Method for filling a mold

• US 6,779,588 B1
• Filed: 10/29/2001
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aludyne North America Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hayes Lemmerz International Incorporated (Iochpe-Maxion SA)
• Inventors: Salgat, Mark, Schnettler, Brandon, Good, Dave, Rozich, Tom, Minor, Daniel D., McKibben, Kenneth D., Macheske, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stona, Kiley
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kerns, Kevin P.
• Application Number:
  US10/045,659
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 164/457, 164/155.2, 164/4.1, 164/119, 164/306, 164/133, 164/135, 164/136, 164/335, 164/337
• US Class Current: 164/457
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 18/04 Low pressure casting, i.e. making use of pressures up to a few bars to fill the mould
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 18/08 Controlling, supervising, e.g. for safety reasons controlling or regulating in general G05

Abstract

A mold of a casting machine is filled to make a cast article. The method includes providing a molten metal to a casting chamber in fluid communication with the mold, the casting chamber having a supply conduit for introducing a gas into the casting chamber, and the casting chamber having an evacuation conduit for delivering the molten metal from the casting chamber to the mold. The method also includes controlling the filling of the mold during a first time interval by delivering the molten metal from the casting chamber to the mold at a first rate. The method further includes controlling the filling of the mold during a second time interval by delivering the molten metal from the casting chamber to the mold at a second rate. The filling of the mold decelerates from the first rate to the second rate and the second rate does not exceed the first rate.

Claims

1. A method for filling a mold by a desired fill profile having at least four filling stages, stage 1, stage 2, stage 3 and stage 4, associated with four time intervals, t₀ to t₁, t₁ to t₂, t₂ to t₃, and t₃ to t₄, respectfully, and with four pressure change intervals, P₀ to P₁, P₁ to P₂, P₂ to P₃ and P₃ to P₄, respectively, to make a cast article comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a molten metal to a casting chamber in fluid communication with the mold, the casting chamber having a supply conduit for introducing a gas into the casting chamber, and the casting chamber having an evacuation conduit for delivering the molten metal from the casting chamber to the mold;

(b) controlling the filling of the mold during the first time interval t₀ to t₁ of stage 1 by delivering the molten metal from the casting chamber to the mold at a first rate by supplying the gas to the casting chamber during stage 1 at to at P₀ and at t₁ at P₁ to allow the molten metal to rise at the first rate, stage 1 including an acceleration portion wherein the molten metal is accelerated up to a desired fill rate for stage 1, the first rate operative to produce a first stage actual fill profile;

(c) controlling the filling of the mold during the second time interval t₁ to t₂ of stage 2 by delivering the molten metal from the casting chamber to the mold at a second rate by supplying the gas to the casting chamber during stage 2 at t₁ at P₁ and at t₂ at P₂ to allow the molten metal to rise at the second rate, the second rate operative to produce a second stage actual fill profile, the second rate being less than the first rate to thereby prevent the actual fill profile during the transition from the end of the first stare actual fill profile to the beginning of the second stage actual fill profile from overshooting the desired fill profile and causing the molten metal to bounce and create turbulence in the mold whereby the mold fills more slowly with molten metal during stage 2 than during stage 1 to thereby produce a smooth transition in the filling of the mold cavity indicated graphically by a gradually decreasing slope value during the transition from the end of stage 1 to the beginning of stage 2;

(d) controlling the filling of the mold during the third time interval t₂ to t₃ of stage 3 by delivering the molten metal from the casting chamber to the mold at a third rate by supplying the gas to the casting chamber during stage 3 at t₂ at P₂ and at t₃ at P₃ to allow the molten metal to rise at the third rate, the third rate being greater than the second rate whereby the mold fills more quickly with molten metal during stage 3 than during stage 2, the third rate operative to produce a third stage actual fill profile; and

(e) controlling the filling of the mold during the fourth time interval t₃ to t₄ of stage 4 by delivering the molten metal from the casting chamber to the mold at a fourth rate by supplying the gas to the casting chamber during stage 4 at t₃ at P₃ and at t₄ at P₄ to allow the molten metal to rise at the fourth rate, the fourth rate operative to produce a fourth stage actual fill profile, the fourth rate being less than the third rate to thereby prevent the actual fill profile during the transition from the end of the third stage actual fill profile to the beginning of the fourth stage actual fill profile from overshooting the desired fill profile and causing the molten metal to bounce and create turbulence in the mold whereby the mold fills more slowly with molten metal during stage 4 than during stage 3 to thereby produce a smooth transition in the filling of the mold cavity indicated graphically by a gradually decreasing slope value during the transition from the end of stage 3 to the beginning of stage 4.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing a controller for controlling filling of the mold during the at least four filling stages.

3. A method for filling a mold by a desired fill profile having at least four filling stages, stage 1, stage 2, stage 3 and stage 4, associated with four time intervals, t₀ to t₁, t₁ to t₂, t₂ to t₃, and t₃ to t₄, respectfully, and with four pressure change intervals, P₀ to P₁, P₁ to P₂, P₂ to P₃ and P₃ to P₄, respectively, to make a cast article comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a molten metal to a casting chamber in fluid communication with the mold, the casting chamber having a supply conduit for introducing a gas into the casting chamber, and the casting chamber having an evacuation conduit for delivering the molten metal from the casting chamber to the mold;

(b) providing a transducer and a controller;

(c) controlling the filling of the mold during the first time interval t₀ to t₁ of stage 1 by delivering the molten metal from the casting chamber to the mold at a first rate by supplying the gas to the casting chamber during stage 1 at to at P₀ and at t₁ at P₁ to allow the molten metal to rise at the first rate, stage 1 including an acceleration portion wherein the molten metal is accelerated up to a desired fill rate for stage 1, the first rate operative to produce a first stage actual fill profile;

(d) controlling the filling of the mold during the second time interval t₁ to t₂ of stage 2 by delivering the molten metal from the casting chamber to the mold at a second rate by supplying the gas to the casting chamber during stage 2 at t₁ at P₁ and at t₂ at P₂ to allow the molten metal to rise at the second rate, the second rate operative to produce a second stage actual fill profile, the second rate being less than the first rate to thereby prevent the actual fill profile at the transition from the end of the first stage actual fill profile to the beginning of the second stage actual fill profile from overshooting the desired fill profile and causing the molten metal to bounce and create turbulence in the mold whereby the mold fills more slowly with molten metal during stage 2 than during stage 1 to thereby produce a smooth transition in the filling of the mold cavity indicated graphically by a gradually decreasing slope value during the transition from the end of stage 1 to the beginning of stage 2;

(e) controlling the filling of the mold during the third time interval t₂ to t₃ of stage 3 by delivering the molten metal from the casting chamber to the mold at a third rate by supplying the gas to the casting chamber during stage 3 at t₂ at P₂ and at t₃ at P₃ to allow the molten metal to rise at the third rate, the third rate being greater than the second rate whereby the mold fills more quickly with molten metal during stage 3 than during stage 2, the third rate operative to produce a third stage actual fill profile; and

(f) controlling the filling of the mold during the fourth time interval t₃ to t₄ of stage 4 by delivering the molten metal from the casting chamber to the mold at a fourth rate by supplying the gas to the casting chamber during stage 4 at t₃ at P₃ and at t₄ at P₄ to allow the molten metal to rise at the fourth rate, the fourth rate operative to produce a fourth stage actual fill profile, the fourth rate being less than the third rate to thereby prevent the actual fill profile at the transition from the end of the third stage actual fill profile to the beginning of the fourth stage actual fill profile from overshooting the desired fill profile and causing the molten metal to bounce and create turbulence in the mold whereby the mold fills more slowly with molten metal during stage 4 than during stage 3 to thereby produce a smooth transition in the filling of the mold cavity indicated graphically by a gradually decreasing slope value during the transition from the end of stage 3 to the beginning of stage 4;

wherein the transducer sends signals representative of the pressures in the casting chamber to the controller and the controller changes the filling of the mold from the first rate to the second rate to the third rate and to the fourth rate.

4. A method for filling a mold by a desired fill profile having at least four filling stages, stage 1, stage 2, stage 3 and stage 4, associated with four time intervals, t₀ to t₁, t₁ to t₂, t₂ to t₃, and t₃ to t₄, respectfully, and with four pressure change intervals, P₀ to P₁, P₁ to P₂, P₂ to P₃ and P₃ to P₄, respectively, to make a cast article comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a molten metal to a casting chamber, the casting chamber having a supply conduit for introducing a gas into the casting chamber, and the casting chamber having an evacuation conduit for delivering the molten metal from the casting chamber to the mold;

(b) providing a desired fill profile for delivering the molten metal from the casting chamber to the mold;

(c) detecting the pressure in the casting chamber;

(d) providing a controller and sending a signal representative of the pressure in the casting chamber to the controller; and

(e) changing the desired fill profile based upon the signal representative of the pressure in the casting chamber;

wherein the desired fill profile includes at least controlling the filling of the mold during the first time interval t₀ to t₁ of stage 1 by delivering the molten metal from the casting chamber to the mold at a first rate by supplying the gas to the casting chamber during stage 1 at t₀ at P₀ and at t₁ at P₁ to allow the molten metal to rise at the first rate, stage 1 including an acceleration portion wherein the molten metal is accelerated up to a desired fill rate for stage 1, the first rate operative to produce a first stage actual fill profile, controlling the filling of the mold during the second time interval t₁ to t₂ of stage 2 by delivering the molten metal from the casting chamber to the mold at a second rate by supplying the gas to the casting chamber during stage 2 at t₁ at P₁ and at t₂ at P₂ to allow the molten metal to rise at the second rate, the second rate operative to produce a second stare actual fill profile, the second rate being less than the first rate to thereby prevent the actual fill profile at the transition from the end of the first stage actual fill profile to the beginning of the second stage actual fill profile from overshooting the desired fill profile and causing the molten metal to bounce and create turbulence in the mold whereby the mold fills more slowly with molten metal during stage 2 than during stage 1 to thereby produce a smooth transition in the filling of the mold cavity indicated graphically by a gradually decreasing slope value during the transition from the end of stage 1 to the beginning of stage 2;

controlling the filling of the mold during the third time interval t₂ to t₃ of stage 3 by delivering the molten metal from the casting chamber to the mold at a third rate by supplying the gas to the casting chamber during stage 3 at t₂ at P₂ and at t₃ at P₃ to allow the molten metal to rise at the third rate, the third rate being greater than the second rate whereby the mold fills more quickly with molten metal during stage 3 than during stage 2, the third rate operative to produce a third stage actual fill profile; and

controlling the filling of the mold during the fourth time interval t₃ to t₄ of stage 4 by delivering the molten metal from the casting chamber to the mold at a fourth rate by supplying the gas to the casting chamber during stage 4 at t₃ at P₃ and at t₄ at P₄ to allow the molten metal to rise at the fourth rate, the fourth rate operative to produce a fourth stage actual fill profile, the fourth rate being less than the third rate to thereby prevent the actual fill profile at the transition from the end of the third stage actual fill profile to the beginning of the fourth stage actual fill profile from overshooting the desired fill profile and causing the molten metal to bounce and create turbulence in the mold whereby the mold fills more slowly with molten metal during stage 4 than during stage 3 to thereby produce a smooth transition in the filling of the mold cavity indicated graphically by a gradually decreasing slope value during the transition from the end of stage 3 to the beginning of stage 4.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of providing a transducer to detect the pressures in the casting chamber.

6. A method for filling a mold by a desired fill profile having at least two filling stages, stage 1 and stage 2, associated with two time intervals, t₀ to t₁ and t₁ to t₂, respectfully, and with two pressure change intervals, P₀ to P₁, and P₁ to P₂, respectively, to make a cast article comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a molten metal to a casting chamber in fluid communication with the mold, the casting chamber having a supply conduit for introducing a gas into the casting chamber, and the casting chamber having an evacuation conduit for delivering the molten metal from the casting chamber to the mold;

(b) controlling the filling of the mold during the first time interval t₀ to t₁ of stage 1 by delivering the molten metal from the casting chamber to the mold at a first rate by supplying the gas to the casting chamber during stage 1 at to at P₀ and at t₁ at P₁ to allow the molten metal to rise at the first rate, stage 1 including an acceleration portion wherein the molten metal is accelerated up to a desired fill rate for stage 1, the first rate operative to produce a first stage actual fill profile; and

(c) controlling the filling of the mold during the second time interval t₁ to t₂ of stage 2 by delivering the molten metal from the casting chamber to the mold at a second rate by supplying the gas to the casting chamber during stage 2 at t₁ at P₁ and at t₂ at P₂ to allow the molten metal to rise at the second rate, the second rate operative to produce a second stage actual fill profile, the second rate being less than the first rate to thereby prevent the actual fill profile during the transition from the end of the first stage actual fill profile to the beginning of the second stage actual fill profile from overshooting the desired fill profile and causing the molten metal to bounce and create turbulence in the mold whereby the mold fills more slowly with molten metal during stage 2 than during stage 1 to thereby produce a smooth transition in the filling of the mold cavity indicated graphically by a gradually decreasing slope value during the transition from the end of stage 1 to the beginning of stage 2.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of providing a controller for controlling filling of the mold during the at least two filling stages.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of providing a transducer to detect the pressures in the casting chamber.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of providing a controller for controlling filling of the mold during the at least two filling stages and providing a transducer to detect the pressures in the casting chamber.