Casting component having at least one porous metal body formed by a casting core

Abstract

A casting component, in particular for a combustion engine of a motor vehicle, having at least one cavity formed by a lost casting core, where a porous metal body molded in the cavity is formed by the casting core, is disclosed. Furthermore, the casting core for such a casting component is formed by casting a metal, in particular an aluminum alloy, together with a salt. Finally, a method for the production of such a casting component or of such a casting core is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A casting component of a combustion engine of a motor vehicle, comprising: a casting material; and a lost casting core including a metal and a salt disposed within the casting material, wherein the salt is dissolvable out from the lost casting core to form a porous metal body from the metal in the casting component.

2. The casting component according to claim 1, wherein the casting component has a rinsing opening facing outwards via which the salt is dissolvable out from the lost casting core.

3. A casting component of a combustion engine of a motor vehicle, comprising: a cavity formed by a lost casting core; wherein the lost casting core is a molded casting core including a metal and a salt and wherein the molded casting core forms a porous metal body in the cavity; wherein the porous metal body and the casting component are formed from materials having same properties.

4. The casting component according to claim 1, wherein the porous metal body and the casting component are formed from materials having different thermal expansion coefficients.

5. A method for producing a casting component of a combustion engine of a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of: inserting a lost casting core into a casting tool; molding the lost casting core at least partially into a casting material of the casting component; wherein the lost casting core is a molded casting core including a metal and a salt; and dissolving the salt out from the molded casting core to form a porous metal body in the casting component.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein an outer layer of the lost casting core is treated before the molding into the casting material of the casting component.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIGS. 1a, 1b are a top view and a perspective sectional view onto a casting core for a casting component in the form of a crankcase of a combustion engine of a motor vehicle, by means of which a cavity in the form of a water jacket for respective cylinders of the combustion engine is able to be generated, and which is formed by casting a metal, in particular an aluminum alloy, together with a salt; and

(2) FIGS. 2a, 2b are a schematic top view and schematic sectional view along a sectional plane represented by the line IIb-IIb in FIG. 2a through the casting component in the form of the crankcase of the combustion engine for a motor vehicle, wherein it is recognizable that the cavity formed by the casting core in the form of the water jacket is filled by a porous metal body which has been formed by rinsing out the salt from the casting core.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(3) In FIGS. 1a and 1b, a casting core 10 is depicted in a schematic top view and perspective sectional view, by means of which, in a casting process for the production of a casting component 12 depicted in FIGS. 2a and 2b in the form of a cylinder crankcase for a combustion engine of a motor vehicle, a related cavity 14 is created which forms a water jacket for respective cylinders 16 of the combustion engine in a way which is described in more detail below.

(4) Firstly, in a corresponding method, the lost casting core 10 is generated by casting a metal, in particular aluminum or an aluminum alloy, together with a salt. For this purpose, in a corresponding casting process, the metal melt is mixed with the salt and cast. Other production processes, however, are also conceivable.

(5) For example, an aluminum alloy based on AlSi7 is suitable as an alloy. Of course, a plurality of other alloys, in particular aluminum-based alloys, are conceivable. Likewise, pure metals are also conceivable. In particular, water-soluble salts which can be removed from the casting core in a simple way, for example in a corresponding bath or by rinsing in a way which is described in more detail below, are suitable as a salt.

(6) In a method for the production of the casting component 12, subsequent to the production of the casting core 10, the lost casting core 10 is then inserted into a corresponding casting tool for the formation of the water jacket or cavity 14 and is then molded at least partially into the casting material of the casting component 12. In principle, all conventional pure metals or alloys are conceivable as a casting material. In the present case, an aluminum-based alloy is concerned which is processed in a die casting process for the production of the casting component 12. A substantial advantage of the casting core 10 used here, in which the salt is still located inside the metal, therefore consists in this being able to be processed in a die casting method with correspondingly high casting pressures. It is, however, also conceivable to use the casting core 10 in another casting method, for example low pressure or sand casting methods.

(7) In the present exemplary embodiment, the salt is rinsed out from the casting core 10 in connection with the casting process. For this purpose, the casting component 12 has at least one rinsing opening 18 facing outwards such that the casting core 10, which forms and fills the cavity 14, can be impinged correspondingly with a rinsing medium, water in the present case. In a corresponding rinsing process, within a water bath or by direct impingement with a water flow/water stream, the salt is rinsed out from the casting core 10 such that, overall, a porous metal body 20 is created which is able to be recognized in particular in FIG. 2b. It would also be theoretically conceivable, as specified, however, to use the metal body 20 which has already been freed at least partially of salt or rinsed in the casting process. In the present die casting method, however, the salt grains within the pores of the metal body 20 ensure that the casting core 10 does not collapse.

(8) In the present case, this metal body 20 fills the corresponding cavity 14 completely, the cavity 14 forming the water jacket for the casting component 12 in the form of the cylinder crankcase. It would, however, also be conceivable that the metal body 20 only fills a part of the cavity 14. This would, for example, be conceivable, by a combined casting core 10 being created in which a part is formed from the combination described above of metal and salt and, for example, another part from a material which can be removed completely after the casting process, for example by rinsing or similar. This material can, for example, be salt.

(9) Overall, it is therefore able to be recognized that the casting core 10 shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b represents a semi-finished product which is presently recast with a corresponding metal melt of the casting component 12 and then rinsed for the formation of the porous metal body 20.

(10) The porous metal body 20 thereby results in the advantage that, in the region of the cavity 14, the strength and the stiffness of the casting component 12 is clearly increased. This benefits, for example, the static and dynamic properties of the casting component 12. Furthermore, regions of the casting component 12 adjacent to the cavity 14 are dimensioned to be smaller, as the metal body 20 contributes to the stiffening of the casting component 12.

(11) The metal of the casting core 10 or of the porous metal body 20 and of the casting component 12 consists either of materials having at least substantially the same properties or, however, of materials having different properties, in particular different thermal expansion coefficients. If the materials of the metal body 20 and the casting component 12 are matched to one another or are identical, then, for example, a particularly favorable molding and a particularly favorable connection between the metal body 20 and the casting component 12 occurs. Additionally, even in the case of heat fluctuations, the thermal expansion and other material properties are substantially identical such that, for example, no tensions or similar can result within the casting component 12. On the other hand, if different alloys or pure metals are used for the metal body 20 and the casting component 12, it can be advantageous to obtain correspondingly different material properties, such as, for example, different thermal expansions. This is, for example, then advantageous if the metal body 20 is to interlock or bond in the casting component 12 in the case of a thermal expansion.

(12) Furthermore, regions with different metal proportions or salt proportions can be provided within the casting core 10. For example, the porosity of the metal body 20 can hereby be adjusted in order to vary the stiffness or strength of the casting component 12 overall in the region of the cavity 14.

(13) Furthermore, a rinsing out of the salt from the casting core 10 can occur at least partially before the insertion into the casting tool for the production of the casting component 12. For example, it would be conceivable to roughen the outer layer of the casting core 10 before the molding into the casting material of the casting component in that this is already freed of the salt. Therefore, a particularly good bond between the casting material of the casting component 12 and the metal of the casting core 10 of the metal body 20 results. Furthermore, it would be conceivable to provide the casting ore 10 with a skin or an outer skin which is free of salt, for example. Likewise, a particularly favorable connection between the casting core 10 and the casting component 12 is hereby achieved.

(14) If the metal body 20, as in the present case, is arranged within a cavity 14 forming a water jacket, then a variation of the porosity thereof, for example by adjustment of the metal or salt content of the casting core 10, can influence the flow of the coolant through the water jacket/cavity 14 in a targeted manner.

(15) Overall, it is therefore able to be recognized that, in the present case, a casting component 12 and a casting core 10 as well as an associated method are created, by means of which firstly corresponding cavities 14 can be formed within the casting component 12, wherein correspondingly improved stiffness or strength values result within the casting component 12. Furthermore, the use of the porous metal body 20 is suitable, in particular in casting components 12 which must be flowed through by a medium, in particular a coolant. Here, the metal body 20 does not represent a notable obstacle for the corresponding coolant. The water jacket/cavity 14 can thereby also only be partially provided with one or more metal bodies 20, for example in particular in respective bar regions of the crank shaft casing.