Apparatus for manufacturing metal articles, in particular of light alloy

• US 8,210,233 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2008
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Solmar SAS (Kering SA), Solmae S.A.S.
• Original Assignee: Solmar SAS (Kering SA)
• Inventors: Bonci, Franco
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, David
• Application Number:
  US12/341,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20090158795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,289 Days
• Field of Search: 164/63, 164/111, 164/113, 164/120, 72/42
• US Class Current: 164/120
• 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, includes 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 includes, 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 other punches, and the apparatus includes 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 die forming metal articles from a molten metal said apparatus including a first die portion and at least a second die portion which are moveable relative to one another between an open condition and a closed condition, said die portions, in a closed condition, delimiting die cavities which define a shape of one or more articles to be formed, the apparatus further comprising a furnace arranged below and connected to the die by a feeding duct, to heat a metal to its molten state and to control a flow of the molten metal through the feeding duct to hollow impressions formed as part of the first or the second portion of the die, said apparatus further comprising a moveable punch located in each hollow impression, which punch is movable towards the other portion of the die, and is adapted to apply a predetermined pressure on the metal article being formed, wherein each punch is moveable independently from all other punches, said apparatus further comprising a controller for controlling a pressure applied by each punch and for levelling the pressure applied by all the punches on the article being formed.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a movement of each punch is controlled through a respective actuator to which a sensor is associated, wherein each sensor is adapted to sense a pressure applied by its respective punch, the actuators and their respective sensors being connected to an electronic control unit adapted to control driving of the actuators 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 piston is slidably mounted in a cylinder in which a first half-chamber arranged on a side of the respective punch and a second half-chamber opposite to the first chamber are defined at opposite sides of the piston, and 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 a side of the respective punch and a second half-chamber opposite to the first chamber are defined at opposite sides of the piston, and a resilient thruster is arranged in the first half-chamber for biasing 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 liquid-filled cylindrical cavity, wherein the cavities of said punches communicate with one another through ducts, and wherein movement of the punches is automatically levelled as a result of the movement of the liquid from one cavity to another cavity.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the liquid comprises an oil.