APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING METAL ARTICLES, IN PARTICULAR OF LIGHT ALLOY

• US 20090158795A1
• Filed: 12/22/2008
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solmar SAS (Kering SA), Solmae S.A.S.
• Original Assignee: Solmar SAS (Kering SA)
• Inventors: Bonci, Franco
• Granted Patent: US 8,210,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 72/21.500
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 18/02 Pressure casting making use of mechanical pressure devices, e.g. cast-forging B22D18/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 18/08 Controlling, supervising, e.g. for safety reasons controlling or regulating in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 2/003 for the level of the molten metal B22D11/181 and B22D11/201 take precedence; level indicators in general G01F23/00

Abstract

An apparatus for manufacturing metal articles, in particular of light, alloy, which comprises a die including a pair of portions which can be separated to each other, which, in the closed condition, delimitate forging cavities having a shape corresponding to one or more articles to be forged, and a furnace adapted to melt the metal and to control the reaching by the molten metal of the hollow impressions of the die, as a result of overflowing through a duct connected to the furnace. A portion of the die comprises, for each hollow impression, a movable punch adapted to apply a predetermined pressure on the relevant article during the forging step. Each punch is moveable in a manner independent from the others punches, and the apparatus comprises a controller for controlling the pressure applied by each punch during the forging step, which allow to level the pressure applied by all the punches on the relevant article.

Claims

1. An apparatus for manufacturing metal articles, in particular of light alloy, by means of a die including a first die portion and at least a second die portion which can be separated to each other, which die portions, in their closed condition, delimit forging cavities which define the shape of one or more articles to be forged, the apparatus comprising a furnace arranged below the die, to heat the metal to the molten state and to control the flow of the molten metal through a feeding duct connected to the furnace, until hollow impressions of the die are reached as a result of overflowing from an outlet section of the feeding duct, one portion of the die comprising, for each hollow impression of the other portion, a punch which is movable towards the other portion of the die, and is adapted to apply a predetermined pressure on the relevant article during the forging step, wherein each punch of the die is moveable in a manner independent from the other punches, and the apparatus comprising a controller for controlling the pressure applied by each punch during the forging step, said controller being adapted to level the pressure applied by all the punches on the relevant article.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movement of each punch is controlled through a respective actuator to which a sensor is associated, which sensor being intended to sense the pressure applied by the punch during the forging step, the various actuators and the respective sensors being connected to an electronic control unit adapted to control driving of the actuators during the forging step until all the sensors sense a pressure which is substantially equal to and corresponding to a predetermined pressure.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each punch is controlled through a double-acting hydraulic or pneumatic actuator comprising a piston connected to a respective punch, which is slidably mounted in a cylinder in which a first half-chamber arranged on the side of the respective punch and a second half-chamber opposite to the first chamber are defined at opposite sides of the piston, which half-chambers are respectively fed with said pressurized fluid through respective ducts, said pressure sensor being arranged in the second half-chamber.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each punch is controlled through a single-acting hydraulic or pneumatic actuator comprising a piston connected with a respective punch, slidably mounted in a cylinder in which a first half-chamber arranged on the side of the respective punch and a second half-chamber opposite to the first chamber are defined at opposite sides of the piston, a resilient thruster being arranged in the first half-chamber for biasing the movement of said piston towards the second half-chamber, the second half-chamber being fed with said pressurized fluid through a respective duct, said pressure sensor being arranged in the second half-chamber.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each punch is slidably and sealingly mounted in a respective cylindrical cavity, all the cavities of said punches communicating to each other by ducts, in said cavities and in said ducts being admitted a liquid in such a manner that the movement of the various punches is automatically levelled as a result of the movement of the liquid from a cavity to the other cavities.