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US 11,951,538 B2Granted
Hollow automotive parts and methods for fabricating hollow castings
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsAdam G. Kotlarek, Frank D. Risko
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Hollow automotive parts, methods for fabricating hollow automotive parts, and methods for fabricating hollow castings are provided. An exemplary method for fabricating a hollow casting includes casting at least a first casting section and a second casting section from a slurry using a semi-solid casting process, and welding the casting sections together at interfaces therebetween.
Claims16
A method for fabricating a hollow casting, the method comprising:
- casting a first casting section and a second casting section from an aluminum slurry using a semi-solid casting process to form each casting section with a lowest material porosity at a first surface and a second surface and with a material porosity not less than the lowest material porosity in a remainder of each respective casting section;
- and
- welding the casting sections together at the respective first surfaces and at the respective second surfaces to form the hollow casting as a ring shape in which an open void is encircled by the first casting section and the second casting section.
A method for fabricating a hollow automotive part, the method comprising:
- forming an upper mold and a lower mold;
- injecting a charge of a semi-solid aluminum slurry into each of the upper mold and the lower mold to form an upper section in the upper mold and a lower section in the lower mold, wherein each section is formed with a lowest material porosity region at a first surface and at a second surface, wherein the first surfaces are formed with first mating geometric designs, and wherein the second surfaces are formed with second mating geometric designs;
- engaging the lowest material porosity regions of the upper section with the lowest material porosity regions of the lower section;
- and
- performing a capacitive discharge welding process to weld the first surface of the upper section to the first surface of the lower section and the second surface of the upper section to the second surface of the lower section to form the hollow automotive part as a ring shape in which a closed void is surrounded by the upper section and the lower section.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.