US20140116638A1 - Sand printed mold package for casting a wheel assembly having directional solidification features - Google Patents
Sand printed mold package for casting a wheel assembly having directional solidification features Download PDFInfo
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- US20140116638A1 US20140116638A1 US14/149,118 US201414149118A US2014116638A1 US 20140116638 A1 US20140116638 A1 US 20140116638A1 US 201414149118 A US201414149118 A US 201414149118A US 2014116638 A1 US2014116638 A1 US 2014116638A1
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- mold
- cavity
- drag
- package
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
- B22C—FOUNDRY MOULDING
- B22C9/00—Moulds or cores; Moulding processes
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
- B22C—FOUNDRY MOULDING
- B22C9/00—Moulds or cores; Moulding processes
- B22C9/02—Sand moulds or like moulds for shaped castings
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
- B22C—FOUNDRY MOULDING
- B22C9/00—Moulds or cores; Moulding processes
- B22C9/22—Moulds for peculiarly-shaped castings
- B22C9/28—Moulds for peculiarly-shaped castings for wheels, rolls, or rollers
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
- B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
- B22D15/00—Casting using a mould or core of which a part significant to the process is of high thermal conductivity, e.g. chill casting; Moulds or accessories specially adapted therefor
- B22D15/005—Casting using a mould or core of which a part significant to the process is of high thermal conductivity, e.g. chill casting; Moulds or accessories specially adapted therefor of rolls, wheels or the like
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B33—ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
- B33Y—ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3-D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3-D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING
- B33Y30/00—Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
Definitions
- the present invention generally relates to the use of additive manufacturing techniques for creating mold components or sand mold packages for use in casting prototype wheel assemblies for vehicle testing.
- Mold packages are often fabricated to cast molded parts and these mold packages will generally vary depending on the application and cast product requirements.
- a mold package In developing prototype wheel assemblies, a mold package must be created to cast the wheel wherein a molten metal material will be poured into the mold package to form cast wheels.
- Such mold packages have generally been produced using subtractive manufacturing techniques such as using a CNC machine to carve molds from metal billets to form cope and drag mold packages having a mold cavity representing the shape of a wheel Inherent with subtractive manufacturing techniques, the mold designer is limited as subtractive manufacturing techniques cannot produce all the specific geometrical configurations that may be incorporated in a wheel design such as undercuts and expanding cavities. Further, given the nature of a prototype wheel being used as a prototype for vehicle testing, it is not necessary to create a mold package that has the tolerances or cycle life of a mold package which would be used for a wheel that is in regular production.
- mold packages that can incorporate intricate design features of various types of prototype wheels, wherein the mold package is able to be produced relatively quickly so that the prototype wheel can be cast and tested. Further, it is desirable to have a mold package that can be used for the prototype wheel assembly, but that does not have the manufacturing and design lead time of a standard production mold core package. Further, it is desirable to have a method which includes a mold forming technique that is capable of precisely creating the mold core package such that the resulting cast past is a near net shape of the wheel.
- a mold package for casting a wheel includes a sand printed drag mold having a cavity with a chill support chamber and a metal chill received in the support chamber.
- the mold package further includes at least one sand printed mold insert received in the cavity of the sand printed drag mold and a sand printed cope mold coupled to the sand printed drag mold such that a casting cavity for the wheel assembly is created by the exterior inner surfaces of the cope mold, the drag mold and the at least one insert.
- Another aspect of the present invention includes, a method of casting a wheel assembly including sand printing a drag mold, a cope mold and at least one mold insert, wherein the drag mold includes a cavity and a chill support chamber, and further wherein and the cope mold includes a frustum projection having a lower surface defining a wheel disk pattern.
- the method further includes positioning a metal chill in the chill support chamber of the drag mold and inserting the mold insert into the cavity of the drag mold.
- a casting cavity is formed or defined by closing the cope mold on the drag mold such that the frustum projection of the cope mold is generally disposed within the cavity of the drag mold.
- the casting cavity is the near net shape of the desired casting.
- a sprue or channel is incorporated into the cope mold such that the sprue is in fluid communication with the casting cavity.
- the method further includes casting a molten alloy into the casting cavity, such that a least a portion of the molten alloy is disposed adjacent to the chill.
- the molten alloy is then allowed to directionally solidify in the casting cavity to form a wheel, wherein the molten alloy solidifies beginning with molten alloy disposed adjacent to the chill.
- Yet another aspect of the present invention includes, a method of casting a prototype wheel assembly wherein the method includes sand printing a sacrificial cope mold portion and a sacrificial drag mold portion of a mold package.
- the cope and drag mold portions have walls defining at least in part a mold cavity for a prototype wheel.
- a chill is positioned in the drag mold and at least one internal core is positioned within either the cope mold portion or the drag mold portion.
- the at least one internal core is configured to define at least in part a hub cavity, a disk cavity and a rim cavity for the cast prototype wheel assembly within the mold cavity.
- the method further includes closing the cope and drag mold portions around the at least one internal core to form a mold package and casting a molten material into the mold cavity, such that a least a portion of the molten material contacts the chill.
- the molten alloy is then allowed to directionally solidify in the casting cavity to form a wheel assembly, wherein the molten alloy solidifies beginning with molten alloy in contact with the chill.
- the method finally includes breaking away the sacrificial cope mold portion and the sacrificial drag mold portion to form a wheel assembly having a hub section, a disk section and a rim section.
- FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a job box prior to the formation of sand mold packages by a sand mold printing device;
- FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a job box of FIG. 1 disposed in a printing area of the sandprinting device as a layer of fine particulate is being spread in the job box;
- FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the job box of FIG. 2 as a binder is being added to the fine particulate in the job box by a sandprinting device to form a cross-sectional layer of a sand mold package component;
- FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of the job box of FIG. 3 after several cross-sectional layers of sand have been printed in the job box by a sandprinting device;
- FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of the job box of FIG. 4 with a fresh layer of fine particulate being spread over the print surface of the job box;
- FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of the job box of FIG. 5 after a sand mold package component has been printed and the job box has been removed from the printing area of the printing device;
- FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the sand mold package component of FIG. 6 as removed from the job box, wherein the sand mold package component is a drag mold assembly made from bound sand, and further wherein excess unbound sand is being removed from the drag mold assembly;
- FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of the drag mold assembly of FIG. 6A with the excess unbound sand removed;
- FIGS. 8A-8C are top perspective views of various chill plate designs for use with the present invention.
- FIGS. 9 and 10 are top perspective view of sand printed side core mold components
- FIG. 11 is a top perspective view of a sand printed cope mold component
- FIG. 12 is a bottom perspective view of the cope mold component of FIG. 11 ;
- FIG. 13 is a top perspective view of a gate
- FIG. 14 is a top perspective view of a chill plate to be inserted into a sand printed drag mold component
- FIG. 14A is a cross-sectional view of the chill plate and sand printed drag mold component of FIG. 14 ;
- FIG. 15 is a top perspective view of a sand printed drag mold component having a chill plate and a side core disposed thereon with another side core to be received in the sand printed drag mold component;
- FIG. 15A is a cross-sectional view of the sand printed drag mold component and side cores along with the chill plate as shown in FIG. 15 ;
- FIG. 16 is a top perspective view of the sand printed drag mold component
- FIG. 16A is a cross-sectional view of the sand printed drag mold component of FIG. 16 having side cores and a chill plate disposed therein;
- FIG. 17 is an exploded view of a sand mold package having sand printed cope and drag mold components
- FIG. 17A is a cross-sectional view of the exploded sand mold package of FIG. 17 ;
- FIG. 18 is a top perspective view of an assembled sand mold package
- FIG. 18A is a cross-sectional view of the assembled sand mold package of FIG. 18 ;
- FIG. 18B is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the assembled sand mold package of FIG. 18 ;
- FIG. 18C is a top perspective view of the sand mold package of FIG. 18 being broken away to reveal a cast part;
- FIG. 18D is a top perspective view of a cast wheel assembly as removed from the sand mold package
- FIG. 19 is a top perspective view of a cast wheel assembly.
- FIGS. 20A-20C are side perspective views of various cast wheel assembly designs.
- the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in FIG. 1 .
- the invention may assume various alternative orientations, except where expressly specified to the contrary.
- the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.
- the present invention uses an additive manufacturing technique to produce a mold package, and specifically, uses a sandprinting process to create a sand printed mold package.
- the printing of a sand mold package using a sandprinting device is generally initiated by acquiring a three-dimensional (3D) data design for a wheel assembly using a CAD model program.
- the 3D data design can be for a wheel assembly, and particularly, for a prototype wheel assembly, such that the data can be used to create a sand printed mold package that can be used to cast a prototype wheel assembly using a molten alloy.
- the sandprinting device is capable of printing various sand mold packages such that several different designs of prototype wheel assemblies can be created without the associated costs and workup time necessary to create a mold core package from blocks of metal using subtractive manufacturing techniques.
- the job box 40 defines a print area 44 within which components of a mold core package will be formed from a plurality of stacked particulate layers, as further described below.
- the printing device 42 is capable of printing 3D molds, cores, inserts, mold core packages and other mold components for use in the present invention.
- the terms “mold package”, “mold core package” or “sand mold package” will refer to sand printed molds that are ready for casting of a molten material.
- the term “molds” will refer to a component of a mold package and the term “cores” refers to an insert that is inserted into a mold package for displacing molten material as cast into the mold core package.
- the combination of sand printed molds and cores creates a mold core package used with a metal chill for casting a prototype wheel assembly.
- a sand mold package 200 as shown in FIG. 18 will be referenced for exemplary purposes only. It is to be understood that several different sand mold package components can be printed for casting other wheel assemblies and such sand mold package components can be printed simultaneously in a single printing process.
- the printing device 42 includes a hopper 46 at a deposition trough 48 , which lays a thin layer of activated fine particulate 50 , such as silica sand, ceramic-sand mixes, etc., inside the print area 44 .
- the particulate 50 may be of any size, including 0.002 mm to 2 mm in diameter.
- the printing device 42 also includes a binder deposition device or binder dispenser 52 . As disclosed in detail below, the binder dispenser 52 sprays a thin layer of binder or binding agent 16 in a configuration or pattern 80 of a single layer of a desired sand printed mold component.
- Repetition of the layering of sand 50 and spraying of binding agent 16 by the binder dispenser 52 results in the production of a three-dimensional sand mold component comprised of a plurality of the stacked particulate layers.
- the 3D sand mold package is manufactured additively over a length of time sufficient to print each thin layer of the fine particulate 50 in succession, such that each layer of bound particulate is further bound to adjacent layers, to form a completed sand mold component.
- Each thin layer measures approximately 0.28 mm.
- a completed sand mold package made up of various sand printed components will ultimately be used as a sacrificial mold to fabricate or cast a metal part, such as the wheel assembly shown in FIG. 19 .
- a computer-aided design (CAD) program is developed wherein the specific configuration of a sand mold package component 100 ( FIG. 6A ) is entered and loaded up on a computer 60 , which is coupled to the printing device 42 .
- the computer 60 feeds the information from the CAD program to the printing device 42 for formation of the sand mold components configured to cast a specific part.
- a CAD program or any other form of 3D modeling software, can be used to provide sufficient information for the 3D printing device 42 to form the desired sand mold structure.
- a predetermined quantity of the sand or fine particulate 50 is dispensed into the hopper 46 by a particulate spout 62 as shown in FIG. 1 .
- An activation coating or activator 70 supplied by an activator spout 72 is also deposited into the hopper 46 .
- the fine particulate 50 may include any of a variety of materials or combinations thereof suitable for the additive manufacturing techniques disclosed herein.
- the sand 50 is mixed in the hopper 46 with the activator 70 by an agitator 74 or other known mixing device such that the sand 50 becomes thoroughly mixed and activated. After the sand 50 and activator 70 have been thoroughly mixed, the activated sand 50 is moved to the deposition trough 48 .
- the sand 50 is spread across the print area 44 by the deposition trough 48 to form a thin even layer of unbound sand 90 .
- the activated fine particulates 50 are sprayed with the binder or binding agent 16 ( FIG. 3 ).
- the binding agent 16 is dispensed from the binder dispenser 52 , which sprays a thin layer of the binding agent 16 in a CAD specified pattern 80 that represents a first thin cross-sectional layer of the desired sand mold component as exemplified in FIGS. 6A and 7 as component 100 .
- Another mixture of sand 50 and activator 70 is prepared and deposited into the deposition trough 48 .
- the deposition trough 48 then dispenses another layer 90 of unbound activated sand 50 over the previously spread sand layer in the job box 40 , as shown in FIG. 5 .
- the binder dispenser 52 passes over the print area 44 again, spraying a thin layer of the binding agent 16 in the pattern 80 that represents a second thin cross-sectional layer of the desired sand mold components adjacent to the first thin cross-sectional layer. These steps are repeated several times until every thin cross-sectional layer of the completed sand mold component 100 ( FIG. 7 ) has been printed.
- this additive manufacturing technique virtually any shape of a sand mold component can be formed.
- a completed sand mold package produced using 3D sandprinting can have internal structural features that cannot otherwise be created by known subtractive methods.
- the job box 40 has a layer of unbound sand 90 disposed on top and the sandprinting process is complete.
- the job box 40 contains a sand printed mold component therein.
- the sand printed mold component 100 has been removed from the job box 40 and unbound sand 90 is being removed to reveal mold component 100 .
- a drag mold 100 which is generally rectangular in configuration having side walls 102 , 104 , 106 and 108 and a bottom wall 110 .
- a chamber 112 is disposed on bottom wall 110 and is configured to accept a base portion of a metal chill as further described below.
- the bottom wall 110 further comprises guide channels 114 which are disposed at the intersection of bottom wall 110 and side walls 106 and 102 .
- Side walls 104 and 108 comprise angled inner walls 116 used to guide and properly align side cores which will be disposed within a cavity 101 created by the side walls 102 , 104 , 106 and 108 of the drag mold 100 .
- alignment features or guide members 118 are disposed in the upper four corners of the drag mold 100 and are used to align the drag mold 100 with a cope mold to form an assembled sand mold package.
- the sand printed chamber 112 is in the form of a circular depression for accepting base portion of a metal chill having a circular base portion.
- the exemplary circular pattern for chamber 112 shown in FIG. 7 is a reciprocal pattern of a base portion 119 of a chill plate 120 as shown in FIG. 8A .
- the chill plate is inserted into the cavity 101 of the drag mold 100 in creating the sand mold package and the base portion 119 of the chill 120 is further nested within chamber 112 .
- FIGS. 8A-8C various designs for chill plates ( 120 , 122 , 124 ) are shown which, in assembly, form specific designs for the disk area of prototype wheel assemblies.
- the chamber 112 formed on the bottom wall 110 of the drag mold 100 provides a chill support cavity for a base chill, such as the chill plates depicted in FIGS. 8A-8C .
- the base chill is formed from a metal material having a high heat conductivity such that when assembled in a mold package, the base chill 120 will cause for directional solidification of a molten material as cast in the mold package.
- Appropriate metals used to form the base chill include iron, copper, bronze, aluminum, graphite, and other such materials with high heat capacity and thermal conductivity. The process for directional solidification of a molten material to form a cast wheel assembly will be further described below.
- side cores 126 and 128 are configured to be placed within the cavity 101 of the drag mold 100 shown in FIG. 7 .
- Each of the side molds, or side cores 126 , 128 comprise angled side walls 116 ′ which are configured to align with angled walls 116 of the drag mold 100 .
- the angled or tapered inner portions 116 of side walls 108 and 104 of the drag mold 100 and the angled or tapered outer side walls 116 ′ of the side cores 126 , 128 provides for accurate and efficient construction of the mold core package in assembly.
- the side cores 126 , 128 further comprise arcuately shaped inner side walls 130 which will form the side walls of the mold cavity for the rim portion of the wheel assembly as further described below.
- the side molds 126 , 128 have flat back portions 132 having upper guide members 134 and lower guide members 136 .
- the lower guide members 136 correspond to the guide channels 114 disposed on the bottom wall 110 of the drag mold 100 as shown in FIG. 7 .
- the upper guide members 134 correspond to guide channels disposed in a cope mold assembly as further described below.
- the side molds 126 , 128 are produced using the additive manufacturing technique of printed sand layers described above with reference to the formation of the drag mold assembly 100 . In assembly, the side molds 126 , 128 , as shown in FIG. 16 , are fully disposed within the cavity 101 of the drag mold assembly 100 .
- a cope mold assembly 150 having a generally rectangular shape with an upper surface 152 and a lower surface 154 .
- the lower surface 154 has a generally inverted frustum shaped projection 155 as shown in FIG. 12 which, in assembly in a mold core package, forms the inner side walls of the rim portion of the wheel assembly.
- the cope mold assembly 150 is formed using a sandprinting technique similar to the techniques described above.
- the cope mold assembly 150 is formed with guide chambers 156 disposed on its lower surface 154 in the outer corners of the lower surface 154 . In assembly, the guide chambers 156 align with and engage guide members 118 disposed on the upper surface of the drag mold assembly 100 , such that the guide members 118 of the drag mold 110 ( FIG.
- the cope mold assembly 150 has an inlet port 158 disposed on its upper surface 152 through which a molten material is either gravity fed or injected in a low pressure injection process into the mold cavity of the mold package as further described below.
- the cope mold assembly 150 has apertures 160 disposed on the upper surface 152 which correspond to risers formed in the mold cavity and used in the casting process as further described below.
- a gate 162 is shown having a generally circular shaped body portion 164 with spoke portions 166 extending orthogonally from the circular or cylinder shaped body portion 164 .
- the gate 162 helps to disperse and filter molten material as it is poured into the mold cavity.
- the gate 162 includes an upper opening or aperture 165 that includes a ceramic filter 171 . Opening 165 is in fluid communication with exit ports 170 disposed between spokes 166 .
- the gate 162 is disposed between the cope mold 150 and drag mold 100 as shown in FIGS. 17A and 18A in assembly.
- a sand printed mold core package 200 ( FIG. 18 ) is assembled and will be now be described.
- a metal base chill exemplified as chill 120 as shown in FIG. 14
- the chill plate is supported on the chill plate support chamber 112 disposed on a bottom wall 110 of the drag mold 100 .
- the drag mold 100 is commonly referred to as the bottom or lower mold. As shown in FIG.
- FIG. 14A a cross-sectional view of the drag mold 100 and the metallic base chill 120 are shown where it can be seen that the support chamber 112 of the bottom wall 110 of the drag mold 100 is specifically sand printed to correspond to the cross-section of the base portion 119 of the metal base chill 120 , such that the base chill 120 is fully supported and nested within chamber 112 of the drag mold 100 in assembly.
- the side molds or side cores 126 , 128 are inserted into the cavity 101 of the drag mold 100 .
- the curved inner surfaces 130 of the side molds 126 , 128 align with one another and surround the metal base chill 120 in assembly.
- the angled side walls 116 ′ align with the angled inner side walls 116 of the drag mold 100 , such that the side cores 126 , 128 easily fit into place and are quickly assembled in the drag mold 100 .
- guide members 136 disposed on the lower end of rear wall 132 of the side molds 126 , 128 are received in the guide channels 114 disposed on the bottom wall 110 of the drag mold 100 as best shown in FIG. 15A .
- the side molds 126 , 128 are securely situated within the cavity 101 of the drag mold 100 .
- the guide members 136 of the side molds 126 , 128 being engaged in the guide channels 114 of the drag mold 100 ensures that the side molds 126 , 128 are properly situated for the forming of a mold cavity for the casting of a wheel assembly.
- a mold package 200 ( FIG. 18 ) is fully assembled with the cope mold 150 being fitted on the drag mold 100 .
- the gate 162 is also inserted into the cavity 101 of the drag mold 100 as shown in FIG. 17 .
- guide members 118 disposed on the outer corners of the upper surface of the drag mold 100 align with and engage guide chambers 156 disposed on the outer corners of lower surface 154 of the cope mold 150 . In this way, the cope mold 150 is properly situated on the drag mold 100 to precisely form a mold cavity.
- guide members 134 disposed on upper surfaces of side molds 126 , 128 are aligned with and engage guide chambers 157 disposed on the lower surface 154 of the cope mold 150 as shown in FIG. 12 .
- the alignment and engagement of guide members 134 of the side molds 126 , 128 with the guide chambers 157 of the cope mold 150 further assures proper assembly of the mold cavity for casting a wheel assembly as further described below.
- the frustum projection 155 of the cope mold 150 is prepared to be inserted in to the cavity 101 of the drag mold 100 .
- the cope mold further includes apertures 161 disposed on the lower surface 154 of the cope mold 150 .
- Apertures 160 disposed on the upper surface 152 of the cope mold 150 are in communication with apertures 161 such that risers 180 are internally formed within the cope mold 150 and are used in the casting of the molten material as further described below.
- the risers 180 are in fluid communication with a mold cavity where a wheel is cast.
- the cope mold further includes a sprue 182 which is disposed between inlet or access port 158 disposed on the upper surface 152 of the cope mold 150 and aperture 159 disposed on a lower portion of the frustum protrusion 155 of the lower surface 154 of the cope mold 150 .
- molten material is poured in the access port 158 and travels through the sprue 182 of the cope mold 150 to fill the mold cavity.
- aperture 159 disposed on the frustum shaped protrusion 155 is adapted to engage the gate 162 in assembly.
- the gate 162 further comprises an aperture 165 extending there through to exit ports 170 for the dispersion of molten material in a casting process.
- a sand printed mold core package 200 is shown wherein the cope mold 150 and drag mold 100 , commonly referred to as upper and lower mold forms, are assembled together to form a mold cavity 220 , as shown in FIG. 18A , having a near net shape of a wheel assembly to be cast.
- the guide members 118 of the drag mold 100 are nested within the guide chambers 156 of the cope mold 150 .
- a pouring cup 210 is positioned in communication with aperture or inlet port 158 disposed on the upper surface 152 of the cope mold 150 , wherein the pouring cup 210 is used for the casting of a molten material into the mold core package 200 .
- molten material 212 is gravity fed or injected under low pressure into pouring cup 210 such that the molten material 212 enters the mold core package 200 at aperture or inlet port 158 of the cope mold 150 and travels through the sprue 182 down to the mold cavity 220 as indicated by the arrows shown in FIG. 18A .
- the mold cavity or casting cavity 220 of the mold core package 200 is generally defined on an interior side by the frustum projection 155 extending downwardly from the lower surface 154 of the cope mold 150 .
- the exterior portion of the mold cavity or casting cavity 220 is generally defined by the arcuate side walls 130 of the side molds 126 , 128 and further defined by the base chill 120 disposed on a lower surface of the mold cavity 220 .
- the molten material 212 travels from the inlet port 158 through the sprue 182 to a hub casting cavity H of the mold cavity 220 .
- the molten material 212 is generally considered a molten metal material such as a molten aluminum alloy used for casting alloy wheels.
- the molten aluminum alloy can be aluminum alloy A356 which is generally poured at a temperature of 730° C. While the A356 aluminum alloy is an exemplary alloy used in casting prototype wheels using the sand printed mold packages of the present invention, this alloy is only provided for exemplary purposes and not meant to limit the scope of the present invention. It is noted that any generally lightweight metal alloy can be used for casting such as aluminum or magnesium.
- the molten material 212 generally travels into a disk casting cavity for casting the disk portion of a wheel assembly.
- the casting cavity for the wheel disk is represented by left and right casting cavities D 1 and D 2 in FIG. 18A and will generally comprise spaced apart spokes in the final wheel casting.
- the disk casting cavities D 1 and D 2 make up one unitary cavity in assembly and are generally defined by the contours of the upper surface of the base chill 120 and the contours of the lower surface 153 of the frustum projection 155 of the cope mold 150 .
- the lower surface 153 of the frustum projection 155 can have a wheel disc pattern disposed thereon that correlates to the pattern disposed on the base chill 120 used in a casting process such that the lower surface 153 of the frustum projection 155 provides an interior molding cavity wall defining a particular wheel disc pattern.
- the molten material 212 After filing the disk casting cavity, the molten material 212 then generally travels as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 18A to the side wall casting cavities S 1 and S 2 . As the molten material 212 fills the side wall casting cavities S 1 , S 2 , the molten material 212 proceeds to a lower bead seat casting area LB and further onto a lower flange casting area LF. The molten material 212 then proceeds upward to annular rim casting cavities R 1 and R 2 to upper bead seat casting areas UB and upper flange casting areas UF and finally to risers 180 disposed within the cope mold assembly 150 .
- the molten material 212 fills the mold cavity 220 generally from the bottom of the mold cavity at the hub casting cavity H and the lower flange LF and lower bead seat LB area up through the annular rim casting sections R 1 , R 2 to the cavities of the risers 180 .
- Casting areas UB and LB of the mold cavity 220 used for creating upper and lower bead seats make for projections which extend radially outward on the rim portion of a cast wheel for seating a tire on the cast wheel.
- the casting cavities UF and LF that make up the upper and lower flanges disposed on either side of the rim portion are used to retain a vehicle tire on the cast wheel.
- the metal base chill 120 serves to provide a starting point for solidification of the molten material 212 as cast.
- the solidification of the molten material 212 is a directional solidification starting at the metal base chill 120 and proceeding upward towards the annular rim cavity R 1 as well as simultaneously proceeding axially along the disk casting cavity D 1 towards the hub casting cavity H.
- the directional solidification provided by the base chill reduces the cooling time of the cast wheel and provides for a finer grain size in the final cast wheel.
- the final cast wheel will also have reduced porosity as compared to casting procedures of the prior art which do not allow for directional solidification.
- the directional solidification provided by the base chill 120 is generally brought about by the high heat capacity and thermal conductivity of the base chill 120 .
- the base chill 120 can absorb high amounts of heat from the molten material 212 , such that the molten material 212 cools and begins solidification from a starting point of the base chill 120 and directionally upward through the rim casting cavity R 1 and axially across the wheel disk casting cavity D 1 towards the hub casting cavity H.
- the molten material is cast into the sand printed mold package 200 until the molten material 212 can be seen in the risers 180 .
- the risers contain molten material that is used to fill spaces created in the cast wheel in the rim casting cavity R 1 /R 2 as the molten material solidifies and shrinks
- the cast wheel components have a reduced porosity as molten material is readily available in the risers to fill any voids caused by solidification or shrinkage during the casting process.
- the sprue 182 FIG. 18A ) provides a readily available supply of molten material 212 to fill any spaces or voids caused by shrinkage or contraction in the solidification of the molten material 212 at the hub casting cavity H.
- the inlet port 158 and risers 180 will generally let the user know if there is enough molten material 212 to fully cast the wheel assembly. As the molten material 212 settles and solidifies, the level of molten material in the risers and sprue area will decrease until the wheel assembly is fully solidified. Therefore, the risers 180 are generally large such that material cast therein will remain in a fluid molten form for use in filling voids in the solidifying cast wheel assembly as needed.
- the sand mold package 200 is broken away to reveal a cast part 250 , which is exemplified herein as a cast wheel assembly 250 .
- the cast part 250 still contains the solidified material 252 which was once disposed within the risers portions 180 of the sand printed mold package 200 .
- the solidified material 252 is generally machined off the wheel assembly 250 .
- the cast wheel 250 comprises an upper flange 254 and a lower flange 256 for retaining a vehicle tire wherein the upper and lower flanges 254 , 256 are cast in the upper and lower flange casting cavities UF and LF ( FIG. 18A ).
- the rim portion 258 of the cast wheel is the result of the solidification of molten material in the rim casting cavity identified as R 1 and R 2 in FIG. 18A .
- the disk portion 260 as shown in FIG. 19 , has an intricate design or spoke pattern disposed thereon as well as bolt holes 262 used for securing the cast wheel 250 to a vehicle assembly.
- the wheel disc design typically includes openings formed between spokes which allows air to flow to the vehicle brakes thereby cooling the vehicle brakes in use.
- the spaced apart spokes also provide for a lighter weight cast wheel assembly.
- the cast wheel assemblies 250 a , 250 b , and 250 c can have several different configurations of the disk portion as determined by the metal base chill and sand printed mold components described above.
- the sand printed mold package 200 includes guide elements or alignment features disposed on various components of the complete mold core package 200 ( FIG. 18 ).
- the guide chambers 156 on the cold mold 150 are engaged by guide members 118 as disposed on the upper surface of the drag mold 100 .
- the angled walls 116 disposed on an inner side of the drag mold 100 in the cavity 101 ( FIG. 7 ) correlate and align with the angled walls 116 ′ of the side cores 126 , 128 .
- the lower guide members 136 disposed on the flat back portions 132 of side molds 126 , 128 are adapted to be received in guide channels 114 disposed on the bottom wall 110 of the drag mold 100 in assembling the mold package 200 .
- the upper guide members 134 disposed on the flat back portions 132 of side molds 126 , 128 are adapted to be received in guide channels or guide chambers 157 disposed on the lower surface 154 of the cope mold 150 .
- the guide elements or alignment features of the present invention are adapted to provide interlocking engagement of the mold components for efficient and accurate assembly of the mold core package 200 .
- the additive manufacturing techniques described above, allow for intricate designs for the guide features and alignment features such that proper assembly is ensured. Further, it is noted that the present invention contemplates several different alignment feature configurations for use with the present invention.
- the mold packages of the present invention are sacrificial sand printed mold packages, there is no need to incorporate intricate designs for cooling lines and other complex thermal control elements in printing the mold package for the casting of a prototype wheel assembly.
- the base chill 120 allows for directional solidification of the molten material 212 cast in the mold core package 200 .
- the directional solidification of the molten material 212 helps prevent hot tears from forming, reduces or eliminates porosity in the final cast part, and helps ensure that air is not trapped in the cast part during the solidification process.
- the directional solidification also helps prevent shrinkage defects and gives a dense solid homogeneous formation of the cast part.
- solidification of a molten material generally occurs based on the relative thickness of the casting, wherein thicker cavities generally cool at a lower rate than thin cavity formations.
- the present invention induces directional solidification of the molding cavities from the bottom up. This directional solidification occurs even though casting cavities disposed at the bottom of the form may in fact be larger than other cavities not disposed adjacent to the metal base chill, such as the annular rim cavities.
- Metal alloys will shrink as the material solidifies, and if molten material is not available to compensate for this shrinkage, a shrinkage defect will form.
- the sandprinting techniques of the present invention are used to create mold components to create a sand printed mold package that is capable of casting prototype wheel assemblies.
- the present invention allows for experimental prototype wheel assembly designs to be quickly produced without the traditional foundry die design used in the prior art which typically involves large design lead times, high scrap rates, and less than optimal production rates.
- the present invention eliminates the need for producing production quality mold core packages for casting a wheel assembly and replaces them with sacrificial sand printed mold core packages which can be quickly made and intricately designed based on 3D CAD software. In this way, experimental prototype wheel designs can be quickly produced at much lower costs for use in vehicle testing.
- the term “coupled” in all of its forms, couple, coupling, coupled, etc. generally means the joining of two components (electrical or mechanical) directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary in nature or movable in nature. Such joining may be achieved with the two components (electrical or mechanical) and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two components. Such joining may be permanent in nature or may be removable or releasable in nature unless otherwise stated.
- elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements shown as multiple parts may be integrally formed, the operation of the interfaces may be reversed or otherwise varied, the length or width of the structures and/or members or connector or other elements of the system may be varied, the nature or number of adjustment positions provided between the elements may be varied.
- the elements and/or assemblies of the system may be constructed from any of a wide variety of materials that provide sufficient strength or durability, in any of a wide variety of colors, textures, and combinations. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present innovations. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the desired and other exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present innovations.
Abstract
A mold package for casting a wheel assembly includes a sand printed drag mold having a cavity with a chill support chamber and a metal chill received in the support chamber. The mold package further includes at least one sand printed mold insert received in the cavity of the sand printed drag mold and a sand printed cope mold coupled to the sand printed drag mold such that a casting cavity for the wheel assembly is created by the exterior inner surfaces of the cope mold, the drag mold and the at least one insert.
Description
- This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/605,048, filed Sep. 6, 2012, entitled “SAND PRINTED MOLD PACKAGE FOR CASTING A WHEEL ASSEMBLY HAVING DIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION FEATURES,” the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
- The present invention generally relates to the use of additive manufacturing techniques for creating mold components or sand mold packages for use in casting prototype wheel assemblies for vehicle testing.
- Mold packages are often fabricated to cast molded parts and these mold packages will generally vary depending on the application and cast product requirements.
- In developing prototype wheel assemblies, a mold package must be created to cast the wheel wherein a molten metal material will be poured into the mold package to form cast wheels. Such mold packages have generally been produced using subtractive manufacturing techniques such as using a CNC machine to carve molds from metal billets to form cope and drag mold packages having a mold cavity representing the shape of a wheel Inherent with subtractive manufacturing techniques, the mold designer is limited as subtractive manufacturing techniques cannot produce all the specific geometrical configurations that may be incorporated in a wheel design such as undercuts and expanding cavities. Further, given the nature of a prototype wheel being used as a prototype for vehicle testing, it is not necessary to create a mold package that has the tolerances or cycle life of a mold package which would be used for a wheel that is in regular production. Thus, there is a desire to create mold packages that can incorporate intricate design features of various types of prototype wheels, wherein the mold package is able to be produced relatively quickly so that the prototype wheel can be cast and tested. Further, it is desirable to have a mold package that can be used for the prototype wheel assembly, but that does not have the manufacturing and design lead time of a standard production mold core package. Further, it is desirable to have a method which includes a mold forming technique that is capable of precisely creating the mold core package such that the resulting cast past is a near net shape of the wheel.
- According to one aspect of the present invention, a mold package for casting a wheel includes a sand printed drag mold having a cavity with a chill support chamber and a metal chill received in the support chamber. The mold package further includes at least one sand printed mold insert received in the cavity of the sand printed drag mold and a sand printed cope mold coupled to the sand printed drag mold such that a casting cavity for the wheel assembly is created by the exterior inner surfaces of the cope mold, the drag mold and the at least one insert.
- Another aspect of the present invention includes, a method of casting a wheel assembly including sand printing a drag mold, a cope mold and at least one mold insert, wherein the drag mold includes a cavity and a chill support chamber, and further wherein and the cope mold includes a frustum projection having a lower surface defining a wheel disk pattern. The method further includes positioning a metal chill in the chill support chamber of the drag mold and inserting the mold insert into the cavity of the drag mold. A casting cavity is formed or defined by closing the cope mold on the drag mold such that the frustum projection of the cope mold is generally disposed within the cavity of the drag mold. The casting cavity is the near net shape of the desired casting. A sprue or channel is incorporated into the cope mold such that the sprue is in fluid communication with the casting cavity. The method further includes casting a molten alloy into the casting cavity, such that a least a portion of the molten alloy is disposed adjacent to the chill. The molten alloy is then allowed to directionally solidify in the casting cavity to form a wheel, wherein the molten alloy solidifies beginning with molten alloy disposed adjacent to the chill.
- Yet another aspect of the present invention includes, a method of casting a prototype wheel assembly wherein the method includes sand printing a sacrificial cope mold portion and a sacrificial drag mold portion of a mold package. The cope and drag mold portions have walls defining at least in part a mold cavity for a prototype wheel. A chill is positioned in the drag mold and at least one internal core is positioned within either the cope mold portion or the drag mold portion. The at least one internal core is configured to define at least in part a hub cavity, a disk cavity and a rim cavity for the cast prototype wheel assembly within the mold cavity. The method further includes closing the cope and drag mold portions around the at least one internal core to form a mold package and casting a molten material into the mold cavity, such that a least a portion of the molten material contacts the chill. The molten alloy is then allowed to directionally solidify in the casting cavity to form a wheel assembly, wherein the molten alloy solidifies beginning with molten alloy in contact with the chill. The method finally includes breaking away the sacrificial cope mold portion and the sacrificial drag mold portion to form a wheel assembly having a hub section, a disk section and a rim section.
- These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present invention will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon studying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.
- In the drawings:
-
FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a job box prior to the formation of sand mold packages by a sand mold printing device; -
FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a job box ofFIG. 1 disposed in a printing area of the sandprinting device as a layer of fine particulate is being spread in the job box; -
FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the job box ofFIG. 2 as a binder is being added to the fine particulate in the job box by a sandprinting device to form a cross-sectional layer of a sand mold package component; -
FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of the job box ofFIG. 3 after several cross-sectional layers of sand have been printed in the job box by a sandprinting device; -
FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of the job box ofFIG. 4 with a fresh layer of fine particulate being spread over the print surface of the job box; -
FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of the job box ofFIG. 5 after a sand mold package component has been printed and the job box has been removed from the printing area of the printing device; -
FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the sand mold package component ofFIG. 6 as removed from the job box, wherein the sand mold package component is a drag mold assembly made from bound sand, and further wherein excess unbound sand is being removed from the drag mold assembly; -
FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of the drag mold assembly ofFIG. 6A with the excess unbound sand removed; -
FIGS. 8A-8C are top perspective views of various chill plate designs for use with the present invention; -
FIGS. 9 and 10 are top perspective view of sand printed side core mold components; -
FIG. 11 is a top perspective view of a sand printed cope mold component; -
FIG. 12 is a bottom perspective view of the cope mold component ofFIG. 11 ; -
FIG. 13 is a top perspective view of a gate; -
FIG. 14 is a top perspective view of a chill plate to be inserted into a sand printed drag mold component; -
FIG. 14A is a cross-sectional view of the chill plate and sand printed drag mold component ofFIG. 14 ; -
FIG. 15 is a top perspective view of a sand printed drag mold component having a chill plate and a side core disposed thereon with another side core to be received in the sand printed drag mold component; -
FIG. 15A is a cross-sectional view of the sand printed drag mold component and side cores along with the chill plate as shown inFIG. 15 ; -
FIG. 16 is a top perspective view of the sand printed drag mold component; -
FIG. 16A is a cross-sectional view of the sand printed drag mold component ofFIG. 16 having side cores and a chill plate disposed therein; -
FIG. 17 is an exploded view of a sand mold package having sand printed cope and drag mold components; -
FIG. 17A is a cross-sectional view of the exploded sand mold package ofFIG. 17 ; -
FIG. 18 is a top perspective view of an assembled sand mold package; -
FIG. 18A is a cross-sectional view of the assembled sand mold package ofFIG. 18 ; -
FIG. 18B is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the assembled sand mold package ofFIG. 18 ; -
FIG. 18C is a top perspective view of the sand mold package ofFIG. 18 being broken away to reveal a cast part; -
FIG. 18D is a top perspective view of a cast wheel assembly as removed from the sand mold package; -
FIG. 19 is a top perspective view of a cast wheel assembly; and -
FIGS. 20A-20C are side perspective views of various cast wheel assembly designs. - For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in
FIG. 1 . However, it is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative orientations, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise. - The present invention uses an additive manufacturing technique to produce a mold package, and specifically, uses a sandprinting process to create a sand printed mold package. The printing of a sand mold package using a sandprinting device is generally initiated by acquiring a three-dimensional (3D) data design for a wheel assembly using a CAD model program. As further explained below, the 3D data design can be for a wheel assembly, and particularly, for a prototype wheel assembly, such that the data can be used to create a sand printed mold package that can be used to cast a prototype wheel assembly using a molten alloy. The sandprinting device is capable of printing various sand mold packages such that several different designs of prototype wheel assemblies can be created without the associated costs and workup time necessary to create a mold core package from blocks of metal using subtractive manufacturing techniques.
- Referring now to
FIGS. 1-6 , ajob box 40 formed from any number of materials, including wood, metal, etc., is positioned below aprinting device 42. Thejob box 40 defines aprint area 44 within which components of a mold core package will be formed from a plurality of stacked particulate layers, as further described below. Theprinting device 42 is capable of printing 3D molds, cores, inserts, mold core packages and other mold components for use in the present invention. - As used throughout this disclosure, the terms “mold package”, “mold core package” or “sand mold package” will refer to sand printed molds that are ready for casting of a molten material. The term “molds” will refer to a component of a mold package and the term “cores” refers to an insert that is inserted into a mold package for displacing molten material as cast into the mold core package. Thus, the combination of sand printed molds and cores creates a mold core package used with a metal chill for casting a prototype wheel assembly. For purposes of the description of the formation of mold core packages or sand mold packages using the three-dimensional printing process discussed below, a
sand mold package 200 as shown inFIG. 18 will be referenced for exemplary purposes only. It is to be understood that several different sand mold package components can be printed for casting other wheel assemblies and such sand mold package components can be printed simultaneously in a single printing process. - The
printing device 42 includes ahopper 46 at adeposition trough 48, which lays a thin layer of activatedfine particulate 50, such as silica sand, ceramic-sand mixes, etc., inside theprint area 44. The particulate 50 may be of any size, including 0.002 mm to 2 mm in diameter. Theprinting device 42 also includes a binder deposition device orbinder dispenser 52. As disclosed in detail below, thebinder dispenser 52 sprays a thin layer of binder or bindingagent 16 in a configuration orpattern 80 of a single layer of a desired sand printed mold component. Repetition of the layering ofsand 50 and spraying of bindingagent 16 by thebinder dispenser 52 results in the production of a three-dimensional sand mold component comprised of a plurality of the stacked particulate layers. The 3D sand mold package is manufactured additively over a length of time sufficient to print each thin layer of thefine particulate 50 in succession, such that each layer of bound particulate is further bound to adjacent layers, to form a completed sand mold component. Each thin layer measures approximately 0.28 mm. A completed sand mold package made up of various sand printed components will ultimately be used as a sacrificial mold to fabricate or cast a metal part, such as the wheel assembly shown inFIG. 19 . - With specific reference to
FIG. 1 , a computer-aided design (CAD) program is developed wherein the specific configuration of a sand mold package component 100 (FIG. 6A ) is entered and loaded up on acomputer 60, which is coupled to theprinting device 42. Thecomputer 60 feeds the information from the CAD program to theprinting device 42 for formation of the sand mold components configured to cast a specific part. - It is contemplated that a CAD program, or any other form of 3D modeling software, can be used to provide sufficient information for the
3D printing device 42 to form the desired sand mold structure. Prior to activation of the3D printing device 42, a predetermined quantity of the sand orfine particulate 50 is dispensed into thehopper 46 by aparticulate spout 62 as shown inFIG. 1 . An activation coating oractivator 70 supplied by anactivator spout 72 is also deposited into thehopper 46. Although the embodiments describe herein refer to sand layers, thefine particulate 50 may include any of a variety of materials or combinations thereof suitable for the additive manufacturing techniques disclosed herein. Thesand 50 is mixed in thehopper 46 with theactivator 70 by anagitator 74 or other known mixing device such that thesand 50 becomes thoroughly mixed and activated. After thesand 50 andactivator 70 have been thoroughly mixed, the activatedsand 50 is moved to thedeposition trough 48. - Referring now to
FIGS. 2-6 , after the activatedsand 50 has been moved to thedeposition trough 48, thesand 50 is spread across theprint area 44 by thedeposition trough 48 to form a thin even layer of unboundsand 90. After being spread in a thin layer on theprint area 44 in thejob box 40, the activatedfine particulates 50 are sprayed with the binder or binding agent 16 (FIG. 3 ). The bindingagent 16 is dispensed from thebinder dispenser 52, which sprays a thin layer of the bindingagent 16 in a CAD specifiedpattern 80 that represents a first thin cross-sectional layer of the desired sand mold component as exemplified inFIGS. 6A and 7 ascomponent 100. After the binding agent application is complete (FIG. 4 ), another mixture ofsand 50 andactivator 70 is prepared and deposited into thedeposition trough 48. Thedeposition trough 48 then dispenses anotherlayer 90 of unbound activatedsand 50 over the previously spread sand layer in thejob box 40, as shown inFIG. 5 . Thebinder dispenser 52 passes over theprint area 44 again, spraying a thin layer of the bindingagent 16 in thepattern 80 that represents a second thin cross-sectional layer of the desired sand mold components adjacent to the first thin cross-sectional layer. These steps are repeated several times until every thin cross-sectional layer of the completed sand mold component 100 (FIG. 7 ) has been printed. Using this additive manufacturing technique, virtually any shape of a sand mold component can be formed. Further, a completed sand mold package produced using 3D sandprinting can have internal structural features that cannot otherwise be created by known subtractive methods. - As shown in
FIG. 6 , thejob box 40 has a layer of unboundsand 90 disposed on top and the sandprinting process is complete. Thus, thejob box 40, as shown inFIG. 6 , contains a sand printed mold component therein. As shown inFIG. 6A , the sand printedmold component 100 has been removed from thejob box 40 and unboundsand 90 is being removed to revealmold component 100. - Referring now to
FIG. 7 , the component printed using the sand technique described above is adrag mold 100 which is generally rectangular in configuration havingside walls bottom wall 110. Achamber 112 is disposed onbottom wall 110 and is configured to accept a base portion of a metal chill as further described below. Thebottom wall 110 further comprisesguide channels 114 which are disposed at the intersection ofbottom wall 110 andside walls Side walls inner walls 116 used to guide and properly align side cores which will be disposed within acavity 101 created by theside walls drag mold 100. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 7 , alignment features or guidemembers 118 are disposed in the upper four corners of thedrag mold 100 and are used to align thedrag mold 100 with a cope mold to form an assembled sand mold package. As shown inFIG. 7 , the sand printedchamber 112 is in the form of a circular depression for accepting base portion of a metal chill having a circular base portion. The exemplary circular pattern forchamber 112 shown inFIG. 7 is a reciprocal pattern of abase portion 119 of achill plate 120 as shown inFIG. 8A . In assembly, the chill plate is inserted into thecavity 101 of thedrag mold 100 in creating the sand mold package and thebase portion 119 of thechill 120 is further nested withinchamber 112. - As shown in
FIGS. 8A-8C , various designs for chill plates (120, 122, 124) are shown which, in assembly, form specific designs for the disk area of prototype wheel assemblies. - In assembly, the
chamber 112 formed on thebottom wall 110 of thedrag mold 100 provides a chill support cavity for a base chill, such as the chill plates depicted inFIGS. 8A-8C . The base chill is formed from a metal material having a high heat conductivity such that when assembled in a mold package, thebase chill 120 will cause for directional solidification of a molten material as cast in the mold package. Appropriate metals used to form the base chill include iron, copper, bronze, aluminum, graphite, and other such materials with high heat capacity and thermal conductivity. The process for directional solidification of a molten material to form a cast wheel assembly will be further described below. - As shown in
FIGS. 9 and 10 ,side cores cavity 101 of thedrag mold 100 shown inFIG. 7 . Each of the side molds, orside cores side walls 116′ which are configured to align withangled walls 116 of thedrag mold 100. The angled or taperedinner portions 116 ofside walls drag mold 100 and the angled or taperedouter side walls 116′ of theside cores side cores inner side walls 130 which will form the side walls of the mold cavity for the rim portion of the wheel assembly as further described below. In the embodiments shown inFIGS. 9 and 10 , theside molds back portions 132 havingupper guide members 134 andlower guide members 136. To ensure accurate assembly of the mold core package, thelower guide members 136 correspond to theguide channels 114 disposed on thebottom wall 110 of thedrag mold 100 as shown inFIG. 7 . Theupper guide members 134 correspond to guide channels disposed in a cope mold assembly as further described below. Theside molds drag mold assembly 100. In assembly, theside molds FIG. 16 , are fully disposed within thecavity 101 of thedrag mold assembly 100. - Referring now to
FIG. 11 , a copemold assembly 150 is shown having a generally rectangular shape with anupper surface 152 and alower surface 154. Thelower surface 154 has a generally inverted frustum shapedprojection 155 as shown inFIG. 12 which, in assembly in a mold core package, forms the inner side walls of the rim portion of the wheel assembly. The copemold assembly 150 is formed using a sandprinting technique similar to the techniques described above. The copemold assembly 150 is formed withguide chambers 156 disposed on itslower surface 154 in the outer corners of thelower surface 154. In assembly, theguide chambers 156 align with and engageguide members 118 disposed on the upper surface of thedrag mold assembly 100, such that theguide members 118 of the drag mold 110 (FIG. 7 ) are received in theguide chambers 156 when the mold core package is assembled. The copemold assembly 150 has aninlet port 158 disposed on itsupper surface 152 through which a molten material is either gravity fed or injected in a low pressure injection process into the mold cavity of the mold package as further described below. The copemold assembly 150 hasapertures 160 disposed on theupper surface 152 which correspond to risers formed in the mold cavity and used in the casting process as further described below. - Referring now to
FIG. 13 , agate 162 is shown having a generally circular shapedbody portion 164 with spokeportions 166 extending orthogonally from the circular or cylinder shapedbody portion 164. In assembly, thegate 162 helps to disperse and filter molten material as it is poured into the mold cavity. Thegate 162 includes an upper opening oraperture 165 that includes aceramic filter 171.Opening 165 is in fluid communication withexit ports 170 disposed betweenspokes 166. Thegate 162 is disposed between the copemold 150 anddrag mold 100 as shown inFIGS. 17A and 18A in assembly. - Referring now to
FIGS. 14-18A , a sand printed mold core package 200 (FIG. 18 ) is assembled and will be now be described. In assembly of themold package 200, a metal base chill, exemplified aschill 120 as shown inFIG. 14 , is inserted into thecavity 101 of thedrag mold 100. The chill plate is supported on the chillplate support chamber 112 disposed on abottom wall 110 of thedrag mold 100. In assembly, thedrag mold 100 is commonly referred to as the bottom or lower mold. As shown inFIG. 14A , a cross-sectional view of thedrag mold 100 and themetallic base chill 120 are shown where it can be seen that thesupport chamber 112 of thebottom wall 110 of thedrag mold 100 is specifically sand printed to correspond to the cross-section of thebase portion 119 of themetal base chill 120, such that thebase chill 120 is fully supported and nested withinchamber 112 of thedrag mold 100 in assembly. - Referring to
FIGS. 15 and 15A , the side molds orside cores cavity 101 of thedrag mold 100. The curvedinner surfaces 130 of theside molds metal base chill 120 in assembly. As shown inFIG. 15 , theangled side walls 116′ align with the angledinner side walls 116 of thedrag mold 100, such that theside cores drag mold 100. Further, guidemembers 136 disposed on the lower end ofrear wall 132 of theside molds guide channels 114 disposed on thebottom wall 110 of thedrag mold 100 as best shown inFIG. 15A . In this way, theside molds cavity 101 of thedrag mold 100. Theguide members 136 of theside molds guide channels 114 of thedrag mold 100 ensures that theside molds - Referring now to
FIGS. 17-18A , a mold package 200 (FIG. 18 ) is fully assembled with the copemold 150 being fitted on thedrag mold 100. Thegate 162 is also inserted into thecavity 101 of thedrag mold 100 as shown inFIG. 17 . In assembling the cope and dragmolds members 118 disposed on the outer corners of the upper surface of thedrag mold 100, align with and engageguide chambers 156 disposed on the outer corners oflower surface 154 of the copemold 150. In this way, the copemold 150 is properly situated on thedrag mold 100 to precisely form a mold cavity. Further, guidemembers 134 disposed on upper surfaces ofside molds guide chambers 157 disposed on thelower surface 154 of the copemold 150 as shown inFIG. 12 . The alignment and engagement ofguide members 134 of theside molds guide chambers 157 of the copemold 150 further assures proper assembly of the mold cavity for casting a wheel assembly as further described below. - As shown in
FIG. 17A , thefrustum projection 155 of the copemold 150 is prepared to be inserted in to thecavity 101 of thedrag mold 100. The cope mold further includesapertures 161 disposed on thelower surface 154 of the copemold 150.Apertures 160 disposed on theupper surface 152 of the copemold 150 are in communication withapertures 161 such thatrisers 180 are internally formed within the copemold 150 and are used in the casting of the molten material as further described below. As noted above, therisers 180 are in fluid communication with a mold cavity where a wheel is cast. The cope mold further includes asprue 182 which is disposed between inlet oraccess port 158 disposed on theupper surface 152 of the copemold 150 andaperture 159 disposed on a lower portion of thefrustum protrusion 155 of thelower surface 154 of the copemold 150. In casting a wheel assembly, molten material is poured in theaccess port 158 and travels through thesprue 182 of the copemold 150 to fill the mold cavity. As shown inFIG. 17A ,aperture 159 disposed on the frustum shapedprotrusion 155 is adapted to engage thegate 162 in assembly. As further shown inFIG. 17A , and as noted above, thegate 162 further comprises anaperture 165 extending there through to exitports 170 for the dispersion of molten material in a casting process. - As shown in
FIGS. 18 and 18A , a sand printedmold core package 200 is shown wherein the copemold 150 anddrag mold 100, commonly referred to as upper and lower mold forms, are assembled together to form a mold cavity 220, as shown inFIG. 18A , having a near net shape of a wheel assembly to be cast. As shown inFIG. 18 , theguide members 118 of thedrag mold 100 are nested within theguide chambers 156 of the copemold 150. As further shown inFIG. 18 , a pouringcup 210 is positioned in communication with aperture orinlet port 158 disposed on theupper surface 152 of the copemold 150, wherein the pouringcup 210 is used for the casting of a molten material into themold core package 200. As shown inFIG. 18A ,molten material 212 is gravity fed or injected under low pressure into pouringcup 210 such that themolten material 212 enters themold core package 200 at aperture orinlet port 158 of the copemold 150 and travels through thesprue 182 down to the mold cavity 220 as indicated by the arrows shown inFIG. 18A . The mold cavity or casting cavity 220 of themold core package 200 is generally defined on an interior side by thefrustum projection 155 extending downwardly from thelower surface 154 of the copemold 150. The exterior portion of the mold cavity or casting cavity 220 is generally defined by thearcuate side walls 130 of theside molds base chill 120 disposed on a lower surface of the mold cavity 220. - As indicated in
FIG. 18A , themolten material 212 travels from theinlet port 158 through thesprue 182 to a hub casting cavity H of the mold cavity 220. Themolten material 212 is generally considered a molten metal material such as a molten aluminum alloy used for casting alloy wheels. For example, the molten aluminum alloy can be aluminum alloy A356 which is generally poured at a temperature of 730° C. While the A356 aluminum alloy is an exemplary alloy used in casting prototype wheels using the sand printed mold packages of the present invention, this alloy is only provided for exemplary purposes and not meant to limit the scope of the present invention. It is noted that any generally lightweight metal alloy can be used for casting such as aluminum or magnesium. From the hub casting cavity H of the mold cavity 220, themolten material 212 generally travels into a disk casting cavity for casting the disk portion of a wheel assembly. The casting cavity for the wheel disk is represented by left and right casting cavities D1 and D2 inFIG. 18A and will generally comprise spaced apart spokes in the final wheel casting. The disk casting cavities D1 and D2 make up one unitary cavity in assembly and are generally defined by the contours of the upper surface of thebase chill 120 and the contours of the lower surface 153 of thefrustum projection 155 of the copemold 150. Further, the lower surface 153 of thefrustum projection 155 can have a wheel disc pattern disposed thereon that correlates to the pattern disposed on thebase chill 120 used in a casting process such that the lower surface 153 of thefrustum projection 155 provides an interior molding cavity wall defining a particular wheel disc pattern. - After filing the disk casting cavity, the
molten material 212 then generally travels as indicated by the arrows inFIG. 18A to the side wall casting cavities S1 and S2. As themolten material 212 fills the side wall casting cavities S1, S2, themolten material 212 proceeds to a lower bead seat casting area LB and further onto a lower flange casting area LF. Themolten material 212 then proceeds upward to annular rim casting cavities R1 and R2 to upper bead seat casting areas UB and upper flange casting areas UF and finally torisers 180 disposed within the copemold assembly 150. In this way, themolten material 212 fills the mold cavity 220 generally from the bottom of the mold cavity at the hub casting cavity H and the lower flange LF and lower bead seat LB area up through the annular rim casting sections R1, R2 to the cavities of therisers 180. Casting areas UB and LB of the mold cavity 220 used for creating upper and lower bead seats make for projections which extend radially outward on the rim portion of a cast wheel for seating a tire on the cast wheel. The casting cavities UF and LF that make up the upper and lower flanges disposed on either side of the rim portion are used to retain a vehicle tire on the cast wheel. - Referring to
FIGS. 18A and 18B , themetal base chill 120 serves to provide a starting point for solidification of themolten material 212 as cast. As shown inFIG. 18B , the solidification of themolten material 212 is a directional solidification starting at themetal base chill 120 and proceeding upward towards the annular rim cavity R1 as well as simultaneously proceeding axially along the disk casting cavity D1 towards the hub casting cavity H. The directional solidification provided by the base chill reduces the cooling time of the cast wheel and provides for a finer grain size in the final cast wheel. The final cast wheel will also have reduced porosity as compared to casting procedures of the prior art which do not allow for directional solidification. The directional solidification provided by thebase chill 120 is generally brought about by the high heat capacity and thermal conductivity of thebase chill 120. In this way, thebase chill 120 can absorb high amounts of heat from themolten material 212, such that themolten material 212 cools and begins solidification from a starting point of thebase chill 120 and directionally upward through the rim casting cavity R1 and axially across the wheel disk casting cavity D1 towards the hub casting cavity H. The molten material is cast into the sand printedmold package 200 until themolten material 212 can be seen in therisers 180. The risers contain molten material that is used to fill spaces created in the cast wheel in the rim casting cavity R1/R2 as the molten material solidifies and shrinks In this way, the cast wheel components have a reduced porosity as molten material is readily available in the risers to fill any voids caused by solidification or shrinkage during the casting process. In a similar way, the sprue 182 (FIG. 18A ) provides a readily available supply ofmolten material 212 to fill any spaces or voids caused by shrinkage or contraction in the solidification of themolten material 212 at the hub casting cavity H. Thus, as the user casts a prototype wheel assembly, theinlet port 158 andrisers 180 will generally let the user know if there is enoughmolten material 212 to fully cast the wheel assembly. As themolten material 212 settles and solidifies, the level of molten material in the risers and sprue area will decrease until the wheel assembly is fully solidified. Therefore, therisers 180 are generally large such that material cast therein will remain in a fluid molten form for use in filling voids in the solidifying cast wheel assembly as needed. - As shown in
FIG. 18C , once the molten material has solidified, thesand mold package 200 is broken away to reveal acast part 250, which is exemplified herein as acast wheel assembly 250. As shown inFIG. 18D , thecast part 250 still contains the solidifiedmaterial 252 which was once disposed within therisers portions 180 of the sand printedmold package 200. The solidifiedmaterial 252 is generally machined off thewheel assembly 250. - As shown in
FIG. 19 , thecast wheel 250 comprises anupper flange 254 and alower flange 256 for retaining a vehicle tire wherein the upper andlower flanges FIG. 18A ). Therim portion 258 of the cast wheel is the result of the solidification of molten material in the rim casting cavity identified as R1 and R2 inFIG. 18A . Thedisk portion 260, as shown inFIG. 19 , has an intricate design or spoke pattern disposed thereon as well as bolt holes 262 used for securing thecast wheel 250 to a vehicle assembly. The wheel disc design typically includes openings formed between spokes which allows air to flow to the vehicle brakes thereby cooling the vehicle brakes in use. The spaced apart spokes also provide for a lighter weight cast wheel assembly. As shown inFIGS. 20A-20C , thecast wheel assemblies - As shown in
FIGS. 7 , 12, 12A, and 15-18A, the sand printedmold package 200 includes guide elements or alignment features disposed on various components of the complete mold core package 200 (FIG. 18 ). For instance, theguide chambers 156 on thecold mold 150 are engaged byguide members 118 as disposed on the upper surface of thedrag mold 100. Theangled walls 116 disposed on an inner side of thedrag mold 100 in the cavity 101 (FIG. 7 ) correlate and align with theangled walls 116′ of theside cores lower guide members 136 disposed on theflat back portions 132 ofside molds guide channels 114 disposed on thebottom wall 110 of thedrag mold 100 in assembling themold package 200. Likewise, theupper guide members 134 disposed on theflat back portions 132 ofside molds chambers 157 disposed on thelower surface 154 of the copemold 150. All in all, the guide elements or alignment features of the present invention are adapted to provide interlocking engagement of the mold components for efficient and accurate assembly of themold core package 200. The additive manufacturing techniques described above, allow for intricate designs for the guide features and alignment features such that proper assembly is ensured. Further, it is noted that the present invention contemplates several different alignment feature configurations for use with the present invention. - Given that the mold packages of the present invention are sacrificial sand printed mold packages, there is no need to incorporate intricate designs for cooling lines and other complex thermal control elements in printing the mold package for the casting of a prototype wheel assembly. This is because the
base chill 120 allows for directional solidification of themolten material 212 cast in themold core package 200. The directional solidification of themolten material 212, as shown inFIG. 18B , helps prevent hot tears from forming, reduces or eliminates porosity in the final cast part, and helps ensure that air is not trapped in the cast part during the solidification process. The directional solidification also helps prevent shrinkage defects and gives a dense solid homogeneous formation of the cast part. In a casting process, solidification of a molten material generally occurs based on the relative thickness of the casting, wherein thicker cavities generally cool at a lower rate than thin cavity formations. Using a metal base chill, the present invention induces directional solidification of the molding cavities from the bottom up. This directional solidification occurs even though casting cavities disposed at the bottom of the form may in fact be larger than other cavities not disposed adjacent to the metal base chill, such as the annular rim cavities. Metal alloys will shrink as the material solidifies, and if molten material is not available to compensate for this shrinkage, a shrinkage defect will form. Using directional solidification, as opposed to progressive solidification, which would occur generally based on the configuration of the molding cavity from thinnest to thickest parts of the casting cavity, shrinkage defects can be greatly reduced or eliminated altogether. Multiple directional solidification patterns leads to overall delayed solidification times. This can lead to increased scrap rates and irregular surface shapes such that cast articles either can't be used or require large amounts of post-casting machining to have a workable finished cast part. - The sandprinting techniques of the present invention are used to create mold components to create a sand printed mold package that is capable of casting prototype wheel assemblies. The present invention allows for experimental prototype wheel assembly designs to be quickly produced without the traditional foundry die design used in the prior art which typically involves large design lead times, high scrap rates, and less than optimal production rates. The present invention eliminates the need for producing production quality mold core packages for casting a wheel assembly and replaces them with sacrificial sand printed mold core packages which can be quickly made and intricately designed based on 3D CAD software. In this way, experimental prototype wheel designs can be quickly produced at much lower costs for use in vehicle testing.
- It will be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art that construction of the described invention and other components is not limited to any specific material. Other exemplary embodiments of the invention disclosed herein may be formed from a wide variety of materials, unless described otherwise herein.
- For purposes of this disclosure, the term “coupled” (in all of its forms, couple, coupling, coupled, etc.) generally means the joining of two components (electrical or mechanical) directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary in nature or movable in nature. Such joining may be achieved with the two components (electrical or mechanical) and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two components. Such joining may be permanent in nature or may be removable or releasable in nature unless otherwise stated.
- It is also important to note that the construction and arrangement of the elements of the invention as shown in the exemplary embodiments is illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments of the present innovations have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements shown as multiple parts may be integrally formed, the operation of the interfaces may be reversed or otherwise varied, the length or width of the structures and/or members or connector or other elements of the system may be varied, the nature or number of adjustment positions provided between the elements may be varied. It should be noted that the elements and/or assemblies of the system may be constructed from any of a wide variety of materials that provide sufficient strength or durability, in any of a wide variety of colors, textures, and combinations. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present innovations. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the desired and other exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present innovations.
- It will be understood that any described processes or steps within described processes may be combined with other disclosed processes or steps to form structures within the scope of the present invention. The exemplary structures and processes disclosed herein are for illustrative purposes and are not to be construed as limiting.
- It is also to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structures and methods without departing from the concepts of the present invention, and further it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise.
Claims (18)
1. A mold package for casting a wheel assembly, comprising:
a sand printed drag mold having a cavity with a chill support chamber;
a metal chill received in the support chamber;
at least one sand printed mold insert received in the cavity of the sand printed drag mold; and
a sand printed cope mold coupled to the sand printed drag mold thereby defining a wheel casting cavity disposed therebetween.
2. The mold package of claim 1 , wherein the cavity of the drag mold is defined by a bottom wall having sidewalls extending upwardly therefrom, wherein the chill support chamber is disposed on the bottom wall.
3. The mold package of claim 2 , wherein the cope mold further comprises an upper surface and a lower surface with riser cavities disposed therebetween opening into the casting cavity;
a frustum projection extending downwardly from the lower surface, wherein the frustum projection further includes a patterned lower surface; and
a sprue disposed in the cope mold having an upper inlet port disposed on the upper surface of the cope mold and an outlet port disposed on the patterned lower surface of the frustum projection, wherein the outlet port opens into the casting cavity.
4. The mold package of claim 3 , further comprising:
one or more guide members disposed on upper portions of the sidewalls of the drag mold; and
one or more guide chambers disposed on the lower surface of the cope mold and adapted to align with and engage the one or more guide members of the drag mold in assembly.
5. The mold package of claim 4 , wherein the at least one sand printed mold insert comprises sidewalls, a rear wall and an annular front wall.
6. The mold package of claim 5 , wherein the rear wall of the at least one sand printed mold insert further comprises upper and lower guide members.
7. The mold package of claim 6 , wherein the bottom wall of the drag mold includes guide channels adapted to receive the lower guide members of the at least one insert, and further wherein the cope mold includes guide chambers disposed on the lower surface thereof adapted to receive the upper guide members of the at least one insert.
8. The mold package of claim 5 , wherein the sidewalls of the at least one insert are angled sidewalls, and further wherein one or more side walls of the drag mold are angled inwardly towards the cavity of the drag mold and adapted to align with the angled sidewalls of the at least one insert.
9. The mold package of claim 1 , wherein the casting cavity comprises a hub casting cavity, a disk casting cavity and a rim casting cavity.
10. A mold package for casting a wheel assembly, comprising:
a sand printed drag mold having a cavity with a chill support chamber;
a metal chill received in the chill support chamber;
first and second side cores received in the cavity; and
a sand printed cope mold coupled to the drag mold, wherein a wheel casting cavity is defined in a spacing between the cope mold, the drag mold and the first and second side cores.
11. The mold package of claim 10 , wherein the cavity of the drag mold is defined by a bottom wall having sidewalls extending upwardly therefrom, wherein the chill support chamber is disposed on the bottom wall.
12. The mold package of claim 11 , wherein the cope mold further comprises an upper surface and a lower surface with riser cavities disposed therebetween opening into the wheel casting cavity;
a frustum projection extending downwardly from the lower surface, wherein the frustum projection further includes a patterned lower surface; and
a sprue disposed in the cope mold having an upper inlet port disposed on the upper surface of the cope mold and an outlet port disposed on the patterned lower surface of the frustum projection, wherein the outlet port opens into the casting cavity.
13. The mold package of claim 12 , further comprising:
one or more guide members disposed on upper portions of the sidewalls of the drag mold; and
one or more guide chambers disposed on the lower surface of the cope mold, the one or more guide chambers adapted to align with and engage the one or more guide members of the drag mold in assembly.
14. The mold package of claim 13 , wherein the first and second side cores each comprise sidewalls, a rear wall and an annular front wall.
15. The mold package of claim 14 , wherein the first and second side cores each comprise upper and lower guide members extending outwardly from the rear wall.
16. The mold package of claim 15 , wherein the bottom wall of the drag mold includes guide channels adapted to receive the lower guide members of the first and second side cores, and further wherein the cope mold includes guide chambers disposed on the lower surface thereof adapted to receive the upper guide members of the first and second side cores.
17. The mold package of claim 16 , wherein the sidewalls of the first and second side cores angled sidewalls, and further wherein one or more side walls of the drag mold are angled inwardly towards the cavity of the drag mold and adapted to align with the angled sidewalls of the first and second side cores.
18. The mold package of claim 17 , wherein the casting cavity comprises a hub casting cavity, a disk casting cavity and a rim casting cavity, the rim casting cavity defined by the annular front walls of the first and second side cores.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US14/149,118 US20140116638A1 (en) | 2012-09-06 | 2014-01-07 | Sand printed mold package for casting a wheel assembly having directional solidification features |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US13/605,048 US8651167B1 (en) | 2012-09-06 | 2012-09-06 | Sand printed mold package for casting a wheel assembly having directional solidification features |
US14/149,118 US20140116638A1 (en) | 2012-09-06 | 2014-01-07 | Sand printed mold package for casting a wheel assembly having directional solidification features |
Related Parent Applications (1)
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US13/605,048 Division US8651167B1 (en) | 2012-09-06 | 2012-09-06 | Sand printed mold package for casting a wheel assembly having directional solidification features |
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US20140116638A1 true US20140116638A1 (en) | 2014-05-01 |
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US13/605,048 Expired - Fee Related US8651167B1 (en) | 2012-09-06 | 2012-09-06 | Sand printed mold package for casting a wheel assembly having directional solidification features |
US14/149,118 Abandoned US20140116638A1 (en) | 2012-09-06 | 2014-01-07 | Sand printed mold package for casting a wheel assembly having directional solidification features |
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US13/605,048 Expired - Fee Related US8651167B1 (en) | 2012-09-06 | 2012-09-06 | Sand printed mold package for casting a wheel assembly having directional solidification features |
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CN (1) | CN203470839U (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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USD830432S1 (en) | 2016-06-06 | 2018-10-09 | Ipex Technologies Inc. | 3D printed mold inserts |
US10612114B2 (en) | 2016-04-28 | 2020-04-07 | Alotech Limited, Llc | Ablation casting process |
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CN104443803A (en) * | 2014-11-18 | 2015-03-25 | 苏州美迈快速制造技术有限公司 | Safe packaging and transporting method of sand mold or sand core |
RU2626255C2 (en) * | 2014-11-21 | 2017-07-25 | Юрий Александрович Сорокин | Method of manufacture of profiled couches and device for its implementation |
BG67021B1 (en) * | 2015-07-14 | 2020-02-28 | „Принт Каст“ Оод | A method for direct mold of castings via layer by layer construction of monolithic composite casting molds with integrated cores and a system for layer by layer construction of monolithic composite casting molds with integrated cores for direct mold of castings |
US10688774B2 (en) | 2015-07-15 | 2020-06-23 | Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. | Processing object part data for a three-dimensionsal object |
JP6887985B2 (en) | 2015-07-29 | 2021-06-16 | ユニリーバー・ナームローゼ・ベンノートシヤープ | Hair composition |
WO2018068526A1 (en) * | 2016-10-12 | 2018-04-19 | 福建省瑞奥麦特轻金属有限责任公司 | Aluminum alloy semi-solid forming method and device |
CN105798228B (en) * | 2016-03-23 | 2018-01-30 | 上海交通大学 | The shaping of sand mo(u)ld line is plated in method |
US10378661B2 (en) | 2016-11-08 | 2019-08-13 | Mueller International, Llc | Valve body with integral bypass |
US10391551B2 (en) * | 2017-02-06 | 2019-08-27 | Fisher Controls International Llc | Mold body with integrated chill |
US10661332B2 (en) | 2017-04-10 | 2020-05-26 | Mueller International, Llc | Monolithic bypass |
CN108339937A (en) * | 2018-02-07 | 2018-07-31 | 北京机科国创轻量化科学研究院有限公司 | A kind of high-performance and high accuracy sand mold(Core)3D printing manufacturing process |
CN109719940A (en) * | 2019-02-28 | 2019-05-07 | 共享智能铸造产业创新中心有限公司 | A kind of docking facilities of 3D printing equipment work box |
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US4609029A (en) | 1981-02-27 | 1986-09-02 | Trw Inc. | Method of reducing casting time |
DE4211130A1 (en) * | 1992-04-03 | 1993-10-07 | Bruehl Aluminiumtechnik | Method for casting a motor vehicle wheel from metal and motor vehicle wheel produced by the method |
US5309976A (en) | 1993-03-16 | 1994-05-10 | Howmet Corporation | Continuous pour directional solidification method |
US5568833A (en) | 1995-06-07 | 1996-10-29 | Allison Engine Company, Inc. | Method and apparatus for directional solidification of integral component casting |
US6401797B1 (en) | 1999-12-22 | 2002-06-11 | Hayes Lammerz International, Inc. | Mold and method for casting a vehicle wheel |
US7797832B2 (en) | 2006-09-30 | 2010-09-21 | Kosei Aluminum Co., Ltd. | Cast aluminum wheel manufacturing and products |
US8137607B2 (en) * | 2006-11-07 | 2012-03-20 | Ford Motor Company | Process for making reusable tooling |
CN201102061Y (en) | 2007-11-01 | 2008-08-20 | 昆明市白邑永联铸钢厂 | Mine car wheel casting mold |
US8776372B2 (en) | 2009-09-11 | 2014-07-15 | GM Global Technology Operations LLC | Cast magnesium alloy wheels |
-
2012
- 2012-09-06 US US13/605,048 patent/US8651167B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2013
- 2013-09-02 CN CN201320542370.9U patent/CN203470839U/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
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2014
- 2014-01-07 US US14/149,118 patent/US20140116638A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US10612114B2 (en) | 2016-04-28 | 2020-04-07 | Alotech Limited, Llc | Ablation casting process |
US11001917B2 (en) | 2016-04-28 | 2021-05-11 | Alotech Limited, Llc | Ablation casting process |
USD830432S1 (en) | 2016-06-06 | 2018-10-09 | Ipex Technologies Inc. | 3D printed mold inserts |
Also Published As
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CN203470839U (en) | 2014-03-12 |
US8651167B1 (en) | 2014-02-18 |
US20140060768A1 (en) | 2014-03-06 |
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