Method and assembly for forming components having internal passages using a lattice structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9968991-B2
Application number	US-201514973501-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2015
Priority date	Dec 17, 2015
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A mold assembly for use in forming a component having an internal passage defined therein is provided. The component is formed from a component material. The mold assembly includes a mold that defines a mold cavity therein. The mold assembly also includes a lattice structure selectively positioned at least partially within the mold cavity. The lattice structure is formed from a first material that has a selectively altered composition in at least one region of the lattice structure. A channel is defined through the lattice structure, and a core is positioned in the channel such that at least a portion of the core extends within the mold cavity and defines the internal passage when the component is formed in the mold assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mold assembly for use in forming a component having an internal passage defined therein, the component formed from a component material, said mold assembly comprising:
a mold that defines a mold cavity therein; and
a lattice structure selectively positioned at least partially within said mold cavity, said lattice structure formed from a first material, said first material has a selectively altered composition in at least one region of the lattice structure, wherein a channel is defined through said lattice structure, a core is positioned in said channel such that at least a portion of said core extends within said mold cavity and defines the internal passage when the component is formed in said mold assembly.

2. The mold assembly of claim 1 , wherein each said at least one region of said lattice structure is locally absorbable by the component material when the component material is in a molten state, such that said selectively altered composition of said first material in each said at least one region of said lattice structure defines a corresponding region of selectively altered composition of the component material in the component when the component is formed in said mold assembly.

3. The mold assembly of claim 1 , wherein the component material is an alloy and said first material comprises a base element of the alloy, said at least one region of said lattice structure comprises a first region formed from said first material selectively altered to include a relatively decreased proportion of said base element.

4. The mold assembly of claim 3 , wherein said first region is defined proximate said channel.

5. The mold assembly of claim 1 , wherein the component material is an alloy and said first material comprises a base element of the alloy, said at least one region of said lattice structure comprises a first region formed from said first material selectively altered to include a relatively increased proportion of said base element.

6. The mold assembly of claim 1 , wherein said mold is formed from a mold material, the component material is an alloy that includes at least one constituent reactive with said mold material, and said first material comprises the at least one reactive constituent, said at least one region of said lattice structure comprises a second region formed from said first material selectively altered to include a reduced content of the at least one reactive constituent.

7. The mold assembly of claim 6 , wherein said second region is defined proximate a perimeter of said lattice structure.

8. The mold assembly of claim 1 , wherein said lattice structure is configured to at least partially support a weight of said core during at least one of pattern forming, shelling of said mold, and/or component forming.

9. The mold assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a hollow structure that encloses said core along a length of said core, wherein said hollow structure defines said channel.

10. The mold assembly of claim 9 , wherein said hollow structure is integral to said lattice structure.

11. The mold assembly of claim 10 , wherein said lattice structure defines a perimeter shaped for insertion into said mold cavity through an open end of said mold, such that said lattice structure and said hollow structure define an insertable cartridge.

12. A method of forming a component having an internal passage defined therein, said method comprising:
selectively positioning a lattice structure at least partially within a cavity of a mold, wherein:
the lattice structure is formed from a first material, the first material has a selectively altered composition in at least one region of the lattice structure, and
a core is positioned in a channel defined through the lattice structure, such that at least a portion of the core extends within the cavity;

introducing a component material in a molten state into the cavity; and
cooling the component material in the cavity to form the component, wherein at least the portion of the core defines the internal passage within the component.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said introducing the component material in the molten state into the mold cavity comprises introducing the component material such that the selectively altered composition of the first material in each at least one region of the lattice structure defines a corresponding region of selectively altered composition of the component material in the component.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the component material is an alloy and the first material includes a base element of the alloy, said selectively positioning the lattice structure comprises selectively positioning the lattice structure that includes a first region of at least one region formed from the first material selectively altered to include a relatively decreased proportion of the base element.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said selectively positioning the lattice structure comprises selectively positioning the lattice structure that includes the first region defined proximate the channel.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the component material is an alloy and the first material includes a base element of the alloy, said selectively positioning the lattice structure comprises selectively positioning the lattice structure that includes a first region of the at least one region formed from the first material selectively altered to include a relatively increased proportion of the base element.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the mold is formed from a mold material, the component material is an alloy that includes at least one constituent reactive with the mold material, and the first material includes the at least one reactive constituent, said selectively positioning the lattice structure comprises selectively positioning the lattice structure that includes a second region of the at least one region formed from the first material selectively altered to include a reduced content of the at least one reactive constituent.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein said selectively positioning the lattice structure comprises selectively positioning the lattice structure that includes the second region defined proximate a perimeter of the lattice structure.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein said selectively positioning the lattice structure comprises selectively positioning the lattice structure configured to at least partially support a weight of the core during at least one of pattern forming, shelling of the mold, and/or component forming.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein said selectively positioning the lattice structure comprises selectively positioning the lattice structure that includes the channel defined by a hollow structure that encloses the core.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein said selectively positioning the lattice structure comprises selectively positioning the lattice structure that includes the hollow structure integral to the lattice structure.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein said selectively positioning the lattice structure comprises selectively positioning the lattice structure that defines a perimeter shaped for insertion into the mold cavity through an open end of the mold, such that the lattice structure and the hollow structure define an insertable cartridge.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Arnett Michael Douglas
• Intile John Charles
• Simpson Stanley Frank

Classifications

• B22C9/24

  for hollow articles · CPC title

• B22D21/005

  with high melting point, e.g. Be 1280 degrees C, Ti 1725 degrees C · CPC title

• B22D19/16

  for making compound objects cast of two or more different metals, e.g. for making rolls for rolling mills (casting compound ingots B22D7/02) · CPC title

• B22C9/10

  Cores; Manufacture or installation of cores {(breaker cores B22C9/084)} · CPC title

• B22C9/22

  Moulds for peculiarly-shaped castings · CPC title