Liquid cooled die casting mold with heat sinks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9782825-B2
Application number	US-201414783972-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2014
Priority date	Apr 15, 2013
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

A low pressure aluminum casting apparatus includes a pair of steel dies each presenting a molding surface and a heat transfer surface. Copper heat sink blocks are disposed on the heat transfer surfaces to remove heat from the steel dies. Steel contact plates and steel spacer plates can be disposed between the heat sink blocks and the steel dies to optimize cooling. In addition, a portion of each contact plate can be spaced from the steel die to reduce cooling. The steel dies include conventional cooling passages for conveying cooling fluid, and the heat sink blocks, contact plates, and spacer plates also include cooling channels for conveying cooling fluid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for casting metal, comprising:
a die formed of a first metal material and presenting a molding surface;
a heat sink block disposed on said die and being spaced from said molding surface;
said heat sink block being formed of a second metal material having a thermal conductivity greater than the thermal conductivity of said first metal material; and a contact plate formed of a third metal material disposed between said heat sink block and said die, wherein a portion of said contact plate is spaced from said die by an air gap.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first metal material of said die is a steel material.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second metal material of said heat sink block is copper or a copper alloy.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a spacer plate formed of said third metal material spaces said contact plate from said die.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 including a plurality of cooling channels extending through said heat sink block for conveying a cooling fluid.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said die includes a plurality of conventional cooling passages, and at least one of said cooling channels of said heat sink block and one of said conventional cooling channels of said die are aligned.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said die is an upper die formed of said first metal material;
said upper die includes an upper molding surface and an oppositely facing upper heat transfer surface and an upper side surface spacing said upper molding surface from said upper heat transfer surface;
a plurality of said heat sink blocks are disposed on said heat transfer surfaces of said dies for removing heat from said dies,
said upper molding surface presents a contour for forming the metal into a desired geometric shape; and
further including a lower die formed of said first metal material;
said lower die including a lower molding surface and an oppositely facing lower heat transfer surface and a lower side surface spacing said lower molding surface from said lower heat transfer surface;
said lower molding surface presenting a contour for forming the metal into the desired geometric shape;
said lower molding surface facing said upper molding surface and presenting a mold therebetween for containing said metal;
each of said dies including a plurality of conventional cooling passages for conveying a cooling fluid;
said conventional cooling passages extending from said heat transfer surface toward said molding surface;
each of said dies presenting a plurality of recessed areas along said heat transfer surface; and each of said heat sink blocks being disposed in one of said recessed areas;
a plurality of cooling channels extending longitudinally through said heat sink blocks; and
at least one of said cooling channels and one of said conventional cooling passages being longitudinally aligned with one another.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 including a plurality of contact plates formed of a third metal material and each disposed between one of said heat transfer plates and said heat transfer surface of said die;
a plurality of spacer plates formed of said third metal material and each disposed between one of said contact plates and said heat transfer surface of said die, wherein a portion of each of said spacer plates is spaced from said heat transfer surface of said die by an air gap;
a plurality of fluid lines extending to said cooling channels of said heat sink blocks for conveying cooling fluid from a fluid supply to said cooling channels; and
wherein said cooling channels extend longitudinally through said contact plates and said spacer plates.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said first metal material of said dies is a steel material, said second metal material of said heat sink blocks is copper or a copper alloy, and said third metal material of said contact plates and said spacer plates is a steel material.

10. A method of manufacturing an apparatus for casting metal, comprising:
providing a die formed of a first metal material and presenting a molding surface;
disposing a heat sink block formed of a second metal material having a thermal conductivity greater than the thermal conductivity of the first metal material on the die and spaced from the molding surface; disposing a contact plate formed of a third metal material between the heat sink block and the die, and spacing a portion of the contact plate from the die.

11. The method of claim 10 including providing a plurality of cooling channels through the heat sink block for conveying a cooling fluid.

12. The method of claim 11 including connecting a plurality of conventional cooling passages of the die to the cooling channels of the heat sink blocks.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the first metal material of the die is a steel material, and the second metal material of the heat sink block is copper or a copper alloy.

Assignees

• Adams Kenneth Ray
• Magna Int Inc

Inventors

• Adams Kenneth Ray

Classifications

• B22D18/04 Primary

  Low pressure casting, i.e. making use of pressures up to a few bars to fill the mould · CPC title

• B22D30/00

  Cooling castings, not restricted to casting processes covered by a single main group (accessories for cooling cast stock in continuous casting of metals B22D11/124; controlling or regulating processes or operations for cooling cast stock or mould in continuous casting of metals B22D11/22; chill casting B22D15/00) · CPC title

• B22D17/22

  Dies (manufacture, see the appropriate class, e.g. B23P15/24); Die plates; Die supports; Cooling equipment for dies; Accessories for loosening and ejecting castings from dies · CPC title

• B22D15/00

  Casting using a mould or core of which a part significant to the process is of high thermal conductivity, e.g. chill casting; Moulds or accessories specially adapted therefor · CPC title