APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR CASTING METAL PARTS

Abstract

An improved apparatus for casting metal parts. The apparatus is contemplated as including at least one mold cavity formed by at least one at least partly surrounding cavity wall, a system of sprues, runners and/or ingates defining at least one flow channel for filling the at least one mold cavity with molten metal, at least one riser insert arranged at least partly inside at least one riser cavity of at least one riser. The at least one riser insert comprises at least one insert cavity for receiving molten metal at least partially from the at least one mold cavity and at least one the insert cavity at least partly surrounding riser insert wall, wherein the at least one riser insert is configured to at least partly decelerate the solidification of the molten metal received by the at least one insert cavity.

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. An apparatus for low pressure die casting of metal, comprising: at least one mold cavity defined by at least one at least partly surrounding cavity wall; a system of sprues, runners and/or ingates defining at least one flow channel for filling the at least one mold cavity with molten metal; at least one riser insert configured to be arranged at least partly inside at least one riser cavity of at least one riser, the at least one riser insert comprising at least one insert cavity for receiving molten metal at least partly from the at least one mold cavity, and at least one insert cavity at least partly surrounding a riser insert wall, the at least one riser insert being configured to at least partly decelerate the solidification of molten metal received by the at least one insert cavity; and at least one heating insert for at least partly heating molten metal received by the at least one insert cavity.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one riser insert wall has a thickness of less than 5 cm.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one riser insert wall has a thickness of less than 3 cm.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one riser insert wall has a thickness of less than 1.5 cm.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one riser comprises at least one insulator for insulating molten metal received by the at least one insert cavity.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one insulator comprises at least one air gap arranged between the riser insert wall and a riser wall of the at least one riser.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one insulator comprises one or more materials selected from the group of: rock wool, stone wool, glass wool, and ceramic, and combinations thereof.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one heating insert is arranged at least partly inside the at least one riser cavity and/or at least partly inside at least one protection element.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one heating insert comprises one or more of: a burner, an electric heating cartridge, an inductive heating element, or combinations thereof.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising at least one holding element at least partly positioned between the at least one riser insert and the at least one heating insert, and at least partly positioned inside the riser cavity.

23. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one riser insert comprises one or more centering pins for aligning, fixating, or aligning and fixating the at least one riser insert inside the at least one riser cavity.

24. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one riser insert comprises at least one venting hole for ventilating the metal received by the at least one insert cavity.

25. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one riser insert is in fluid connection with at least one riser neck for receiving molten metal at least partially from the at least one mold cavity.

26. A process for low pressure die casting of metal parts, the process comprising the steps of: providing an apparatus comprising: at least one mold cavity defined by at least one at least partly surrounding cavity wall; a system of sprues, runners and/or ingates defining at least one flow channel for filling the at least one mold cavity with molten metal; at least one riser insert configured to be arranged at least partly inside at least one riser cavity of at least one riser, the at least one riser insert comprising at least one insert cavity for receiving molten metal at least partly from the at least one mold cavity, and at least one insert cavity at least partly surrounding a riser insert wall, the at least one riser insert being configured to at least partially decelerate the solidification of molten metal received by the at least one insert cavity; and at least one heating insert for at least partly heating molten metal received by the at least one insert cavity; filling the at least one mold cavity of the apparatus with molten metal via the least one flow channel; receiving molten metal within the at least insert cavity at least partly from the at least one mold cavity; and at least partly decelerating the solidification of the molten metal received within the at least one insert cavity via operation of the at least one heating insert.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] The FIGURE attached to the application, however, is only intended to be used for the purpose of clarification, and not to determine the scope of protection of the invention. The attached drawing is intended only as an example reflecting the general concept of the present invention. In particular, features shown in the FIGURE should not in any way be considered an essential component part of the invention.

[0034] In the following, the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the FIGURE.

[0035] FIG. 1 shows a schematic detail view of an exemplary embodiment of an apparatus for casting metal parts in a cross-sectional perspective.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] FIG. 1 discloses a schematic detail view of a first embodiment of an apparatus 2 for casting metal parts in a cross-sectional perspective. The apparatus 2 comprises one mold cavity 4 which is formed by a cavity wall 6. Only a part of the mold cavity 4 is shown in FIG. 1. Additionally, the apparatus 2 comprises two risers 8, wherein the risers 8 are in fluid connection with the mold cavity 4 via respective riser necks 10.

[0037] Inside riser cavities 12 of the two risers 8 riser inserts 14 are arranged respectively, wherein the riser inserts 14 each form a (riser) insert cavity 16 for receiving molten metal arranged from the mold cavity 4 and/or supplying the mold cavity 4 with molten metal. The riser insert cavities 16 are surrounded by riser insert walls 18. The riser insert walls 18 preferably comprise a thickness of less than 3 cm, preferably of less than 1.5 cm, wherein centering pins 20 integrally formed with the riser insert walls 18 do not constitute to the thickness of the riser insert walls 18. Hence, the riser walls 18 without the lateral extension of the centering pins 20 comprise a thickness of less than 3 cm, preferably of less than 1.5 cm. Through the centering pins 20, the riser inserts 14 are aligned and fixated inside the riser cavities 12. Sensor means (not shown) for monitoring the heating inserts 28 may be fixated to the centering pins 20.

[0038] Between the risers 8 and the riser insert 14 insulating means 22 are arranged for insulating the molten metal received by the riser insert cavities 16. The insulating means 22 are formed as air gaps 24 which circularly surround the riser inserts 14 and are arranged between the riser insert walls 18 and riser walls 26 of the risers 8.

[0039] Further, heating inserts 28 are arranged inside protection elements 30 for distributing heat towards the riser insert cavities 16 during a casting process. Hereby, the solidification of the molten metal inside the riser insert cavities may be decelerated and thus a sufficient flow of molten metal from the riser insert cavities 16 to the mold cavity 4 may be provided.

[0040] Holding elements 32 and 33, in particular holding plates 32 and holding rings 33 are arranged between the riser inserts 14 and the heating inserts 28. The holding plates 32 and holding rings 33 comprise an opening so that the heat radiated by the heating inserts 28 may be directly radiated to the riser inserts 14. The holding elements 32 and 33 are arranged inside the riser cavity 12.

[0041] The riser inserts 14 comprise a venting hole 34 respectively for ventilating the metal received by the at least one riser insert cavity 16, wherein the venting hole 34 is arranged at the distal end with regard to the riser neck 10. Inside the venting hole 34 a venting insert 36 comprising a plurality of venting slits is arranged.

[0042] The riser inserts 14 are in fluid connection with the riser necks 10 of the risers 8 for receiving molten metal at least partially from the at least one mold cavity 4.

[0043] The exemplary embodiments/aspects of the present invention described in this specification are intended to be understood as disclosed both individually and in all combinations with each other. In particular, even the description of a feature encompassed by an embodimentunless explicitly stated to the contraryis not intended to be understood herein as implying that the feature is indispensable or essential to the function of the embodiment. The sequence of the process steps described in this specification is not mandatory; alternative sequences of the process steps are conceivable. The process steps can be implemented in various ways, for example, implementation in software (by program instructions), hardware or a combination of both is conceivable for implementing the process steps.

[0044] Terms used in the patent claims such as comprising, having, including, containing and the like do not exclude further elements or steps. The wording at least in part or substantially covers both the case in part and the case in full. The phrase and/or is intended to be understood to disclose both the alternative and the combination, thus A and/or B means (A) or (B) or (A and B). A plurality of entities, persons or the like means multiple entities, persons or the like in the context of this specification. The use of the indefinite article does not preclude a plural. A single device may perform the functions of multiple units or devices recited in the claims. Reference signs indicated in the patent claims are not to be regarded as limitations of the means and steps employed.