A method of moulding a settable material includes the steps of: (i) providing a first mould or mould cavity; (ii) providing an outlet from which a settable material is discharged; (iii) aligning the first mould or mould cavity with the outlet; (iv) discharging settable material from the outlet into the first mould or mould cavity; (v) providing a second mould or mould cavity; (vi) displacing the first mould or mould cavity away from the outlet; (vii) aligning the second mould or mould cavity with: (a) the outlet; and (b) the first mould or mould cavity such that the second mould or mould cavity is in fluid communication with the first mould or mould cavity; (viii) discharging settable material from the outlet into the second mould or mould cavity; (ix) permitting a portion of the settable material discharged into the second mould or mould cavity to flow from within the second mould or mould cavity to within the first mould or mould cavity; (x) further displacing the first mould or mould cavity and the second mould or mould cavity away from the outlet; (xii) permitting: (a) the settable material in the first mould or mould cavity to set into a first moulded article; and (b) the settable material in the second mould or mould cavity to set into a second moulded article; and (xiii) severing the first moulded article from the second moulded article.

A method of casting valve seat inserts comprises pouring molten metal into a gating system of a mold plate stack wherein mold plates are located between top and bottom molds wherein the gating system includes a casting header, down-sprue, horizontal sprue, up-sprues, runners, and gates in fluid communication with mold cavities configured to form the valve seat inserts. The method includes filling the mold cavities with the molten metal, and controlling solidification of the molten metal in the mold cavities by means of an outer thermal barrier which retards heat transfer in mold plate material between the mold cavities and an outer periphery of the mold plate stack. An inner thermal barrier can be sued to further control solidification of the molten metal. Valve seat inserts produced using the thermal jacket molds can exhibit an improved microhardness distribution which provides improved machining and higher yield.

A method of casting valve seat inserts comprises pouring molten metal into a gating system of a mold plate stack wherein mold plates are located between top and bottom molds wherein the gating system includes a casting header, down-sprue, horizontal sprue, up-sprues, runners, and gates in fluid communication with mold cavities configured to form the valve seat inserts. The method includes filling the mold cavities with the molten metal, and controlling solidification of the molten metal in the mold cavities by means of an outer thermal barrier which retards heat transfer in mold plate material between the mold cavities and an outer periphery of the mold plate stack. An inner thermal barrier can be sued to further control solidification of the molten metal. Valve seat inserts produced using the thermal jacket molds can exhibit an improved microhardness distribution which provides improved machining and higher yield.

The invention relates to a device and a method for producing components comprising a mould building device (1) for producing lost casting moulds, and a casting device (2) connected to the mould building device for casting components in the lost casting moulds, characterised in that the mould building device is suitable for the continuous layering of moulding plates (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23), wherein a respective at least three of said moulding plates form a casting mould.

The invention relates to a device and a method for producing components comprising a mould building device (1) for producing lost casting moulds, and a casting device (2) connected to the mould building device for casting components in the lost casting moulds, characterised in that the mould building device is suitable for the continuous layering of moulding plates (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23), wherein a respective at least three of said moulding plates form a casting mould.

A counter gravity casting apparatus includes a reusable metal mold having a plurality of mold cavities, a feed tube configured to feed molten alloy into the mold, and a vacuum fitting configured to permit a vacuum to be applied to the mold. The mold includes multiple metal sections configured such that adjacent metal sections mate to one another, the metal sections being separable from one another. The metal sections include recesses that form the mold cavities, and the mold includes a sprue and multiple runner passages. The sprue is configured to receive molten alloy from the feed tube, and the multiple runner passages are configured to feed molten alloy from the sprue to the mold cavities. Methods of casting bulk amorphous alloy articles or feedstock is described.

A method of casting metal parts such as valve seat inserts comprises pouring molten metal into a gating system of a mold plate stack wherein mold plates are located between a cover mold and a bottom mold, the gating system including a casting header, down-sprue, at least one distribution runner, at least one up-sprue, runners and gates in fluid communication with mold cavities configured to form metal parts, and the gating system including at least one internal passage in the cover mold in fluid communication with the up-sprue and the down-sprue. During filling of the mold cavities with the molten metal, air trapped in the mold plate stack is expelled to surrounding atmospheric air via the up-sprue, the internal passage and an upper end of the down-sprue. The molten metal is solidified to form cast metal parts interconnected by solidified metal in the down-sprue, distribution runner, runners and gates, up-sprue and internal passage.

A method of casting metal parts such as valve seat inserts comprises pouring molten metal into a gating system of a mold plate stack wherein mold plates are located between a cover mold and a bottom mold, the gating system including a casting header, down-sprue, at least one distribution runner, at least one up-sprue, runners and gates in fluid communication with mold cavities configured to form metal parts, and the gating system including at least one internal passage in the cover mold in fluid communication with the up-sprue and the down-sprue. During filling of the mold cavities with the molten metal, air trapped in the mold plate stack is expelled to surrounding atmospheric air via the up-sprue, the internal passage and an upper end of the down-sprue. The molten metal is solidified to form cast metal parts interconnected by solidified metal in the down-sprue, distribution runner, runners and gates, up-sprue and internal passage.