A stirring device to be used for stirring a semi-solid metal slurry, wherein the stirring device is to rotate around a rotational axis (X-X) when used for stirring a semisolid metal slurry. The stirring device includes an elongated shaft extending along the rotational axis (X-X), and at least two wings securely arranged to the elongated shaft and extending radially outwards from the elongated shaft, wherein the at least two wings also have a substantial axial extension along the rotational axis (X-X). Hereby, whirls are produced in the slurry that results in a well-homogenized slurry with no large metal oxide surfaces inside. Disclosed is also a production method and a system for producing the slurry.

A method and apparatus for producing solid alloy components from its liquid state are provided. The molten alloy is rapidly cooled using a chill to temperatures below the thermosolutal transition temperature of the alloy. Finite-amplitude acoustic vibration is applied on the chill to shake off dendrites that form on the chill surface, to stir the slurry containing the fragments of dendrites, and to shake off slurry material that sticks on the surface of the chill as the chill is separating from the slurry. The slurry is then immediately poured into a chamber of a forming machine or a mold cavity shaped into solid components.

A raw material for thixomolding includes a magnesium-based alloy powder which contains calcium in an amount of 0.2 mass % or more and 5 mass % or less and aluminum in an amount of 2.5 mass % or more and 12 mass % or less, wherein the magnesium-based alloy powder includes an oxide layer which has an average thickness of 30 nm or more and 100 nm or less and contains at least one of calcium and aluminum as an outermost layer. The average dendrite secondary arm spacing of crystal structures of the magnesium-based alloy powder is preferably 5 μm or less.

The invention relates to a module (1) for a die-casting device, comprising a base (2) which can be fastened to a mounting plate of the die-casting device, a screw/cylinder unit (3) for producing a thixotropic material, and a filling chamber (4), wherein the screw/cylinder unit (3) and the filling chamber (4) are arranged indirectly or directly on the base (2) such that thixotropic material produced by the screw/cylinder unit (3) can be conveyed into the filling chamber (4).

An injection molding material for magnesium thixomolding includes: a powder containing Mg as a main component; and a chip containing Mg as a main component, in which a proportion of the powder in the injection molding material for magnesium thixomolding is 5 mass % or more and 45 mass % or less, and a tap density of the powder is 0.15 g/cm.sup.3 or more.

A method for manufacturing a powder-modified magnesium alloy chip for thixomolding includes a drying step of heating a mixture containing an Mg chip containing Mg as a main component, a C powder containing C as a main component, a binder, and an organic solvent to dry the organic solvent contained in the mixture, and a stirring step of stirring the mixture heated in the drying step.

A method for manufacturing a thixomolding material for thixomolding includes a drying step of heating a mixture containing a first powder that contains Mg as a main component, a second powder, a binder, and an organic solvent to dry the organic solvent contained in the mixture, and a stirring step of stirring the mixture heated in the drying step.

A composition for making a core for use in a moulding or casting process, a core comprising said composition, and a mould for producing an article by high pressure die casting or semi-solid casting. The composition comprises a particulate refractory material, a binder composition comprising at least one hydrophilic polymer, comprising at least one polysaccharide or polysaccharide derivative; and at least one pozzolanic additive. The mould comprises a core for defining an internal cavity of the article and the core comprises a solidified core composition. The solidified core composition comprises a particulate refractory material and a binder composition, degrades in water such that a cylinder of the solidified core composition having a maximum height of 80 mm and a maximum diameter of 50 mm disintegrates in no more than 10 minutes when immersed in water at a temperature of 20° C. and stirred at a speed of 60 rpm, and has a flexural strength of at least 300 N/cm.sup.2. The invention also resides in a method for producing an article by high pressure die casting or semi-solid casting.

A slurrying device includes a slurrying tank and a rotor stirrer. The rotor stirrer includes a stirring drum, a transmission gear arranged at an end face of the stirring drum configured to face the slurrying tank, and a rotor stirring rod configured to extend from the stirring drum and into the slurrying tank to stir a slurrying liquid in the slurrying tank. The rotor stirring rod is meshed with the transmission gear and configured to revolve along a planar trajectory of the transmission gear while simultaneously rotating. The rotor stirrer further includes a driving device provided at the stirring drum and configured to drive the rotor stirring rod to rotate via the transmission gear.

A method for casting metals under pressure by a cold-chamber method includes placing a bolt of the metal to be cast in one of at least two casting chambers and selecting a casting chamber from the at least two casting chambers and feeding and introducing the selected casting chamber into a diecasting machine, the selected casting chamber having one outlet opening. The selecting and feeding of the casting chambers is carried out alternately from the at least two casting chambers. The method further includes heating the bolt by means of induction. Melting of the bolt in the selected casting chamber is carried out after the feeding and introducing of the selected casting chamber into the diecasting machine but before an opening of the outlet opening of the selected casting chamber in order to fill the cavities is completed.