Continuous pressure molten metal supply system and method for forming continuous metal articles

A method of forming continuous metal articles of indefinite length, comprising the steps of:

• providing a plurality of molten metal injectors each having an injector housing and a piston reciprocally operable within the housing, with the injectors each in fluid communication with a molten metal supply source and an outlet manifold, and with the piston of each of the injectors movable through a first stroke wherein molten metal is received into the respective housings from the molten metal supply source, and a second stroke wherein the injectors each provide molten metal to the outlet manifold under pressure, and wherein the outlet manifold includes a plurality of outlet dies for forming continuous metal articles of indefinite length, with the outlet dies configured to cool and solidify the molten metal to form the metal articles;
• serially actuating the injectors to move the respective pistons through their first and second strokes at different times to provide substantially constant molten metal flow rate and pressure to the outlet manifold;
• cooling the molten metal in the outlet dies to form semi-solid state metal in the respective outlet dies;
• solidifying the semi-solid state metal in the outlet dies to form solidified metal having an as-cast structure;
• and
• discharging the solidified metal through outlet die apertures defined by the respective outlet dies to form the metal articles.