System and method for injecting semisolid aluminum into a mould

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9724753-B2
Application number	US-201214118253-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2012
Priority date	May 20, 2011
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

A system for injecting semisolid metal into a mold, the system including a mold having a mold chamber, at least one press device having a cylinder, an injection chamber, and a thrust piston, a positioning device supporting a blending device having an active portion and a cover, and an actuating device that selectively injects the semisolid metal into the mold.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for injecting semisolid metal into a mould, said system comprising:
a mould comprising a mould chamber suitable to receive the semisolid metal through an injection mouth;
at least one press device for pressure-injecting the semisolid metal into said mould, said at least one press device comprising a cylinder having a substantially vertical axis (X-X), an injection chamber configured to receive and contain molten metal having a mouth for coupling to said injection mouth of said mould to enable direct injection of the semisolid metal from said injection chamber into said mould, and a thrust piston positioned within said injection chamber of said cylinder configured to travel toward said mouth of said injection chamber to force the semisolid metal from said injection chamber into said mould wherein said cylinder has passageways configured to receive cooling fluid that cools the molten metal received within said injection chamber to produce semisolid metal for injection into said mould;
a positioning device supporting a blending device having an active portion and a cover, wherein said positioning device is configured to selectively move said active portion of said blending device into said injection chamber and simultaneously position said cover over said mouth of said injection chamber in order to temporarily close said injection chamber; and
an actuating device that selectively drives said thrust piston to inject the semisolid metal from said injection chamber into said mould when said mouth of said injection chamber is connected to said injection mouth of said mould.

2. The system, according to claim 1 , further comprising a metal temperature detecting device, which has an active portion, said metal temperature detecting device being associated with said cover to selectively dip the active portion of said blending device into the molten or semi-solid metal when the cover is arranged to close the mouth of the cylinder to the injection mouth of the mould, wherein said metal temperature detecting device is connected to a control device of the system or an actuating device that moves the metal temperature detecting device during insertion of the temperature device into the injection chamber and withdrawal of the metal temperature detecting device from the injection chamber.

3. The system, according to claim 1 , wherein said thrust piston comprises passageways to receive cooling fluid for cooling said molten metal and wherein said passageways of said cylinder and said piston are in fluid connection with a cooling circuit connected to a cooling fluid flow adjustment device and wherein said cooling fluid flow adjustment device is operated in a controlled mode.

4. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a temperature detection device for the cooling fluid provided within the cooling passageways of the cylinder and thrust piston, wherein said cooling fluid temperature detection device is operatively connected to a control device and and operated in a feedback controlled mode with said cooling fluid temperature detection device.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said cover is associated with a device for feeding inert gas into the injection chamber, wherein said inert gas feeding device comprises an adjustment device for the gas flow to be injected into the injection chamber.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said blending device comprises an impeller having a substantially vertical (X-X) rotary shaft and operated by a controlled actuator being operatively connected to a control device of the system, wherein said impeller comprises at least one helical blade and each blade comprises an extension substantially radial to the shaft and a rounded free end, and wherein said impeller has a surface treatment that reduces adhesion of the molten metal and is made of a material that reduces the adhesion of the molten metal.

7. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a cup for drawing the molten metal and pouring the latter into said injection chamber and a filter for filtering impurities or oxides present in the molten metal, wherein the filter is arranged between the cup and the injection chamber and comprises an intake duct for the molten metal arranged to receive the molten metal from the cup and provided with a pouring end opposite to the injection chamber so as to cause the molten metal to flow into the chamber, wherein said filter has at the pouring end thereof a filter portion provided with passageways that are suitable to retain impurities and oxides and cause the molten metal to flow, wherein said filter is a disposable component that can be replaced.

8. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a controlled actuator that controls movements of the blending device, a controlled actuator that controls the movements of the metal temperature detecting device, a controlled actuator that controls the inert gas inlet device within the injection chamber, a controlled actuator that controls the positioning of the cap or cover in order to either close or open the mouth coupling the cylinder to the mould; and/or wherein, a controlled actuator that controls the positioning of the press device with the mouth of the cylinder being coupled to the injection mouth of the mould, a controlled actuator that controls the forward movement of the thrust piston to inject the semisolid metal into the mould chamber and to maintain the pressure until the metal has solidified, a controlled actuator that controls the closure or opening of the mould for the closure to form the mould chamber or for the opening to remove the solidified piece, and a controlled actuator that controls a solenoid valve of the cooling fluid flow of the cylinder and an intake pump of the cooling fluid flow of the cylinder.

9. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a carousel that supports a plurality of press devices each at a different station of the carousel, each press device comprising a cylinder having an injection chamber with a piston provided therein, wherein said stations are equally spaced and simultaneously allow molten metal to be loaded, the cover to be closed, and metal to be cooled and mixed until it is semi-solid.

Assignees

• Moschini Renzo
• BOSCHINI Marcello
• Crippa Cristian
• Freni Brembo Spa

Inventors

• Moschini Renzo
• BOSCHINI Marcello
• Crippa Cristian

Classifications

• B22D17/2015

  Means for forcing the molten metal into the die (for plastics B29C45/46) · CPC title

• B22D17/32

  Controlling equipment · CPC title

• B22D17/007 Primary

  Semi-solid pressure die casting · CPC title

• B22D17/12

  with vertical press motion · CPC title

• B22D17/30

  Accessories for supplying molten metal, e.g. in rations (supplying molten metal in ration in general B22D39/00) · CPC title