A casting ring having a first section made of a heat-conductive material and a second section made of a MAX phase alloy material, and a method for obtaining a product made of titanium alloy or a titanium-aluminum intermetallic compound by plasma torch melting, the alloy having an oriented structure, the method including heating the molten alloy surface in the casting ring with a plasma torch; cooling a cold zone of the casting ring over a length L1, the cooling forming a semi-solid crown of alloy; heating a hot zone of the casting ring over a length L2, thereby forming a solidification front, the flatness of which relative to a plane perpendicular to a drawing direction is less than 10?; and drawing the solidified alloy at a speed of more than 10.sup.?4 m/s in the drawing direction.

A casting ring having a first section made of a heat-conductive material and a second section made of a MAX phase alloy material, and a method for obtaining a product made of titanium alloy or a titanium-aluminum intermetallic compound by plasma torch melting, the alloy having an oriented structure, the method including heating the molten alloy surface in the casting ring with a plasma torch; cooling a cold zone of the casting ring over a length L1, the cooling forming a semi-solid crown of alloy; heating a hot zone of the casting ring over a length L2, thereby forming a solidification front, the flatness of which relative to a plane perpendicular to a drawing direction is less than 10?; and drawing the solidified alloy at a speed of more than 10.sup.?4 m/s in the drawing direction.

An ingot mould for continuous casting, with a lubricant channel (2) opening to the running surface (1), has a distribution portion (3) adjoining the running surface (1). In an ingot mould of the aforementioned type a uniform lubrication of the running surface of the ingot mould is possible using as few wear-susceptible components as possible, where the flow resistance within the distribution portion (3) increases in the direction of the running surface (1) and is constant in a discharge region (4) of the distribution portion (3) adjoining the running surface parallel to the running surface (1).

An ingot mould for continuous casting, with a lubricant channel (2) opening to the running surface (1), has a distribution portion (3) adjoining the running surface (1). In an ingot mould of the aforementioned type a uniform lubrication of the running surface of the ingot mould is possible using as few wear-susceptible components as possible, where the flow resistance within the distribution portion (3) increases in the direction of the running surface (1) and is constant in a discharge region (4) of the distribution portion (3) adjoining the running surface parallel to the running surface (1).

The invention relates to a mould for the manufacturing of mould steels in an inert gas or a pressurized electro slag re-melting apparatus. The mould comprises a non-rectangular and non-circular inner copper sleeve having a width, w, of 1000-2500 mm and a thickness, t, of 700-1250 mm, wherein the short sides in the thickness direction of the copper sleeve at least partly have sections with curved surfaces and wherein the long sides in the width direction at least partly have sections with curved surfaces.

The invention relates to a mould for the manufacturing of mould steels in an inert gas or a pressurized electro slag re-melting apparatus. The mould comprises a non-rectangular and non-circular inner copper sleeve having a width, w, of 1000-2500 mm and a thickness, t, of 700-1250 mm, wherein the short sides in the thickness direction of the copper sleeve at least partly have sections with curved surfaces and wherein the long sides in the width direction at least partly have sections with curved surfaces.

A masonry oven constructed with the aid of molds. An exemplary foam mold set for the on-site for the construction of a pizza oven. The mold set allows do-it-yourself homeowners, construction companies and the like to construct a custom pizza oven by simply applying fire bricks and high temperature mortar to the outer surface of the mold.

A method for casting a reactive material PVD target, as well as targets thus obtained and a mold for casting. The method includes providing a mold defining an opening, placing a reactive material ingot in to a reservoir (140) proximate the mold, forming a vacuum and melting the reactive material in the reservoir, heating the mold to above a casting temperature and forming a vacuum therein, introducing molten reactive material from the reservoir into the opening and cooling the mold to form the PVD target.

A method for casting a reactive material PVD target, as well as targets thus obtained and a mold for casting. The method includes providing a mold defining an opening, placing a reactive material ingot in to a reservoir (140) proximate the mold, forming a vacuum and melting the reactive material in the reservoir, heating the mold to above a casting temperature and forming a vacuum therein, introducing molten reactive material from the reservoir into the opening and cooling the mold to form the PVD target.

A machine for forming metal bars, in particular for producing ingots made of precious metal such as gold, silver, precious alloys, as well as other pure metals or different alloys, in the form of solid metal powder, grits or swarf of various sizes, having an ingot mold and a cover for closing the ingot mold when filled, the ingot mold has a dimension in height such that the cover passes from a first position to a second position when the volume occupied by the mass of metal that fills the ingot mold reduces gradually up to one third of the initial solid volume. In the first position the cover rests on the metal that fills the ingot mold and remains raised with respect to an abutting edge of the ingot mold, in such a manner that the bottom of the cover compresses and thus uniformly compacts the powders, the grits or the swarf so that, during the melting step, in the second position, the cover lowers progressively as the metal melts, until it rests on the abutting edge of the ingot mold, thus hermetically closing the ingot mold.