Casting Mold and Method for Producing a Casting

Abstract

A casting mould for producing a casting formed from a light metal alloy, in particular a housing for an electric drive for a motor vehicle. The casting mould advantageously has at least one sand core which is designed and arranged in the casting mould in such a way that the at least at least one sand core can be completely surrounded, at least in sections, in a circumferential direction by a light metal melt with which the casting mould is filled to form the casting. It is advantageous to be able to produce a casting in which, for example, a cooling channel is incorporated. It is not necessary to drill a hole to form a channel. Furthermore, the invention relates to a process for manufacturing a casting made of a light metal alloy, in particular a housing for an electric drive for a motor vehicle.

Claims

1-19. (canceled)

20. A casting mold for producing a housing for an electric drive for a motor vehicle formed from a light metal alloy, wherein the casting mold has at least one sand core which is designed and arranged in the casting mold in such a way that the at least one sand core can be completely surrounded in a circumferential direction by a light metal melt with which the casting mold is filled to form the casting, wherein the at least one sand core is designed as a cooling channel core, wherein the at least one sand core is bent at least in some regions, wherein a ratio of a length of the sand core to a sand core cross-sectional size is between 7.5 and 38, the sand core cross-section size is the distance between two points of the sand core cross-section that are furthest apart, that the smallest sand core cross-sectional size in a sand core with regions with different sand core cross-sectional sizes is used to form the ratio, and the sand core cross-sectional size is at least 1.6 mm.

21. The casting mold according to claim 20, wherein the at least one sand core is elongated and preferably has supporting elements by means of which the sand core is connected to the casting mold or to another sand core, wherein supporting elements adjacent in a longitudinal direction of the sand core are spaced apart from one another by between 60 mm and 200 mm, preferably between 90 mm and 150 mm, particularly preferably between 99 mm and 121 mm.

22. The casting mold according to claim 20, wherein the at least one sand core has at least one connecting section which is designed to form a form-fitting, force-fitting and/or material-locking connection with the casting mold or another sand core, wherein preferably alignment bevels and/or venting channels are provided in the region of a transition from the at least one connecting section to the casting mold or the other sand core.

23. The casting mold according to claim 20, wherein the at least one sand core is 3D-printed and preferably has at least one cavity or comprises regions into which no binder is introduced.

24. The casting mold according to claim 20, wherein casting mold comprises a further sand core which is 3D-printed and has a space which is designed to receive a cooling element.

25. The casting mold according to claim 20, wherein the casting mold comprises an additional sand core and/or a permanent mold insert element, wherein the additional sand core is designed as an electric motor core and the permanent mold insert element is designed as an electric motor permanent mold insert element, and is provided to map a receiving space in the casting into which a stator and a rotor of an electric motor can be introduced.

26. The casting mold according to claim 25, wherein the electric motor core is of a multi-part design, wherein each electric motor core part has a demoulding bevel which extends in a longitudinal direction of the electric motor core over a circumferential surface, and/or the electric motor permanent mold insert element has a demoulding bevel which extends in a longitudinal direction of the electric motor permanent mold insert element over a circumferential surface.

27. The casting mold according to claim 20, wherein the casting mold has an insert element which is configured to influence the flow properties of a light-metal melt flowing into the casting mold, the insert element being designed in particular as a casting filter or as a casting filter cascade.

28. The casting mold according to claim 20, wherein the casting mold has an insert element which is intended to remain in a casting produced by means of the casting mold and is preferably designed as a component of the electric drive for which the casting can be used.

29. The casting mold according to claim 20, wherein the casting mold has an insert element formed from a material other than foundry sand, which is provided for removal from a casting produced with the casting mold.

30. The casting mold according to claim 20, wherein the casting mold has an area with a plurality of further sand cores, the further sand cores being provided for mapping a housing for power electronics components and/or transmission components of the electric drive when the casting is used for an electric drive of a motor vehicle.

31. The casting mold according to claim 20, wherein the casting mold has an area with a plurality of additional sand cores, the plurality of additional sand cores being provided for mapping cooling channels through which a cooling fluid can flow in a controlled manner when the casting is used in an electric motor of a motor vehicle.

32. The casting mold according to claim 20, wherein a cavity is formed in at least one side part of the casting mold, which forms an additional feeder, wherein the cavity is fluidically connected by through-channels to a mold cavity forming the casting.

33. A method for producing a housing for an electric drive for a motor vehicle with a casting mold according to claim 20, wherein at least one sand core arranged in a casting mold is completely surrounded, at least in sections, in a circumferential direction, by a light-metal melt, with which the casting mold is filled to form the casting.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein a channel bent in sections is formed in the casting through the sand core surrounded in sections in a circumferential direction by the light-metal melt.

35. The method according to claim 33, wherein the light metal melt is cooled at a distance of 3 to 5 mm from a cooling element introduced into the casting mold at a cooling rate of at least 10 Kelvin per second, preferably at least 13 Kelvin per second, particularly preferably at least 15 Kelvin per second.

36. The method according to claim 33, wherein a movement speed of a permanent mold that is moved during mold filling is adjustable.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0101] The invention will be explained in more detail below by means of examples and the accompanying drawings relating to the examples. The figures show:

[0102] FIGS. 1a-c a first embodiment of a casting mold according to the invention for manufacturing a housing for an electric drive for a motor vehicle,

[0103] FIGS. 2a-c a further embodiment of a casting mold according to the invention for manufacturing a housing for an electric drive for a motor vehicle,

[0104] FIG. 3 a detail of an embodiment of a casting mold according to the invention for manufacturing a housing for an electric drive for a motor vehicle,

[0105] FIG. 4 a further embodiment of a casting mold according to the invention for manufacturing a housing for an electric drive for a motor vehicle,

[0106] FIGS. 5a-c an embodiment of a casting mold according to the invention for manufacturing a housing for an electric drive for a motor vehicle,

[0107] FIGS. 6a-c a special embodiment of a casting mold according to the invention for manufacturing a housing for an electric drive for a motor vehicle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0108] A sand casting mold 1, shown in FIG. 1a in a perspective plan view and in FIG. 1b in cross-section along a cut A-A from FIG. 1a in sections, with a base sand core 2, includes a bent sand core 3 with an oval cross-sectional area 4. The sand casting mold 1 is arranged in this embodiment in such a way that a section 5, which forms a channel and is arranged between two connecting sections 6, 7, can be completely surrounded by a light metal melt, with which the sand casting mold 1 can be filled to produce a casting (dotted helical arrow 8). Each of the connecting end sections 6, 7 is connected to the sand casting mold 1 by a plug connection, wherein, for example, a channel entry opening can be formed in the casting at a transition 9 of the connecting end section 6 to the base sand core 2.

[0109] The base sand core 2 also has a filling channel 10 through which a light metal melt can flow into the sand casting mold 1. It is conceivable that a casting filter, not shown in FIGS. 1a-c, is arranged in the filling channel 10 or in the area of the filling channel 10.

[0110] In this embodiment, the channel to be produced in a casting is represented by the bent sand core 3, wherein cavity forming channel walls is delimited in particular by an electric motor core 11, which is shown in part in cross-section in FIG. 1b and has been left out of FIG. 1a for reasons of clarity. The electric motor core 11 is essentially cylindrical in shape, with sections 12 of the lateral surface being formed by cast-iron cooling elements 13. The electric motor core 11 forms a cavity in the casting, in which a stator and a rotor of an electric drive, in particular, can be arranged.

[0111] A sand core 3 shown in FIG. 1c in a perspective plan view differs from that shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b in that the sand core 3 has a single connecting section 7 and a free end not provided with a reference character in FIG. 1c.

[0112] A blind hole-like channel can be introduced into a casting produced with the casting mold 1 by means of the sand core 3 as shown in FIG. 1c.

[0113] Reference is now made to FIGS. 2a-c, where identical or equivalent parts are designated by the same reference number as in FIGS. 1a-c, and the letter a is added to the reference number in each case.

[0114] A sand casting mold 1a, shown in part in FIG. 2a in a perspective view, in FIG. 2b in a plan view and in FIG. 2c in a sectional side view along the section A-A from FIG. 2b, mold 1a differs from that shown in FIGS. 1a-c in that a sand core 3a, which is horseshoe-shaped in plan view, has an additional supporting element 14, which is arranged between two connecting sections 6a, 7a. The supporting element 14 is formed from molding sand and is integrally formed on the sand core 3a.

[0115] In this embodiment, the sand core 3a, which is horseshoe-shaped in plan view, is 3D-printed and has a cavity 15 and venting channels 16, through which so-called core gas can be led out of the sand core 3a when the sand casting mold is filled with a light metal melt from the sand casting mold 1a. This can be particularly advantageous for those sand cores that have a high binder content and that are completely surrounded by the light metal melt in sections when a mold cavity is filled with a light metal melt.

[0116] Reference is now made to FIG. 3, where identical or equivalent parts are designated by the same reference number as in FIGS. 1 and 2 and the letter b is added to the respective reference number.

[0117] A section of a sand casting mold 1b shown schematically in cross-section, includes a deep, narrow recess 17 in a side portion of the sand casting mold 1b, which is configured to represent a reinforcing rib of a casting that can be produced with the sand casting mold. A normal 18 to an upper sand mold wall section 19 in the area of the recess 17 is arranged obliquely to a normal 20 to a melt front 21 of a light metal melt, which, for a mold filling of the sand mold in this embodiment, rises against an effective direction 22 of the force of gravity in the sand mold 1b.

[0118] The sand casting mold wall section 19 forms an inclined plane along which mold air 23 displaced by the melt front 21 as it rises in the sand casting mold 1b can slide along an arrow 24. It is advantageous that no mold air is trapped in the recess, thus favorably preventing a casting defect leading to the rejection of the casting. It is conceivable that a venting channel is passed through the sand casting mold wall section in order to lead molding air directly out of the sand casting mold 1b.

[0119] Reference is now made to FIG. 4, where identical or equivalent parts are designated by the same reference number as in FIGS. 1 to 3 and the letter c is added to the respective reference number.

[0120] In a sand mold 1c shown in a partial perspective view in FIG. 4, a side wall core 25 is 3D-printed and has a through channel 26 into which a cooling element 27 made of cast iron is inserted. Because the side wall core 25 is 3D-printed, the through channel can be formed in such a way that the cooling element 27 can be introduced into the side wall core 25 from outside the sand mold 1c and held in a force-locked manner.

[0121] Reference is now made to FIGS. 5a-c, where identical or equivalent parts are designated by the same reference number as in FIGS. 1 to 4 and the letter d is added to the reference number in each case.

[0122] In a sand casting mold 1d shown in a partial view in FIG. 5a in a perspective plan view, a two-part electric motor core 11d is arranged horizontally in the sand casting mold 1d, whereby horizontal means that a light metal melt filling the sand filling the sand casting mold 1d, flows around the essentially cylindrical electric motor core 11d in the peripheral direction, for example, against a direction of action 22d of the force of gravity, and not in the longitudinal direction along a cylinder axis 28.

[0123] Two electric motor core parts 29, 30, which are connected to one another by a plug connection and rest against one another in a contact plane 31, form the electric motor core 11d and, in a 5b, the electric motor core 11d comprises recesses 32 that are provided to accommodate cooling elements designated in FIG. 1b with reference symbol 13.

[0124] Although it is conceivable that the electric motor core is 3D-printed, in this embodiment it is designed as a closed sand core.

[0125] Each electric motor core part 29, 30 has a demoulding bevel 33, which extends circumferentially in the circumferential direction 34 over a lateral surface 35 and slopes in the direction of an arrow 36.

[0126] Reference is now made to FIGS. 6a-c, where the same or equivalent parts are designated by the same reference number as in FIGS. 1 to 5 and the letter e is added to the reference number in each case.

[0127] A sand casting mold 1e, shown in FIG. 6a in a perspective view, in FIG. 6b in a plan view and in FIG. 6c in a cut side view in section A-A from FIG. 6b, mold 1e comprises a cavity 37 which forms a main feeder of a casting that can be produced with the sand casting mold 1e and which, when the casting solidifies, is arranged above the casting. Through channels 38 provide a fluidic connection between the cavity 37 and a mold cavity, not shown in FIGS. 6a-c, which forms the casting.

[0128] A cavity 40 is incorporated into a multipart side wall core 39 of the sand casting mold le, which cavity reproduces an additional feeder attached laterally to the manufactured casting and is fluidically connected by a plurality of through channels 41 to the cavity 37 reproducing the main feeder.

[0129] A fluidic connection of the cavity 40, which represents the additional feeder, with the mold cavity, which represents the cast part, is ensured by through-channels 42. For reasons of clarity, not all through-channels 42 are provided with a reference sign. It is conceivable that a casting mold (1-1e) is intended for manufacturing a housing for an electric drive and has an area with several further sand cores, which is set up to map a receiving housing for power electronics components and/or transmission components of an electric drive.

[0130] Furthermore, a casting mold (1-1e) can have a plurality of additional sand cores that are provided to map cooling channels when the casting is used in an electric motor of a motor vehicle, through which a cooling fluid flows in a controlled manner.

[0131] Furthermore, it is conceivable that a casting mold (1-1e) can have an insert element that is designed to remain in a casting produced with the casting mold. This can be, for example, a component of an electric drive for the production of which the casting is used.

[0132] It is understood that all possible combinations of features of the features shown in FIGS. 1a-c to 6a-c are conceivable. For example, a sand casting mold as shown in FIGS. 6a-c may have a recess 17 as shown in FIG. 3.

[0133] It is also understood that a casting mold according to the invention may be designed as a permanent casting mold. A permanent casting mold may, for example, be a chill mold or a die casting mold in which sand cores are inserted.