Abstract: A die casting system includes a vessel defining a reservoir with a controlled heater and an agitator for maintaining the bath of semi-solid metal in a homogeneous isothermal state, a transfer system capable of transferring a known quantity of metal in its semi-solid state to a mold cavity in a die casting machine, the transfer system including a heated suction tube, a vacuum source for vacuum ladling semi-solid metal from the bath to a die, and a plunger tip providing a path for free air flow to allow evacuation of the suction tube during casting and a metal replacement system for replacing the known quantity of transferred metal with a similar amount of liquid metal so that a stable homogeneous isothermal bath of semi-solid metal is controllably maintained to be available for die casting operations.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 10, 2002
Date of Patent:
November 4, 2003
Assignees:
Gibbs Die Casting Aluminum Co., Semi-Solid Technologies, Inc.
Inventors:
Kevin L. Richard, Richard I. Neill, Jr., Christopher S. Rice, Shinya Myojin, Patricio F. Mendez, Timothy B. Gage, John F. O'Daniels, Charles E. Barron
Abstract: A die casting system includes a vessel defining a reservoir with a controlled heater and an agitator for maintaining the bath of semi-solid metal in a homogeneous isothermal state, a transfer system capable of transferring a known quantity of metal in its semi-solid state to a mold cavity in a die casting machine, the transfer system including a heated suction tube, a vacuum source for vacuum ladling semi-solid metal from the bath to a die, and a plunger tip providing a path for free air flow to allow evacuation of the suction tube during casting and a metal replacement system for replacing the known quantity of transferred metal with a similar amount of liquid metal so that a stable homogeneous isothermal bath of semi-solid metal is controllably maintained to be available for die casting operations.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 22, 1999
Date of Patent:
October 29, 2002
Assignee:
Gibbs Die Casting Aluminum Co.
Inventors:
Kevin L. Richard, Richard I. Neill, Jr., Christopher S. Rice, Shinya Myojin, Patricio F. Mendez, Timothy B. Gage, John F. O'Daniels, Charles E. Barron