A cluster model and a shell for the production, by lost wax casting, of a plurality of turbomachine elements, are provided. The shell includes a central sprue that is fluidly connected to a casting cup for receiving molten metal; a plurality of shell elements; a plurality of bottom feed conduits for the shell elements; and a handling accessory shell that is independent of the plurality of shell elements and of their metal supply circuit, such that there is no fluid connection to the shell elements. The handling accessory shell is fluidly connected to the central sprue so as to allow top-pour casting of the handling accessory shell.

A casting method includes constructing a 3D model to add an inner wall compensation quantity, making a thin shell mold by a 3D printing machine, individually treating the thin shell mold by smooth processing, processing the thin shell mold by multi-layer impregnation slurry or gunite to make an outer shell mold, and to form a double-layer shell mold which includes the thin shell mold and the outer shell mold, processing the double-layer shell mold by sand filling and compressing, clearing the thin shell mold by a physical or chemical process, casting the outer shell mold to form a shaped article, and post processing the shaped article by shaking and sand clearing to form a product.

A disposable core die is provided. The disposable core die includes a first portion defining an inlet configured to receive a slurry therethrough, a second portion integrally formed downstream from the first portion and configured to receive the slurry from the first portion, and a third portion integrally formed downstream from the second portion. The second portion includes a plurality of hollow tubes that are substantially coaxially aligned and have a wall thickness within a range defined between about 0.1 mm and about 0.5 mm, and the third portion defines an outlet configured to discharge excess slurry from the second portion.

A method of fabricating a casting is provided. The method includes creating a mixture of ceramic powder and a binder, pouring the mixture around sacrificial patterns, executing a first thermal treatment to set the mixture into a solid mold without damaging the sacrificial patterns, executing a second thermal treatment to remove the sacrificial patterns without removing any of the binder from the solid mold, executing at least one of a third thermal treatment and a chemical treatment to remove a quantity of the binder to transform the solid mold into a solid breakaway mold and pouring molten metallic material into the solid breakaway mold.

A lost wax cast vapor chamber device is provided. Once a mesh is produced, a meltable core is formed from a meltable core material with the mesh positioned at least partially inside the core. Over the meltable core a metallic layer is formed, at least partially surrounding the meltable core. A chamber formed by the metallic layer is exposed by melting the meltable core to cause it to be removed from an internal void of the chamber, the internal void encapsulating the mesh. The melted material from the meltable core flows out an opening on at least one surface of the chamber. Subsequently, the internal void is filled at least partially with a working fluid and the opening is closed. The mesh supports the surfaces of the chamber against deformation under the vacuum of the internal void. Movement of working fluid by capillary action is facilitated by the mesh.

Various embodiments of a slurry composition for investment casting and a method of forming such composition are disclosed. The slurry composition can include a refractory material, a binder, a solvent, and a thixotropic agent that includes fibrillated fibers. The slurry composition can also include a filler that includes glass bubbles.

A method of forming a component including coupling an array of receptacles to a mold core. Each receptacle in the array contains an amount of uncured mold material. The method further includes forming a layer of fugitive material on the mold core such that the array of receptacles is encapsulated within the layer of fugitive material. The method also includes forming a layer of uncured mold material on the layer of fugitive material, thereby forming an uncured mold assembly. The uncured mold assembly is heated to a temperature that solidifies the uncured mold material within each receptacle and of the layer, thereby forming an array of pins and a layer of solidified mold material. The uncured mold assembly is also heated to the temperature that removes the layer of fugitive material from between the mold core and the layer of solidified mold material such that a mold cavity, including the array of pins, is defined therebetween.

A blade has a blade, passage extending in a blade height direction, a platform passage formed inside a platform, and a communication passage leading from an outer surface of a shaft-mounted part through the platform passage to the blade passage. An inner surface defining an inflow passage portion of the platform passage includes a shaft-side inner surface that faces a gas path side. The shaft-side inner surface spreads in a direction having more of a component of a blade thickness direction than a component of the blade height direction. An inner surface defining the communication passage joins to the shaft-side inner surface.

A mould-forming and sacrificial materials are printed into a plurality of layers. The sacrificial material is removed to leave a void defined by a mould structure formed by the mould-forming material. The void is filled with a part-forming material to form the part defined by the shape of the mould structure. The mould structure is removed from the part to free the part from the mould structure. According to a further method, the part-forming material serves the purpose of supporting the mould-forming material and then forming the part. In this case, the part-forming material can be printed together with a mould-forming material as described above and are then heated to a temperature of approximately 700 C. to activate a binder and then heated to a temperature that melts the part-forming material.

A method for fabricating a ceramic mold is provided. The method includes the steps of contacting a cured portion of a workpiece with a liquid ceramic photopolymer, irradiating a portion of the liquid ceramic photopolymer adjacent to the cured portion through a window contacting the liquid ceramic photopolymer, removing the workpiece from the uncured liquid ceramic photopolymer, and repeating the steps until a ceramic mold is formed. The ceramic mold includes a first opening for creating a cast article and a second opening for receiving a support member.