Process for combined casting and heat treatment
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of Western Michigan University
InventorJay Easwaran
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A foamed pattern of a desired part is first formed. The pattern is then dipped into a ceramic slurry and the slurry dried in order to form a shell containing the foamed pattern. A heated bed of a particulate medium is formed around the ceramic shell which causes the pattern to evaporate and form a mold. A molten metal is then introduced into the mold and solidified while being held at an elevated temperature for a period of time to accomplish a desired heat treatment of the metal. With this method, the casting does not have to be subsequently heat treated in a separate operation. It can be removed as an as cast casting, having the desired microstructures.
Claims12
A method of producing a cast metal part comprising the steps of forming a pattern for a metal part out of a heat-vaporizable material;
- forming a ceramic shell around said pattern;
- forming a bed of a heated particulate medium around said ceramic shell;
- vaporizing the pattern to form a mold;
- introducing molten metal into said mold;
- holding said bed at an elevated temperature for an amount of time necessary to form desired microstructures while solidifying the molten metal;
- and removing said solidified molten metal from said mold as a cast metal part having the desired microstructures.
A method of producing a cast metal part comprising the steps of forming a pattern for a metal part out of a heat vaporizable material;
- forming a ceramic shell around said pattern;
- forming a bed of heated particulate medium around said ceramic shell;
- vaporizing the pattern to form a mold;
- introducing molten metal into said mold;
- holding said bed at an elevated temperature of 1000.degree.-1650.degree. F. for 10-15 minutes while solidifying the molten metal;
- and removing said solidified metal from said mold to form a cast metal part having desired microstructures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.