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US 10,421,120 B2Granted
Metal casting apparatus, cast work piece and method therefor
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsLea Dynnette Castle, Steven J. Bullied, Maria Arceo Herring
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cast work piece includes a cast metal component section and a sprue section connected to the cast metal component section. The cast metal component section and a portion of the sprue section have a first grain orientation and another portion of the sprue section has a second grain orientation such that there is a microstructural discontinuity where the first grain orientation meets the second grain orientation in the sprue section.
Claims13
A cast work piece comprising:
- a cast metal component section;
- and
- a sprue section connected to the cast metal component section, the cast metal component section and a portion of the sprue section having a first grain orientation and another portion of the sprue section having a second grain orientation such that there is a microstructural discontinuity where the first grain orientation meets the second grain orientation in the sprue section.
A method for use in metal casting, the method comprising:
- feeding a molten metallic material into a feeder of a mold to fill a component cavity and at least partially fill a sprue connected with the component cavity, the sprue being arranged to receive the molten metallic material from the feeder and the component cavity being arranged to receive the molten metallic material from the sprue;
- selectively solidifying the metallic material in the mold to induce a first grain orientation through the component cavity and a portion of the sprue and a second grain orientation in another portion of the sprue such that there is a microstructural discontinuity where the first grain orientation meets the second grain orientation in the sprue, the solidified metallic material forming a cast work piece;
- and
- dividing the cast work piece at the microstructural discontinuity.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.