A self-water-cooled casting device and method of using the same

Abstract

This invention relates to a self-water-cooled casting mold apparatus and method. The apparatus includes an inner shell and an outer shell. The upper end of the inner shell is open, and a first cavity is formed within the inner shell. A plurality of through holes are formed on the sidewalls of the inner shell, and these through holes are filled with water-soluble molding sand. The first cavity is used for casting. The outer shell is fitted over the inner shell, forming a second cavity between the two. A connecting rib connects the first and second cavities. The second cavity is used to contain a cooling medium. By controlling the cooling liquid level in the second cavity during the casting process, indirect and direct cooling of the casting is controlled, achieving directional solidification of the casting and improving the cooling efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a self-water-cooled casting mold device and its usage method, belonging to the field of casting technology. Background Technology

[0002] Modern industry has an increasingly strong demand for high-end castings, such as large thin-walled parts and engine blades in aerospace. The shapes and structures of castings are becoming more and more complex, and the quality requirements for castings are also becoming higher and higher, making it urgent to precisely control the cooling process of casting.

[0003] Directional solidification typically employs a water-cooling plate at the bottom of the mold, or gradually immerses the mold in water, molten salt, or molten metal to cool the casting. However, devices that gradually immerse the poured mold in a cooling medium or gradually raise the cooling tank are complex and difficult to operate. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, the present invention aims to provide a self-water-cooled casting mold device. This device is equipped with a cooling water tank, which allows the cooling medium to enter the gap between the casting and the mold, directly contacting the casting, accelerating the cooling efficiency of the casting, achieving more efficient directional solidification, and thus improving the performance of the casting.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] One aspect of the technical solution of this invention provides a self-water-cooled casting mold device, comprising:

[0007] An inner shell, wherein a first cavity is formed within the inner shell for pouring liquid, and a plurality of through holes are formed on the sidewall of the inner shell;

[0008] An outer shell is fitted over the inner shell, and a second cavity is formed between the outer shell and the inner shell, the second cavity being used to contain a cooling medium;

[0009] Several connecting ribs are provided, which are used to fix the inner shell and the outer shell together.

[0010] The inner shell has several through holes formed on its sidewalls, and the through holes are filled with water-soluble molding sand.

[0011] The second cavity includes a horizontal channel and a vertical channel. The horizontal channel is formed between the bottom of the inner shell and the outer shell, and the vertical channel is formed between the sidewalls of the inner shell and the outer shell. The horizontal channel and the vertical channel are connected to form a U-shape.

[0012] The through holes are provided in multiple ways, and the multiple through holes are spaced apart on the side wall of the inner shell.

[0013] The connecting ribs include multiple ribs, one end of which is connected to the outer wall of the inner shell, and the other end is connected to the inner wall of the outer shell.

[0014] Both the inner shell and the outer shell are cast molds, which can be sand molds, ceramic molds, or metal molds.

[0015] If both the inner and outer shells are sand-molded, a waterproof layer is applied to the outer wall of the outer shell and the inner wall of the inner shell.

[0016] A sand rod with water-soluble adhesive is inserted into the through hole, and the gap between the sand rod and the through hole is sealed with refractory mud.

[0017] Both the inner and outer shells are manufactured using additive manufacturing technology.

[0018] On the other hand, the present invention provides a method of using the aforementioned self-water-cooled casting mold device, comprising the following steps:

[0019] The molten metal is poured into the first cavity;

[0020] Cooling water is introduced into the second cavity;

[0021] After the pouring is completed, temperature sensors are placed at different height positions inside the first cavity;

[0022] The cooling water level is adjusted based on the real-time temperature of the molten metal as reported by the temperature sensor.

[0023] The present invention has the following advantages due to the adoption of the above technical solutions:

[0024] The water-cooled casting device comes with its own cooling water tank, realizing the integration of the casting mold and the water tank. There is no need to consider the relative movement between the casting mold and the traditional cooling medium channel, eliminating the need for a complex cooling device. It is simple to operate and easy to control.

[0025] By setting through holes on the side wall of the inner shell, the cooling medium can enter the gap between the casting and the mold and directly contact the casting, thus achieving both indirect and direct cooling, accelerating the cooling efficiency of the casting, achieving more efficient directional solidification, and thereby improving the performance of the casting. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same parts. In the drawings:

[0027] Figure 1This is a front view of one embodiment of the self-water-cooled casting mold device provided by the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A top view of the self-cooled water-cooled casting device. Detailed Implementation

[0029] Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the invention can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to enable a more thorough understanding of the invention and to fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0030] An embodiment of the present invention provides a self-cooled casting mold device, comprising an inner shell, an outer shell, and several connecting ribs. A first cavity is formed within the inner shell for pouring liquid, and several through holes are formed on the sidewalls of the inner shell. The outer shell is fitted over the inner shell, and a second cavity is formed between the outer shell and the inner shell for containing a cooling medium. The connecting ribs fix the inner shell and the outer shell together. The second cavity, used to contain the cooling medium, allows for indirect and direct cooling control of the casting during the casting process by controlling the height of the cooling liquid level in the water tank, achieving directional solidification of the casting and improving the cooling efficiency of the casting.

[0031] Example 1

[0032] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, Embodiment 1 of the present invention provides a self-water-cooled casting device, including an inner shell 2 and an outer shell 6. The upper end of the inner shell 2 is open, and a first cavity 1 is formed inside the inner shell 2. A plurality of through holes 4 are formed on the side wall of the inner shell 2, and the through holes 4 are filled with water-soluble molding sand. The first cavity 1 is used for casting. The outer shell 6 is sleeved outside the inner shell 2, and a second cavity 5 is formed between the outer shell 6 and the inner shell 2. The second cavity 5 is used to contain the cooling medium.

[0033] The first cavity 1 is used for pouring metal, and the second cavity 5 is used as a cooling water tank. During casting, metal is poured into the first cavity 1, and the cooling of the casting is controlled by controlling the liquid level of the cooling water 7 in the second cavity 5, so as to achieve directional solidification of the casting and improve the cooling efficiency of the casting.

[0034] The inner shell 2 has several through holes 4 on its sidewalls, which are filled with water-soluble molding sand. Therefore, during casting, the molten metal forms in the first cavity 1. When qualitative solidification of the casting is required, cooling water 7 is introduced into the second cavity 5. The water-soluble molding sand gradually dissolves upon contact with the cooling water 7, causing the sand rod to disintegrate. The cooling water 7 can directly contact the casting through the channels or seep downwards into the gap between the casting and the mold, thereby increasing the cooling rate of the casting. Therefore, the cooling water 7 not only indirectly cools the casting in the second cavity 5 but can also directly cool the casting by entering the first cavity 1 through the through holes 4.

[0035] The through-hole 4 penetrates the side wall of the inner shell 2, is horizontally oriented, has a circular cross-section, and a size of φ2-30mm. It is dispersed on the inner shell 2. The water-soluble molding sand can be designed as sand rods with a water-soluble binder. The sand rods are inserted into the through-hole 4, and the gaps are sealed with refractory clay. During the casting water cooling process, the water-soluble binder in the sand rods gradually dissolves upon contact with the cooling water, causing the sand rods to disintegrate. The cooling water 7 can then directly contact the casting through the channel.

[0036] To achieve directional solidification, temperature sensors 3 are installed at different heights within the molten metal to monitor its temperature. After pouring the molten metal, the temperature sensors 3 are placed at different heights within the molten metal, and the cooling water level is adjusted based on the real-time temperature feedback from the temperature sensors 3.

[0037] The temperature sensor 3 is generally a thermocouple.

[0038] The cooling water 7 is used to cool the casting during the casting process. After the molten metal is poured, the cooling water 7 is introduced into the water tank 5 of the self-cooled mold. Alternatively, the cooling water 7 can be introduced into the water tank 5 of the mold before pouring. As the casting cools, the level of the cooling water rises accordingly. The level of the cooling water is adjusted according to the temperature of the molten metal measured by the temperature sensor 3. The cooling water 7 evaporates when heated and rises to the upper part of the water-cooled mold, which can play a heat preservation role. A significant temperature difference is formed between the top and bottom of the casting, which is conducive to the directional solidification of the casting.

[0039] Cooling water 7 can also be replaced with other cooling media, such as cooling gas, cooling oil, etc.

[0040] The self-cooled casting device also includes several connecting ribs 8, one end of which is connected to the outer side wall of the inner shell 2, and the other end is connected to the inner side wall of the outer shell 6. The connecting ribs 8 are arranged between the inner shell 2 and the outer shell 6 to provide connection and support.

[0041] To facilitate adjustment of the water level in the water tank 5, the outer shell 6 can be configured with a top opening through which cooling water 7 is introduced into the second cavity 5. Alternatively, the side wall of the outer shell 6 can be provided with a water inlet (not shown in the figure) and a water outlet (not shown in the figure). Cooling water is introduced into the second cavity 5 through the water inlet, and cooling water is discharged through the water outlet. The combined action of the water inlet and the water outlet allows for precise adjustment of the liquid level in the second cavity 5, thereby achieving directional solidification.

[0042] In one embodiment, the outer shell 6 is cylindrical, a horizontal channel is formed between the bottom of the inner shell 2 and the outer shell 6, a vertical channel is formed between the side walls of the inner shell 2 and the outer shell 6, and the horizontal channel and the vertical channel are connected to form a U-shape.

[0043] The preferred method for manufacturing the self-water-cooled casting mold device is additive manufacturing. First, a model is created using modeling software or specialized casting mold hollowing design software. During manufacturing, an inner shell mold is first generated on the outside of the casting as the inner shell 2 for the molding of the poured metal. Then, an outer shell mold is generated outward as the outer shell 6. The cavity between the inner and outer shell molds is the self-contained water-cooling tank 5. The thickness of the inner and outer shell molds, the number of outer shell layers, and the width of the water tank can all be changed.

[0044] The mold material can be sand mold, ceramic mold, metal mold, etc. When using sand mold for casting, a layer of waterproof coating is brushed on the surface between the inner and outer shells of the sand mold to prevent water from seeping into the sand mold itself.

[0045] Both the inner shell 2 and the outer shell 6 are cylindrical, preferably cylindrical.

[0046] The method of using the self-water-cooled casting mold device includes the following steps:

[0047] The molten metal is poured into the first cavity 1;

[0048] Cooling water is introduced into the second cavity 5; the introduction of cooling water can be done before or after the metal is poured, and both methods are within the protection scope of this invention.

[0049] After the pouring is completed, temperature sensors 3 are placed at different height positions inside the first cavity 1;

[0050] The cooling water level is adjusted based on the real-time temperature of the liquid as fed back by temperature sensor 3.

[0051] The water-cooled casting device of this invention has a built-in cooling water tank 5, realizing the integration of the casting mold and the water tank 5. It eliminates the need to consider the relative movement between the casting mold and the traditional cooling medium channel, saving the need for a complex cooling device. It is easy to operate and control, and can realize the cooling medium entering the gap between the casting and the casting mold, directly contacting the casting, accelerating the cooling efficiency of the casting, realizing more efficient directional solidification, and thus improving the performance of the casting.

[0052] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of using a self-water-cooled casting mold device, characterized in that, The self-cooled casting mold device includes: An inner shell, in which a first cavity is formed, is used for pouring liquid. Several through holes are formed on the side wall of the inner shell, and the through holes are filled with water-soluble molding sand. The through holes penetrate the side wall of the inner shell, are horizontally oriented, have a circular cross-section, and are sized between φ2 and 30 mm. They are dispersed on the inner shell. An outer shell is fitted over the inner shell, and a second cavity is formed between the outer shell and the inner shell, the second cavity being used to contain a cooling medium; Several connecting ribs, which are fixedly connected to the inner shell and the outer shell; The second cavity includes a horizontal channel and a vertical channel. The horizontal channel is formed between the bottom of the inner shell and the outer shell, and the vertical channel is formed between the sidewalls of the inner shell and the outer shell. The horizontal channel and the vertical channel are connected to form a U-shape. Including the following steps: The molten metal is poured into the first cavity; Cooling water is introduced into the second cavity, either before or after the metal is poured. After the pouring is completed, temperature sensors are placed at different height positions inside the first cavity; The cooling water level is adjusted based on the real-time temperature of the molten metal as reported by the temperature sensor.

2. The method of using the self-water-cooled casting mold device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The through holes are provided in multiple ways, and the multiple through holes are spaced apart on the side wall of the inner shell.

3. The method of using the self-water-cooled casting mold device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting ribs include multiple ribs, one end of which is connected to the outer wall of the inner shell, and the other end is connected to the inner wall of the outer shell.

4. The method of using the self-water-cooled casting mold device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the inner shell and the outer shell are cast molds, which can be sand molds, ceramic molds, or metal molds.

5. The method of using the self-water-cooled casting mold device according to claim 4, characterized in that, Both the inner and outer shells are sand-molded, and the outer wall of the outer shell and the inner wall of the inner shell are coated with a waterproof layer.

6. The method of using the self-water-cooled casting mold device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A sand rod with water-soluble adhesive is inserted into the through hole, and the gap between the sand rod and the through hole is sealed with refractory mud.

7. The method of using the self-water-cooled casting mold device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the inner and outer shells are manufactured using additive manufacturing technology.

Images