetermined temperature at which the metal material changes from a liquid state to a semi-solid state in a shorter time. can be made That is, cycle time can be shortened.

The slurry production apparatus according to the first aspect preferably further includes a container holding section for holding the installation state of the container on the container installation section when the first temperature sensor comes into contact with the container. With this configuration, the container holder can prevent the first temperature sensor from coming into contact with the container and causing the container to be displaced or overturned. Therefore, since the first temperature sensor can be reliably brought into contact with the container, it is possible to stably measure the temperature of the container.

In the slurry production apparatus according to the first aspect, preferably, the container installation unit cools the liquid metal material poured into the container from the bottom end to form a solid portion having a predetermined thickness at the bottom end of the metal material. The first temperature sensor is configured to measure the temperature near the middle position of the portion of the metal material poured into the container, excluding the solid portion, in the height direction of the container. With this configuration, the temperature of the portion of the metal material inside the container that reaches a relatively high temperature can be measured by the first temperature sensor. As a result, the first temperature sensor can accurately detect the timing at which the solid fraction reaches a predetermined level.

The slurry production apparatus according to the first aspect preferably further includes an advance/retreat driving unit that advances and retreats between a contact position where the first temperature sensor contacts the container and a separation position where the first temperature sensor separates from the container. With this configuration, the first temperature sensor can be moved to the separated position (retracted position), so that a device for conveying the container to a position for measuring the temperature of the container or a sleeve from the position for measuring the temperature of the container can be used. It is possible to prevent the first temperature sensor from interfering with a conveying device or the like that conveys the container to the container.

In the slurry production apparatus according to the first aspect, preferably, the container installation unit cools the liquid metal material poured into the container from the bottom end to form a solid portion having a predetermined thickness at the bottom end of the metal material. and arranged below the first temperature sensor to measure the temperature of the container corresponding to the portion of the semi-solid metallic material near the upper end of the solid portion. With this configuration, by measuring the temperature of the container at the position where the temperature tends to be particularly low among the portions corresponding to the liquid (semi-solid) metal material, it is possible to grasp the temperature unevenness of the metal material. can. As a result, when the temperature unevenness of the metal material is large, it is possible to issue a warning to the user.

In the slurry generating apparatus according to the first aspect, preferably, the control unit includes a table showing the relationship between the temperature of the container from the time when the liquid metal material was poured into the container and the temperature of the metal material in the container. is configured to determine a predetermined temperature of the container at which to output the control signal based on. With this configuration, the predetermined temperature of the container when outputting the control signal can be set to an appropriate temperature by the table, so that slurry having a solid fraction more suitable for molding is supplied to the sleeve. be able to.

In the configuration including the forward/backward drive unit, preferably, in addition to the first temperature sensor, an air blower is provided for the forward/backward drive unit and removes foreign matter adhering to the container by injecting air toward the container. Prepare more. With this configuration, the temperature of the container can be adjusted by blowing air when the initial temperature of the container is too high.

In the configuration including the advance/retreat drive section, the advance/retreat drive section preferably includes at least one of a motor and an air cylinder for moving the first temperature sensor forward and backward. With this configuration, it is possible to easily realize a structure in which at least one of the motor and the air cylinder moves the first temperature sensor back and forth with respect to the container.

A slurry generating system according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises a die casting machine including a sleeve, a slurry generating device, and a conveying device for conveying the semi-solidified metal material generated in the slurry generating device to the sleeve, The slurry generator includes a container into which a liquid metal material is poured, an empty container, a container installation part for pouring the liquid metal material into the container, and a temperature of the container installed in the container installation part. and a semi-solid metal in the container based on the measured temperature of the temperature sensor reaching a predetermined temperature at which the metal material poured into the container changes from a liquid state to a semi-solid state. a controller for outputting a control signal to the conveying device to feed the material into the sleeve, wherein the slurry generator cools the empty container for a first period of time before being placed on the container placing portion. When the initial temperature measured by the temperature sensor of the empty container in which the metal material is not poured is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, the control unit further includes a cooling unit. Control is performed to set the cooling time in the cooling unit to a second time longer than the first time.

In the slurry generation system according to the second aspect of the present invention, as described above, the temperature measured by the temperature sensor reaches a predetermined temperature at which the metal material poured into the container changes from a liquid state to a semi-solid state. A control unit is provided for outputting a control signal to the conveying device for the metal material for supplying the semi-solid metal material in the container to the sleeve of the die casting machine. As a result, the metal material poured into the container changes from a liquid state to a semi-solid state, unlike the conventional case where the timing of supplying slurry (semi-solid metal material) to the sleeve is controlled by time. Since the timing of supplying the slurry to the sleeve can be determined based on the temperature of the predetermined temperature sensor, it is possible to suppress variations in the solid fraction of the slurry when supplying the slurry to the sleeve. As a result, it is possible to provide a slurry generating system capable of supplying slurry having a solid fraction suitable for molding to the sleeve. Further, when the initial temperature of the container installed in the container installation unit is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, the control unit performs control to set the cooling time in the cooling unit to a second time longer than the first time. Thus, even if the number of repetitions of the cycle increases and the initial temperature of the container becomes high, the temperature of the container can be returned to an appropriate initial temperature. As a result, heat can be effectively removed from the metal material by the container, so that the cooling speed of the metal material by the container is increased, and the metal material reaches a predetermined temperature at which the metal material changes from a liquid state to a semi-solid state in a shorter time. can be made That is, cycle time can be shortened.

According to the present invention, as described above, it is possible to suppress variations in the solid phase ratio of the slurry when it is supplied to the sleeve.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is the figure which showed typically the whole slurry production|generation system structure by 1st Embodiment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is the figure which showed the whole slurry production|generation apparatus structure by 1st Embodiment. It is the figure which showed the container of the slurry production|generation apparatus by 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the advance-and-retreat drive device of the slurry production apparatus by 1st Embodiment. 1 is a block diagram of a slurry production device, a pouring device and a conveying device according to a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a table representing the relationship between the temperature of a metal material poured into a container and the temperature of the container; It is the figure which showed the whole slurry production|generation apparatus structure by 2nd Embodiment. It is the figure which showed the whole structure of the slurry production|generation apparatus by the modification of 1st and 2nd embodiment.

Embodiments embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[First embodiment]
The configuration of a slurry production system 100 having a slurry production device 104 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG.

(Configuration of slurry generation system)
As shown in FIG. 1, the slurry production system 100 includes a pouring device 101, a conveying device 102, a die casting machine 103 including a sleeve 92a, and a slurry production device 104.

The slurry generation system 100 transports (supplies) the semi-solidified metal material (slurry) generated in the slurry generation device 104 to the sleeve 92a by the transport device 102, and molds it by the die casting machine 103 to which the mold M is attached. configured to manufacture goods. It should be noted that the slurry generation system 100 uses a semi-solid metal material (slurry) to perform molding compared to general molding in which a liquid metal material is supplied to the sleeve for molding. It is possible to obtain a molded product with few blowholes. That is, the slurry generation system 100 is a system for manufacturing molded articles by so-called rheocasting. As the metal material, a material with relatively high thermal conductivity is used. For example, an aluminum alloy is used as the metal material.

The pouring device 101 is configured to draw up a liquid metal material (molten metal) from the holding furnace F and supply (pouring) it to the vessel 1 of the slurry generating device 104 . The pouring device 101 includes a ladle 101a for drawing liquid metal material from the holding furnace F and a robot arm 101b for moving the ladle 101a provided at the tip. The holding furnace F contains a liquid metal material that is kept at a predetermined temperature by heating. The pouring device 101 is configured to be driven by receiving a control signal S output from a slurry generating device 104 (control section 7 described later).

The conveying device 102 is configured to convey the semi-solidified metal material produced in the slurry producing device 104 to the sleeve 92a and supply it to the sleeve 92a. The conveying device 102 includes a clamping portion 102a that clamps and holds the container 1, and a robot arm 102b that moves the clamping portion 102a provided at the tip.

When supplying the metal material to the sleeve 92a, the conveying device 102 arranges a portion (a surface layer portion K1 described later) of the semi-solidified metal material located above the container 1 on the side opposite to the plunger 91a. At the same time, the part of the semi-solidified metal material located on the lower side of the container 1 (a solid part K described later) is arranged on the side of the plunger 91a. During injection by the die casting machine 103, the surface layer portion K1 and the solid portion K remain in the concave portion (trap) and the runner provided in the mold M (movable mold M2), respectively, and flow into the cavity. never. The conveying device 102 is configured to be driven by receiving a control signal S output from a slurry generating device 104 (control section 7 described later).

The die casting machine 103 includes an injection device 91, a machine main body 92, and a drive mechanism 93 for moving the moving mold M2 (moving die plate 92c).

The injection device 91 includes a plunger 91a and a drive unit (not shown). The plunger 91a is an injection member that is inserted into the sleeve 92a and pushes into the mold M the semi-solidified metal material supplied into the sleeve 92a. The drive unit is connected to the plunger 91a and configured to move the plunger 91a back and forth within the sleeve 92a. The drive unit is for example a hydraulic cylinder driven by a hydraulic circuit.

The machine main body 92 includes a sleeve 92a, a fixed die plate 92b to which the fixed die M1 is attached, a moving die plate 92c to which the moving die M2 is attached, and a plurality of supporting parts that guide the movement of the moving die plate 92c. tie bar 92d. The die-casting machine 103 is a horizontal die-casting machine with horizontally extending tie bars 92d. Note that the slurry generator 104 can also be used in a vertical die casting machine.

The drive mechanism 93 clamps and opens the mold M by moving the moving mold M2 (moving die plate 92c) toward or away from the fixed mold M1 along the tie bar 92d. configured to do so. Drive mechanism 93 includes a toggle mechanism (not shown).

(Structure of slurry generator)
As shown in FIG. 2, the slurry generator 104 includes a container 1, a cooling unit 2, a container installation unit 3, a container holding unit 41, a funnel 42, a temperature sensor 51 for measuring the temperature of the container 1, An air blower 52 , a forward/backward drive unit 6 and a control unit 7 are provided. Note that the temperature sensor 51 is an example of a "first temperature sensor" in the scope of claims.

<Construction of container>
The container 1 is configured such that a liquid metal material is poured by a pouring device 101 and the poured molten metal is semi-solidified inside. The container 1 generally has a cylindrical shape with an inner surface sloping upward at a predetermined angle of inclination. Therefore, the slurry (semi-solidified metal material) has a truncated cone shape. The predetermined tilt angle is set to, for example, 1 degree or 2 degrees. The container 1 is made of a metal material with relatively high thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance.

Here, in the first embodiment, the slurry generator 104 (the control unit 7) sets the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 51 to a predetermined temperature at which the metal material poured into the container 1 changes from a liquid state to a semi-solid state. , a control signal S for supplying the semi-solidified metal material in the container 1 to the sleeve 92 a of the die casting machine 103 is output to the conveying device 102 . The predetermined temperature is the temperature at which the solid fraction of the metal material reaches a predetermined ratio (the temperature obtained in advance by experiments). That is, the slurry production system 100 is configured to start the transport of the container 1 to the sleeve 92a by the transport device 102 when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 51 reaches a predetermined temperature as a trigger. Details will be described later.

Here, the design of the shape (dimensions) of the container 1 will be briefly described with reference to FIG. Specifically, derivation of the thickness t of the container 1 will be described. The thickness t of the container 1 is obtained by the following formula.
(Thickness of container 1) = (weight of container 1) ÷ (density of container 1) ÷ (side area of truncated cone-shaped slurry)

Here, the weight of the container 1 in the above equation is the amount of heat to be removed from a predetermined weight of the liquid metal material to make it semi-solid, the temperature difference between the initial temperature of the container 1 and the final temperature of the container 1, and the container It can be derived from the specific heat of the metal material forming 1.

The amount of heat to be removed from a predetermined weight of liquid metal material is an amount of heat obtained based on experiments. A semi-solid metal material is obtained.

The initial temperature of the container 1 (see FIG. 6) is a predetermined temperature of the container 1 reached by being cooled by the cooling unit 2, and is the temperature of the container 1 before pouring. That is, the initial temperature of the container 1 is the temperature first measured by the temperature sensor 51 (see FIG. 2). The final temperature of the container 1 (see FIG. 6) is a predetermined temperature of the container 1 when the semi-solid metal material is supplied to the sleeve 92a (see FIG. 2), and a predetermined solid fraction suitable for molding. is the temperature of the container 1 at which the metal material is obtained.

The side area of the truncated cone-shaped slurry in the above formula is the radius R of the upper surface (or lower surface) of the slurry, the thickness D of the slurry, the inclination angle α of the side surface of the slurry (the inner surface of the container 1), and the slurry weight M and the specific gravity H of the slurry, it can be derived from the formula for the volume of the truncated cone and the formula for the side area of the truncated cone.

<Structure of cooling part>
The cooling unit 2 shown in FIG. 1 is configured to cool the empty container 1 before it is placed on the container placement unit 3 over a predetermined time (first time). Since the temperature of the container 1 is increased by the molten metal on each cycle, it needs to be cooled before pouring the liquid metal material so that heat can be effectively removed from the liquid metal material.

The cooling section 2 includes a mounting section 21 on which the container 1 is mounted and a portion (not shown) for cooling the mounting section 21 . The mounting portion 21 is kept at a temperature sufficiently lower than that of the container 1 . The container 1 cooled for a predetermined time in the cooling unit 2 is transported by the transport device 102 and installed in the container installation unit 3 . The slurry generator 104 is configured to install the container 1 placed on the cooling unit 2 in the container installation unit 3 by a dedicated transport device (not shown) different from the transport device 102. may be

In the previous cycle, when the initial temperature of the container 1 measured by the temperature sensor 51 is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, the cooling unit 2 takes a second time longer than the first time to empty the container. It is arranged to cool the container 1 . As a result, the initial temperature of the container 1 when it is placed in the container placement section 3 can be kept close to constant.

<Construction of container installation part>
The container setting part 3 is a setting table for setting the empty container 1 cooled in the cooling part 2 and for pouring the liquid metal material into the container 1 . The container installation part 3 has a flat plate shape with a flat surface on the upper part. Further, the container mounting portion 3 includes an elastic member (not shown) that absorbs the weight of the container 1 in order to improve the mounting properties of the container 1 . As a result, it is possible to stably maintain the state of surface contact between the lower end of the container 1 and the container mounting portion 3 .

The container setting part 3 is configured to cool the liquid metal material poured into the container 1 from the lower end, thereby forming a solid portion K having a predetermined thickness at the lower end of the metal material. Specifically, the container installation section 3 includes a cooling section (not shown) that cools the installation table. The container installation unit 3 is configured to take heat from the installed container 1 and the lower end of the liquid metal material poured into the container 1 by the cooling unit. As a result, a solid portion K having a predetermined thickness is formed at the lower end of the liquid metal material poured into the container 1 . The thickness of the solid portion K is, for example, approximately 25 mm to 30 mm. This solid portion K improves the peelability (removability) of the semi-solid metal material from the container 1 . When supplying the metal material to the sleeve 92a, it is also possible to press the solid portion K from the lower end side of the container 1 to push out the solid portion K and the semi-solid metal material.

<Construction of container holding part>
As shown in FIG. 2 , the container holding portion 41 is configured to hold the installation state of the container 1 on the container installation portion 3 when the temperature sensor 51 contacts the container 1 . Further, the container holding portion 41 is configured to hold the installation state of the container 1 on the container installation portion 3 when the liquid metal material is poured into the empty container 1 . That is, the container holding portion 41 is configured to hold the container 1 so that the container 1 does not move or topple over the container setting portion 3 . Under the control of the control unit 7 , the temperature sensor 51 contacts the container 1 before the liquid metal material is poured into the empty container 1 .

Specifically, the container holding part 41 is configured to press (clamp) the container 1 on the container installation part 3 downward on the container installation part 3 side. The container holding portion 41 includes an annular contact portion 41a that contacts the annular upper end of the container 1, and a plurality of air cylinders 41b that vertically move the contact portion 41a.

The container holding portion 41 is configured to move the contact portion 41a away from the container 1 by means of the air cylinder 41b when the contact state between the temperature sensor 51 and the container 1 is released under the control of the control portion 7. there is

<Structure of funnel>
The funnel 42 is arranged near the upper side of the contact portion 41 a of the container holding portion 41 when the contact portion 41 a contacts the container 1 . The funnel 42 has the function of reliably introducing the liquid metal material into the container 1 . Further, the funnel 42 has a function of agitating the liquid metal material in the container 1 by coming into contact with the liquid metal material to be poured and promoting the production of the semi-solid metal material. The funnel 42 is configured to be vertically movable.

<Structure of temperature sensor>
The temperature sensor 51 is provided (attached) to an attachment member 63 of the forward/backward drive unit 6, which will be described later. A temperature sensor 51 is a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the container 1 installed in the container installation section 3 . The temperature sensor 51 is composed of a thermocouple that contacts the outer surface of the container 1 and measures the temperature of the container 1 . The temperature sensor 51 is configured to measure the temperature near the middle position of the portion of the metal material poured into the container 1 excluding the solid portion K in the height direction of the container 1 .

That is, the temperature sensor 51 is configured to measure the temperature at a height position substantially midway between the upper end of the entire metal material poured into the container 1 and the upper end of the solid portion K. The temperature in the vicinity of the intermediate position of the portion excluding the solid portion K increases as the solid fraction of the metal material increases. Therefore, based on the temperature near the intermediate position of the portion excluding the solid portion K, the control unit 7 determines that a semi-solidified metal material having a predetermined solid fraction is generated in the container 1. is possible. In short, the controller 7 can determine the supply timing of the metal material to the sleeve 92a based on the measured value of the temperature sensor 51 . On the other hand, since the temperature of the container 1 in the vicinity of the solid portion K is relatively low, the controller 7 controls only the temperature of the container 1 in the vicinity of the solid portion K to set half of the predetermined solid fraction in the container 1 . It is difficult to determine that a solidified metallic material has been produced.

The tip of the temperature sensor 51 is formed in a circular shape when viewed from the direction in which the temperature sensor 51 extends (not shown). An elastic member (not shown) for stabilizing the contact state with the container 1 is provided at the tip of the temperature sensor 51 .

<Composition of air blow>
In addition to the temperature sensor 51 , the air blower 52 is provided (attached) to the attachment member 63 of the advance/retreat drive section 6 . The air blower 52 is configured to remove foreign matter adhering to the container 1 by injecting air toward the lower end side of the container 1 . Also, the air blower 52 can remove foreign matter adhering to the container installation portion 3 .

Further, when the initial temperature of the container 1 rises due to the repetition of a plurality of cycles, the air blow 52 blows air toward the empty container 1 installed in the container installation section 3 as needed. , it is possible to adjust the initial temperature of the container 1 before pouring.

<Structure of advance/retreat drive unit>
As shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 4 , the advance/retreat driving unit 6 generally displaces the horizontal position of the temperature sensor 51 so that the temperature sensor 51 contacts the container 1 at a contact position (entering position), and the temperature sensor 51 from the container 1 to a separated position (retracted position).

The forward/backward drive unit 6 includes a motor 61 , a moving unit 62 , a mounting member 63 and an air cylinder 64 .

The moving part 62 has a rack (not shown), and is configured to linearly slide (advance and retreat) in the horizontal direction by meshing the rack with the motor gear of the motor 61 .

The attachment member 63 is fixedly attached to the moving portion 62 . The mounting member 63 has an L shape and protrudes upward from the moving portion 62 . The air blower 52 is fixedly attached to the lower side of the attachment member 63 . Moreover, the temperature sensor 51 and the air cylinder 64 are fixedly attached to the mounting member 63 above the air blower 52 . The mounting member 63 fixes the temperature sensor 51 at a predetermined angle (for example, 1 degree or 2 degrees) with respect to the horizontal so that the temperature sensor 51 comes into contact with the outer surface of the container 1 in a direction perpendicular to the outer surface. ing.

The air cylinder 64 is configured to move the temperature sensor 51 to the contact position where the container 1 is brought into contact by advancing the rod. Further, the air cylinder 64 is configured to move the temperature sensor 51 to a separated position (retracted position) where the temperature sensor 51 is separated from the container 1 by retracting the rod. The advance/retreat drive unit 6 moves the moving unit 62 back and forth with the motor 61 while the rod of the air cylinder 64 is advanced, thereby moving the temperature sensor 51 between the separated position (retracted position) and the contact position (entered position). ).

<Configuration of control unit>
The controller 7 shown in FIG. 5 is connected to each part of the slurry generator 104 and configured to control driving of each part of the slurry generator 104 . Further, as described above, the control unit 7 controls the container when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 51 reaches a predetermined temperature at which the metal material poured into the container 1 changes from liquid to semi-solid state. 1 is configured to output a control signal S for supplying the semi-solidified metal material in the die casting machine 103 to the sleeve 92 a of the die casting machine 103 to the conveying device 102 . That is, the control unit 7 performs control to start supplying the semi-solid metal material to the sleeve 92 a of the die casting machine 103 based on the detection signal of the predetermined temperature from the temperature sensor 51 .

Further, when the initial temperature of the container 1 installed in the container installation unit 3 is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, the control unit 7 sets the cooling time in the cooling unit 2 to a second time longer than the first time. It is configured to perform control to That is, when the initial temperature of the container 1 rises by repeating the production of the semi-solidified metal material by the container 1, the control unit 7 causes the cooling unit 2 to cool the container 1 for a longer time than usual. is configured to Further, when the initial temperature of the container 1 rises, the control section 7 may perform control for issuing a predetermined warning to the user.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 7 maintains a table T showing the relationship between the temperature of the container 1 and the temperature of the metal material in the container 1 from when the liquid metal material was poured into the container 1. , the predetermined temperature of the container 1 when outputting the control signal S is determined. Specifically, the control unit 7 includes a memory (not shown) in which the table T is stored. Note that the control unit 7 may have a function of storing and learning various settings, temperature, container shape, and the like. As a result, the control unit 7 can finely adjust various settings according to the situation to generate a slurry with a more optimal solid fraction.

(Slurry manufacturing process by slurry generation system)
Next, an example of a slurry manufacturing process (manufacturing procedure) by the slurry generating system 100 will be briefly described with reference to FIG. In addition, the manufacturing process of the following slurry is only an example, and is not limited to this manufacturing process.

First, in the slurry manufacturing process, the container 1 is cooled in the cooling unit 2 for a predetermined period of time (first period of time or second period of time). After that, the container 1 is placed on the container placement section 3 by the conveying device 102 .

Then, the container holding portion 41 holds (clamps) the container 1 with respect to the container setting portion 3 . After that, the funnel 42 is arranged at a predetermined position directly above the container holding portion 41 .

Then, the temperature sensor 51 is moved from the separated position (retracted position) to the contact position (entered position) by the advance/retreat driving section 6 . That is, the temperature sensor 51 is brought into contact with the container 1 . At this time, since the container 1 is held by the container mounting portion 3 , it does not move due to the temperature sensor 51 .

Then, the ladle 101 a of the pouring device 101 scoops up the molten metal from the holding furnace F and pours it into the container 1 . At this time, since the container 1 is held by the container mounting portion 3, it does not move due to the molten metal.

Then, based on the fact that the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 51 reaches a predetermined temperature (the temperature at which the metal material poured into the container 1 changes from a liquid state to a semi-solid state (slurry) with a predetermined solid phase ratio) Then, a control signal S for supplying the semi-solidified metal material in the container 1 to the sleeve 92 a of the die casting machine 103 is output from the control section 7 to the conveying device 102 .

At substantially the same timing as the output of the control signal S by the controller 7 , the temperature sensor 51 is moved from the contact position (entered position) to the separated position (retracted position) by the advance/retreat drive section 6 . That is, the temperature sensor 51 is separated from the container 1 .

When the conveying device 102 receives the control signal S, the conveying device 102 conveys the container 1 to the sleeve 92a and supplies the semi-solidified metal material to the sleeve 92a. After that, the plunger 91a moves forward to inject the semi-solid metal material into the mold M.

(Effect of the first embodiment)
Effects of the first embodiment will be described.

In the first embodiment, as described above, when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 51 reaches a predetermined temperature at which the metal material poured into the container 1 changes from liquid to semi-solid state, the container A control unit 7 is provided for outputting a control signal S for supplying the semi-solid metal material in 1 to the sleeve 92 a of the die casting machine 103 to the metal material conveying device 102 . As a result, the metal material poured into the container 1 changes from a liquid state to a semi-solid state, unlike the conventional case where the timing of supplying the slurry (semi-solid metal material) to the sleeve 92a is controlled by time. With the changing temperature of the predetermined temperature sensor 51, the timing of supplying the slurry to the sleeve 92a can be determined. Therefore, even if the timing at which the metal material changes from liquid to semi-solid state changes due to repetition of the cycle or changes in the surrounding environment, the timing of supplying the slurry to the sleeve 92a is controlled by the temperature of the container 1. As a result, it is possible to suppress variations in the solid phase ratio of the slurry when it is supplied to the sleeve 92a. As a result, the sleeve 92a can be supplied with a slurry having a solid fraction suitable for molding.

In the first embodiment, as described above, the container holding portion 41 is further provided for holding the installation state of the container 1 on the container installation portion 3 when the temperature sensor 51 contacts the container 1 . With this configuration, the container holding portion 41 can prevent the temperature sensor 51 from coming into contact with the container 1 and the position of the container 1 from being displaced or the container 1 from falling over. Therefore, since the temperature sensor 51 can be reliably brought into contact with the container 1, the temperature of the container 1 can be stably measured.

In the first embodiment, as described above, the container installation unit 3 cools the liquid metal material poured into the container 1 from the lower end, thereby forming the solid portion K having a predetermined thickness at the lower end of the metal material. The temperature sensor 51 is configured to measure the temperature near the middle position of the portion of the metal material poured into the container 1, excluding the solid portion K, in the height direction of the container 1. . As a result, the temperature sensor 51 can measure the temperature of the portion of the metal material inside the container 1 that reaches a relatively high temperature. As a result, the temperature sensor 51 can accurately detect the timing at which the solid fraction reaches a predetermined level.

In the first embodiment, as described above, the advance/retreat driving unit 6 is further provided to move the temperature sensor 51 forward and backward between the contact position where the temperature sensor 51 contacts the container 1 and the separation position where the temperature sensor 51 is separated from the container 1 . As a result, the temperature sensor 51 can be moved to the separated position (retracted position). It is possible to prevent the temperature sensor 51 from interfering with the conveying device 102 or the like that conveys the container 1 .

In the first embodiment, as described above, the cooling unit 2 further includes the cooling unit 2 that cools the empty container 1 before being installed in the container installation unit 3 over the first period of time, and the control unit 7 controls the container installation unit When the initial temperature of the container 1 installed in 3 is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, control is performed to set the cooling time in the cooling unit 2 to a second time longer than the first time. As a result, even if the number of cycles is repeated and the initial temperature of the container 1 becomes high, the temperature of the container 1 can be returned to an appropriate initial temperature. As a result, heat can be effectively removed from the metal material by the container 1, so that the cooling speed of the metal material by the container 1 is increased, and the metal material changes from a liquid state to a semi-solid state in a short time. can be reached. That is, cycle time can be shortened.

In the first embodiment, as described above, the control unit 7 indicates the relationship between the temperature of the container 1 and the temperature of the metal material in the container 1 from when the liquid metal material was poured into the container 1. Based on the table T, it is configured to determine the predetermined temperature of the container 1 when the control signal S is output. As a result, the predetermined temperature of the container 1 at the time of outputting the control signal S can be set to an appropriate temperature by the table T, so that slurry having a solid fraction more suitable for molding is supplied to the sleeve 92a. be able to.

In the first embodiment, as described above, in addition to the temperature sensor 51, an air blower is provided for the advance/retreat drive unit 6, and removes foreign matter adhering to the container 1 by injecting air toward the container 1. 52. Thereby, the temperature of the container 1 can be adjusted by the air blow 52 when the initial temperature of the container 1 is too high.

In the first embodiment, as described above, the forward/backward drive unit 6 includes the motor 61 and the air cylinder 64 that move the temperature sensor 51 back and forth. Thereby, a structure in which the temperature sensor 51 is moved back and forth with respect to the container 1 by the motor 61 and the air cylinder 64 can be easily realized.

[Second embodiment]
Next, the slurry generator 204 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In this second embodiment, in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment, in which the slurry generator 104 includes the temperature sensor 51, an example in which the slurry generator 204 further includes a temperature sensor 251 will be described. In the figure, the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment are assigned to the same configurations as in the first embodiment. Note that the temperature sensor 251 is an example of a "second temperature sensor" in the claims.

The slurry generator 204 of the second embodiment includes two temperature sensors, temperature sensor 51 and temperature sensor 251 . The temperature sensor 251 is composed of a thermocouple. 7, illustration of the air blow described in the first embodiment is omitted.

The temperature sensor 251 is arranged below the temperature sensor 51 and is configured to measure the temperature of the container 1 corresponding to the portion of the semi-solidified metallic material near the upper end of the solid portion K. When there is a difference of a predetermined temperature or more between the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 251 and the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 51 (when the slurry has temperature unevenness), the control unit 7 issues a predetermined warning to the user. is configured as At this time, the control unit 7 may stop the slurry generation system 100, for example.

Other configurations of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

(Effect of Second Embodiment)
Effects of the second embodiment will be described.

In the second embodiment, as described above, the container installation unit 3 cools the liquid metal material poured into the container 1 from the bottom end, thereby forming the solid portion K having a predetermined thickness at the bottom end of the metal material. It further comprises a temperature sensor 251 which is arranged below the temperature sensor 51 and measures the temperature of the container 1 corresponding to the portion of the semi-solidified metal material near the upper end of the solid portion K. As a result, by measuring the temperature of the container 1 at the position where the temperature tends to be particularly low among the portions corresponding to the liquid (semi-solid) metal material, it is possible to grasp the temperature unevenness of the metal material. In addition, when the temperature unevenness of the metal material is large, a warning is issued to the user.

Other effects of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[Modification]
It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed this time should be considered as examples and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of the claims rather than the description of the above-described embodiments, and includes all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims.

For example, in the above-described first and second embodiments, an example in which the temperature sensor is fixedly arranged with respect to the container has been shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the temperature sensor 51 may be configured to be movable with respect to the container, as in a modified slurry generator 304 shown in FIG. Specifically, the attachment member 63 of the slurry generator 304 is provided with a vertical drive mechanism 353 for moving the temperature sensor 51 in the vertical direction, and while the temperature sensor 51 is kept in contact with the container 1, the temperature sensor The temperature may be measured while moving 51 relative to container 1 . Note that the temperature sensor 51 is gradually moved upward from below. As a result, one temperature sensor 51 can detect temperatures at a plurality of locations of the metal material (container 1) to detect temperature unevenness.

Moreover, in the first and second embodiments described above, examples were shown in which one and two temperature sensors are provided, respectively, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention may have three or more temperature sensors.

Further, in the above-described first and second embodiments, an example in which the slurry generating device and the conveying device are configured separately has been shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the conveying device may be provided in the slurry generating device.

Further, in the above-described first and second embodiments, an example in which the slurry generating device and the pouring device are configured separately has been shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the pouring device may be provided in the slurry generating device.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the measurement position of the container by the temperature sensor described in the first and second embodiments, and if it is possible to appropriately correspond the measured temperature of the container to the temperature of the molten metal, A temperature sensor may measure the temperature anywhere on the outer surface of the container.

Further, in the above-described first and second embodiments, an example is shown in which the transfer device includes a robot arm, but the present invention is not limited to this. According to the invention, for example, the transport device may be configured to include a conveyor. That is, the container may be conveyed to the sleeve by a conveyor, and the container may be tilted by a predetermined method to introduce the metal material into the sleeve.

Further, in the first and second embodiments described above, an example in which a solid portion is formed in the lower portion of the metal material by the slurry generator and supplied to the sleeve has been shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the slurry generator may feed the sleeve without forming a solid portion underneath the metal material.

Further, in the above-described first and second embodiments, an example in which the advance/retreat drive unit includes both the motor and the air cylinder was shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the advance/retreat drive section may be configured to include only one of the motor and the air cylinder.

Moreover, in the first and second embodiments, the container is generally cylindrical, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the container may be cup-shaped with a closed bottom end.

Further, in the above-described first and second embodiments, an example in which the temperature sensor is configured by a thermocouple is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the temperature sensor may be composed of sensors other than thermocouples.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 container 2 cooling unit 3 container setting unit 6 advancing/retreating driving unit 7 control unit 41 container holding unit 51 temperature sensor (first temperature sensor)
52 Air blow 61 Motor 64 Air cylinder 92a Sleeve 100 Slurry generation system 102 Conveying device 103 Die casting machine 104, 204, 304 Slurry generation device 251 Temperature sensor (second temperature sensor)
K solid part S control signal T table

Claims (9)

a container into which the liquid metal material is poured;
a container installation unit for installing the empty container and pouring a liquid metal material into the container;
a first temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the container installed in the container installation portion;
When the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor reaches a predetermined temperature at which the metal material poured into the container changes from a liquid state to a semi-solid state, the semi-solid state metal material in the container A control unit that outputs a control signal for supplying the die casting machine sleeve to the metal material conveying device,
further comprising a cooling unit that cools the empty container over a first period of time before being installed in the container installation unit;
When the initial temperature measured by the first temperature sensor of the empty container installed in the container installation unit and in which no metal material is poured is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, the control unit A slurry generator that performs control to set a cooling time in a cooling unit to a second time longer than the first time. 2. The slurry generating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a container holding part for holding an installation state of said container on said container installation part when said first temperature sensor contacts said container. The container installation unit is configured to form a solid portion having a predetermined thickness at the lower end of the metal material by cooling the liquid metal material poured into the container from the lower end,
The first temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature near an intermediate position of a portion of the metal material poured into the container, excluding the solid portion, in the height direction of the container. 3. The slurry generator according to 1 or 2. 4. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an advance/retreat drive unit that advances and retreats between a contact position where the first temperature sensor contacts the container and a separation position where the first temperature sensor separates from the container. Slurry generator according to . The container installation unit is configured to form a solid portion having a predetermined thickness at the lower end of the metal material by cooling the liquid metal material poured into the container from the lower end,
Claims 1 to 4, further comprising a second temperature sensor arranged below the first temperature sensor and measuring the temperature of the container corresponding to the portion of the semi-solidified metallic material near the upper end of the solid portion. The slurry generator according to any one of 1. When the control unit outputs the control signal based on a table showing the relationship between the temperature of the container from the time when the liquid metal material was poured into the container and the temperature of the metal material in the container A slurry generator as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, configured to determine the predetermined temperature of the vessel of. 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising, in addition to the first temperature sensor, an air blower provided for the advance/retreat driving unit for removing foreign matter adhering to the container by injecting air toward the container. slurry generator. The slurry generator according to claim 4 or 7, wherein the advance/retreat drive unit includes at least one of a motor and an air cylinder that advance/retreat the first temperature sensor. a die casting machine including a sleeve;
a slurry generator;
a conveying device that conveys the semi-solidified metal material generated in the slurry generating device to the sleeve,
The slurry generator is
a container into which the liquid metal material is poured;
a container installation unit for installing the empty container and pouring a liquid metal material into the container;
a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the container installed in the container installation portion;
When the temperature measured by the temperature sensor reaches a predetermined temperature at which the metal material poured into the container changes from a liquid state to a semi-solid state, the semi-solid state metal material in the container is a control unit that outputs a control signal to the conveying device for supplying a sleeve;
The slurry generator further includes a cooling unit that cools the empty container over a first period of time before being installed in the container installation unit,
When the initial temperature measured by the temperature sensor of the empty container installed in the container installation unit and in which the metal material is not poured is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, the control unit A slurry generation system that performs control to set a cooling time in a cooling section to a second time longer than the first time.

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