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US 4,569,218 AGranted
Apparatus and process for producing shaped metal parts
AssigneeAlumax Inc.
InventorsRobert L. Baker, Lester P. Chin, James A. Courtois, Lawrence J. Pionke, Ralph M. Sharp, Peter S. Willcox
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Shaped metal parts are produced on a continuous basis from a semisolid metal preform. A plurality of freestanding metal preforms are sequentially heated in an induction heating zone to the semisolid level and transferred without substantial deformation or heat loss to a press where they are shaped in a semisolid state into a shaped metal part.
Claims18
Apparatus for continuously producing shaped metal parts comprising:
- means for supporting and positioning a plurality of freestanding metal preforms,
- heating means,
- means for indexing said preforms sequentially through said heating means,
- said heating means comprising a plurality of separate partitioned heating stations for sequentially raising the heat content of said preforms as said preforms pass into and out of each of said heating stations, said preforms remaining free standing and being heated in said heating means to a level at which said preforms become partially liquid and partially solid,
- means for transferring a freestanding preform from said supporting means to a shaping means while said preform remains substantially in its initial shape and partially liquid-partially solid state, said transferring means being a mechanical gripper having gripping jaws, the surface of which are heated to a predetermined level to minimize heat loss from said preforms to said transferring means,
- means for shaping said preform while in said partially liquid-partially solid state into a shaped metal part and means for recovering said perform after being solidified into a metal part.
3 more elements
A process for continuously producing shaped metal parts comprising the steps of:
- supporting and positioning a plurality of freestanding metal preforms,
- indexing said preforms sequentially through a plurality of separate induction heating stations for sequentially raising the heat content of said preforms to a level at which the preforms are partially liquid and partially solid, while the preforms remain free standing and, said preforms pan through each of said heating stations,
- transferring said freestanding preforms with a mechanical gripper from said supporting means to a shaping means while the preforms remain substantially in their initial shape and partially liquid-partially solid state, said mechanical gripper having gripping jaws, the surface of which are heated to a predetermined level to minimize heat loss from said preforms to said transferring means,
- shaping said preform while in said partially liquid-partially solid state into a shaped metal part and
- recovering said preform after being shaped into a solidified metal part.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.