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US 7,681,623 B2Granted
Casting process and cast component
AssigneeSiemens Aktiengesellschaft
InventorStefan Janssen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Thick-walled parts made via a casting method often exhibit, in those thick zones, the worst mechanical properties since the solidification speed in the zones is reduced relative to the thin-walled zone and frequently induces the worst mechanical properties. There is described a method incorporating solidification control elements in a melting charge, the elements increase locally the solidification speed of the melting charge.
Claims11
A casting process, comprising:
- providing a casting mold defining a shape of a component comprising a thick-walled region with a wall thickness (b) of at least 200 mm;
- providing an unmelted solidification control element within a melt in the thick-walled region at a location subdividing a thickness of the thick walled region (b) into smaller contiguous thicknesses (b1 and b2), wherein the component is formed from the melt and the solidification control element is at least of a similar type of material as the melt and becomes part of an interior of the thick-walled region of the component, wherein the control element removes heat directly from interior melt present in the interior of the thick-walled region during cooling of the melt and is thereby effective to directly increase a rate of the cooling of the interior melt present in the thick-walled region of the melt to maintain a desired microstructure throughout the thickness of the thick-walled region of the component.
A casting process, comprising:
- providing an unmelted solidification control element in a melt within a thick-walled portion of a casting mold, wherein a component is formed from the melt upon cooling and solidification of the melt and includes the solidification control element, wherein the control element is substantially surrounded by the solidified melt, wherein the solidification control element removes heat directly from interior melt present in the thick-walled portion of the melt during cooling to directly increase a cooling rate of the interior melt present in the thick-walled portion in order to control a mechanical characteristic of the solidified thick-walled portion of the component;
- and
- positioning the solidification control element in the melt at a location where, after solidification of the melt, all of the material of the solidification control element is removed from the component during a subsequent machining of the component, thereby reducing a risk of defects being introduced into the component as a result of bonding defects or inadequate melting of the solidification control element during solidification of the melt.
A casting process, comprising:
- providing a casting mold defining a shape of a component comprising a thick-walled region having a wall thickness of at least 200 mm;
- providing a solidification control element that is unmelted in a melt of similar type material in the casting mold such that the solidification control element is at least partially melted and so that the solidification control element is fully surrounded by interior melt in the thick-walled region,
- wherein a component is formed from the melt and includes the solidification control element which is fully surrounded by the solidified interior melt in the thick-walled region,
- wherein the solidification control element is cooled and thereby removes heat directly from the interior melt in the thick-walled region during cooling to directly increase a cooling rate of the interior melt in the thick-walled region to maintain a desired mechanical characteristic of the melt upon solidification.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.