Liquid metals or plastic are deposited into a reservoir of powder that supports the liquid metal or plastic as it cools.

Liquid metals or plastic are deposited into a reservoir of powder that supports the liquid metal or plastic as it cools.

A brake caliper adapted for use in a vehicle disc brake assembly and method and apparatus for producing the same. The apparatus for producing the brake caliper comprises a mold member and a core member. The mold member has two mold sections meeting at a vertical interface, the first mold section having an extension from the vertical interface into the second mold section to form an integrally cast lug on the brake caliper. The core member has three extensions operative to form three integrally cast locating surfaces on the cast brake caliper, the extensions defining datum surfaces for subsequent machining of the cast brake caliper to predetermined tolerances using the three locating surfaces as the datum surfaces.

A brake caliper adapted for use in a vehicle disc brake assembly and method and apparatus for producing the same. The apparatus for producing the brake caliper comprises a mold member and a core member. The mold member has two mold sections meeting at a vertical interface, the first mold section having an extension from the vertical interface into the second mold section to form an integrally cast lug on the brake caliper. The core member has three extensions operative to form three integrally cast locating surfaces on the cast brake caliper, the extensions defining datum surfaces for subsequent machining of the cast brake caliper to predetermined tolerances using the three locating surfaces as the datum surfaces.

A device for producing a cylinder crankcase using a low-pressure casting method or a gravity casting method. The device includes an outer casting mold which includes at least one mold part which, in an assembled state, forms a mold cavity that reproduces, for casting purposes, an outer contour of the cylinder crankcase. A region of the mold cavity forms a cylinder space of the cylinder crankcase. A dosing furnace contains a liquid metal. At least one gate is arranged geodetically below the mold cavity and via which the dosing furnace can be fluidically connected to the mold cavity. Sprue bushings project into the region of the mold cavity that forms the cylinder space of the cylinder crankcase. Each of the at least one gate is connected to one of the sprue bushings.

A device for producing a cylinder crankcase using a low-pressure casting method or a gravity casting method. The device includes an outer casting mold which includes at least one mold part which, in an assembled state, forms a mold cavity that reproduces, for casting purposes, an outer contour of the cylinder crankcase. A region of the mold cavity forms a cylinder space of the cylinder crankcase. A dosing furnace contains a liquid metal. At least one gate is arranged geodetically below the mold cavity and via which the dosing furnace can be fluidically connected to the mold cavity. Sprue bushings project into the region of the mold cavity that forms the cylinder space of the cylinder crankcase. Each of the at least one gate is connected to one of the sprue bushings.

A casting apparatus includes an upper frame to which an upper mold is attached, a lower frame to which a lower mold is attached, a first hydraulic actuator, a hydraulic unit, a first main link member, a first sub-link member and a rotation actuator, and the upper frame, the lower frame, the first main link member and the first sub-link member constitute a first parallel link mechanism. The hydraulic unit causes the electric motor to operate at a predetermined number of revolutions when performing mold opening or mold closing and causes the electric motor to operate at a limit number of revolutions smaller than the predetermined number of revolutions when not performing mold opening or mold closing.

A casting apparatus includes an upper frame to which an upper mold is attached, a lower frame to which a lower mold is attached, a first hydraulic actuator, a hydraulic unit, a first main link member, a first sub-link member and a rotation actuator, and the upper frame, the lower frame, the first main link member and the first sub-link member constitute a first parallel link mechanism. The hydraulic unit causes the electric motor to operate at a predetermined number of revolutions when performing mold opening or mold closing and causes the electric motor to operate at a limit number of revolutions smaller than the predetermined number of revolutions when not performing mold opening or mold closing.

Liquid metals or plastic are deposited into a reservoir of powder that supports the liquid metal or plastic as it cools.

A process for producing a coupler knuckle and an improved coupler knuckle design are provided. The process produces a coupler knuckle by constructing a mold having the shape of the coupler knuckle. The mold is coated with a material that is resistant to melting at the molten melt temperatures of the molten metal used to form the knuckle. With the mold coated, the cavities in the mold interior are filled by placing an inert material therein. The molten metal used for forming the knuckle contacts the mold and consumes it, while the coating serves to provide a shape for the knuckle.