A method for producing a vehicle wheel from a light metal material is disclosed herein. The light metal material is introduced in liquid form into a mold cavity of a casting mold and pressurized casting is then used to produce the vehicle wheel. The casting mold is temperature-controlled, where different regions of the casting mold are maintained at different temperatures. An apparatus that includes the disclosed casting mold is also described herein.

A method for producing a vehicle wheel from a light metal material is disclosed herein. The light metal material is introduced in liquid form into a mold cavity of a casting mold and pressurized casting is then used to produce the vehicle wheel. The casting mold is temperature-controlled, where different regions of the casting mold are maintained at different temperatures. An apparatus that includes the disclosed casting mold is also described herein.

Steam exhaust ports are located around a perimeter of a direct chill casting pit, at various locations from below the top of the pit to the pit bottom to rapidly remove steam from the casting pit with addition of dry excess air. Gas introduction ports are also located around a perimeter of the casting pit and configured to introduce an inert gas into the casting pit interior.

Steam exhaust ports are located around a perimeter of a direct chill casting pit, at various locations from below the top of the pit to the pit bottom to rapidly remove steam from the casting pit with addition of dry excess air. Gas introduction ports are also located around a perimeter of the casting pit and configured to introduce an inert gas into the casting pit interior.

A titanium composite material includes a titanium matrix material and a powder reinforced composite material with a volume ratio of 10%-70%. The titanium matrix material is disposed at an α phase, a β phase, an α+β phase, an omega phase, or an intermetallic α-1, α-2, α-3 phase. The powder reinforced composite material is selected from a ceramic powder material, a powder material with electric features or a magnetic powder material. Thus, the powder reinforced composite material is added into and combined with the titanium matrix material to form the titanium composite material by casting, agglomerating or pressing, so that the titanium matrix material contains the physical, chemical or electric features of the titanium matrix material and the powder reinforced composite material.

A titanium composite material includes a titanium matrix material and a powder reinforced composite material with a volume ratio of 10%-70%. The titanium matrix material is disposed at an α phase, a β phase, an α+β phase, an omega phase, or an intermetallic α-1, α-2, α-3 phase. The powder reinforced composite material is selected from a ceramic powder material, a powder material with electric features or a magnetic powder material. Thus, the powder reinforced composite material is added into and combined with the titanium matrix material to form the titanium composite material by casting, agglomerating or pressing, so that the titanium matrix material contains the physical, chemical or electric features of the titanium matrix material and the powder reinforced composite material.

A method for producing iron metal castings, wherein an expendable mold having a cavity for holding casting material is inserted into an opened multi-part permanent mold, the permanent mold is closed, the cavity is filled with casting material, wherein a supporting device partially protruding into the cavity is partially overcast, the expendable mold is cooled in the permanent mold after the filling, the permanent mold is opened during the cooling, after the liquidus temperature has been fallen below at the earliest, and the expendable mold is nondestructively removed from the permanent mold together with the casting, the expendable mold is further cooled together with the solidified casting while hanging on the supporting device, at least until the microstructure formation of the casting is concluded, the casting is demolded by removing the expendable mold.

3-D printed PLA material of a selected density is formed into a pattern that is configured as the outer shell of a casting form to be used in the lost foam or evaporative casting process. The purpose of 3-D printing of the PLA material is used to maintain the proper configuration of the form to facilitate casting, and reduce buildup of carbon on the surface of the casting. Because the form is essentially hollow, PLA support pieces can be used on the interior to maintain the structural integrity of the form.

3-D printed PLA material of a selected density is formed into a pattern that is configured as the outer shell of a casting form to be used in the lost foam or evaporative casting process. The purpose of 3-D printing of the PLA material is used to maintain the proper configuration of the form to facilitate casting, and reduce buildup of carbon on the surface of the casting. Because the form is essentially hollow, PLA support pieces can be used on the interior to maintain the structural integrity of the form.

A variable stiffness device, including a core including a low melting point alloy, an encapsulation surrounding the core, the encapsulation made of an elastic material and sealing the core, and a heating device arranged around the encapsulation, configured to heat the core, wherein the elastic material of the encapsulation is subject to a tensile stress in a direction along a longitudinal extension of the thread-like variable stiffness device.