A pull rod for use in producing a single crystal from a molten alloy is provided that includes an elongated rod having a first end and a second end, a first cavity defined at the first end and a second cavity defined at the first end and in communication with the first cavity. The first cavity receives the molten alloy and the second cavity vents a gas from the molten alloy to thereby template a single crystal when the pull rod is dipped into and extracted from the molten alloy.

A method is provided for manufacturing a component. This method includes additively manufacturing a crucible for casting of the component. A metal material is directionally solidified within the crucible to form a metal single crystal material. A sacrificial core is removed to reveal a metal single crystal component with internal passageways. A component is provided for a gas turbine engine that includes a metal single crystal material component with internal passageways. The metal single crystal material component was additively manufactured of a metal material concurrently with a core that forms the internal passageways. The metal material was also remelted and directionally solidified.

An apparatus for the simultaneous casting of multiple components using a directional solidification process includes; a pouring cup arranged on a centreline, an array of moulds encircling the pouring cup and centre line, an array of feed channels extending from the pouring cup to a top end of each mould, and a heat deflector. The heat deflector comprises a wall arranged between the array of moulds and the centreline extending along the length of the moulds and in thermal contact with the moulds.

The invention relates to the foundry field, and in particular to a foundry process comprising the preheating of a mold (1) up to a first temperature, the casting of a metal in the liquid state, at a second temperature above the first temperature, in the mold kept in a main furnace (100) at the first temperature since the preheating, the difference between the first temperature and second temperature being no more than 80° C., the cooling and solidification of the metal in the mold (1) kept in the main furnace (100) at a pressure of less than 0.1 Pa at least since the casting, the removal of the mold (1) from the main furnace (100), and the demolding of the solidified metal.

System, methods for improving grain growth in a cast melt of a superalloy are provided. The system includes at least a mold having a shape defining a part of a turbo machine, e.g., a turbine blade. A cast melt, e.g., a superalloy, is poured into the mold, and one or more heating/cooling elements are arranged in the cast melt. The system further includes a controller operatively connected to the elements for controlling the electrical current of, e.g., a heating wire of the heating element, or controlling the flow-rate for, e.g., a coolant of the cooling element. By controlling, i.e., adjusting the current and/or flow-rate, via the controller, a temperature gradient may be induced to improve grain growth.

A mould for casting a component in a directional solidification casting process having a preferred direction of grain growth (non-axial <001>) comprises a shell defining a cavity for receiving molten material. The cavity defines a three dimensional shape made up of a finished component geometry portion (42, 43, 44) and a sacrificial geometry portion (45) wherein the sacrificial geometry portion (45) includes a notch (48) which is shaped and positioned so as to, in use, contain high angle grain boundaries between dendritic growth in the preferred direction (non-axial <001>) and dendritic growth in a competing direction to the preferred direction (axial <001>) within the sacrificial geometry portion of a casting solidifying in the mould.

A method of manufacturing a Ni alloy casting, includes a casting step of casting molten Ni alloy by pouring the molten Ni alloy into a cavity of a mold, a columnar grain forming step of forming columnar grain by solidifying the molten Ni alloy while drawing the mold, in which the molten Ni alloy has been poured, at a drawing speed of 100 mm/hour or more but 400 mm/hour or less with a temperature gradient provided to a solid-liquid interface, and an equiaxed grain forming step of forming equiaxed grain by solidifying the molten Ni alloy while drawing the mold at a drawing speed of 1000 mm/minute or more continuously after the columnar grain forming step.

The invention relates to a method of casting a metal alloy ingot. The method includes providing an on one side open-ended mould having a mould cavity, positioning the open-ended mould such that the mould opening points side-wards or down-wards, providing a casting container with an upwardly positioned aperture, and filling said casting container with molten metal for one casting operation. The method also includes locating the casting container below the mould while the mould opening points side-wards or down-wards, and rotating the mould together with the casting container to a position whereby the mould opening points upwards such that the molten metal is conveyed into the open-ended mould until a desired thickness. Molten metal in the open-ended mould is cooled directionally through its thickness where the solidification front remains substantially monoaxial.

A multi-grain selector device includes an outer body having exterior surfaces. The outer body includes a cooling side configured to face a cooling plate of a casting furnace and an opposite mold side configured to face into a mold. The outer body includes an array of multiple grain selector columns each formed from two or more transversely oriented, elongated channels that are fluidly coupled with each other in an end-to-end arrangement oriented along a growth direction that extends from the cooling side of the outer body toward the mold side of the outer body. The selector columns extend to growth openings on the mold side of the outer body. Each of the selector columns is configured to form a single grain column out of the corresponding growth opening that is part of a columnar grained article to be formed in the mold that grows along the growth direction.

A method for casting aluminum on a rotor, comprising: installing casting equipment on a casting workbench and storing enough molten aluminum in the casting equipment, wherein the casting equipment comprises an heat preserving furnace and an electromagnetic pump arranged at a side of the heat preserving furnace; assembling a plurality of rotor iron cores with a plurality of dies respectively and preheating outside the casting workbench; installing the plurality of preheated dies on a plurality of liquid outlet gates at a top end of the electromagnetic pump, wherein each liquid outlet gate is matched with a liquid inlet gate of the dies; heating and keeping the installed die in a multi-stage heating mode; controlling the pressurizing pressure of the electromagnetic pump in time-period when the electromagnetic pump is used for casting; and after completing casting, moving the plurality of dies out of the casting workbench to be cooled. According to the method for casting aluminum through the rotor, the casting efficiency is improved by reasonably distributing the heating time and the one-time multi-casting mode; the top-down temperature gradient is matched with accurate pressure control, so that the compensation capacity is improved.