Abstract: An apparatus for casting an ingot includes a molten metal reservoir (51) positioned at an upper portion, a casting chamber (5) positioned at a lower portion and a partition wall (3) between the reservoir and the chamber, a spruce (7) formed in the partition wall, an opening/closing plug (8) for opening and closing the sprue and control means for controlling an opening and closing operation of the plug. The casing chamber is defined in a mold (1) that includes a lower mold member (4), a side mold member (2) and the partition wall (3) that constitutes an upper mold member. At least one of the lower mold member, side mold member and upper mold member includes a plurality of divided sections (21,22) in accordance with a shape of a cast ingot C.

Abstract: A system for incrementally depositing material includes a delivery system for directing a material toward a deposition zone (5), a monitoring system for monitoring a parameter of the deposited (a) material and a processing system (11) arranged to obtain a monitored value for the parameter, derive a predicted future parameter value for the monitored parameter, compare the predicted value with a reference parameter value for the monitored parameter, and produce a control output based on the comparison of the predicted value with the reference value, the control output being capable of modifying operation of the system. The parameter monitored has the tendency to vary over time (and space), and the processing means ensure that control output is not based upon the difference between an originally monitored parameter value and a reference value but rather between a prediction generated value (accounting for passage of time or spacital difference) and the reference value.

Abstract: In a method for vertical continuous casting of a steel band, a strand (11) of a parallelogram-like cross section is cast at first in a revolving chill-mold (2) and is thereafter transferred from said initial cross section with completely solidified longitudinal edges (10) and liquid core into a band (1) with plane-parallel cross section, this occurring in such a way that an already solidified shell (9) of the strand (11) which becomes increasingly thicker by cooling is increasingly compressed in the casting direction in a forming device (4) without upsetting deformation of the completely solidified longitudinal edges (10). In order to provide advantageous conditions it is proposed that after the compression into a band (1) the strand (11) with a still liquid core (16) is guided during the complete solidification of the core merely in a forming gap with a constant width corresponding to the thickness of the completely solidified longitudinal edges (10) and is calibrated in this process.

Abstract: The invention relates to a mold divider for fitting in a conventional slab mold (1) having laterally adjustable narrow-side parts for selective casting of several strands with changeable strand widths. The mold divider consists of a housing (3) fixedly securable relative to the mold (1), between the broad-side plates (2) and having bilaterally adjustable, in a broad-side direction of the mold (1), adjusting organs (4), with supporting plates (5) provided at their ends and with the narrow-side heat-exchanger plates (6) arranged thereon.

Abstract: A safety block device for supporting a generally vertically movable component about a guide post of a press device. According to one embodiment of the invention, the safety block device includes a generally upright column (42) adapted to be disposed adjacent the guide post (18) and moveable between a retracted non-working position, wherein the column does not support the moveable component, and an extended working position, wherein the column is effective to support the moveable component and prevent movement thereof. The column includes an upper end portion and a lower end portion. According to one feature of the invention, the lower end portion of the column includes a generally rounded first portion (62a) and a generally second flat portion (62b) which is slightly offset with respect to the first portion.

Abstract: A method of forming a medical device, the method including the steps of providing a substrate, depositing a metallic layer on the substrate by a vapor deposition process, and removing the metallic layer from the substrate. The metallic layer thus removed is the medical device or serves as a basis for forming the medical device. In another aspect, the present invention includes a medical device formed by the process of the present invention.

Abstract: A method for producing sand cores for foundry, comprising the operations of: defining a molding cavity; blowing in a mixture of sand and hydrated binder into said molding cavity so as to produce a mass of sand, which reproduces in a complementary way the shape of said molding cavity; and producing the passage, through said mass of sand, of a flow of aeriform along at least one principal direction. The method comprises the operation of generating through said mass of sand a flow of aeriform, directed at least in part in a radial direction with respect to said principal direction.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for controlling stresses in a spray form process makes use of one dimensional modeling in which characteristics of a geometrical point are quantified by iterative detection, such as taking a surface temperature reading using a pyrometer. This temperature information is used in a one dimensional simulation to predict characteristics for a column from the point down through a spray-formed article to an interface with a substrate. The modeling technique can used with a plurality of geometrical points to model the whole article, and the one dimensional simulation can be integrated with robotic spray-forming controls to minimize residual stress in the spray-formed article.

Abstract: A billet for a thixocasting process and a thixocasting process using the billet allows casting using a thixocasting process to be realized at low production cost without permeation of an oxide film to the inside of the billet in injection molding. In a billet used for a thixocasting process continuously cast by intermittently drawing out, the interval of the oscillation marks is 10 mm or less and the maximum tilt angle of the oscillation marks relative to a cross section which is at a right angle to the drawing out direction is 45° or less.

Abstract: An aluminum casting method includes the step of applying in advance a mold release agent including magnesium to a mold surface. Thereafter, a nitrogen gas is injected into a cavity to cause reaction between the magnesium in the surface of the mold release agent and the nitrogen gas, thereby forming magnesium nitride. Since the nitrogen gas reacts only with the magnesium exposed in the surface of the mold release agent, the forming time of the magnesium nitride is reduced and also the amount of nitrogen gas used is reduced.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a metal component from a non-dendritic, semi-solid metal alloy slurry involves the use of a graphite agitator that is functionally equivalent to conventional metal rod agitators, and has the additional advantage of having a very low surface wettability, whereby labor and expenses associated with removing a metal alloy skin formed after withdrawal of the agitator from a metal slurry is eliminated or at least substantially reduced. The invention also provides an improved process and apparatus for producing a metal component from a non-dendritic semi-solid metal slurry by transferring the slurry to a cooling vessel for subsequent cooling and raising of the solids content without agitation after the slurry has been formed with agitation in a first vessel, whereby more rapid cooling of the slurry and increased production rates are achievable.

Abstract: A molten metal supply system (90) includes a plurality of injectors (100) each having an injector housing (102) and a reciprocating piston (104). A molten metal supply source (132) is in fluid communication with the housing (102) of each of the injectors (100). The piston (104) is movable through a first stroke allowing molten metal (134) to be received into the housing (102) from the molten metal supply source (132), and a second stroke for displacing the molten metal (134) from the housing (102). A pressurized gas supply source (144) is in fluid communication with the housing (102) of each of the injectors (100) through respective gas control valves (146). The molten metal supply system (90) is in fluid communication with an outlet manifold (140) having a plurality of outlet dies (404), which may be used to form continuous metal articles including rods, bars, ingots, and continuous plate.

Abstract: A method for casting an airfoil for a turbine engine is provided. The method includes forming a casting core to define a hollow portion in the airfoil and forming a print out region at one end of the casting core. The method also includes coupling the casting core to the print out region with at least one frusto-conical member to facilitate structurally supporting the casting core.

Abstract: A fiber reinforced porous preform is positioned within a die cavity defined by upper and lower die members, and the lower die member defines at least one gate opening in the center portion of a water cooled shot sleeve which receives a vertically moveable shot piston. The area of the gate opening is small relative to the area of the shot sleeve, and the lower die member defines an annular recess above the inner surface of the shot sleeve for entrapping a shell of pre-solidified metal. Air vent slots extend outwardly between the shot sleeve and lower die member and are closed by the shell of pre-solidified metal. In one embodiment, the shot sleeve and shot piston are non-circular or oval in cross-section; and the lower die member has a plurality of longitudinally space gate openings.

Abstract: A casting system for forming a gas turbine engine component is provided. The casting system, in a first embodiment, comprises a shaped refractory metal sheet having a plurality of features for forming a plurality of film cooling passages, which features are formed from refractory metal material bent out of the sheet. The casting system for forming a gas turbine engine component in a second embodiment comprises a metal wall having an airfoil shape and a refractory metal core adjacent the metal wall and having a shape corresponding to the shape of the metal wall.

Abstract: A system and method for heat treating castings and removing sand cores therefrom. The castings are initially located in indexed positions with their x, y, and z coordinates known. The castings are passed through a heat treatment station typically having a series of nozzles mounted in preset positions corresponding to the known indexed positions of the castings passing through the heat treatment station. The nozzles apply fluid to the castings for heat treating the castings and degrading the sand cores for removal from the castings.

Abstract: A molten metal feed apparatus which can feed molten metal into a casting apparatus by opening a vessel and which is free from leakage of the molten metal from the opening/closing part of the vessel, provided with a holding vessel having an opening at its bottom and holding a metal material, a lid for closing the opening, a drive means for making the lid move with respect to the holding vessel to open or close the opening, and an induction heating coil for heating the metal material by induction of a current to the metal material in the holding vessel and generating a magnetic field applying to the molten metal a force preventing leakage of the molten metal in the holding vessel from between the opening and the lid.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to an installation for producing a metal strip. The aim of the invention is to make sure that the metal strip formed in the casting installation passes through the first cooling and grain texturing phase substantially without being subjected to stress and without effects on the subsequent installations. To this end, the molten bath is fed to a two-roll casting device and a cast metal strip is formed in the casting gap between two casting rolls whose rotational axes lie in a horizontal plane (two-roll casting method), the thickness of the cast strip ranging between 1.0 to 20 mm, preferably between 1.5 to 12 mm. The cast metal strip that freely emerges downwards from the two-roll casting installation is directly deflected from the vertical casting direction to a substantially horizontal transport direction. The metal strip is taken up and conveyed in a controlled manner by means of a first drive roll stand that operates at a first transport speed.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for controlling a spray-forming process incorporating time, temperature, and transformation dependent stress relief techniques involves the manipulation of both temperature and time for strategic phase changes that result in a specific and planned volumetric increase. This manipulation is made based on controlling ongoing spray parameters to spray-form an article having a mixed-phase and interspersed makeup of metallic phases that minimizes residual stress in the article.

Abstract: A method and system of processing castings is provided in which one or more castings are deposited into a mobile furnace and moved from one station to another of a multi-station casting processing system. The interior of the mobile furnace is heated so as to maintain the temperature of the casting within a desired range of temperatures. The multi-station casting processing system may include a casting machine, a fluidized bed and a quench tank. The method may include transferring a casting into the mobile furnace and moving the furnace from one station to another.