Metal foam casting apparatus and method
AssigneeCymat Corp.
InventorScott Nichol
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for casting articles from metal foam includes a molten metal bath and a foam forming means. The foam is drawn into a ladle, within a heated chamber, which transports a foam sample to a mold. The ladle deposits the foam sample into the mold and the mold is closed. Once cooled and hardened the formed article is removed. The system of the invention comprises a molten metal bath, a heated foam collecting chamber, a ladle for drawing a sample of the foam and for transporting the sample to a mold. The present invention provides an apparatus for carrying out.
Claims21
An apparatus for casting an article from a metal foam comprising:
- a molten metal bath containing a molten metal;
- a means for generating metal foam provided within said molten metal;
- said means for generating a foam being provided in a foaming chamber in fluid communication with said bath;
- a foam transfer container for receiving a sample of said foam generated by said means for foaming, said container being capable of reciprocating between the interior and exterior of said foaming chamber;
- a means for withdrawing said foam transfer container from said foaming chamber;
- and,
- a mould having a mould cavity having a shape that is complementary to said article said mould cavity being adapted to receive said sample of foam from said foam transfer container.
A method of casting an article from a metal foam comprising:
- providing a molten metal in a molten metal bath;
- generating a foam from said molten metal in a foaming chamber;
- collecting a sample of said foam in a foam transfer container, said foam transfer container being capable of reciprocating between the interior and exterior of said foaming chamber;
- withdrawing said foam transfer container, containing said sample of foam, from said foaming chamber;
- transporting said sample of foam to a mould;
- depositing said sample of foam into said mould;
- cooling said mould;
- and,
- withdrawing said formed article.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.