JPH11347702A - Method for forming semi-molten metal - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a uniform structure in which no cold shut containing gas defects is present and fine primary crystal is distributed in the liquid phase by inserting a metal having a specified solid phase ratio in a vertical sleeve, and effecting the high-pressure forming while effecting the evacuation using a degassing device provided with a control valve. SOLUTION: A semi-molten metal M1 of 20-70% in solid phase ratio is inserted in a vertical sleeve 20, the vertical sleeve 20 is coupled with a die 42 having a die cavity 41, and a plunger rod 13 is advanced to cast the semi- molten metal M1 in the die cavity 41. As the plunger rod 13 is advanced, a timer A17 is operated, a solenoid A30 is energized, a valve 3 is elevated to close a gas vent hole 6, and the semi-molten metal M1 is prevented from being ejected from the gas vent hole 6. Similarly, as the plunger rod 13 is advanced, a timer B18 is operated, a solenoid B31 is energized, and a gas in the cavity is forcibly evacuated by a vacuum pump 33 through a piping 32.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for molding a semi-molten metal, and more particularly, to a method for injecting a semi-molten metal into a mold cavity using a vertical sleeve, and using a gas release valve in the molding. The present invention relates to a method for forming a semi-molten metal having a uniform structure in which fine primary crystals having no air entrainment or hot water boundary are dispersed in a liquid phase by discharging air in a cavity.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A semi-solid metal forming method called a thixocasting method or a rheocasting method has less shrinkage cavities and segregation than a conventional casting method, has a uniform metal structure, has a long mold life, and has a long mold life. It has advantages such as a short cycle, and is a technology that has attracted attention recently.

[0003] In the same method, since it is a semi-molten metal, burrs are not easily blown even at high speed injection molding.
It is also possible to inject at a higher speed than in a conventional high-pressure casting method (for example, a squeeze method). Conversely, injection is performed at a higher speed than in the high-pressure casting method in order to fill every corner in the mold cavity.

[0004]

However, in the above-described method, the temperature of the metal to be formed is low, so that a hot boundary including gas defects occurs at the hot junction, and this tendency is strong when the metal is injected at high speed. Further, this defect is likely to occur in a product having a complicated shape or a large product, and there are places where the reliability of the molded product is low.

[0005] Further, when an attempt is made to form a high-quality cast product from liquid metal while reducing the pressure in the cavity using a casting machine having a vertical sleeve, the plunger tip at the bottom of the vertical sleeve is removed with the pressure reduction. Since air was mixed in from the gap between the contact surfaces of the vertical sleeve and was caught in the cast product, a number of gas defects were generated inside the product, and a good product could not be obtained.

[0006]

In the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the first invention, the solid phase ratio is 20%.
% To 70% of a semi-molten metal is inserted into a vertical sleeve, and after joining the sleeve and a mold having a cavity, a valve that can be opened and closed is provided in the middle of a gas vent passage at the upper end of the mold. High-pressure molding was performed while reducing the pressure by using a mold vent valve.

Further, in the second invention mainly based on the first invention, the gas vent passage led from the cavity in the separation surface of the mold and the end thereof slide in the axial direction or a direction different from the axial direction. Using a degassing valve composed of a moving valve and a bypass which is a gas discharge passage detouring to the side surface of the valve part from the middle of the degassing passage, and the semi-molten metal injected into the valve collides with the degassing valve To close the valve.

In the third aspect of the invention, which is mainly based on the first and second aspects, the opening and closing operation of the degassing valve is performed by an external command other than the inertia force of the semi-melting.

[0009]

A semi-molten metal having a solid phase ratio of 20% to 70% is inserted into a vertical sleeve, and the sleeve and a mold having a cavity are connected to each other. Because high-pressure molding was performed while reducing pressure using a mold degasser equipped with a valve that can be opened and closed at the end,
Even in a product having a complicated shape, it is possible to obtain a molded body having a good structure and having excellent mechanical properties, in which a hot junction including gas defects is hardly generated at a hot junction.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 4 relate to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a degassing device, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing forming a semi-molten metal using a degassing device and an exhaust device, 3 is a front view of a ring-shaped mold used for a molding test, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a method of inserting a semi-molten metal into a vertical sleeve.

The degassing device 50 will be described with reference to FIG. First, the degassing device 50 includes a degassing valve 70, a degassing passage 1, and a bypass 2. The gas vent valve 70 includes a valve 3, a rod 4, a valve seat 5, a gas discharge hole 6, and a valve guide 7. First,
The degassing device 50 is provided with a degassing passage 1 provided on a separation surface portion of both a movable mold 42A and a fixed mold (not shown) and an upper end region thereof in an axial direction or a direction different from the axial direction. And a bypass 2 which is a gas discharge passage detouring from the middle of the gas release passage 1 to the side surface of the valve 3.
Is to be closed by.

By using the gas venting device 50, the semi-molten metal M1 is injected while the gas discharge hole 6 communicating with the outside of the mold from the mold cavity 41 is opened by the action of the valve 3. At the time when the gas in the cavity 41 has been completely discharged, the inertia force of the semi-molten metal 41 having a large mass that has advanced into the mold cavity 41 and has entered the degassing passage 1 is directly applied to the valve 3. The valve 3 is moved reliably and quickly so that the gas exhaust hole 6 is directly shut off by the valve 3, and the semi-molten metal M
1 can be prevented from leaking out, and gas can be reliably and easily released from the mold during injection.

The semi-solid metal forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG.
Degassing device 50, vacuum pump 33 as a vacuum generating device
The exhaust device 55 and the injection device 60 are provided. The exhaust device 55 includes a striker 14, a limit switch A15, a limit switch B16, a timer A
17, timer B18, solenoid A30, solenoid B
31, a pipe 32, a vacuum pump 33, an air source 34, and a valve opening / closing cylinder 35. Further, the injection device 60 includes an injection cylinder 10, a piston rod 11, a coupling 12, a plunger rod 13, a tip 19, and a vertical sleeve 20.

The injection device 60 is tilted by a tilting cylinder (not shown) so that the semi-molten metal M1 can be supplied from the metal container 40 into the vertical sleeve 20 at a position where the fixed die is evaded. The semi-molten metal M1 is placed in the vertical sleeve 20
After being supplied to the inside, the injection device 60 is returned to the injection position by the tilting cylinder, and then both the molds 40 and the vertical sleeve 20 are docked, and the semi-molten metal M1 is injected into the mold cavity 41 by the tip 19. It is possible.

The piston rod 11 and the plunger rod 1
3 are joined by a coupling 12,
A substantially L-shaped striker 14 is fixed to the coupling 12, and the striker 14 moves up and down by the up and down movement of the piston rod 11. A limit switch A15 and a limit switch B16 are arranged in parallel on the striker 14 side end surface. And
The upper and lower sides of the striker 14 cause a limit switch A15
And the limit switch B16 is turned off, and the switch is turned on. As shown in FIG.
When the timer is turned off, the timer B18 is turned on. Further, when the limit switch A15 is turned off, the timer A17 is turned on.

First, when the timer A17 is turned on, the solenoid A30 is excited, and when the timer B18 is turned on, the solenoid B31 is excited. In the present invention, the semi-molten metal M1 in the vertical sleeve 20 is injection-molded while the pressure is reduced by using the gas release valve 70. However, the invention is not limited to this. May be closed.

The reason for using the degassing device 50 having the valve 3 that closes due to the inertial force of the ejected material despite the fact that the valve 3 is electrically closed is as follows. That is,
If the injection speed is within 0.2 m / s used in the squeeze casting method, the valve 3 is driven by the inertia force of the injected semi-molten metal M1.
Is hardly closed, but if the injection speed is higher than this, the semi-molten metal M1 may be ejected from the gas exhaust holes 6 depending on the shape inside the mold cavity 41. However, even in this case, the semi-molten metal M1 is prevented from being ejected from the gas exhaust holes 6 due to the inertial force of the semi-molten metal M1.

The operation of the embodiment will be described below.

First, an injection start switch (not shown) is turned ON. Then, the injection cylinder 10 operates and the plunger rod 13 moves forward to cast the semi-molten metal M1 into the mold cavity 41. As the plunger rod 13 advances, the striker 14 integral with the plunger also advances, and the contact between the striker 14 and the limit switch A15 is released and the limit switch A15 is turned on. When the electric current is supplied to A30, the valve 3 rises to close the gas exhaust hole 6, thereby preventing the semi-molten metal M1 from being ejected from the gas exhaust hole 6. Similarly, as the plunger rod 13 advances, the striker 14 integrated with the plunger also advances and the contact between the striker 14 and the limit switch B16 is released and the limit switch 16 is turned on, and the timer B18 starts counting. After a predetermined time, the solenoid B31 is energized, so that the gas in the cavity is forcibly discharged by the vacuum pump 33 through the pipe 32.

FIG. 3 shows a ring-shaped mold 8 used in the molding test.
0 is shown. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the semi-molten metal M1 is inserted into the vertical sleeve 20. In the present invention, the semi-molten metal M1 having a solid phase ratio of 20% to 70% is inserted into the vertical sleeve 20, and the vertical sleeve 20 and the mold 42 having the mold cavity 41 are combined. High-pressure molding is performed while reducing the pressure by using a mold degassing device 50 provided with a valve 3 at the end of the gas vent passage 1 from the mold cavity 41. If the solid phase ratio is less than 20%, the air sucked from the gap between the vertical sleeve 20 and the tip 19 enters the semi-molten metal M1 and entrains the air into the formed product, and the liquid metal Non-defective products cannot be obtained in the same manner as in molding If the solid phase ratio is 70% or more, there is no air entrainment as described above, but the molding itself cannot be performed well.

The vertical sleeve 20 referred to in the present invention is of a type in which the casting machine is docked to a molding die 42 in a state perpendicular to or close to the floor on which the casting machine is installed. There are two types: a rising direction of 41 and a mold clamping direction are parallel (generally called vertical mold clamping) or right angle (generally called horizontal mold clamping). In the horizontal sleeve, the metal in the sleeve cannot completely fill the inner surface of the sleeve regardless of whether the metal to be formed in the sleeve is a completely liquid or semi-molten metal.

When the injection speed is high, for example, 0.5 m /
When the injection speed is lower than 0.5 m / s, for example, when the injection speed is lower than 0.5 m / s, the valve opening / closing member is disposed at the rear of the valve 3. The valve opening / closing operation is performed by an external command other than the collision of the semi-molten metal M1. Here, the method by the external command is not particularly limited, but a method of electrically closing the valve after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the rising of the tip 19,
A valve that closes the valve with an electric signal when the sound wave generated when the gas collides with the wall surface of the degassing passage is detected to be at a predetermined level or higher, a molten metal detection sensor provided in a part of the degassing passage, or an ultrasonic wave. Some sensors close the valve. Thus, even when the injection speed is high or when the injection speed is low, a complete product can be obtained without molding with a large amount of air left in the mold cavity 41.

[Embodiment]

[0024]

[Table 1]

Table 1 shows the quality of the molded material obtained by molding the JISAC4CH alloy under various injection conditions using the ring mold shown in FIG. The molding was performed by inserting the semi-molten metal M1 into the vertical sleeve 20 as shown in FIG. 4, and then using a squeeze type injection device 60. The molding conditions were a metal pressure of 100 MPa and an injection speed of 0.1
The range was selected from m / s to 1.0 m / s.

In Comparative Example 5, since the liquid phase ratio was high, the pressure was reduced by using a degassing device, so that the vertical sleeve 2
Air is drawn into the semi-molten metal M1 from the gap between the chip 0 and the chip 19. In Comparative Example 6, since the liquid phase ratio was low, the hot water did not completely merge, so that a hot water boundary was generated and the appearance was poor. In Comparative Example 7, the same results as in Comparative Example 6 are shown even when the pressure is reduced using the degassing device 50. Comparative Example 8,
In Comparative Examples 9 and 10, the liquid phase ratio was 30% and 50%.
% And 70%, but the appearance is good because the pressure is not reduced by using a degassing device, but a hot water boundary occurs at the junction of the hot water. In Comparative Example 11, the liquid phase ratio was high,
Although there is no hot water boundary, shrinkage cavities and segregation occur, resulting in poor quality. On the other hand, in any of the invention examples, a molded article excellent in both appearance and inside is obtained without any hot water boundary.

[0027]

As is apparent from the above description,
In the method for molding a semi-molten metal according to the present invention, the solid fraction is 2%.
After inserting the semi-molten metal of 0 to 70% into the vertical sleeve and joining the sleeve and the mold having the cavity of the product part, the end of the passage for venting gas from the mold cavity can be freely opened and closed. Air entrainment by high-pressure molding while depressurizing using a mold degassing device equipped with a simple valve, a semi-molten metal with a uniform structure in which fine primary crystals without a hot boundary are dispersed in the liquid phase A molded article is obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a degassing device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing that a semi-molten metal is formed by using a degassing device and an exhaust device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a ring-shaped mold used in a molding test according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a method of inserting a semi-molten metal into a vertical sleeve. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a method of inserting a semi-molten metal into a vertical sleeve according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Degassing passage 2 Bypass 3 Seat 4 Rod 5 Valve seat 6 Gas exhaust hole 7 Valve guide 10 Injection cylinder 11 Piston rod 12 Coupling 13 Plunger rod 14 Striker 15 Limit switch A 16 Limit switch B 17 Timer A 18 Timer B 19 Tip 20 Vertical sleeve 30 Solenoid A 31 Solenoid B 32 Piping 33 Vacuum pump 34 Air source 35 Valve opening / closing cylinder 40 Metal container 41 Mold cavity 42 Mold 42A Movable mold 50 Degassing device 55 Discharging device 60 Injection device 70 Degassing Valve 80 Ring mold 100 Semi-molten metal forming device M1 Semi-molten metal

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Naoki Ishibashi 1980, Ogushi-oki, Yamaguchi Prefecture 1980 Okinoyama Ube Machinery & Engineering Office Ube Industries, Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A semi-molten metal having a solid phase ratio of 20% to 70% is inserted into a vertical sleeve, and the sleeve is coupled to a mold having a cavity. A method for forming a semi-molten metal, wherein high-pressure molding is performed while reducing pressure by using a mold vent valve provided with a valve that can be opened and closed in the middle of a passage. 2. A gas vent passage led from a cavity of a mold separation surface portion, a valve sliding at an end thereof in an axial direction or a direction different from the axial direction, and a valve portion of the gas vent passage extending from the middle of the gas vent passage. 2. A gas vent valve comprising a bypass which is a gas exhaust passage diverted to a side surface portion, and the valve is closed by collision of the injected semi-molten metal with the valve. Forming method of semi-solid metal. 3. A method for forming a semi-molten metal, wherein the opening and closing operation of the gas vent valve according to claim 1 or 2 is performed by an external command other than the inertia force of the semi-molten metal.