The present disclosure relates to a method of forming a cast component and a method of forming a casting mold. The method is performed by connecting at least one wax gate component to a ceramic core-shell mold. The ceramic core-shell mold includes at least a filter, first core portion, a first shell portion, and at least one first cavity between the core portion and the first shell portion. The core-shell mold may manufactured using an additive manufacturing process and may include an integrated ceramic filter. At least a portion of the ceramic core-shell mold and the wax gate component is coated with a second ceramic material. The wax gate component is then removed to form a second cavity in fluid communication with the first cavity.

A method for making internal passages for use in investment casting processes, especially for gas turbine components such as blades or vanes. The apparatus includes a first mold cavity having grooves formed therein, a second mold cavity having a shape complementary to the final casting design and ceramic cores. Each groove of the first mold cavity has a depth equal to a radius of a certain number of ceramic cores which correspond to cooling channels. The ceramic cores are placed in the first mold cavity and fugitive wax is injected for temporary positioning of the cores. Two fugitive wax segments are formed about the cores. The fugitive segments locate the ceramic cores in the second mold cavity, and wax is injected about the cores and locating segments to form a pattern for investment casting process.

Method for producing a piston having a cooling channel produced by a lost core casting process. A lost core extends into a casting mold which forms the inner region of the piston blank. The lost core is used to form at least one opening having a rounded profile in communication with the cooling channel. A jet splitter may be formed in the cooling duct to divert injected cooling oil into the cooling duct.

This invention relates to lost cores for use high pressure die casting, the cores preferably comprising a water-soluble synthetic ceramic aggregate having an appropriate strength and tolerance for various casting pressures and temperatures, an inorganic binder comprising sodium silicate, an additive comprising particulate amorphous silicon dioxide, and a refractory coating, wherein the cores have the capacity to be removed from a casting by dissolution with water.

A method of preparing a casting article for manufacturing a gas turbine engine part according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes communicating a powdered material to an additive manufacturing system, the powdered material including at least one of a silica material, an alumina material, and a refractory metal material. The method includes using the additive manufacturing system to manufacture a casting article layer by layer, the casting article including a plurality of circuit forming portions, at least one of the circuit forming portions including an interior channel that establishes a hollow opening through the circuit forming portion.

Provided in one embodiment is a method of making use of foams as a processing aid or to improve the properties of bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy materials. Other embodiments include the bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy/foam composite materials made in accordance with the methods.

A method includes of manufacturing a nickel alloy includes providing nickel alloy components in powdered form and in a selected ratio and melting the nickel alloy components using an electron beam, using selected parameters, to generate a spongy metal catalyst precursor alloy material.

A method for manufacturing a photopolymerizable slurry comprises the steps of: providing a plurality of particles of an inorganic salt in the form of a powder; wherein at atmospheric pressure the inorganic salt has a melting point of above 250? C.; and wherein at room temperature the inorganic salt has a solubility in water above 9% w/w; providing at least one radiation curable monomer; the at least one radiation curable monomer being in the liquid phase; and adding the inorganic salt particles to the liquid composition and mixing the inorganic salt particles with the liquid composition; obtaining a photopolymerizable slurry, selectively curing the photopolymerizable slurry to obtain a green body article; debinding the green body article to obtain a binderless body article; and sintering the binderless body article to obtain a sintered ceramic article; providing a first template mold (1); wherein the first template mold comprises the sintered ceramic article; providing a second mold (2, 2, 2); wherein the second mold comprises a compartment into which said first template mold can be placed; mounting the first template mold into the compartment of the second mold, thereby obtaining an operative mold (1, 2, 2, 2); casting a fluid casting material (3, 3, 3) into said operative mold to obtain after solidification of said casting material an infiltrated template mold (8) comprising a solid article (9) that is at least partially located within the first template mold (1); and separating said solid article from the first template mold by dissolving the sintered ceramic article of the first template mold with a suitable solvent, for example water.

Methods of manufacturing or repairing a turbine blade or vane are described. The airfoil portions of these turbine components are typically manufactured by casting in a ceramic mold, and a surface made up of the cast airfoil and at the least the ceramic core serves as a build surface for a subsequent process of additively manufacturing the tip portions. The build surface is created by removing a top portion of the airfoil and the core, or by placing an ultra-thin shim on top of the airfoil and the core. The overhang projected by the shim is subsequently removed. These methods are not limited to turbine engine applications, but can be applied to any metallic object that can benefit from casting and additive manufacturing processes. The present disclosure also relates to finished and intermediate products prepared by these methods.

Methods of manufacturing or repairing a turbine blade or vane are described. The airfoil portions of these turbine components are typically manufactured by casting in a ceramic mold, and a surface made up of the cast airfoil and at the least the ceramic core serves as a build surface for a subsequent process of additively manufacturing the tip portions. The build surface is created by removing a top portion of the airfoil and the core, or by placing an ultra-thin shim on top of the airfoil and the core. The overhang projected by the shim is subsequently removed. These methods are not limited to turbine engine applications, but can be applied to any metallic object that can benefit from casting and additive manufacturing processes. The present disclosure also relates to finished and intermediate products prepared by these methods.