Apparatus for and method of producing slurry material without stirring for application in semi-solid forming

A method of producing a semi-solid material without stirring, comprising:

• heating a metal alloy to form a metallic melt;
• transferring a portion of the metallic melt into a temperature-controlled holding vessel;
• controllably adjusting the temperature of the metallic melt in the temperature-controlled holding vessel to a selected transfer temperature;
• regulating the transfer of an amount of the metallic melt from the temperature-controlled holding vessel into a temperature-controlled forming vessel;
• and
• crystallizing the metallic melt in the forming vessel by cooling the metallic melt at a controlled rate to form a semi-solid material having a microstructure comprising rounded solid particles dispersed in a liquid metal matrix.

A method of semi-solid forming a shaped article, comprising:

• providing a metal alloy, a temperature-controlled vessel and a mold;
• heating the metal alloy to form a metallic melt;
• regulating the transfer of an amount of the metallic melt into the temperature-controlled vessel;
• and
• crystallizing the metallic melt in the temperature-controlled vessel by cooling the metallic melt at a controlled rate less than 0.5 degrees Celsius per second to produce a semi-solid material having a microstructure comprising rounded solid particles dispersed in a liquid metal matrix;
• feeding the semi-solid material from the temperature-controlled vessel directly into the mold without transferring the semi-solid material to an intermediate container;
• and
• forming the semi-solid material into a shaped article;
• wherein the vessel comprises:
• a passage for receiving the metallic melt;
• and
• a ram displaceable along the passage, the feeding comprising injecting the semi-solid material directly into the mold by displacing the ram along the passage.

A method of producing a semi-solid material without stirring, comprising:

• heating a metal alloy to form a metallic melt;
• preheating a temperature-controlled vessel to a selected vessel temperature prior to transferring metallic melt therein;
• regulating the transfer of a select amount of the metallic melt into the vessel, the regulating comprising:
• transferring the metallic melt into the vessel at a selected transfer temperature and at a selected transfer rate;
• and
• controlling a differential between the temperature of the metallic melt during the heating and the temperature of the metallic melt during the transferring;
• and
• crystallizing the metallic melt in the vessel by cooling the metallic melt at a controlled rate without the use of a grain refiner and without mechanical agitation at any point during the crystallizing to form a semi-solid material having a microstructure comprising rounded solid particles dispersed in a liquid metal matrix.