DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING COMPONENTS

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and a method for producing components comprising a mould building device (1) for producing lost casting moulds, and a casting device (2) connected to the mould building device for casting components in the lost casting moulds, characterised in that the mould building device is suitable for the continuous layering of moulding plates (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23), wherein a respective at least three of said moulding plates form a casting mould.

Claims

1. A device for producing components comprising a mold building device for producing lost casting molds, and a casting device connected to the mold building device for casting components in the lost casting molds, wherein the mold building device is suitable for the continuous layering of molding plates, wherein a respective at least three of said molding plates form a casting mold.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the mold building device is suitable for producing molding plates individually, which each delimit a cavity of a casting mold on at least one of their sides.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the mold building device has an infeed device for moving individual molding plates to form a stack of molding plates, and at least one of (1) an alignment element on which the molding plates can be aligned, and (2) that the mold building device has at least one tool for shaping positive-locking elements on the molding plates, wherein the positive-locking elements each enable the alignment of a molding plate on a molding plate directly adjacent thereto.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein a demolding device is downstream of the casting device.

5. A method for producing castings, in which first molding plates are produced and automatically continuously layered in a mold building device, a respective casting mold being formed by at least three molding plates delimiting a common cavity and a casting material then being poured into the casting molds within a casting device connected to the mold building device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the mold building device is arranged in a fixed manner and that the individual molding plates are at least one of (1) placed on a drivable conveying element and (2) that the molding plates layered to form casting molds are moved relative to the casting device by means of a drivable conveying element.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein at least one of (1) an infeed device of the mold building device moves along the stack of molding plates and (2) that a crucible of the casting device moves along the stack of molding plates in order to activate individual casting molds.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein at least one of (1) individual molding plates are each used for a plurality of adjacent casting molds and (2) that casting cores are also integrated into the molding plates.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein after the layering, mold covers, each having at least one of a funnel and a feeder, are placed on one or more molding plates such that the at least one of the funnel and the feeder is connected to at least one cavity of a casting mold.

10. A layer stack of molding plates, which forms a plurality of casting molds, a plurality of the molding plates forming a casting mold and at least one of the molding plates forming a part of two casting molds directly adjacent to one another, thereby delimiting two cavities of different casting molds.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the mold building device is suitable for producing molding plates individually, which each delimit a cavity of a casting mold on at least two of their sides.

12. The method according to claim 6, wherein the drivable conveying element comprises a conveyor belt.

13. The layer stack of molding plates according to claim 10, wherein the layer stack is a continuous layer stack.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] The invention is shown below using exemplary embodiments in figures of a drawing and then described.

[0043] FIG. 1 illustrates an overview of a device according to the invention in schematic form,

[0044] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a device for the production of molding plates,

[0045] FIGS. 3 to 7 illustrate different states in the course of the production of a molding plate,

[0046] FIG. 8 illustrates a molding plate in cross section,

[0047] FIG. 9 illustrates parts of a mold building device with a plurality of infeed devices for molding plates,

[0048] FIG. 10 illustrates a layer stack consisting of molding plates,

[0049] FIG. 11 illustrates a molding plate having a casting core,

[0050] FIG. 12 illustrates two molding plates having positive-locking elements,

[0051] FIG. 13 illustrates a vertically stacked layer stack which, after being layered, is rotated by 90° and joined together with further mold elements,

[0052] FIG. 14 illustrates a part of a layer stack of molding plates with a compression element in a side view,

[0053] FIG. 15 illustrates the configuration of FIG. 14 in a view from above,

[0054] FIG. 16 illustrates a view of a molding plate in the stacking direction with a mold cover,

[0055] FIG. 17 illustrates a number of molding plates in a layer stack having a plurality of mold covers,

[0056] FIG. 18 illustrates a casting mold formed by a layer stack of molding plates during casting in the casting device and after demolding.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0057] FIG. 1 schematically shows a device for producing castings comprising a mold building device 1, a casting device 2 and a demolding device 40. The mold building device 1 contains, for example, a device 1a for producing individual molding plates, which are stacked on a conveyor belt 39 after production. For this purpose, the molding plates are placed or positioned on the conveyor belt by means of one or more feed devices 28, 29 in the direction of the arrows 28a, 29a, where they form a layer stack.

[0058] The molding plates can be compressed and connected together in a compression device 1b in the stacking direction shown by the arrow 1c.

[0059] For this purpose, the individual molding plates can be provided, for example, with pins and bores which engage in one another and, on the one hand, serve for aligning adjacent molding plates with one another and, on the other hand, for connecting the molding plates to one another. The molding plates can also be connected to one another by means of continuous bolts or external clamps or glued to one another. The clamps can in each case overlap adjacent molding plates or a larger number than two molding plates.

[0060] Within the compression device 1b, slides or pivotable cheeks can be provided, which compress the layer stack in the stacking direction 1c.

[0061] The conveyor belt 39 moves in the direction 1c and transports the molding plates continuously or intermittently.

[0062] The infeed devices 28, 29 can also be driven, for example, along the conveyor belt 39 in the directions indicated by the arrow 1c and/or perpendicularly thereto (arrow 1d).

[0063] In addition to a device 1a for producing molding plates, the mold building device 1 can also process and feed additional or alternative molding plates, which are delivered prefabricated by a conveying device 41. Molding plates that are prefabricated and those manufactured in the mold building device 1 itself can also be joined together mixed within a layer stack and, for example, consist of different materials or have different dimensions, in particular different thicknesses.

[0064] The conveyor belt 39 can be, for example, a continuous conveyor belt and can be moved continuously or intermittently. It can be ensured by means of an intermittent movement, for example, that the infeed devices 28, 29 can insert the molding plates without gaps, in particular when the infeed devices cannot be moved along the conveyor belt 39.

[0065] The conveyor belt 39 or an alternative conveying element can have elasticity in the longitudinal direction, for example, so that said conveyor belt can exert a direction of compression in the stacking direction 1c on the molding plates placed thereon.

[0066] An interruption of the conveyor belt or a termination of a first conveyor belt, a bearing point and the start of a second conveyor belt can also be provided in the section 39a of the conveyor belt shown in dashed lines, for example, in order to be able to compensate for irregularities in the speed of equipping the conveyor belt with molding plates.

[0067] The same applies to the loop 39b of the conveyor belt, which makes it possible to store an increased stock of molding plates on the conveyor belt with a non-increased space requirement.

[0068] The section 39c of the conveyor belt passes through a casting device 2 in which a device for pouring molten casting material is provided, which device pours the casting material into molds formed by the molding plates. A pouring element in the form of a crucible can, for example, be movable along the conveyor belt 39c, as indicated by the arrow 2a, and/or also perpendicularly thereto, as indicated by the arrow 2b, in order to reach different feeders or casting funnels of the casting molds.

[0069] In the further course of the conveyor belt 39c, a demolding device 40 is provided behind the casting device 2, in which demolding device 40 the solidified castings are freed from the casting molds. This happens, for example, by smashing, shaking or chemically dissolving the material of the casting molds. The casting molds can also be acted upon by vibration, explosion, radiation, hammering or solvents. If planned, cores of the casting molds can also be removed by core marks after the crushing.

[0070] In another embodiment, not shown, the device can also do without a conveyor belt if the mold building device itself is movable and successively builds up a layer stack of molding plates. Such a mold stack can then be driven over using a transportable casting device in order to fill the casting molds with molten casting material. For continuous operation, the layer stack can form a closed line overall, for example, or said layer stack can be arranged along a finite path, wherein both the mold building device and the casting device start again at the other end of the layer stack after the end of travel on the layer stack. A multi-directional mold building device and casting device are necessary for this purpose.

[0071] FIGS. 2 to 7 show part of a mold building device in which molding plates 3 can be produced individually. Said part of the mold building device is denoted in FIG. 1 by the reference numeral 1a.

[0072] For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 2, two compression elements 36, 37 having the form of flat, displaceable plates are provided, for example, on a base 44 which is also flat. The flat plates 36, 37 are provided with stamps which can be displaced parallel to the surface of the base 44 or can be acted upon with force for compression.

[0073] FIG. 3 shows that a molding material in the form of a bulk material is filled between the compression elements 36, 37 through a funnel 45 shown schematically.

[0074] The intermediate space between the compression elements 36, 37 is also closed off by lateral delimiting elements, which are not shown in the figures, so that a box-shaped container is formed overall.

[0075] After filling in the molding material, which usually consists of a mixture of solid particles and binder material, a compression force can be exerted by the compression elements 36, 37, so that the molding material is compressed, compacted and solidified with the binder. The molding material can further be acted on by other means already described above, such as heat, radiation or the like, in order to solidify the molding material into a molding plate 3.

[0076] FIG. 5 shows that after the molding plate 3 has solidified, the right compression element 37 is moved away from the molding plate in order to create a machining space in which a machining tool 46 can machine the molding plate 3 and create cavities therein. The machining tool 46 can be, for example, a milling head that can be moved in all directions, or a laser or an erosion electrode for removing material. The binder can also be locally dissolved, thereby removing material, by means of the tool.

[0077] If the desired cavities have been introduced into the molding plate 3 from the side of the compression element 37, the compression elements 36, 37 can be brought closer together again, as is shown in FIG. 6, and then as shown in FIG. 7, the left compression element 36 can be moved away from the molding plate in order to introduce further cavities into the molding plate 3 from this side using a machining tool 46.

[0078] A finished molding plate provided with cavities is shown by way of example by the reference numeral 3 in FIG. 8 in a cross section.

[0079] The recess 3a represents a part of a cavity of a casting mold created by joining together a plurality of molding plates.

[0080] FIG. 9 shows in detail an exemplary structure of an infeed device for the molding plates. Compression elements 36, 37 are shown in the upper region, between which compression elements 36, 37 a molding plate 3 has been produced in the mold building device. After the compression elements 36, 37 have moved apart from one another, the molding plate 3 can be pushed to the conveyor belt 39 by means of a slide 28 and placed thereon.

[0081] The molding plates 4 and 5 can be pushed in, for example, from the other side of the conveyor belt 39 by the slides 29, 30. The various molding plates can be pushed in, for example, simultaneously because of the offset of the slides 28, 29, 30 relative to one another.

[0082] The molding plates 6, 7, 8 are already shown in the form of a layer stack on the conveyor belt.

[0083] The compression element 38 can regularly, for example, at equal intervals or controlled as required, press the molding plates 3, 4, 5 fed last against the already existing layer stack 6, 7, 8 in the stacking direction. The molding plates can then be clamped or glued together in order to hold them together. FIG. 9 shows molding plates without cavities for the sake of clarity, since only the infeed mechanism is to be illustrated here.

[0084] FIG. 10 shows a conveyor belt 39 in a side view with a layer stack of molding plates 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. The individual molding plates have cavities that add up to cavities 24, 25, 26 of three casting molds in the layer stack. The two casting molds having the cavities 24, 25 overlap in a molding plate 12, which forms both a part of the first casting mold 9, 10, 11, 12 and a part of the second casting mold 12, 13, 14, 15. The third casting mold 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 has no common molding plates with further casting molds.

[0085] It can be seen from FIG. 11 that cores 32 can also be arranged in the cavities of the layer stack. Said cores 32 can be connected to the molding plates 21 by means of webs or else be suspended in the molding plates by strand-like elements such as threads or wires. Said strand-like elements can also consist of materials that can be different from the material of the respective molding plate. After demolding, the strand-like elements can be pulled out of the casting and the openings can be filled or used for other purposes, such as the passage of electrical or optical fibers.

[0086] It can be seen from FIG. 11 that the dimensions of the cores can exceed the outer dimensions of an individual molding plate. In particular, in the stacking direction, a core can protrude beyond a molding plate in one or both directions.

[0087] FIG. 12 shows two molding plates 22, 23 having recesses which are directly adjacent to one another in a layer stack to be molded. Positive-locking elements 42, 43 in the form of a web and a groove or a cone and a conical bore are provided on the molding plates, which positive-locking elements 42, 43 enable the two molding plates to be aligned with one another in the layer stack.

[0088] FIG. 13 shows a layer stack of four molding plates 9, 10, 11, 12 in the process of being assembled. After joining together, as shown in the figure, the stack can be tilted so that the stacking direction runs in the horizontal direction, and then the layer stack 9, 10, 11, 12 can be attached to the molding plate 13 of the layer stack already lying on the conveyor belt 39 and be pressed against it. The stack 9, 10, 11, 12 can also be used as a casting mold in the vertical stacking direction and filled with casting material.

[0089] A core 33 fastened to the molding plate 17 is shown as an example in the cavity 26 of the molding plates 16, 17, 18, 19.

[0090] FIG. 14 shows a step in joining together a layer stack with the molding plates 3, 4, 5, each of which has individual cavities. A compression cheek 31 folded up out of the space of the layer stack is shown, which compression cheek 31 serves to compress the molding plate 5 together using the compression element 37. After the molding plate 5 has been compressed, the compression cheek 31 can be raised and the finished molding plate can be pressed against the already existing layer stack 3, 4 by means of the compression element 37. The molding plates 5 can thus each be produced in a space-saving manner in the extension of the layer stack 3, 4 and pressed against it only in the stacking direction. A separate feed device is thus superfluous and the feed can be carried out by a compression element 37.

[0091] FIG. 15 is the device of FIG. 14 shown in a plan view.

[0092] FIG. 16 shows, as an example, a cross-sectional representation, seen in the stacking direction, of a molding plate 3 having a positive-locking element 47 in the form of a web on its upper side. Said positive-locking element interacts with a complementary positive-locking element in the form of a V-groove in the fitted mold cover 34 for positioning.

[0093] On its underside, the molding plate 3 has a V-groove which runs in the stacking direction and interacts with a cross-sectionally V-shaped web 48 on the base 49. With a correspondingly identical arrangement of grooves on the undersides of the molding plates, said molding plates can be assembled into layer stacks of molding plates 3, 4, 5, wherein FIG. 17 shows a coherent cavity 27 which is formed by the recesses of all molding plates together. The cavity 27 has various pouring openings leading to the top side of the layer stack and mold covers 34, 35 are placed on the molding plates with feeders 35a and funnels 34a, which end at the openings of the layer stack, so that a melt can be poured through the funnels/feeders into the cavity 27.

[0094] FIG. 18 shows an overview of a device for producing castings, wherein molding plates are first produced on the right side in a mold building device and are compressed by means of compression elements 31, 37. A machining tool 46 is also shown schematically.

[0095] The molding plates are then arranged thereon in a layer stack 3, 4, 5 corresponding to the layer stack having a cavity 27 shown in FIG. 17. A crucible 49 is further shown, by means of which a molten metal can be poured into the cavity 27 via various pouring openings. The layer stack 3, 4, 5 is successively moved to the left in FIG. 18. In a demolding device following the casting device, the material of the molding plates is crushed by an impact element 50 so that the cast component 51 is exposed and can be transported further by means of a crane 52.

[0096] The crushed material from the molding plates can be returned to the process and cyclically reused to produce new molding plates.

[0097] The presented device is thus able to carry out the entire process from the production of individual molding plates to the production of components by casting in an optimized manner and using the smallest possible number of molding plates. Molding plates of different dimensions and materials can be assembled into casting molds, wherein the selection of the molding plates used can be controlled ad hoc in the process. For example, molding plates having other recesses, external dimensions or more or less cooling properties, that is, controlled with regard to the thermal conductivity properties, can also be introduced into the layer stack in order to influence the cooling behavior of the melt during the production of the cast components.

[0098] For example, gravity casting or low-pressure casting can be implemented as the casting process.

[0099] In addition, components can be inserted into the individual molding plates, which components remain during the casting process and connect to the cast components or which can later be removed from the cast components in order to create targeted openings or complex recesses in the castings.

[0100] The inserted parts can, for example, also be strand-like elements made of fibers.