Casting die and method of mitigating entrained air in a cast article

A casting die comprising:

• a first ingate defining a first annular chamber;
• a second ingate defining a second annular chamber and spaced apart from the first ingate along a central longitudinal axis;
• a first end ring gate concentric with the first ingate and defining a first end ring chamber in fluid communication with the first annular chamber;
• a second end ring gate concentric with the second ingate and defining a second end ring chamber in fluid communication with the second annular chamber;
• a plurality of runners interconnecting the first end ring gate and the second end ring gate, wherein each of the plurality of runners defines a conductor bar channel in fluid communication with the first end ring chamber and the second end ring chamber;
• an overflow gate disposed between the first ingate and the second ingate along the central longitudinal axis and surrounding the plurality of runners, wherein the overflow gate defines an annular overflow chamber in fluid communication with the conductor bar channel of each of the plurality of runners;
• and
• an intake gate defining an intake chamber in fluid communication with the first annular chamber and the second annular chamber;
• wherein the intake gate is bifurcated and includes a first arm connected to the first ingate, a second arm connected to the second ingate, and a body connected to the first arm and the second arm;
• wherein the body is L-shaped and includes a first leg extending along a first axis that is substantially perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis and a second leg extending along a second axis that is oblique to the first axis and the central longitudinal axis.

A method of mitigating entrained air in a cast article, the method comprising:

• filling a casting die with a metal, wherein the casting die includes:
• a first ingate defining a first annular chamber;
• a second ingate defining a second annular chamber and spaced apart from the first ingate along a central longitudinal axis;
• a first end ring gate concentric with the first ingate and defining a first end ring chamber in fluid communication with the first annular chamber;
• a second end ring gate concentric with the second ingate and defining a second end ring chamber in fluid communication with the second annular chamber;
• a plurality of runners interconnecting the first end ring gate and the second end ring gate, wherein each of the plurality of runners defines a conductor bar channel in fluid communication with the first end ring chamber and the second end ring chamber;
• and
• an overflow gate disposed between the first ingate and the second ingate along the central longitudinal axis, wherein the overflow gate defines an annular overflow chamber in fluid communication with the conductor bar channel of each of the plurality of runners;
• wherein filling includes introducing the metal to the first annular chamber and the second annular chamber substantially simultaneously such that the metal has a first ingate velocity at the first end ring gate and a second ingate velocity at the second end ring gate that is substantially equal to the first ingate velocity;
• and
• replacing air in the conductor bar channel of each of the plurality of runners with the metal in a first section of each of the plurality of runners between the first end ring gate and the overflow gate and in a second section of the plurality of runners between the second end ring gate and the overflow gate substantially simultaneously to form the cast article and thereby mitigate entrained air in the first end ring chamber, the second end ring chamber, and the conductor bar channel of each of the plurality of runners.