PRODUCTION METHOD USING A VACUUM SAND CASTING MOULD

Abstract

A production method for producing cast parts from metal using a sand casting mould (1). The sand casting mould (1) is produced in this case in a moulding box (2) by means of a negative-pressure moulding method. According to the invention, the sand casting mould (1), which is under negative pressure, in the moulding box (2) is first of all filled with molten metal (5). The moulding box (2) with the sand casting mould (1), which is under negative pressure therein, is then completely or partially impinged upon by a cooling fluid (4) and after, at the same time as, or before the cooling fluid impingement is opened at places with cooling fluid impingement. As a result of this, cooling fluid (4) is sucked into the sand casting mould (1) which is under negative pressure, as a result of which the solidifying cast part (3) is quenched more quickly.

Claims

1. A method for producing cast parts from metal using a sand casting mould (1), comprising: producing the sand casting mould (1) in a moulding box (2) by a negative-pressure moulding method filling the produced sand casting mould (1) in the moulding box (2) with molten metal cooling the sand casting mould (1) and the cast part (3) solidifying therein with a cooling fluid (4), wherein the sand casting mould (1), which is under negative pressure, in the moulding box (2) is first filled with molten metal (5), the moulding box (2) with the sand casting mould (1), which is under negative pressure therein, is then completely or partially impinged upon by a cooling fluid (4); and the moulding box (2) after, at the same time as, or before the cooling fluid impingement is opened at places with cooling fluid impingement so that the cooling fluid (4) is sucked into the sand casting mould (1) which is under negative pressure and as a result quenches the solidifying cast part (3).

2. The method for producing cast parts (3) according to claim 1, wherein the cooling fluid (4) is water.

3. The method for producing cast parts (3) according to claim 1, wherein the impingement of the moulding box (2) with the cooling fluid (4) is carried out in a cooling basin (6), preferably a cooling bath, the moulding box (2) is especially preferably partially or completely immersed into the cooling basin (6) in this case.

4. The method for producing cast parts (3) according to claim 1, wherein the sand casting mould (1) is kept in its shape as a result of the negative pressure in the moulding box (2).

5. The method for producing cast parts (3) according to claim 1, wherein the sand casting mould (1) is formed from silica sand, preferably without a binding agent.

6. The method for producing cast parts (3) according to claim 1, wherein the sand casting mould (1) contains no binding agent, especially no bentonite or facing material.

7. The method for producing cast parts (3) according to claim 1, wherein the opening of the moulding box (2) is carried out by removing the moulding box cover foils (7) or by means of slides (8) which are located on the moulding box (2).

8. The method for producing cast parts (3) according to claim 1, wherein the moulding box (2) is immersed into the cooling basin (6) horizontally in the casting position or in a position rotated by an angle of 0 to 180 degrees around a horizontal or vertical axis, the immersion into the cooling basin (6) taking place in a time-controlled manner.

9. The method for producing cast parts (3) according to claim 1, wherein the casting method is a vacuum moulding method or a gravity method.

10. The casting plant for producing cast parts (3) using a method according to claim 1.

Description

DRAWINGS

[0026] In the following text, the production method according to the invention and its principle of operation are explained based on exemplary embodiments. Reference is expressly to be made, however, to the fact that the method according to the invention and the inventive idea are not limited to the embodiments which are featured in the examples. In the drawing:

[0027] FIG. 1 shows production of a sand casting mould using known negative-pressure or vacuum moulding methods

[0028] FIGS. 2.1 and 2.2 show preparation of the moulding box with the sand casting mould which is under negative pressure

[0029] FIG. 2.2 shows filling of the sand casting mould with molten metal

[0030] FIGS. 3.1 and 3.2 show cooling and shaking out according to the invention of the sand casting mould which is under negative pressure

[0031] FIGS. 4.1 and 4.2 show further variants for the cooling and shaking out according to the invention of the sand casting mould which is under negative pressure

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] FIG. 1 shows the production of a sand casting mould according to the negative-pressure moulding method. The depicted method is prior art and can also be used in the inventive production method. The first figure shows the preparation of a negative-pressure box with a pattern half of the cast part mould which is to be produced. Attached to the pattern half is a sprue gate mould through which the molten metal is to later flow into the sand casting mould. Shown in the second figure is a first process step for producing the sand casting mould. In this case, a foil or pattern foil is heated until it becomes plastically deformable. Next, the pattern foil is lowered from the top over the sprue gate mould and the pattern half. By means of suction on the lower-box pattern plate, a negative pressure is created (see arrow), sucking the pattern foil onto the pattern half and onto the sprue gate. The pattern half and the sprue gate mould can be dispersed with small holes for the purpose of better suction of the pattern foil. The pattern foil cools down and remains in the patterned form. Optionally, facing material can then additionally be applied to the pattern foil. In illustrations 4 to 6 in FIG. 1, it is shown how the moulding box upper part is positioned above the pattern half, with the pattern foil drawn over, and filled with sand, e.g., silica sand, and finally closed off with an upper cover foil. In the moulding box upper part a negative pressure is now also created by the air being sucked out of it (see arrows in the figures). The vacuum or negative pressure in the moulding box upper part is kept stable by means of pumps so that the negative pressure in the moulding box stays in effect. The moulding box upper part is now detached from the pattern half and from the sprue gate mould (see illustration 7 in FIG. 1). The casting mould half which is produced therewith from sand remains in its shape as a result of the exerted negative pressure, similar to a vacuum packing for foodstuff. The advantages which arise from this have already been explained further above. The moulding box lower part together with the lower casting mould half are produced in the same manner. The moulding box upper part and the associated moulding box lower part are then joined together and interconnected in a non-positively locking manner. The moulding box with the sand casting mould, which is under negative pressure therein, is now ready for filling with molten metal (see illustration 8 in FIG. 1). After the molten metal has solidified, forming the cast part, the negative pressure can be released and the produced cast part removed from the moulding box (see illustration 9 in FIG. 1).

[0033] FIGS. 2.1 and 2.2 show in schematic view the two-part moulding box 2, wherein each mould box half 2 contains a sand casting mould half which is kept under negative pressure. FIG. 2.1 also shows how both sand casting mould halves are kept in their shape formed by the pattern foils 12 on account of the negative pressure. The negative pressure in the two cast part mould halves is maintained in each case by the moulding box 2, and also by a moulding-box cover foil 7 and a pattern foil 12. The schematic figures show a suction point 11 on both moulding box halves, by means of which air is sucked out of the mould halves and the negative pressure therefore created. The moulding box upper part additionally has a sprue gate 10 through which the melt is poured into the closed casting mould in a later step. According to FIG. 2.1, the two moulding box halves with negative pressure applied are laid one on top of the other and interconnected in a non-positively locking manner. In FIG. 2.2, both moulding box halves are joined together. These are interconnected in a non-positively locking manner so that the sand casting mould does not open during the casting process. The two moulding box halves form the actual moulding box 2 with the sand casting mould 1, assembled from the two sand casting-mould halves, therein. The assembled sand casting mould 1 forms a cavity 13 which has the shape of the cast part which is to be produced. The closed moulding box 2 can now be filled with the melt, i.e., molten metal 5. The present invention can be used in any casting method, e.g., in gravity or pressure casting methods described further above. Further current and applicable casting methods would be, for example, tilt pouring, top pouring or side pouring. The sand casting mould 1 according to FIG. 2.2 is now filled with molten metal, wherein the molten metal cools andinitially in the boundary regions toward the sand mouldslowly begin to solidify.

[0034] The FIGS. 3.1 and 3.2 now show the inventive method step: The moulding box 2 with the sand casting mould 1, which continues to be under negative pressure therein and is filled with molten, partially solidified metal, is moved away from the casting device (not shown). The casting device is therefore freed for the next casting process, i.e., filling of a further moulding box. For this, the filled moulding box 2 is moved away from the casting device, for example by a robot, not shown, and swung over a cooling device. The cooling device, as shown in FIGS. 3.1 and 3.1, can consist of a large cooling basin or bath 6 (e.g., a water bath). In addition to the actual cooling basin 6, the cooling device can also have nozzles 9 for cooling fluid impingement, which nozzles spray the moulding box 2, filled with molten metal, with a cooling fluid from different directions, e.g., from the top. Water is typically used as cooling fluid or coolant.

[0035] The moulding box 2 is now for example partially immersed into the cooling basin 6 and sprayed from the top with the cooling fluid by means of the nozzles 9. The moulding box 2 can even be totally immersed into the cooling basin 6, wherein no additional nozzles are then necessary. The moulding box 2 with the sand casting mould 1 continuing to be under negative pressure is now according to the invention completely opened, or opened only at the places with impingement of cooling fluid. This takes place by the moulding box cover foils 7 being removed. The invention now makes use of the suction effect of the negative pressure (typically 0.6 to 0.8 bar). By removing the cover foils 7, water is momentarily sucked into the sand casting mould 1 which momentarily quenches the cast part 3. Since the sand casting mould 1 consists of sand, i.e., silica sand, and does not contain a blocking binding agent (e.g., bentonite) or other fine proportions, the water, owing to the pre-existing negative pressure/vacuum can penetrate very quickly and deeply into the porous sand casting mould, i.e., between the individual sand grains. Although a sand casting mould acts in a very compact manner, it is in reality porous and has a theoretical mould cavity between the sand grains which can constitute 33% of the entire sand casting mould volume. On account of this, the inventive cooling or quenching effect is very high in comparison to the known cooling methods.

[0036] The method according to the invention also being used with negative-pressure sand casting moulds, which are provided with additives, is naturally not excluded. As is to be gathered from the preceding embodiments, attention has to be paid here to the fact that the additives which are used do not negatively impair, or least do not negatively impair to an excessive extent, the porosity of the sand casting mould or its permeability for the cooling fluid. Accordingly, bentonite should by preference not be used as additive/binding agent because on contact with water this closes off the cavities between the sand grains and therefore makes the sand mould impermeable for water (despite the negative pressure little or no water is sucked into the sand mould).

[0037] After the cover foils 7 of the moulding box have been removed, it is also conceivable that the moulding box 2 is immersed more deeply into the cooling basin 6. The immersion of the moulding box 2 into the water bath 6 offers the additional advantage that the immersion process can be carried out in a controlled or regulated manner. That is to say, the cooling process can be influenced via the immersion direction and rate. Therefore, the moulding box can be immersed for example horizontally in the casting position, at an angle, or rotated by 180 degrees around a horizontal or a vertical axis. Correspondingly, specific regions of the cast part can be quenched more quickly via the immersion direction and/or rate.

[0038] FIGS. 4.1 and 4.2 show a further variant of the method according to the invention. In this case, the moulding box 2, filled with molten metal, is immersed completely into a water bath 6 before the cover foils 7 on the moulding box are removed. The suction effect for quenching the molten or partially already edge-solidified cast part 3 with the cooling fluid is used more efficiently in this case. As is shown in FIGS. 4.1 and 4.2, the moulding box can also have slides 8 instead of the cover foils 7. These slides 8 undertake the function of cover foils here. Depending on application and mould box size, the use of slidese.g., on the mould-box undersidecan be more advantageous than the use of cover foils. The slides can also be used again without any problem.

[0039] In the preceding description, it was explained that the moulding box, after the cooling fluid impingement, is opened by removing the cover foils or slides. Naturally, the inventive idea also embraces the possibility that the (partial) opening of the moulding box is carried out before, or immediately before, or at the same time with the cooling fluid impingement. The moulding box can therefore be opened before or even after the cooling fluid impingement (preferably only at the places with cooling fluid impingement). The suction effect, and therefore cooling effect, which is used according to the invention is, of course, used to the most efficient extent if the sand casting mould sucks up only, or for the most part only, cooling fluid and not also ambient air (significantly lower thermal capacity). It is therefore to be preferred that the moulding box is opened by removing the cover foils or slides only after the cooling fluid impingement.

[0040] The present invention is not limited to the possibilities and embodiments which are explicitly referred to. These variants are rather thought as being a stimulus for the person skilled in the art in order to implement the inventive idea as favourably as possible.

LIST OF DESIGNATIONS

[0041] 1 Sand casting mould [0042] 2 Moulding box, moulding box half [0043] 3 Cast part [0044] 4 Cooling fluid, water [0045] 5 Molten metal [0046] 6 Cooling basin, cooling bath [0047] 7 Moulding box cover foil [0048] 8 Moulding box slide [0049] 9 Nozzles for cooling fluid impingement [0050] 10 Sprue gate [0051] 11 Suction point of the sand casting mould [0052] 12 Pattern foil [0053] 13 Cavity of the sand casting mould