Abstract: A predetermined amount of molten metal 12 is supplied to a heat-insulating crucible 18. After that, a chill block 46, which is cooled to a predetermined temperature of not more than a temperature of the molten metal 12, is immersed and rotated in the molten metal 12. Accordingly, the molten metal 12 is agitated while being cooled to give no directivity of cooling. It is possible to obtain semisolidified metal 20 which is formed into slurry uniformly and effectively as a whole. The semisolidified metal 20 is discharged from the heat-insulating crucible 18, and it is supplied to a forming machine 22 to apply a forming treatment thereto. Accordingly, it is possible to produce the desired slurry efficiently and economically.

Abstract: A heating machine for heating an ingot of a metal such as a magnesium alloy. The heating machine has a heating chamber equipped with a RF induction coil capable of swinging about a horizontally axis. The coil is placed horizontally, and the metal ingot is fed into the coil from an introduction chamber by a pushrod. Stoppers prevent the ingot from falling from the RF induction coil when it is switched from its horizontal posture to its vertical posture. The coil is wound on a cylindrical member. A rotatable hollow shaft is firmly mounted to the holder in a perpendicular relation to a substantially axially central portion of the cylindrical member. A part of the coil is inserted in the hollow shaft via an insulating material. The rotatable hollow shaft is swung by a swinging mechanism. The induction heating coil is wound on a ceramic holder. A metal ingot is inserted in the holder with a given clearance.

Abstract: A method for heating a metal ingot for a injection molding comprising steps of finding out a time in advance relating to the time required for heating up to a set temperature in a test by using a thermocouple and a timer in a test furnace, of heating the ingot to the set temperature by heating it for that period of time in an actual furnace and of measuring a temperature at that time by a radiation thermometer to reserve the temperature based on the measurement. Further, it comprises steps of detecting an oxygen concentration within an atmosphere of the heating chamber after evacuating the heating chamber of the metal ingot to fill with an inert gas and of controlling power fed to an induction heating coil to heat the metal ingot when the detected oxygen concentration within the atmosphere is below a predetermined value.

Abstract: An upper unit of an injecting molding apparatus includes an ingot entry for introducing into the apparatus an ingot to be molded and an ingot heating chamber for heating the ingot supplied via the entry, and a lower unit includes a crusher for crushing the heated ingot and an injecting machine having an axially movable screw shaft for slurring and injecting the crushed ingot into a mold. The upper and lower units are interconnected via a flexible connector unit which is flexible in a vertical direction to allow the lower unit to vertically displace relative to the upper unit. By disengaging the connector unit from the upper unit, the lower unit can be disconnected from and laterally pivoted with respect to the upper unit to permit easy access to both the units. This displacement of the lower unit permits facilitated maintenance operations of the apparatus.

Abstract: A receiving chamber receives a material heated in a heating chamber. An injecting shaft of an injecting machine slurries the material crushed by cutters downstream of the receiving chamber and feeds the slurried material to an injection port formed between the fore ends of the shaft and injecting chamber so that the slurried material is gradually accumulated in the port. The shaft is retracted by counteraction from the slurried material accumulated in the port, over a distance proportional to a current accumulated amount of the material in the port. The current accumulated amount of the material in the port can be detected from a current position of the shaft, and then it is determined whether the detected current accumulated amount has reached a predetermined amount. When the current accumulated amount has not reached the predetermined amount, the cutters and injecting shaft are further driven until the predetermined amount is reached.