熔模铸造硅溶胶模壳制造工艺

介绍用石蜡-硬脂酸低温模料制作熔模,用硅溶胶作粘结剂制造模壳的工艺。包括熔模制造工艺、硅溶胶模壳工艺和焙烧工艺。生产实践证明,铸造硅溶胶模壳制造工艺是成熟的,为生产合格模壳和精密铸件提供了技术保障。     

Mullite shell mould for casting of advanced CG and SX components in nickel based superalloys

Abstract

Mullite base shell mould system is used for casting of superalloys in columnar and single crystal grains in temperature range of 1480–1550°C. The colloidal silica gel+mullite filler with and without fine alumina slurries was prepared followed by two shell moulds: one without alumina (shell system I) and the other with alumina (shell system II). Shell made with slurry system II resulted in increase in green strength by 10% and fired (950°C) strength by 125% respectively. Sag resistance capability was observed more for shell system II for tested temperatures from 1500 to 1650°C. Dimensional stability of low pressure turbine blade cast at 1550°C was also studied. No shell bulging effect was observed for both shell moulds. The importance of mullite filler material for shell mould to be used for investment casting and its capability to withstand high temperature without metal mould reaction have been highlighted.     

Flow patterns and re-melting during filling of a large composite casting

Abstract

The filling and remelting of an industrial scale composite casting has been simulated to investigate the effect of fluid flow patterns in the liquid metal on the remelting of the shell material of the composite casting. In the composite casting under investigation, an outer shell material is first cast inside a large cylindrical mould, which is then assembled to additional mould parts, and the core material is poured into the shell/mould assembly. During casting of the core, a thin layer of the shell material re-melts and mixes with the core material producing a bonding layer of intermediate composition. Obtaining the optimum re-melting and thus intermediate bonding zone between the shell and core is critical to producing high quality rolls. The present numerical model employs the volume of fluid method and an enthalpy-porosity technique to couple the filling of the core material and re-melting of the shell material. The interface between the solid and liquid phases is tracked and can be used as a guide to examine the extent of remelting and, to some degree, mixing of the shell and core material. Simulations have shown that the circulation loops that form in the liquid metal pool significantly affect the amount of shell material that remelts.     

大型支架铸件的熔模铸造工艺

详细介绍了ZG40Cr大型支架铸件熔模铸造工艺的试验过程。通过多次试验及工艺改进,解决了包括母模拆分、组装、壳型制作以及浇注系统设计等一系列难题。试验取得的主要经验是:在生产大型复杂熔模铸件时,应注意调整母模的组合方式及蜡模表面的光滑度、制壳层数、风干时间、硬化时间、焙烧温度以及浇注温度等参数。     

Alloy Casting by the Horizontal Ohno Continuous Casting System

Abstract

Sn-Pb alloys in the compositional range 2.5–22.5% Pb have been continuously cast using the horizontal Ohno Continuous Casting (OCC) process. The effects of alloy composition and process variables on the location and size of the liquid-solid zone were investigated and information obtained was examined in order to establish the breakout point. It was found that the liquid-solid zone existed partly or entirely within the mould during casting, depending on casting conditions. The liquid-solid zone expanded with increasing mould-cooler distance and also with decreasing mould exit temperature, whereas it remained constant with the casting speed within the range investigated. As the composition approaches the eutectic point, the L+S zone shifted into the mould, and existed entirely within the mould at 22.5% Pb. It was also found that breakout occurred when the rod temperature at the mould exit exceeded a critical temperature which can be expressed as Tc=228–2A, where Tc is the critical rod temperature in Celsius and A is wt% Pb (<22.5% Pb). It was confirmed that the mould exit temperature must be kept above the liquidus temperature of the alloy to be cast in order to obtained unidirectional or single crystal materials.     

Effect of section thickness and modification on thermal analysis parameters of A357 alloy

Abstract

Thermal analysis technique relies on the cooling curve obtained when the sample is cooled in a sampling cup. This may not represent the cooling behaviour of the real casting. The microstructure developed during solidification depends not only on the nucleation and modification potential of the melt but also on the thermal gradient imposed during solidification by the mould. The factors affecting the thermal gradient are the mould material and casting section thickness. In the present investigation the effect of modification melt treatment, cooling rate and casting section thickness on the thermal analysis parameters of A357 alloy was studied. It is found that the dimensionless heat flux parameter is high for small section thickness castings. The metal/mould interfacial heat flux is high in a copper mould. Thermal analysis parameters of A357 alloy are found to be affected significantly by the combined action of modification, chilling and section thickness.     

大型复杂不锈钢叶轮熔模-砂型复合铸造工艺

研究了大型复杂不锈钢叶轮熔模-砂型复合铸造工艺。借助设计的工装,利用熔模铸造涂制出复杂叶片部分的硅酸乙酯-水玻璃复合型壳;利用砂型造型得到简单轮毂轮辐及熔模型壳部分的铸型;将熔模型壳与水玻璃砂型组合后得到了该叶轮的熔模-砂型复合铸型;通过熔炼、浇注、切割、清理、热处理得到了ZG1Cr18Ni9Ti叶轮铸件。结果表明：采用该复合工艺生产的叶轮铸件表面粗糙度达到Ra3.2-1.6、尺寸精度达到CT4-CT5、力学性能等都满足技术要求,且工艺稳定,生产成本低。     

Rapid fabricating process of zinc alloy moulds based on vacuum casting process

Abstract

A rapid fabrication process was developed by combining stereolithography prototype, silicone rubber mould and vacuum casting process for zinc alloy moulds. Transfer coating mould was introduced as casting moulds reproduced from silicone rubber moulds. Vacuum casting process was applied to improve filling ability of complicated mould with fine pattern surface. Vacuum reduces the gas counterpressure in the casting mould cavity and then improves the filling ability.     

Mould filling simulation with cut cell in Cartesian grid system

Abstract

Cartesian grid system has mainly been used in the casting simulation even though it does not nicely represent sloped and curved surfaces. These distorted boundaries cause several problems. A special treatment is necessary to clear these problems. A cut cell method on Cartesian grids has been developed to simulate three-dimensional mould filling. Cut cells at a cast/mould interface are generated on Cartesian grids. Governing equations were computed using volume and areas of cast at cut cells.

In this paper, a new method that can consider the cutting cells which are cut by casting and mould based on the partial cell treatment is proposed. This method provides a better representation of geometry surface and will be used in the computation of velocities that are defined on the cell boundaries in the Cartesian gird system. Various test examples for several casting process were computed and validated. The analysis results of more accurate fluid flow pattern and less momentum loss owing to the stepped boundaries in the Cartesian grid system were confirmed. It can be known that the momentum energy at the cut cell is conserved by using the cut cell method. By using the cut cell method, the performance of computation gets better because of reducing the whole number of meshes.     

Towards more reliable investment castings

Abstract

The need for more reliable investment castings to meet the expectations of end users is outlined and the research undertaken during the Fundamentals of Investment Casting (FOCAST) project to meet this requirement is summarised. The traditional gravity poured, top gated mould designs used widely by the investment casting industry are shown to produce the least reliable aluminium alloy and steel castings. Changing to a bottom gated design to minimise surface turbulence during mould filling leads to a significant improvement in reliability, although the mould designs may not be particularly easy to implement in practice. It has been shown that a correctly used tilt pouring technique can also reduce surface turbulence and thereby improve reliability, and it is considered that this process is worthy of further development and evaluation by the investment casting industry. Countergravity mould filling has also been shown to be capable of producing more reliable castings than conventional gravity casting. The three techniques are compared and their industrial implementation discussed.     

陶瓷壳型面层材料与Ti46Al1B阀门铸件的界面反应

分别采用Al2O3与Y2O3为壳型面层材料,离心铸造了Ti46Al1B(原子分数,%)合金阀门铸件,通过SEM,XRD以及气体分析等方法,确定壳型内表面物相组成、铸件与壳型反应层厚度以及合金的进氧情况,分析了壳型材料与Ti46Al1B合金的反应机理.结果表明,Y203和A120s壳型与合金的反应层厚度分别约为90和170 pm,使用Y203壳型时铸件进氧少,其热力学稳定性好于Al2O3壳型,与热力学计算结果相符.Y2O3壳型比Al2O3壳型更适合铸造Ti46Al1B阀门.     

Casting a Small-diameter Tin Wire by the OCC (Ohno Continuous Casting) Process

Abstract

Tin wires of 2 mm dia have been cast by the horizontal OCC process at speeds between 0.02 m/min and 4.2 m/min. It was found that unlike the casting of larger diameter rods, it was possible to continue casting, even if the solid-liquid interface existed outside the mould. If the mould exit temperature and the mould-cooler distance were maintained at 267°C and 2 mm respectively, the solid-liquid interface was located at the mould exit when the casting speed was 0.35 m/mln. However, when the casting speed exceeded about 1.2 m/min, the cast surface of the wire deteriorated and exhibited a matted appearance due to the formation of ridges. With a casting speed of 4.2 m/min, the solid-liquid interface location was estimated to be about 4 mm outside the mould. A calculated temperature distribution within the solidifying strand revealed that the solid-liquid interface entered the cooling water when the casting speed was 1.2 m/min. Thus, in order to obtain a cast wire with a high surface finish, the strand should be solidified outside the cooling water. Casting parameter values corresponding to the condition where the solid-liquid interface reaches the mould exit were considered to be critical co-ordinates for runout (breakout). When the solid-liquid interface is located between the mould and the cooling water, tight control of the casting process, and in particular control of the metal head, is essential in order to avoid dimensional instability and runout of the liquid metal.     

An alternative approach in ceramic shell investment casting of AZ91D magnesium alloy: In situ melting technique

In this research, the possibility of ceramic shell investment casting of a magnesium alloy using in situ melting technique was explored. AZ91D granules were charged into shell investment mould and in situ melted under various processing parameters including heating temperature, flux application, shell mould thickness and permeability. Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques were used to characterise the cast samples. Thermal analysis was employed to further investigate the effect of mould thickness on the solidification behaviour of the metal. It was found that mixing flux with the granules not only reduced the temperature at which melting can be achieved, but it also contributed to produce castings with acceptable surface quality. The use of thinner mould provided higher solidification rate, which is believed to favour in situ melting of the granules. It enabled melting of the granules at 650 °C, which in turn helped to suppress the mould–metal reaction and produce castings with good surface quality. Shell mould permeability showed no influence on suppressing the mould–metal reaction at 650 °C.     

The Influence of Processing Variables on the Dimensional Integrity of Spheroidal-graphite Iron Castings

Abstract

This investigation was carried out to identify the major factors and their degree of influence on the dimensional accuracy of spheroidal-graphite iron castings produced in chemically- bonded sand moulds. Test castings were poured into furan-resin-bonded zircon sand and silica sand moulds and sodium silicate/ CO₂ bonded silica sand moulds. A comparison of casting sizes with those of the mould cavity into which they were poured showed considerable scatter and overlap. From these data the size that each casting would have had, had it solidified without graphite formation, was calculated and found to depend on mould cavity size for each type of mould. By isolating the differences in casting size due to graphite it was possible to identify the influencing factors. Thus castings poured into furan-resin-bonded zircon sand have the highest contraction and their size depends primarily on the amount of graphite present. The dimensions of castings poured into silica sand moulds show more variation and depend not only on the amount of graphite present and the structure of the metal but also on the thermal expansion of the silica sand moulds.     

球铁管件真空消失模壳型复合铸造工艺的研究

比较了真空消失模铸造和熔模铸造两种工艺的优缺点,将两种工艺的优点有机结合,开发了适应大量生产高性能出口管件的真空消失模壳型复合铸造工艺.介绍了消失模铸造模型刚度的确定、浇注系统尺寸的选择,壳型工艺流程的制订、壳型涂料的原材料选用和配制、以及水玻璃壳型制造流程.试验结果显示:(1)用此工艺生产的管件,工序简单且铸件质最稳定,铸件合格率达到98.5％以上;(2)此工艺只要制4层壳,相比普通蜡模精密铸造制壳要8层以上,提高了生产效率,降低了生产成本和人力资源成本.     

A New Fabrication Method for the Casting of Cored Materials

Abstract

Using a heated double-channel mould, cored rods with pure tin as a clad material and Sn-Bi, Sn-Pb, and Sn-Zn eutectic alloys as core materials have been continuously cast. With precise control of casting variables, cored rods were successfully produced with a unidirectional structure for both core and clad materials. The effects of casting speed and mould exit temperature on cast structure were examined in an attempt to obtain an understanding of this new casting process. It was found that the dissolution of clad material occurs during casting, and the dissolution process is rapid and sensitive to the process variables. Excess dissolution of clad material leads to metal breakout. In order to reduce the dissolution, lower mould exit temperatures with faster casting speeds should be employed.     

用快速精密铸造工艺铸造叶轮发泡模具

开发了一种叶轮发泡模具的快速精密铸造工艺.在铸造工艺中,利用快速成型技术和复合陶瓷型壳技术来制备叶轮的精密铸造型壳.用该铸造工艺铸造的叶轮发泡模具具有尺寸精度高、表面光洁度好的特点,可满足叶轮发泡模具的使用要求.     

Effect of cooling rate on air gap formation in aluminium alloy permanent mould casting

Abstract

Displacements of the casting surface and the mould surface at the casting/mould interface were experimentally measured during the solidification of aluminium alloys in a permanent mould. Temperatures of the casting and mould surfaces at this interface were also recorded and correlated with displacement measurements. Four different commercial Al–Si alloys were investigated at varying cooling rates. These results are compared with available data on the effect of cooling rate on solid fraction evolution and consequently strength development during solidification. The temperature of the casting surface at the moment of air gap initiation was found to decrease with increasing cooling rate, although this relationship was confirmed at the 95% confidence level for only one of the alloys, AC601, for which sufficient data points were available. The solid fraction at the casting surface at gap initiation in this alloy is shown not to change with cooling rate. In all hypoeutectic alloys, the gap formed before the solid fraction at the casting surface reached 1·0 at slow cooling rates. For the near eutectic alloy BA401 it occurred at almost 1·0. Casting surface contraction rates following gap formation are also presented both as a function of time and casting surface temperature. It is shown that contractions predicted using the linear thermal expansion coefficient provide a reasonable approximation.     

Heat Flow in Moulds for Castings with Rectangular Corners

Heat flow from casting to mould was analysed to determine the effect of rectangular corners on the total heat absorption by the mould. It was found that mould heat absorption can be calculated by the rule of summation of plane and corner contributions. The rule, however, cannot readily be used for predicting the solidification time of a casting as a whole unless a satisfactory estimate of the heat to be removed from the casting before solidification is possible. Nevertheless, the knowledge will find use in improving the present method of numerical simulation of solidification.     

Influence of non-uniform ultrasonic vibration on casting fluidity of liquid aluminum alloy

The application of ultrasonic vibration to the casting process can be realized through mould (die) vibration. However, the resonant vibration of the mould is always accompanied by a non-uniform vibration distribution at different parts, which may induce a complex liquid flow and affect the casting fluidity during the mould filling process. The influence of non-uniform ultrasonic vibration on the fluidity of liquid AlSi9Cu3 alloy was studied by mould vibration with different vibration gradients. It is found that ultrasonic mould vibration can generate two opposite effects on the casting fluidity: the first, ultrasonic cavitation in melt induced by mould vibration promotes the casting fluidity; the second, the non-uniform mould vibration can induce a melt flow toward the weak vibration areas and turbulence there, consequently decreasing the casting fluidity. When the melt flow and turbulence are violent enough to offset the promoting effect of cavitation on fluidity, the ultrasonic vibration will finally induce a resultant decrease of casting fluidity. The decreasing effect is proportional to the vibration gradient.