Abstract: A method of producing metal fibers including melting a mixture of at least a fiber metal and a matrix metal, cooling the mixture to form a bulk matrix comprising at least a fiber phase and a matrix phase and removing at least a substantial portion of the matrix phase from the fiber phase. Additionally, the method may include deforming the bulk matrix. In certain embodiments, the fiber metal may be at least one of niobium, a niobium alloy, tantalum and a tantalum alloy and the matrix metal may be at least one of copper and a copper alloy. The substantial portion of the matrix phase may be removed, in certain embodiments, by dissolving of the matrix phase in a suitable mineral acid, such as, but not limited to, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid and phosphoric acid.

Abstract: A method of drying a sand mold mixture containing moisture includes restraining the sand mold mixture and exposing the sand mold mixture to a vacuum. The vacuum flashes off the moisture within the sand mold mixture thereby drying the sand mold mixture to create a solidified sand mold. The restraining member prevents voids from forming in the sand mold during exposure to the vacuum.

Abstract: A machine for vertical casting of metal, including a frame on which casting molds can be mounted and through which cooling water can be supplied during casting. The frame includes a horizontal cantilever arm protruding from a support and being journalled in the support with one end, for vertical pivoting of the frame, said support being rotatable about a vertical axis for horizontal pivoting of the frame.

Abstract: A welding gun 10 has a collet for holding a stud with a flange and a shank at the tip of the welding gun. The collet comprises a tubular first collet member 17, secured to the tip, which elastically opens to a larger diameter than the stud flange, for holding the flange at the tip, and a tubular second collet member 22, secured to the tip of a piston rod 21 which extends from an air cylinder 11 provided in the aft portion thereof toward the first collet member, for, by the movement of the piston, picking up, accommodating, and holding the shank of a stud fed with its flange to the fore inside the first collet member 17.

Abstract: A sensor pre-load and welding apparatus and method are disclosed. A weld fixture apparatus includes a fixture base upon which a sensor package having a sensor base and a sensor cover is located, and a load bar associated with a spring, wherein the load bar provides a specific weight to the fixture base in order to assist in maintaining the sensor cover and the sensor base parallel to one another upon the fixture base. An adjustable load foot is generally located above the fixture base, such that the adjustable load foot applies a pre-determined load with a specific weight to the sensor base in order to maintain the sensor cover and the sensor base securely in place as the sensor base and the sensor cover are welded to one another in order to configure the sensor package.

Abstract: An electrical circuit apparatus (300) that includes: a substrate (330) having a ground layer (336), at least one thermal aperture (332), and at least one solder aperture (334); a heat sink (310); and an adhesive layer (320) for mechanically coupling the heat sink to the ground layer of the substrate such that at least a portion of the at least one substrate thermal aperture overlaps the heat sink, the adhesive layer having at least one thermal aperture (322) and at least one solder aperture (324), wherein aligning the at least one substrate solder aperture with the at least one adhesive layer solder aperture and aligning the at least one substrate thermal aperture with the at least one adhesive layer thermal aperture enables solder wetting in a predetermined area between the heat sink and the ground layer of the substrate.

Abstract: An injection device for a light metal injection molding machine includes a melting device for melting light metal material into molten metal, plunger injection device for carrying out injection of molten metal using a plunger after the molten metal is metered into an injection cylinder from the melting device, connecting member including a connecting passage for connecting the melting device and the plunger injection device, and backflow prevention device for preventing backflow of molten metal by opening and closing the connecting passage.

Abstract: An electrical circuit apparatus (300) that includes: a substrate (330) having a ground layer (336), at least one device aperture (332), and at least one solder aperture (334); a heat sink (310); and an adhesive layer (320) for mechanically coupling the heat sink to the ground layer of the substrate such that at least a portion of the substrate device aperture overlaps the heat sink, the adhesive layer having at least one device aperture and at least one solder aperture, wherein aligning the at least one substrate solder aperture with the at least one adhesive layer solder aperture and aligning the at least one substrate device aperture with the at least one adhesive layer device aperture enables solder wetting in a predetermined area between the heat sink and the ground layer of the substrate.

Abstract: A pre-load weld fixture apparatus and method are disclosed, which include a stationary pivot block attached to a base, wherein the stationary pivot block is located adjacent to a nest for maintaining an object to be welded. Additionally a pivot arm is associated with a pivot arm insert, wherein the pivot arm rotates about a pivot point provided by a pin press component associated with the stationary pivot block, such that the pivot point is fixed to the stationary pivot block in relation to the object to be welded and wherein the pivot arm is positioned parallel to the nest. A spring block can be connected to the stationary pivot block, wherein the spring block provides tension to the pivot arm in order to permit a user to maintain the object upon the base with a desired tension for welding thereof. Finally, a torsion spring can be maintained by the spring block, wherein the torsion spring allows the spring block to provide tension to the pivot arm.

Abstract: By determining an amount of a metal to be prepared into a slurry in its liquid state, thereafter applying a motion to the melted metal via a mechanical or physical means when at least a part of the melted metal reaches a temperature below the liquidus temperature and cooling the melted metal in a slurry preparing container to prepare the melted metal into a metal slurry in a semi-solid state, and by concurrently making the semi-solid metal slurry in the slurry preparing container with a shape to be kept almost unchanged, and feeding the semi-solid metal slurry in a state wherein the shape is nearly kept as it is into the shot sleeve/prechamber of the part making machine, a semi-solid metal slurry with the non-dendritic (spherical) primary crystal particles being fine and almost uniform can be fed into the part making machine, with no need of any specifically complex process but with a simple system and plain equipment. Thus, a shaped part with high quality can be produced.

Abstract: The subject invention provides a method of manufacturing an air conditioning compressor assembly for a vehicle having a front head member. A forming die having a cover half and an ejector half is shaped to define the features of the front head member. A conventional casting process is used to form the front head member. The front head member is cast to include a plurality of sealing surfaces, each concentric with a bore. A fastener passes through the bore to secure the front head member to the compressor housing such that a head portion of the fastener is in sealing engagement with the sealing surface as cast into the front head member to provide a pressure tight seal therebetween.

Abstract: A method of making an investment or lost foam casting assembly of a first part movable with respect to a second part includes making first and second separate wax or foam patterns of portions of the first part. Then, a third wax or foam pattern of the second part is made. Next, ceramic core pieces are made. At least one of the core pieces is mounted on the first pattern to form a subassembly. The subassembly is combined with the third pattern so that the core pieces maintain a separation between the third pattern and the first pattern. The first and second patterns are bonded together to trap the subassembly and to form a complete casting assembly.

Abstract: Bump formation method and wire bonding method including a step of forming a ball on the tip end of a wire that passes through a capillary and joining this ball to an electrode pad so as to make a press-bonded ball. In the next step, the capillary is raised and moved horizontally so that the bottom flat portion of the capillary faces the press-bonded ball. Then, the capillary is lowered and the press-bonded ball is pressed, thus forming a first bump. Next, the capillary is raised and moved horizontally in a direction that is opposite from the previous horizontal-direction, thus positioning the flat portion of the capillary to face the first bump. Then, the capillary is lowered, and the wire is bent and pressed against the surface of the first bump so as to form a second bump. The wire is then cut from the second bump.

Abstract: In a method for the continuous casting of a thin metal strip according to the two-roll method, metal melt is cast into a casting gap formed by two casting rolls of the thickness of the metal strip to be cast, under formation of a melting bath. In order to form a particular texture within the cast metal strip and/or to influence the geometry of the metal strip, continuous casting is carried out by an on-line calculation based upon an arithmetic model describing the formation of the particular texture of the metal and/or the formation of the geometry of the metal strip, wherein variables of the continuous casting method affecting the formation of the texture and/or the geometry are adjusted in an on-line dynamic fashion, i.e. while casting takes place.

Abstract: A diecasting machine comprising a movable and a stationary die half which, when closed, define a die cavity. The diecasting machine further comprises a filling chamber for receiving liquid metal, plunger, a slidingly displaceable inside the filling chamber and mounted on a plunger rod, for ejecting the liquid metal from the filling chamber and for injecting it into the die cavity, and a device for supplying lubricants for the plunger in the filling chamber. At least one pipe or one nozzle having an opening directed towards the plunger is fastened on the plunger rod. The pipe or the nozzle is linked with a reservoir for the lubricant via a supply line. A water-based releasing agent is sprayed into the intermediate space between the plunger rod and the cylindrical inner wall of the filling chamber in the direction of the plunger during a period in which the plunger is at its final lift position after the liquid metal has been injected into the die cavity.

Abstract: The invention is relating to a system for casting metal, the system comprising a holding furnace (3) containing a base metal melt (2), at least one casting crucible (1) mounted inside the holding furnace (3) and situated at least partly in the base metal melt (2), the said casting crucible (1) divided to at least first volume (4) and second volume (5) with a separating wall (6), which separating wall (6) is forming a gap (10) with the casting crucible wall (11) said casting crucible (1) having at least one opening (12) in the wall (11) from the first volume (4) to the base metal melt (2) in holding furnace (3) and having means to import alloying material (7) to the first volume (4) and having at least one casting die (8) in the second volume (5) inserted into the alloyed metal melt (9). The invention also relates to a method of casting metal.

Abstract: A method for the manufacture of a three-dimensional object includes the steps of forming a mixture that contains a binder and a least one of aluminum or a first aluminum-base alloy into a green composite, removing the binder from said green composite, forming a porous perform structure, reacting the aluminum or first aluminum base alloy with nitrogen to form a rigid and continuous skeleton and infiltrating the porous structure with molten aluminum or second aluminum base alloy to form the three-dimensional object with near theoretical density. The green composite may be formed by an additive process such as computer aided rapid prototyping, for example, selective laser sintering. The method facilitates the rapid manufacture of aluminum components by an inexpensive technique that provides high dimensional stability and high density.

Abstract: An alloy of aluminum, lithium, magnesium, zirconium, and scandium is formed with a rapid solidification process to retain desired metastable phases. A solid freeform fabrication device uses a heat source to melt a feedstock delivered through one or more guide nozzles. The heat source and the nozzles are mounted to a movable platform that positions the heat source and the nozzles in a desired location for each section or layer of the part being formed. The nozzles are located at 90° increments in an array having a selected radius from, and being centered on the heat source. The device forms adjacent, side-by-side layers to form the width of the part, and is used to form adjacent, stacked layers to create the height of the part.

Abstract: Solder contacts can be formed on the conductive sites of a substrate by placing preformed solder balls on the conductive sites and then reflowing the solder balls to bond the solder balls to the conductive sites. After formation of the solder contacts, solder flux can be applied to at least a portion of the solder contacts. The solder contacts can then be reflowed to substantially improve the adhesion of the solder contacts to the conductive sites and increase the shear strength of the solder contacts.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for continuous casting of metal billets comprising a horizontal casting mold having and inlet end and an outlet end. It includes a feed trough for feeding molten metal to the mold inlet end and a horizontal conveyor for receiving a cast billet from the mold outlet end. A moveable cutting saw is operable to move synchronously with the conveyor for cutting a continuous billet into lengths while supported on the conveyor. The billet is resiliently supported and the saw mechanism is isolated so as to minimize transmission of low and high frequency vibrations from the cutting and conveying operations to the mold.