A method for producing a cast component is provided. The method includes attaching a ceramic mold to a seed crystal body, the ceramic mold including a cavity defining the shape of the cast component and a seed crystal body interface having a complementary shape to the seed crystal body such that the seed crystal body may be capable of supporting the ceramic mold in a casting oven. The method also includes pouring a liquid metal into the mold such that the crystal seed portion contributes to controlled crystallization of the cast component.

A method for manufacturing a turbine blade 1, is provided. The method comprises the following steps: producing a shell and core assembly by additive manufacturing process, the shell and core assembly defining at least one internal cavity and having an internal structure corresponding to at least one internal cooling circuit of the turbine blade; pouring molten metal in the internal cavity of the shell and core assembly; solidifying the metal; removing the shell and core assembly.

A turbine blade designing method is for designing a turbine blade formed using a metal material in which creep including diffusion creep and dislocation creep occurs by heating. The turbine blade designing method includes: acquiring temperature distribution data relating to temperature distribution in the turbine blade to be heated; acquiring creep strength distribution data relating to distribution of the creep strength required for the turbine blade to be heated; from the correlation data, based on the temperature distribution data and the creep strength distribution data, setting the crystal grain size of a high-temperature portion that is the diffusion creep temperature range of the turbine blade to a size coarser than the reference crystal grain size, and setting the crystal grain size of a low-temperature portion that is the dislocation creep temperature range of the turbine blade to a size finer than the reference crystal grain size.

A casting method includes forming a seed. The seed has a first end and a second end. The forming includes bending a seed precursor. The seed second end is placed in contact or spaced facing relation a chill plate. The first end is contacted with molten material. The molten material is cooled and solidifies so that a crystalline structure of the seed propagates into the solidifying material. The forming further includes inserting the bent seed precursor into a sleeve leaving the bent seed precursor protruding from a first end of the sleeve

A casting method includes: forming a seed, the seed having a first end and a second end, the forming including bending a seed precursor; placing the seed second end in contact or spaced facing relation with a chill plate; contacting the first end with molten material; and cooling and solidifying the molten material so that a crystalline structure of the seed propagates into the solidifying material. The forming further included reducing a thickness of the seed proximate the first end relative to a thickness of the seed proximate the second end.

A casting method includes forming a seed. The seed has a first end and a second end and an inner diameter (ID) surface and an outer diameter (OD) surface. The seed second end is placed in contact or spaced facing relation with a chill plate. The first end is contacted with molten material. The molten material is cooled and solidified so that a crystalline structure of the seed propagates into the solidifying material. At least a portion of the seed contacted with the molten material has a solidus higher than a solidus of at least an initial pour portion of the molten material.

Steam exhaust ports are located around a perimeter of a direct chill casting pit, at various locations from below the top of the pit to the pit bottom to rapidly remove steam from the casting pit with addition of dry excess air. Gas introduction ports are also located around a perimeter of the casting pit and configured to introduce an inert gas into the casting pit interior.

A method for fabricating a cast component with a cooling channel is provided. The method includes forming a shell mold over a pattern-ceramic matrix composite (CMC) elongated core arrangement to define a cavity in the shell mold. The pattern-CMC elongated core arrangement includes a pattern-forming material with a CMC elongated core disposed therein. The pattern-forming material in the cavity is replaced with metal via a casting process to form the cast component with the CMC elongated core disposed therein defining the cooling channel. The CMC elongated core is removed from the cast component to open the cooling channel for fluid communication.

In a casting device, when a mold varied in outer size depending on a position passes through a heat shielding portion between a heating chamber and a cooling chamber, a flexible portion of a heat shielding body is bent to fit the outer size of the mold.

A method includes providing a collection of particulate material and forming a first article therefrom. Forming the first article includes forming an outer shell with an outer surface that defines an outer periphery of the first article; forming a relief area of the first article that supports the outer shell, including forming a relief void in the relief area; and collecting a collection of the particulate material within the outer shell during formation of the first article. Moreover, the method includes encasing the first article with an outer member. The outer member defines an internal cavity with an internal surface that corresponds to the outer surface of the outer shell. The method further includes heating, which deforms the first article selectively at the relief void.