A sprue for a low-pressure casting device includes a stalk connection part to be connected to a stalk, a molten metal reservoir and a cavity connection part to be connected to the cavity. The shape of the molten metal reservoir is such that the perimeter of the cross section perpendicular to the flow direction of molten metal gradually increases toward the cavity connection part while the area of the cross section remains constant.

A low-pressure casting device is provided with a holding furnace, a stoke, a pressure control device and a molten-metal level sensor. The holding furnace holds molten metal. The stoke supplies molten metal into a casting mold via a sprue. The pressure control device moves the molten metal in the stoke and fills the molten metal in the casting mold. The molten-metal level sensor detects a surface level of the molten-metal in the stoke. The stoke has a lower end immersed in the molten metal in the holding furnace. The low-pressure casting device is configured to correct filling of the molten metal in the casting mold in a next casting based on the height of the molten metal surface detected by the molten-metal level sensor.

A low-pressure casting device is provided with a holding furnace, a stoke, a pressure control device and a molten-metal level sensor. The holding furnace holds molten metal. The stoke supplies molten metal into a casting mold via a sprue. The pressure control device moves the molten metal in the stoke and fills the molten metal in the casting mold. The molten-metal level sensor detects a surface level of the molten-metal in the stoke. The stoke has a lower end immersed in the molten metal in the holding furnace. The low-pressure casting device is configured to correct filling of the molten metal in the casting mold in a next casting based on the height of the molten metal surface detected by the molten-metal level sensor.

A method for quickly finding robust operating points of a casting process is disclosed. Metamodels and extrapolatable models contribute to reducing the experimental effort both in simulation and for practical experiments, and these models are subsequently used for autonomous control of the casting process.

A low-pressure casting apparatus includes a core that together with a mold forms a cavity and a reduced-pressure dryer configured to dry the core under reduced pressure. The core is disposed in the mold, the molded is closed, the core is dried under reduced pressure, and thereafter the cavity is filled with molten metal.

A low-pressure casting apparatus includes a core that together with a mold forms a cavity and a reduced-pressure dryer configured to dry the core under reduced pressure. The core is disposed in the mold, the molded is closed, the core is dried under reduced pressure, and thereafter the cavity is filled with molten metal.

A method for carrying out a casting process of a die-casting machine includes, for a mould-filling phase, to bring the shut-off valve into a closed position, and to control the casting piston in the casting chamber to advance from a casting start position to a filling end position, and, for a subsequent refilling phase, to bring the shut-off valve into an open position and to control the casting piston to move back to the casting start position. A closure nozzle is provided in the melt outlet channel and kept closed in the refilling phase. In the mould-filling phase, the casting piston is firstly moved back from the casting start position to an additional stroke position and subsequently advance from the additional stroke position via the casting start position to the filling end position. The closure nozzle is only opened when the casting piston advances again.

A system (5) and method (800) for unit cell casting of titanium or titanium-alloys is disclosed herein. The system (5) comprises an external chamber (45), a crucible (10) positioned within the external chamber (45), an induction coil (15) positioned around the crucible, an internal chamber (40) positioned within the external chamber (45), and a mold (30) positioned within the internal chamber (40). The external chamber (45) is evacuated and a pressurized gas is injected into the evacuated external chamber (45) to create a pressurized external chamber (45). An ingot (20) is melted within the crucible utilizing induction heating generated by the induction coil (15). The internal chamber (40) is evacuated to create an evacuated internal chamber (40). The titanium alloy material of the ingot (20) is completely transferred into the mold (30) from the crucible (10) using a pressure differential created between the external chamber (45) and the internal chamber (40).

A system (5) and method (800) for unit cell casting of titanium or titanium-alloys is disclosed herein. The system (5) comprises an external chamber (45), a crucible (10) positioned within the external chamber (45), an induction coil (15) positioned around the crucible, an internal chamber (40) positioned within the external chamber (45), and a mold (30) positioned within the internal chamber (40). The external chamber (45) is evacuated and a pressurized gas is injected into the evacuated external chamber (45) to create a pressurized external chamber (45). An ingot (20) is melted within the crucible utilizing induction heating generated by the induction coil (15). The internal chamber (40) is evacuated to create an evacuated internal chamber (40). The titanium alloy material of the ingot (20) is completely transferred into the mold (30) from the crucible (10) using a pressure differential created between the external chamber (45) and the internal chamber (40).

Molten metal M is raised to the vicinity of a gate 11 of a cavity 9C by increasing the pressure in a holding furnace 5 with gas, and thereafter the cavity 9C is filled with the molten metal M by decreasing the pressure in the cavity 9C by suction and further increasing the pressure in the holding furnace 5. Thereafter, the decompression of the cavity 9C is stopped after a preset filling time, and the compression of the holding furnace 5 is stopped when solidification of the molten metal M is completed. In this way, the suction is minimized, and it becomes possible to employ a simple decompression part 14. A reduction in equipment cost and production cost is thereby achieved, and a reduction in casting cycle time is also achieved.