A core for use in casting an internal cooling circuit within a gas turbine engine component includes an additively manufactured skeleton core portion manufactured of a refractory metal, a surround core portion that at least partially encapsulates the additively manufactured skeleton core portion, the surround core portion manufactured of a ceramic material, a surround core portion that at least partially encapsulates the additively manufactured skeleton core portion, the surround core portion manufactured of a ceramic material and a cooling hole shape that extends from the additively manufactured skeleton core portion through the surround core portion, the cooling hole shape operable to form a cooling hole.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for purifying materials using a rapid directional solidification. Devices and methods shown provide control over a temperature gradient and cooling rate during directional solidification, which results in a material of higher purity. The apparatus and methods of the present invention can be used to make silicon material for use in solar applications such as solar cells.

A method for casting comprising: providing a seed, the seed characterized by: an arcuate form and a crystalline orientation progressively varying along an arc of the form; providing molten material; and cooling and solidifying the molten material so that a crystalline structure of the seed propagates into the solidifying material.

An example mold assembly for fabricating an infiltrated downhole tool includes a mold forming a bottom of the mold assembly, and a funnel operatively coupled to the mold and having an inner wall, an outer wall, and a cavity defined between the inner and outer walls. An infiltration chamber is defined at least partially by the mold and the funnel. The inner wall faces the infiltration chamber and the outer wall forms at least a portion of an outer periphery of the mold assembly.

A casting method and apparatus are provided for casting a near-net shape article, such as for example a gas turbine engine blade or vane having a variable cross-section along its length. A molten metallic melt is provided in a heated mold having an article-shaped mold cavity with a shape corresponding to that of the article to be cast. The melt-containing mold and mold heating furnace are relatively moved to withdraw the melt-containing mold from the furnace through an active cooling zone where cooling gas is directed against the exterior of the mold to actively extract heat. At least one of the mold withdrawal rate, the cooling gas mass flow rate, and mold temperature are adjusted at the active cooling zone as the melt-containing mold is withdrawn through the active cooling zone to produce an equiaxed grain microstructure along at least a part of the length of the article.

In a formed body manufacturing method, molten metal is led out from a molten metal surface of the molten metal held in a holding furnace and is passed through a shape defining member configured to define a sectional shape of the formed body, and the formed body manufacturing method includes: measuring a surface temperature of the formed body formed such that retained molten metal that has passed through the shape defining member solidifies; adjusting a height of a coating material spray nozzle based on a result of the measurement of the surface temperature of the formed body so that the surface temperature of the formed body to which the heat dissipation coating material is blown becomes a solidifying point of the molten metal or less; and spraying the heat dissipation coating material to a surface of the formed body from the coating material spray nozzle.

A planetary carrier includes a first hub having an adjoining first sealing wall and a second hub having an adjoining second sealing wall. The first and second sealing walls are arranged opposite each other. The planetary carrier has a web for connecting the first sealing wall to the second sealing wall. A greatest material accumulation of the planetary carrier, at which a greatest Heuvers element of the planetary carrier is located, is radially outside in a region of a transition from the web to the first sealing wall.

A process for high integrity large thin-walled castings of metals and their alloys using a single downsprue includes the steps of providing at least a sand mold at desired elevated temperatures, delivering a molten metal into the mold, and supplying a predetermined amount of coolant to contact the surfaces of the casting at desired rates, times, and durations to achieve an acceptable level of progressive solidification from the distal end of the casting towards the riser until the casting has reached desired temperatures.

A counter-gravity casting method and apparatus in which the mold is held stationary and the crucible is moved generally laterally from a melt chamber to a fill chamber positioned below the mold with respect to gravity. A casting chamber is located generally above the fill chamber with respect to gravity. The method and apparatus utilize separate chambers for melting and casting in which the pressure in each chamber can be varied relative to each other in order to introduce molten metal into the mold.

An investment casting apparatus includes a furnace having an opening, a mold support, and a multi-axis actuator connected with the mold support and configured to retract the mold support from the opening with multiple-axis motion. An investment casting method includes withdrawing, with multiple-axis motion, a mold through the opening of the furnace to solidify a molten metal- or metalloid-based material in the mold. The apparatus and method can be used to form a cast article that has a body formed of the metal- or metalloid-based material. The body has a multi-textured, single crystal microstructure.