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EP1013363B1 - Dispositif de moulage sous pression de matériaux a haut point de fusion - Google Patents

Dispositif de moulage sous pression de matériaux a haut point de fusion Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1013363B1
EP1013363B1 EP99310240A EP99310240A EP1013363B1 EP 1013363 B1 EP1013363 B1 EP 1013363B1 EP 99310240 A EP99310240 A EP 99310240A EP 99310240 A EP99310240 A EP 99310240A EP 1013363 B1 EP1013363 B1 EP 1013363B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
sleeve
die
shot sleeve
melting
shot
Prior art date
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EP99310240A
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German (de)
English (en)
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EP1013363A1 (fr
Inventor
John J. Schirra
John Joseph Marcin Jr.
David William Anderson
Eberhart Privitzer
Jeffery William Samuelson
John Siuming Tu
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RTX Corp
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United Technologies Corp
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
    • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
    • B22D17/00—Pressure die casting or injection die casting, i.e. casting in which the metal is forced into a mould under high pressure
    • B22D17/20—Accessories: Details
    • B22D17/2015—Means for forcing the molten metal into the die
    • B22D17/2023—Nozzles or shot sleeves

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to die casting, and relates more particularly to apparatus for die casting material having a high melting temperature, e.g., above 2000 °F (1093°C).
  • High melting temperature materials such as nickel base superalloys and titanium base alloys are widely used in a variety of industries.
  • superalloys refers to materials having high strength, particularly at elevated temperatures, e.g., about 900°F (482°C) and above.
  • Such materials are typically nickel base, cobalt base and/or iron base.
  • Titanium alloys are employed in applications which require light weight and high strength-weight ratios. These alloys exhibit good corrosion resistance, and generally maintain good strength up to moderate temperatures, e.g., up to about 1000°F (538°C).
  • high melting temperature materials such as nickel base and cobalt base superalloys are typically employed in the turbine section, and sometimes in the later stages of the compressor section of the engine, including but not limited to airfoils such as blades and vanes, as well as static and structural components such as rings, cases and seals.
  • airfoils such as blades and vanes
  • static and structural components such as rings, cases and seals.
  • Such materials typically have a melting temperature in excess of 2500 °F (1371°C).
  • Inconel 718 One nickel base superalloy widely used in gas turbine engines is Inconel 718 (IN 718), having a general composition in weight percent, of about 0.01 - 0.05 Carbon (C), 13 - 25 Chromium (Cr), 2.5 - 3.5 Molybdenum (Mo), 5.0 - 5.75 (Columbium (Cb) [also referred to as Niobium (Nb)] + Tantalum (Ta)), 0.7 - 1.2 Titanium (Ti), 0.3 - 0.9 Aluminum (Al), up to about 21 Iron (Fe), balance generally Ni, and having a melting temperature of about 2450°F (1343°C).
  • Titanium alloys are also employed, typically in cooler sections of the engine such as in the compressor section, including but not limited to airfoils such as blades and vanes, as well as structural components such as intermediate and compressor cases and compressor disks. Titanium alloys generally have a melting temperature in excess of 3000 F (1649°C).
  • One typical alloy widely utilized in gas turbine engines is Ti-6Al-4V ("Ti 6-4"), which broadly includes about 4 - 8 w/o (weight percent) Al, 3 - 5 w/o V, balance generally Ti.
  • Ti 6Al-2Sn-4Zr-2Mo (“Ti 6-2-4-2”) may be used, and broadly includes about 5 - 7 w/o Al, about 1.5 - 2.5 w/o Sn (tin), about 3.0 - 5.0 w/o Zr, about 1.5 - 2.5 w/o Mo, balance generally titanium.
  • Other Ti alloys include Ti 8-1-1 and titanium aluminides.
  • Ti 8-1-1 broadly includes about 7-8.5 w/o Al, 0.5-1.5 w/o Mo and 0.5-1.5 w/o V, balance generally titanium.
  • titanium aluminides are composed primarily of titanium and aluminum in stoichiometric amounts, such as TiAl and TiAl3. In addition to the above-discussed properties, these materials must at least be capable of being formed into relatively complex, three dimensional shapes such as airfoils, and must be oxidation resistant - particularly at elevated temperatures.
  • forging is used to produce parts having complex, three-dimensional shapes such as blades and vanes.
  • an ingot of material is converted into billet form, typically cylindrical for blades and vanes, and is then thermomechanically processed, such as by heating and stamping several times between dies and/or hammers that are shaped progressively similar to the desired shape, in order to plastically deform the material into the desired component shape.
  • the forging dies typically may be heated.
  • Each component is typically heat treated to obtain desired properties, e.g., hardening/strengthening, stress relief, resistance to crack growth and a particular level of HCF resistance, and is also finished, e.g., machined, chem-milled and/or media finished, if necessary to provide the component with the precise shape, dimensions and/or surface features.
  • Forging typically includes a series of operation, each requiring separate dies and associated equipment.
  • the post-forging finishing operations e.g., machining the root portion of a blade and providing the appropriate surface finish, comprise a significant portion of the overall cost of producing forged parts, and include a significant portion of parts which must be discarded.
  • Forged components may contain forging imperfections that tend to be difficult to inspect. Moreover, precise reproducibility is also a concern - forging does not result in components having dimensions that are precisely the same from part to part. After inspection, many parts must still be re-worked. As a general rule, forged parts must be scrapped or significantly re-worked about 20 % of the time. Moreover, newer, more advanced or more highly alloyed materials will be increasingly difficult (if not impossible) and correspondingly more expensive to forge. These concerns will only intensify as more complex three-dimensional airfoil geometries are employed.
  • Casting has been extensively used to produce relatively near-finished-shape articles.
  • Investment casting in which molten metal is poured into a ceramic shell having a cavity in the shape of the article to be cast, can be used to produce such articles.
  • investment casting produces extremely large grains, e.g., ASTM 0 or larger (relative to the small average grain size achievable by forging), and in some cases the entire part comprises a single grain.
  • ASTM 0 or larger relative to the small average grain size achievable by forging
  • this process is expensive. Reproducibility of very precise dimensions from part to part is difficult to achieve.
  • parts may have undesirable properties such as inclusions and porosity, particularly for materials containing reactive elements such as titanium or aluminum. Spallation of the ceramic shell also contributes to the presence of inclusions and impurities.
  • Permanent mold casting in which molten material is poured into a multipart, reusable mold and flows into the mold under only the force of gravity, has also been used to cast parts generally. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,246 to Colvin.
  • permanent mold casting has several drawbacks. For thin castings, such as airfoils, the force of gravity may be insufficient to urge the material into thinner sections, particularly so where high melting temperature materials and low superheats are employed, and accordingly the mold does not consistently fill and the parts must be scrapped. Dimensional tolerances must be relatively large, and require correspondingly more post casting work, and repeatably is difficult to achieve. Permanent mold casting also results in relatively poor surface finish, which also requires significant post cast work.
  • a conventional die casting machine includes a shot sleeve mounted to one (typically fixed) platen of a multiple part die, e.g., a two part die including fixed and movable platens which cooperate to define a die cavity.
  • the shot sleeve is oriented horizontally, vertically or inclined between horizontal and vertical.
  • the sleeve typically is constrained at only one end, by the die, e.g., the sleeve is not embedded in a block of material.
  • the sleeve communicates with a runner of the die, and includes an opening on the sleeve through which molten metal is poured.
  • a plunger is positioned for movement in the sleeve, and a driving mechanism moves the plunger and forces molten metal from the sleeve into the die.
  • the shot sleeve In a "cold chamber” type die casting machine, the shot sleeve is typically oriented horizontally and is unheated. Casting usually occurs under atmospheric conditions, i.e., the equipment is not located in a non-reactive environment such as a vacuum chamber or inert atmosphere.
  • Such distortion is generally a function of the sleeve outer and inner diameters and length, the material comprising the sleeve, the temperature difference between the molten material and the sleeve, the portion of the sleeve occupied by molten material (causing asymmetrical heating of the sleeve), and the process cycle time (elapsed time between pours of molten alloy into the shot sleeve). It has generally accepted, see e.g., the '440 and '990 patents, that such distortion is the major reason that cold chamber type apparatus cannot be used to cast materials having a high melting temperature - above about 2000 °F (1093°C).
  • Thermal distortion also affects the cross sectional shape of the sleeve.
  • the sleeve is formed with a generally cylindrical shape, and thus has a circular cross section (in a direction viewed normal to the sleeve length).
  • the lower portion of the sleeve in contact with the molten material expands relative to the upper, less heated portion of the sleeve.
  • the sleeve distorts such that the cross sectional shape of the sleeve becomes somewhat oval (including a portion that becomes smaller than an unheated sleeve) while the plunger remains more cylindrical, exhibiting less thermal distortion.
  • the sleeve shape and plunger shape fail to match, and where the mismatch is sufficiently great the plunger binds in the sleeve or permits molten alloy to pass between the plunger and shot sleeve - referred to as "blowby", with resulting inoperative or damaged apparatus.
  • Cross sectional distortion is a function generally of the same factors set forth above with respect to banana-ing of the sleeve.
  • the plunger must scrape the skin off of the sleeve and "crush the can".
  • the can forms a structurally strong member, e.g., in the form of cylinder which is supported by the sleeve, the plunger and/or associated structure for moving the plunger can be damaged or destroyed.
  • an apparatus for die casting articles as claimed in claim 1.
  • the shot sleeve is preferably selected to have a volume greater than at least twice, and preferably three times, the volume of the die cavity (which includes volume such as the associated runners, gating and biscuit), and is typically fabricated from a material such as hardened H13 tool steel. In some instances it may be acceptable for shot sleeve volume to be equal to or slightly greater than the volume of the die cavity.
  • the sleeve preferably has a ratio of outer to inner radii (Ro/Ri) of at least about 1.3 and more preferably about 1.5.
  • Ro/Ri ratio of outer to inner radii
  • Such a combination provides adequate volume of molten material, but also sufficiently minimizes the tendency of the sleeve to thermally distort - bow along its length and ovalize in cross section - when partially filled with molten material, thereby preventing machine jamming.
  • a plunger assembly of the apparatus is included for injecting molten material from the shot sleeve into the die, as is a transfer device for transferring molten metal from the melting unit to the shot sleeve.
  • Exemplary high melting temperature alloys include titanium alloys (T m typically above about 3000°F (1649°C) and cobalt base and nickel base superalloys (T m typically above about 2400°F (1315°C)).
  • Exemplary reactive alloys include titanium alloys and superalloys (T m typically above about 2400°F (1315°C).
  • the present invention is advantageous in that it enables the die casting of high melting temperature materials using conventional die casting machinery which was previously believed to be incapable of use in casting high melting temperature materials.
  • a superalloy article composed of high melting temperature material and in die cast in accordance with the present invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10.
  • the article is a turbine blade 10 for a gas turbine engine, and includes an airfoil 12, a platform 14, and a root 16.
  • high melting temperature materials refers to those materials having a melting temperature of at least about 2000°F (1093°C), and as high as 3000°F (1649°C) and higher.
  • the present invention is broadly applicable to high melting temperature materials such as nickel base, cobalt base and iron base superalloys and titanium base alloys used for various applications, and is not intended to be limited to any particular superalloy or to gas turbine engine parts.
  • Inconel 718 As noted above, a typical nickel base superalloy utilized in gas turbine engines is Inconel 718 (IN 718), which broadly has a composition in weight percent, of about 0.01 - 0.05 Carbon (C), up to about 0.4 Manganese (Mn), up to about 0.2 Silicon (Si), 13 - 25 Chromium (Cr), up to about 1. Cobalt (Co), 2.5 - 3.5 Molybdenum (Mo), 5.0 - 5.75 (Columbium (Cb) + Tantalum (Ta)), 0.7 - 1.2 Titanium (Ti), 0.3 - 0.9 Aluminum (Al), up to about 21 Iron (Fe), balance essentially Ni. IN 718 has a melting temperature of about 2450°F (1343°C).
  • IN 713 having a nominal composition in weight percent, of up to about 0.025 Carbon (C), up to about 0.4 Manganese (Mn), up to about 0.4 Silicon (Si), 12 - 16 Chromium (Cr), 3 - 6 Molybdenum (Mo), 0.8 - 3.5 (Columbium (Cb) + Tantalum (Ta)), 0.7 - 1.3 Titanium (Ti), 5.25 - 6.75 Aluminum (Al), up to about 1 Iron (Fe), balance essentially Ni and Cobalt (Co).
  • IN 713 has a melting temperature of about 2300°F (1260°C). Waspaloy is another material useful for such applications, and is disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. Nos.
  • Waspaloy has a composition in weight percent, of about 0.02 - 0.15 Carbon (C), 12 - 20 Chromium (Cr), 10 - 20 Cobalt (Co), 2 - 5.5 Molybdenum (Mo), 3 - 7 Titanium (Ti), 1.2 - 3.5 Aluminum (Al), 0.01 - 0.15 Zirconium (Zr), 0.002 - 0.05 Boron (B), balance essentially Ni.
  • Waspaloy has a melting temperature of about 2400°F (1315°C).
  • MAR-M-509 has a nominal composition, in weight percent, of about 23.5 Chromium (Cr), 10 Nickel (Ni), 7 Tungsten (W), 3.5 Tantalum (Ta), 0.2 Titanium (Ti), 0.5 Zirconium, balance essentially Cobalt.
  • IN 939 is another nickel base alloy, useful up to about 1500 F, and has a nominal composition of about 22.5 Cr, 19 Co, 6 Mo, 2 Al, 3.7 Ti, 2 W, 3.3 (Cb + Ta), 0.15 C, 0.005 B, balance generally nickel.
  • Gatorized Waspaloy is an advanced Waspaloy composition developed to provide improved strength and temperature capability over conventional Waspaloy. See, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,574,015 and 5,120,373.
  • titanium alloys are also employed, and generally have a melting temperature in excess of 3000°F (1649°C).
  • Ti 6Al-4V Ti 6-4
  • Ti 6-2-4-2 Ti 6Al-2Sn-4Zr-2Mo
  • Ti 6-2-4-2 Ti 6Al-2Sn-4Zr-2Mo
  • Ti alloys include Ti 8-1-1 and titanium aluminides.
  • Ti 8-1-1 broadly includes about 7-8.5 w/o Al, 0.5-1.5 w/o Mo and 0.5-1.5 w/o V, balance generally titanium.
  • titanium aluminides are composed of stoichiometric amounts of titanium and aluminum, and have exemplary compositions of TiAl and TiAl3.
  • the apparatus of the present invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral 18.
  • the material is melted in a melt chamber 20 coupled to a vacuum source 22 in which the chamber is maintained at a low pressure, e.g., less than 100 ⁇ m Hg and more preferably less than 50 ⁇ m Hg.
  • ISR induction skull remelting or melting
  • the fingers include passages for the circulation of cooling water from and to a water source (not shown), to prevent melting of the fingers.
  • the field generated by the coil heats and melts material located in the crucible.
  • the field also serves to agitate or stir the molten metal.
  • a thin layer of the material freezes on the crucible wall and forms the skull.
  • the material is melted with a limited superheat - high enough to ensure that the material remains at least substantially molten until it is injected, but low enough to ensure that rapid solidification occurs upon injection enabling formation of small grains and also to minimize the thermal load upon the die casting apparatus (particularly those portions of the apparatus which come into contact with the molten metal).
  • the material may be melted in other manners, such as by vacuum induction melting (VIM) and electron beam melting, so long as the material being melted is not significantly contaminated.
  • VIM vacuum induction melting
  • we do not rule out melting bulk material e.g., multiple charges of material at once, in a vacuum environment and then transferring single charges of molten material into the shot sleeve for injection into the die.
  • any equipment used to transfer the molten material must typically be capable of withstanding high temperatures and be positioned in the vacuum chamber, and consequently the chamber must be relatively large. The additional equipment adds cost, and the correspondingly large vacuum chamber takes longer to evacuate thus affecting the cycle time.
  • the crucible In order to transfer molten material from the crucible to a shot sleeve 30 of the apparatus, the crucible is mounted for translation (arrow 32 of FIG. 3), and also for pivotal movement (arrow 33 of FIG. 2) about a pouring axis, and in turn is mounted to a motor (not shown) for rotating the crucible to pour molten material from the crucible through a pour hole 35 of the shot sleeve 30. Translation of the crucible occurs between the melt chamber 20 in which material is melted and a position in a separate vacuum chamber 34 in which the shot sleeve is located.
  • the pour chamber 34 is also maintained as a non-reactive environment, preferably a vacuum environment with a pressure level less than 100 ⁇ m and more preferably less than 50 ⁇ m.
  • the melt chamber 20 and pour chamber 34 may be separated by a gate valve or other suitable means (not shown) to minimize the loss of vacuum in the event that one chamber is exposed to atmosphere, e.g., to gain access to a component in the particular chamber.
  • a gate valve or other suitable means not shown
  • the illustrated embodiment includes separate melting and pouring chambers, it is also possible to perform melting and pouring in a single chamber. We prefer to use separate chambers in order to minimize the loss of vacuum environment in the event that a given component must be exposed to atmosphere, e.g., to service the melting unit or the shot sleeve or to remove a casting.
  • the sleeve 30 is typically fabricated from hardened H13 tool steel. We have determined that the above noted problem of thermal distortion of the shot sleeve can be obviated to the extent necessary to enable such a die casting machine to be used in the casting of materials which are molten at temperatures in excess of 2000°F (1093°C) and even 3000°F (1649°C). Such use depends largely upon the relationship between the inner and outer radii. As indicated in FIG. 4, the sleeve when cylindrical, e.g., cool, has an inner radius Ri and an outer radius Ro.
  • the shot sleeve is preferably selected to have a volume greater than at least twice, and preferably at least three times, the volume of the die cavity (including the excess volume, such as the runners and biscuit associated with the casting).
  • the sleeve preferably has a ratio of outer to inner radii (Ro/Ri) of at least about 1.3 and more preferably about 1.5.
  • the sleeve 30 While the sleeve 30 is illustrated as unheated, the sleeve may have attached heating elements (not shown) for the purpose of maintaining the sleeve at some desired, minimum temperature, to reduce the induced thermal shock when molten material is poured into the sleeve or to thermally balance the sleeve. Conversely, the shot sleeve may be cooled to remove heat and maintain lower temperatures. In some instances, dual material sleeves or composite sleeves may be used to maintain thermal balance.
  • the molten material is transferred from the crucible 24 into the shot sleeve 30 through a pour hole 35.
  • the shot sleeve 30 is coupled to a multipart, reusable die 36, which defines a die cavity 38
  • a sufficient amount of molten material is poured into the shot sleeve to fill the die cavity, which may include one part or more than one part.
  • the illustrated die 36 includes two sections, 36a, 36b, (but may include more sections) which cooperate to define the die cavity 38, for example in the form of a compressor blade or vane for a gas turbine engine.
  • the die 36 is also preferably coupled directly to the vacuum source and also through the shot sleeve, to enable evacuation of the die prior to injection of the molten metal.
  • the die may also be located in a vacuum chamber.
  • One section of the two sections 36a, 36b of the die is typically fixed, while the other part is movable relative to the one section, for example by a hydraulic assembly (not shown).
  • the die preferably includes ejector pins (not shown) to facilitate ejecting solidified material from the die.
  • the die may also include a stripper mechanism (not shown) for removing casting material from the die while the material is still hot, to further reduce thermal loads on the die and reduce solidification shrinkage stresses on the casting.
  • the die may be composed of various materials, and should have good thermal conductivity (to enable rapid solidification of the molten material and resulting fine grains), and be relatively resistant to erosion and chemical attack from injection of the molten material.
  • thermal conductivity to enable rapid solidification of the molten material and resulting fine grains
  • a comprehensive list of possible materials would be quite large, and includes materials such as metals, ceramics, graphite, ceramic matrix composites and metal matrix composites.
  • tool steels such as H13 and V57, molybdenum and tungsten based materials such as TZM and Anviloy, copper based materials such as copper beryllium alloy "Moldmax"- high hardness, cobalt based alloys such as F75 and L605, nickel-iron based alloys such as IN 100 and Rene 95, iron base superalloys such as IN 718 and mild carbon steels such as 1018 and 1030.
  • tool steels such as H13 and V57, molybdenum and tungsten based materials such as TZM and Anviloy, copper based materials such as copper beryllium alloy "Moldmax"- high hardness, cobalt based alloys such as F75 and L605, nickel-iron based alloys such as IN 100 and Rene 95, iron base superalloys such as IN 718 and mild carbon steels such as 1018 and 1030.
  • Selection of the die material is critical to producing articles economically, and depends upon the complexity and quantity of the article being cast, as
  • Each die material has attributes that makes it desirable for different applications.
  • mild carbon steels and copper beryllium alloys are preferred due to their relative ease of machining and fabricating the die.
  • Refractory metals such as tungsten and molybdenum based materials are preferred for higher cost, higher volume applications due to their good strength at higher temperatures.
  • Cobalt based and nickel based alloys and the more highly alloyed tool steels offer a compromise between these two groups of materials.
  • the use of coatings and surface treatments may be employed to enhance apparatus performance and the quality of resulting parts.
  • the die may also be attached to a source of coolant such as water or a source of heat such as oil (not shown) to thermally manage the die temperature during operation.
  • a die lubricant may be applied to one or more selected parts of the die and the die casting apparatus. Any lubricant should generally improve the quality of resultant cast articles, and more specifically should be resistant to thermal breakdown, so as not to contaminate the material being injected.
  • Molten metal is transferred from the crucible 24 to the shot sleeve 30.
  • a sufficient amount of molten metal is poured into the shot sleeve to only partially fill the sleeve, but subsequently to fill the die.
  • the sleeve is preferably less than 50% filled (indicated generally by the dashed line 50), more preferably less than about 40% filled (indicated by the broken line 52), and most preferably less than about 30 - 33% filled (dotted line 54). In some instances, e.g., IN 718 it may be acceptable to completely fill the sleeve.
  • An injection device such as a plunger 40 cooperates with the shot sleeve 30 and hydraulics or other suitable assembly (not shown) to drive the plunger in the direction of arrow 42, to move the plunger between the position illustrated by the solid lines and the position 40' indicated generally by dashed lines, and thereby inject the molten material from the sleeve 30 into the die cavity 38.
  • the plunger and sleeve cooperate to define a volume that is substantially greater than the amount of molten material that will be injected, as noted above.
  • any material or skin that solidifies on the sleeve forms only a partial cylinder, e.g., an open arcuate surface, and is easily scraped or crushed during metal injection, and reincorporated into the molten material.
  • a partial cylinder e.g., an open arcuate surface
  • there is a sufficiently large solidification range so that skin formation is minimized, and it possible to more completely fill the sleeve.
  • FIGS. 5 and 6 we have determined that the relationship between outer and inner radii, as well as the radii themselves are critical to enabling a conventional cold chamber type die casting machine to be used to produced parts from high melting temperature materials.
  • FIGS. 5 and 6 are based upon a molten material temperature of about 3100°F (1704°C) and a sleeve fill of about 25 %.
  • FIG. 5 illustrates the relationship between the outer and inner radii (Ro/Ri) to the tendency of a shot sleeve to deflect along its length, referred to above as longitudinal distortion or "banana-ing" and illustrated by the dashed lines for the sleeve in FIG. 2).
  • less longitudinal distortion or banana-ing corresponds to a reduced likelihood of jamming.
  • the deflection of a partially filled shot sleeve increases dramatically.
  • the deflection tends to be relatively small, on the order of less than about 0.005 inch (0.127 mm). If this deflection is too great, which we believe occurs at a deflection greater than about 0.005 inch (0.127 mm) (for a 12 inch (305 mm) sleeve), then the plunger jams in the sleeve over the course of its plunger stroke, and renders the machine inoperative.
  • the ratio of outer to inner radii be at least about 1.3, with the outer radius being at least about 1.3 inches (33 mm).
  • the ratio of outer to inner radii be at least about 1.3, and more preferably about 1.5 with the outer radius being at least about 2.25 inches (57 mm).
  • the ratio of outer to inner radii be at least about 1.7, with the outer radius being at least about 3.4 inches (86 mm).
  • FIG. 6 illustrates the relationship between the outer and inner radii (Ro/Ri) to the tendency of a shot sleeve to ovalize when the sleeve is partially filled with molten material, e.g., the tendency of the cylindrical cross section to become non-circular or oval when the sleeve is partially filled and molten material rests along the lower portion of the sleeve.
  • the ratio of the outer radius to inner radius approaches 1.0, the sleeve distortion or ovalization upon being partially filled (less than about 50% filled) increases dramatically. As the ratio exceeds about 2.0 the distortion tends to be relatively small, on the order of less than about 1.5 percent which again occurs at about the knee of each curve.
  • the lower portion of the sleeve expands more than does the upper portion, in effect ovalizing the shot sleeve, which can be characterized generally as having a major axis slightly greater than the original dimension (radius) and a minor axis slightly smaller than the original dimension (radius). If this ovalization is too great, i.e., the minor axis becomes smaller than the plunger radius, the cylindrical plunger will jam in the ovalized sleeve or the material will pass between the plunger and the sleeve ("blow by"), rendering the machine inoperative. Accordingly, we prefer that the ratio of outer to inner radii lie to the right of the "knee" for each respective curve.
  • the ratio of outer to inner radii be at least about 1.3, with the outer radius being at least about 1.3 inches (33 mm).
  • the ratio of outer to inner radii be at least about 1.3, and more preferably about 1.5 with the outer radius being at least about 2.25 inches (57 mm).
  • the ratio of outer to inner radii be at least about 1.5, with the outer radius being at least about 3 inches (76 mm).
  • the sleeve must resist both longitudinal distortion and also ovalization.
  • the sleeve must have a volume that is sufficient to receive material while (preferably) being less than about 33% filled, and the plunger stroke cannot be too long (injection would take too long and molten material in the sleeve would solidify). Accordingly, for die casting articles such as blades and vanes (with a charge of about 7 pounds (3.2 kg) of Ti 6-4 material, for example) we have used a compromise between these considerations is the use of a sleeve having an inner radius of about 1.5 inches (38 mm) with a ratio of outer to inner radii of about 1.5.
  • the die casting apparatus of the present invention provides significant advantages.
  • the present invention enables the use of "cold chamber” type die casting machines to be used to produce articles composed of high melting temperature materials, e.g., Tm in excess of 2000°F (1093°C) and even 3000°F (1649°C).
  • Tm high melting temperature materials
  • the present invention enables the die casting of such materials.
  • multiple parts can be produced in a single casting, thereby reducing cost of producing each part.

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  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Turbine Rotor Nozzle Sealing (AREA)
  • Molds, Cores, And Manufacturing Methods Thereof (AREA)

Claims (10)

  1. Appareil de coulage sous pression pour fabriquer des articles composés de matériau ayant une température de fusion supérieure à 2000°F (1093°C) ou plus particulièrement supérieure à 3000°F (1649°C), l'appareil comprenant :
    une unité de fusion (24) pour fondre au moins une charge unique du matériau ;
    une matrice à pièces multiples définissant une cavité de matrice (36) ;
    une chambre d'injection généralement cylindrique (30) en communication fluidique avec la matrice (36) et pour recevoir le matériau fondu provenant de l'unité de fusion (24), la chambre ayant des rayons externe (Ro) et interne (Ri) ; et
    une unité de piston (40) en engagement étanche et mobile avec la chambre d'injection (30) le long du mouvement d'un piston pour forcer le matériau provenant de la chambre d'injection (30) à passer dans la cavité de matrice (36) ; caractérisé en ce que l'appareil comprend en outre :
    un moyen (22) pour fournir un environnement de pression réduite pour l'unité de fusion (24), la matrice (36) et la chambre d'injection (30) ; et en ce que :
    le rayon intérieur (Ri) de la chambre est au moins de 1 pouce (25 mm) ; et
    le rapport (Ro / Ri) est au moins de 1,25.
  2. Appareil selon la revendication 1, dans lequel le moyen à pression réduite fournit séparément des environnements de pression réduite pour l'unité de fusion (24), la matrice (36) et la chambre d'injection (30).
  3. Appareil selon la revendication 1 ou 2, dans lequel le rapport (Ro / Ri) est au moins de 1,3.
  4. Appareil selon la revendication 3, dans lequel le rapport (Ro/Ri) est au moins de 1,5.
  5. Appareil selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel le rayon intérieur (Ri) est au moins de 1,5 pouces (38 mm).
  6. Appareil selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel la matrice (36) est composée d'un matériau sélectionné à partir du groupe constitué d'aciers doux, d'alliages cuivre béryllium, d'alliage à base de tungstène, d'alliages à base de cobalt et d'alliages à base de molybdène.
  7. Appareil selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel la chambre d'injection (30) est composée d'acier à outil H13.
  8. Appareil selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel la matrice (30) définit un volume de cavité de matrice (38), et la chambre d'injection (30) définit un volume qui est au moins 2 fois le volume de la cavité de matrice (36).
  9. Appareil selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, comprenant en outre :
    un moyen de contrôle de la température de la chambre d'injection.
  10. Procédé de coulage sous pression d'un matériau ayant un point de fusion à température élevée en utilisant un appareil selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes.
EP99310240A 1998-12-23 1999-12-20 Dispositif de moulage sous pression de matériaux a haut point de fusion Expired - Lifetime EP1013363B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US11356698P 1998-12-23 1998-12-23
US113566P 1998-12-23

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EP1013363A1 EP1013363A1 (fr) 2000-06-28
EP1013363B1 true EP1013363B1 (fr) 2005-03-02

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EP99310240A Expired - Lifetime EP1013363B1 (fr) 1998-12-23 1999-12-20 Dispositif de moulage sous pression de matériaux a haut point de fusion

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EP (1) EP1013363B1 (fr)
JP (1) JP2000197957A (fr)
CN (1) CN1122587C (fr)
DE (1) DE69923930T2 (fr)
ES (1) ES2235445T3 (fr)
IL (1) IL133607A (fr)

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CN104039480B (zh) 2011-11-11 2016-04-06 科卢斯博知识产权有限公司 用于注塑系统中受控输送的双柱塞杆
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Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69923930D1 (de) 2005-04-07
ES2235445T3 (es) 2005-07-01
CN1122587C (zh) 2003-10-01
EP1013363A1 (fr) 2000-06-28
JP2000197957A (ja) 2000-07-18
IL133607A (en) 2004-03-28
IL133607A0 (en) 2001-04-30
CN1260254A (zh) 2000-07-19
DE69923930T2 (de) 2006-04-06

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