US3677324A - Method and apparatus for producing a metal article - Google Patents

Method and apparatus for producing a metal article Download PDF

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Publication number
US3677324A
US3677324A US53514A US3677324DA US3677324A US 3677324 A US3677324 A US 3677324A US 53514 A US53514 A US 53514A US 3677324D A US3677324D A US 3677324DA US 3677324 A US3677324 A US 3677324A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
mould
furnace
article
metal
heat front
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Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
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US53514A
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English (en)
Inventor
Gordon John Spenc Higginbotham
Douglas Wilson Hall
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Rolls Royce PLC
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Rolls Royce PLC
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Publication date
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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
    • B22D27/00—Treating the metal in the mould while it is molten or ductile ; Pressure or vacuum casting
    • B22D27/04—Influencing the temperature of the metal, e.g. by heating or cooling the mould
    • B22D27/045—Directionally solidified castings
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C30—CRYSTAL GROWTH
    • C30B—SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH; UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL; PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C30B11/00—Single-crystal growth by normal freezing or freezing under temperature gradient, e.g. Bridgman-Stockbarger method
    • C30B11/001—Continuous growth

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A method of producing a metal article having a unidirectional grain structure in a given direction comprises the steps of heating a mould for the article to a temperature above the melting point of the metal, charging molten metal into, or melting metal in, the mould, effecting relative movement between the mould and.
  • a method for producing a metal article having a unidirectional grain structure in a given direction comprising the steps of heating a mould for the article to a temperature above the melting point of the metal, charging molten metal into, or melting metal in, the mould,.effecting relative movement between the mould and a furnace so that said mould moves through the furnace, said furnace having a heat front which is so disposed with respect to the direction of relative movement between the mould and the furnace so that said heat front moves substantially perpendicular to said direction towards one end of the mould, and cooling the opposite end of said mould so that said heat front produces said grain structure in the article.
  • the present invention uses a technique known as directional solidification.
  • This technique involves arranging that the heat flow from molten metal in a mould takes place in one single predetermined direction, rather than at right angles to all faces of the mould, as in the normal casting technique.
  • this directional flow of heat it is possible to arrange that the crystals within the solidified metal are all unidirectionally disposed in a direction starting at the face at which the heat is extracted and extending linearly therefrom.
  • the direction of greatest strength tends to be along the direction of the grains, while the structure is particularly resistant to cracking in a direction transverse to the grains.
  • the heat front in the preferred embodiment, is disposed at an angle to the direction of movement of the article.
  • Said cooling may be effected by contacting said opposite end of said mould with a cooled surface.
  • said cooling may be effected by directing a cooling medium upon said opposite end of the mould.
  • Said article may be a blade, vane or component of a gas turbine engine and said metal may be an alloy.
  • Said mould may be charged with molten metal while in the furnace.
  • said metal may be a powder or pellets and may be placed in said mould prior to melting.
  • said furnace is stationary and said mould is moved therethrough.
  • an apparatus for producing a metal article having a unidirectional grain structure parallel to the given direction comprising a furnace having heater means for heating a mould for the article to a temperature above the melting point of the metal, means for charging molten metal into, or for melting metal in, the mould, means for effecting relative movement between the mould and the furnace, said furnace having a heat front which is so disposed with respect to the direction of relative movement between the mould and the furnace so that said heat front moves substantially perpendicular to said direction towards one end of the mould, and means for effecting cooling of the opposite end of the said mould so that said heat front produces said grain structure in the article.
  • Said furnace may be linear or alternatively may be arcuate.
  • the means for effecting relative movement between the mould and the furnace may comprise conveyor means adapted to move a plurality of moulds through the furnace which is stationary.
  • a plurality of furnaces may be disposed adjacent to each other, said conveyor means being common to said plurality of furnaces.
  • Said cooling means may comprise a fluid cooled mould engaging portion on said conveyor means.
  • Said article may be a blade, vane or component of a gas turbine engine.
  • FIG. 1 shows, partly in section, an apparatus for carrying into effect the method of the present invention
  • FIG. 2 shows, partly in section, a modification of the apparatus of FIG. I. made of Referring first to FIG. I, there is shown an apparatus for directionally casting, for example, a blade of a gas turbine engine, the apparatus being generally designated by the reference numeral 10.
  • the apparatus 10 comprises a hollow cylindrical support member 11, on the top of which is rotatably mounted a work table 12, which is rotated in a clockwise direction, indicated by the arrow P, by means of a motor (not shown).
  • a furnace 13 Extending over about one third the periphery of the work table 12 is a furnace 13 of ceramic or fire brick material having an arcuate tunnel 14 therethrough.
  • the furnace 13 may be of any known type and it will be understood that it is provided with heat seals (not shown) at the entry end 14a and the exit end 14b of the tunnel l4.
  • a plurality of electric heating elements 15 which decrease in length from the entry end 14a of the tunnel to the exit end 14b.
  • these heating elements create a heat front which is disposed at an angle to the plane of the work table 12.
  • additional heating elements may be placed in the roof of the furnace at any suitable position.
  • This furnace 13 for convenience may be made up of a series of modules or segments (not shown) which fit together to produce the overall furnace characteristics required. It is thus possible to replace any one segment without disturbing any other.
  • an empty mould 17 for making the blade is laced on a mould stand 16.
  • the mould 17 is heated to a temperature which is greater than the melting temperature of the change to be put therein.
  • the rotation of the furnace may be continuous or indexed at a predetermined constant speed.
  • a charging device 18 having a melting coil 19 is provided at the point B of the furnace and charges, through the open end 20, mould 17 with a metal change in the molten state.
  • the charge solidifies on the mould stand 16 in an up ward direction away from the mould stand directionally solidifying the blade with an elongate columnar grain structure which is parallel to the longitudinal axis X--X of the blade.
  • the degree of solidification of the blade at various points within the furnace 13 is shown by cross-hatched shading.
  • the mould 17, when it has emerged from the exit end 14b of the tunnel 14 is allowed to cool to the required temperature, and the blade is then removed therefrom.
  • the radial location member 11 is divided into an upper chamber 31, and a lower chamber 32 by a baffle 33.
  • the upper chamber 31 is supplied with cooling fluid, e.g.,
  • the upper chamber 31 connects with an annular groove 36 in the radially outer surface of the member-l1 by way of a plurality of radial drillings 38.
  • a cylindrical bearing member 37 is mounted for rotation about the member which is fixed to a rigid base 40 of the apparatus 10.
  • the work table 12 of the apparatus is radially located from the cylindrical bearing member 37 by a plurality of spokes 41.
  • the work table 12 is disc-shaped, but it will be seen that the work table in the embodiment of FIG. 2 is a ring.
  • Each mould stand 16 is connected, by way of passages through the work table 12, to a valve member 44 and so through flexible pipe 42 with the annular groove 36 in the member 11.
  • cooling fluid passes from the upper chamber 31 through radial drillings 38 to the annular groove 36, from whence it flows through each of the flexible pipes 42 to the valve member 44 and thence through internal passages in the valve member 44 and work table 12 and through a nozzle 43, in the respective mould stand 16 to cool the base of the mould 17.
  • spent cooling fluid flows through the valve member 44 in the base of the mould stand, a flexible pipe 45 to an annular groove 41 in the outer surface of the member 11.
  • the spent cooling fluid passes through radial drillings 47 into the lower chamber 32, from which it passes to the drain conduit 35.
  • the valve member 44 is manually operable by a handle 48 and normally directs the cooling fluid from the flexible pipe 42 through the work table 12 to the mould stand 16, and directs the spent cooling fluid through the flexible pipe 45 a shown.
  • the valve member 44 is operated by handle 48 so that both flexible pipes 44, 45 are sealed off from the passage connecting the valve 44 to the mould stand 16.
  • the construction of the valve member 44 is such that as the flexible pipes 44, 45.are sealed so the mould stand 16 is vented to atmosphere through passageways 50, one passageway admitting air to while the other drains coolingfluid from the mould stand 16.
  • Each mould stand 16 is surrounded by a fire brick member 51 mounted on the work table 12, each fire brick member forming a segment of an annular fire brick ring encompassing the plurality of mould stands.
  • a single mould stand may be replaced without the necessity of disassembling the whole ring of fire brick members 51.
  • the work table 12 is provided with gear teeth 52 which mesh with a pinion gear 53 driven by an electric motor 54.
  • the electric motor 54 causes rotation of the work table 12 in the direction of the arrow P.
  • the latter bears on a plurality of tapered rollers 55 mounted on the base 40, the rollers taking the majority of the weight of the work table.
  • the rollers 55 are tapered in the direction of the number 1 1.
  • the furnace 13 is.of similar construction to the furnace of FIG. 1 and thus will not be described in detail. However, it will be seen that the furnace in the embodiment of FIG. 2 is made up of a plurality of segments 56, for ease of maintenance. In addition the furnace 13 extends over approximately two-thirds of the periphery of the work table 12.
  • the furnace is lined with a radially inner ring 57 of fire brick and a radially outer ring 58 of fire brick. Both the inner ring 57 and the outer ring 58 have annular flanges 59 directed towards the moulds 17 forming with the ring of fire brick members 51 a sealing arrangement to prevent loss of heat from the tunnel 14. If so desired, additional seals (not shown), such as labyrinth seals, may be provided on the fire brick members 51 and/or on the inner ring 56 and the outer ring 58.
  • the ring of fire brick members 51 has a trough 60 formed in its upper surface which further prevents loss of heat from the tunnel 14 which also collects debris, e.g., metal, from the moulds 17.
  • the moulds may be chargedwith powdered or pelletized metal outside or inside the furnace.
  • a rough pre-cast blade with no directional grain structure may be placed in each mould 17 outside the furnace and re-melted by the furnace 13 thus causing the blade, during its passage through the furnace 13, to be re-cast with a unidirectional grain structure.
  • the furnace 13 is arcuate, but if so desired may be linear.
  • Several furnaces, whether arcuate or linear, may be placed adjacent to each other and may use a common mechanism, such as the work table 12, for moving the moulds 17 therethrough.
  • furnace or furnaces 13 are stationary, but as an alternative it is feasible to keep the moulds stationary and move the furnace relative to them.
  • the atmosphere within the furnace 13 may be controlled, e.g., air, inert gas or the whole apparatus 10 may be placed in a vacuum, the heating of the furnace being suitable for the operating environmental and the metal being used.
  • the area below the heating elements 15 may be at any temperature as long as it is a lower temperature than the melting point of the metal.
  • Thetemperature of the area below the heating elements 15 and the degree of heat abstraction from the mould may be controlled by the thickness of the refractory material in this area and may be supplemented by additional cooling or heating sources in this area.
  • that part of the furnace below the heating elements 15 may be open to atmosphere for cooling.
  • jets of cooling fluid e.g., air or inert gas, may be directed onto the mould 17 below the heating elements in a plane parallel to the work table 12.
  • the work table 12 may be made in sections for ease of replacement when renewal of the mould stands 16 is required.
  • a shield may be provided between the operator and the exposed ring of fire bricks to avoid the operator being burnt by radiation.
  • the entrance and exits 14a, 14b of the tunnel 14 may be sealed, for example, by a double-door arrangement, to prevent convectional air flow through the tunnel 14.
  • the present invention is especially useful for manufacturing turbine blades, vanes or components of a gas turbine engine.
  • the metal used for making the blades could conveniently be any nickel or cobalt based alloy normally employed or any material particularly designed to extract optimum performance from a uni-directional structure.
  • the mould is heated to the required temperature at the required rate by the time it reaches the position of the melting coil 19.
  • the time that the mould is at the required temperature, prior to receiving molten metal may be so adjusted that the mould is fired” to develop the required properties, e.g., strength, surface finish and composition, to render the mould suitable for the directional solidification process already described.
  • the mould depending on chemical composition,- is preferably fired at more than l,300 C, for approximately 40 minutes. On cooling down from this temperature, changes in the structure of the mould material can take place which could impair the performance of the mould.
  • each mould would merely be shaped to produce the required number of blades with suitable channelling to ensure that the molten metal would be supplied to all parts of the mould.
  • the whole apparatus 10 may be automated. This suitable mechanisms may feed empty moulds 17 into the furnace l3, and remove the article from the mould when it leaves the furnace.
  • a method of producing a metal article having a unidirectional grain structure in a given direction comprising the steps of heating a mould for the article to a temperature above the melting point of molten metal in the mould, efiecting relative movement between the mould and a furnace in a horizontal direction so that said mould moves through the furnace, said furnace having a heat front which is disposed at an oblique angle with respect to the direction of relative movement in a horizontal direction between the mould and the furnace, so that said heat from moves in a vertical direction with respect to said mould substantially perpendicular to said direction towards one end of the mould, and cooling the opposite end of said mould so that said heat front produces said grain structure in the article.
  • steps (a) through (d) are repeated, in series, thereby providing a continuous method of producing said metal article having unidirectional grain structure in a given direction.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Turbine Rotor Nozzle Sealing (AREA)
  • Continuous Casting (AREA)
  • Molds, Cores, And Manufacturing Methods Thereof (AREA)
  • Manufacture And Refinement Of Metals (AREA)
US53514A 1969-07-11 1970-07-09 Method and apparatus for producing a metal article Expired - Lifetime US3677324A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB35121/69A GB1269833A (en) 1969-07-11 1969-07-11 A method and apparatus for producing a metal article

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US3677324A true US3677324A (en) 1972-07-18

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US53514A Expired - Lifetime US3677324A (en) 1969-07-11 1970-07-09 Method and apparatus for producing a metal article

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US (1) US3677324A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
JP (1) JPS4813807B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE2034404C3 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR2051698B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1269833A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3810504A (en) * 1971-03-26 1974-05-14 Trw Inc Method for directional solidification
US3895672A (en) * 1973-12-26 1975-07-22 United Aircraft Corp Integrated furnace method and apparatus for the continuous production of individual castings
US4175610A (en) * 1977-10-07 1979-11-27 Wacker-Chemitronic Gesellschaft Fur Elektronik-Grundstoffe Mbh Process and apparatus for the semicontinuous production of silicon moldings
US4270594A (en) * 1978-11-02 1981-06-02 Chumakov Vasily A Method and apparatus for producing directionally solidifying cast pieces
JPS6040640A (ja) * 1983-07-12 1985-03-04 アルマツクス．インコ−ポレイテツド 成形金属部品の製造装置及び製造方法
EP0243095A3 (en) * 1986-04-21 1988-05-11 PCC Airfoils, Inc. Method and apparatus for casting articles
US5261790A (en) * 1992-02-03 1993-11-16 General Electric Company Retention device for turbine blade damper
US5897069A (en) * 1997-08-14 1999-04-27 Zebco Fishing reel frame
EP1502679A1 (en) * 2003-07-30 2005-02-02 ALSTOM Technology Ltd Method for casting a directionally solidified or single crystal article
US20110030910A1 (en) * 2009-08-09 2011-02-10 Max Eric Schlienger System, method, and apparatus for directional divergence between part motion and crystallization
US20130294901A1 (en) * 2012-05-01 2013-11-07 Sergey Mironets Metal powder casting
US20160016231A1 (en) * 2013-03-06 2016-01-21 Fai Production Method and facility for transforming a liquid-state metal into a solid-state metal
CN110142398A (zh) * 2019-06-02 2019-08-20 重庆天健金属新材料有限公司 一种用于铝合金的熔铸设备
EP3623078A1 (en) * 2018-09-14 2020-03-18 United Technologies Corporation Continuous casting apparatus and method
WO2025096318A1 (en) * 2023-10-31 2025-05-08 Continuum Powders Corporation Consolidator system and method for processing feed materials

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2604378B1 (fr) * 1978-06-30 1989-10-27 Snecma Appareillage de fonderie pour la fabrication de pieces metalliques moulees a structure orientee
DE2853162C2 (de) * 1978-12-08 1982-05-19 Vasilij Alekseevič Moskva Čumakov Einrichtung zum Herstellen von Gußteilen mit gerichteter Kristallisation
FR2443302A1 (fr) * 1978-12-08 1980-07-04 Chumakov Vasily Procede de fabrication de pieces moulees a cristallisation orientee et dispositif pour la mise en oeuvre dudit procede
DE3003429C2 (de) * 1980-01-31 1983-01-20 Kernforschungsanlage Jülich GmbH, 5170 Jülich Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum zonenweisen Erwärmen bzw. Abkühlen länglicher Behandlungskörper
CN114378259B (zh) * 2021-12-28 2024-05-03 洛阳龙跃机械制造有限公司 一种防爆电机用隔爆端盖生产的铸造成型装置

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3532155A (en) * 1967-12-05 1970-10-06 Martin Metals Co Process for producing directionally solidified castings

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3532155A (en) * 1967-12-05 1970-10-06 Martin Metals Co Process for producing directionally solidified castings

Cited By (19)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3810504A (en) * 1971-03-26 1974-05-14 Trw Inc Method for directional solidification
US3895672A (en) * 1973-12-26 1975-07-22 United Aircraft Corp Integrated furnace method and apparatus for the continuous production of individual castings
US4175610A (en) * 1977-10-07 1979-11-27 Wacker-Chemitronic Gesellschaft Fur Elektronik-Grundstoffe Mbh Process and apparatus for the semicontinuous production of silicon moldings
US4270594A (en) * 1978-11-02 1981-06-02 Chumakov Vasily A Method and apparatus for producing directionally solidifying cast pieces
JPS6040640A (ja) * 1983-07-12 1985-03-04 アルマツクス．インコ−ポレイテツド 成形金属部品の製造装置及び製造方法
EP0243095A3 (en) * 1986-04-21 1988-05-11 PCC Airfoils, Inc. Method and apparatus for casting articles
US5261790A (en) * 1992-02-03 1993-11-16 General Electric Company Retention device for turbine blade damper
US5897069A (en) * 1997-08-14 1999-04-27 Zebco Fishing reel frame
EP1502679A1 (en) * 2003-07-30 2005-02-02 ALSTOM Technology Ltd Method for casting a directionally solidified or single crystal article
US20110030910A1 (en) * 2009-08-09 2011-02-10 Max Eric Schlienger System, method, and apparatus for directional divergence between part motion and crystallization
US8752610B2 (en) 2009-08-09 2014-06-17 Rolls-Royce Corporation System, method, and apparatus for directional divergence between part motion and crystallization
US20130294901A1 (en) * 2012-05-01 2013-11-07 Sergey Mironets Metal powder casting
US9475118B2 (en) * 2012-05-01 2016-10-25 United Technologies Corporation Metal powder casting
US20170001241A1 (en) * 2012-05-01 2017-01-05 United Technologies Corporation Metal powder casting
US20160016231A1 (en) * 2013-03-06 2016-01-21 Fai Production Method and facility for transforming a liquid-state metal into a solid-state metal
US9950371B2 (en) * 2013-03-06 2018-04-24 Fai Production Method and facility for transforming a liquid-state metal into a solid-state metal
EP3623078A1 (en) * 2018-09-14 2020-03-18 United Technologies Corporation Continuous casting apparatus and method
CN110142398A (zh) * 2019-06-02 2019-08-20 重庆天健金属新材料有限公司 一种用于铝合金的熔铸设备
WO2025096318A1 (en) * 2023-10-31 2025-05-08 Continuum Powders Corporation Consolidator system and method for processing feed materials

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE2034404B2 (de) 1973-12-13
FR2051698A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1971-04-09
FR2051698B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1974-09-20
DE2034404C3 (de) 1974-07-11
GB1269833A (en) 1972-04-06
JPS4813807B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1973-05-01
DE2034404A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1972-01-13

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