Semi-solid pulping machine

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of semi-solid materials and discloses a semi-solid pulping machine, including a frame, a pulping component and an ejection mechanism below the pulping component on the frame, a vertical channel penetrating the upper and lower sides of the pulping component on the pulping component, and an ejection mechanism including an injection rod with a punch at the top of the injection rod. The punch has a hollow structure and is slidably connected to the vertical channel and can close the lower end of the vertical channel. The top of the punch is perpendicular to the side wall of the vertical channel to produce aluminum material and prevent material from sticking.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semi-solid materials, and more specifically to a semi-solid pulping machine. Background Technology

[0002] Semi-solid casting refers to a casting process in which liquid metal solidifies in a slurry container within a slurry machine, and the dendrites formed during solidification are transformed into non-dendritic structures by stirring with a stirring rod, thereby forming a liquid-solid mixture semi-solid slurry (hereinafter referred to as aluminum material). The aluminum material is then clamped into a die forging machine by a clamping mechanism to form a high-density alloy.

[0003] After aluminum material is formed, because it is a liquid-solid mixture in a gel-like state, the solid phase ratio is difficult to control. When the aluminum material leaves the pulping machine, it is easy for material to stick to the inner wall of the pulping container, resulting in a loss of aluminum material quality. The amount of this loss cannot be determined, which leads to a discrepancy between the actual quality of the aluminum material and the designed quality. The designed pressure is the optimal pressure value for die forging aluminum material under the designed quality. Therefore, when the actual quality of aluminum material is die forged under the designed pressure, the aluminum material quality is insufficient, which means that the aluminum material cannot fill the mold cavity, resulting in poor product forming quality. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to provide a semi-solid pulping machine for producing aluminum material and preventing material buildup.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a semi-solid pulping machine, including a frame, a pulping component and an ejection mechanism below the pulping component on the frame, a vertical channel penetrating the upper and lower sides of the pulping component on the pulping component, the ejection mechanism including an injection rod, a punch on the top of the injection rod, the punch having a hollow structure, the punch and the vertical channel being slidably connected and able to close the lower end of the vertical channel, the top of the punch being perpendicular to the side wall of the vertical channel.

[0006] To prevent material buildup in the pulping container, the ejector mechanism in this design is located below the pulping unit. Furthermore, to prevent the ejector mechanism from failing under sustained high temperatures, a heat dissipation mechanism is also included, offering the following benefits:

[0007] 1. The injection rod drives the punch upward, blocking the lower end of the vertical channel. The punch and the side wall of the vertical channel form a slurry container. Molten aluminum is introduced into the slurry container and stirred for several tens of seconds with a stirring rod to form aluminum material. The injection rod continues to drive the punch upward, pushing the aluminum material in the vertical channel upward so that the clamping mechanism can pick up the aluminum material. After the aluminum material is removed, the injection rod drives the punch downward to move out of the vertical channel for cooling, thus realizing the three-in-one function of slurry making, ejection, and heat dissipation.

[0008] The inventors discovered that temperature control is crucial during aluminum material preparation to ensure the aluminum reaches its optimal temperature, thereby improving molding quality. Specifically, at the optimal temperature, the viscosity of aluminum is higher than that of liquid metal, resulting in less gas entrainment in the mold, less oxidation, faster part forming, and improved surface finish. Aluminum also exhibits lower flow stress than solid metal, resulting in lower deformation resistance, allowing for higher-speed part forming, enabling the forming of complex parts, and achieving high material utilization and low cost.

[0009] Compared to the top of the slurry container, the bottom of the slurry container is more enclosed and difficult to dissipate heat, which in turn affects the control of the aluminum material temperature. Therefore, heat dissipation of the punch at the bottom of the slurry container is particularly important.

[0010] 2. Before the pulping process begins, to facilitate the re-insertion of the punch into the lower end of the vertical channel to form a pulping container, the punch and the vertical channel are fitted with a gap. This prevents the molten aluminum from flowing out of the gap between the punch and the pulping component in a short period of time. During pulping, to prevent the molten aluminum from slowly seeping out of the gap between the punch and the side wall of the vertical channel, the punch is designed with a hollow structure. Compared to a solid structure, the thermal expansion effect is more obvious. When the high-temperature molten aluminum comes into contact with the punch, the punch expands under the action of heat, making it more tightly connected to the side wall of the vertical channel, thereby preventing the molten aluminum from seeping out of the gap between the punch and the side wall of the vertical channel.

[0011] 3. When ejecting aluminum material, the bottom of the slurry container is entirely formed by the punch, maximizing the contact area between the punch and the aluminum material, thereby reducing the pressure of the punch on the aluminum material; since the top of the punch is perpendicular to the side wall of the vertical channel, no eccentric force is generated, and the thrust generated by the punch at the bottom of the slurry container on the aluminum material is uniform and stable, and after the punch expands, it presses tightly against the side wall of the slurry component, thereby avoiding the situation of material sticking to the side wall of the slurry component.

[0012] 4. After ejecting the aluminum material, the punch moves downward out of the vertical channel, creating ventilation at the top and bottom of the vertical channel. The temperature difference between the inside and outside of the vertical channel generates airflow, which carries away the heat inside the vertical channel and passes through the punch, also carrying away the heat from the punch. The punch cools down and shrinks, reducing its volume to facilitate insertion into the lower end of the vertical channel next time.

[0013] Preferably, as an improvement, a connector is provided between the injection rod and the punch. Both ends of the connector have external threads, and these threads connect to the top of the punch and the injection rod, respectively. This design addresses the issue that the punch, being in direct contact with the molten aluminum, is prone to damage due to frequent exposure to high temperatures. The threaded connection between the connector and the punch facilitates replacement. Furthermore, since the punch expands when heated, this design uses an external threaded connection to prevent the punch from compressing and damaging the connector due to thermal expansion, rather than a threaded connection on the inner side of the connector.

[0014] Preferably, as an improvement, both the connector and the injection rod are hollow structures, and the injection rod, connector, and punch are internally connected. With this configuration, the injection rod, connector, and punch are all hollow structures. The heat conduction rate of liquids or gases in hollow structures is faster than that of solids, thus enabling rapid transfer of heat from the punch to the connector and injection rod.

[0015] Preferably, as an improvement, the hollow cross-section inside the connector is smaller than the hollow cross-section inside the injection rod and the punch. The middle part of the connector protrudes to form a load-bearing part, which can transfer the impact force of the injection rod to the punch. With this configuration, since the connector, the injection rod, and the connector itself are all hollow structures, their strength and stability are not as good as solid structures. Especially during the upward movement of the punch, when the punch rubs against the inner wall of the vertical channel, the lower end of the punch lacks support. However, the hollow cross-section inside the connector is smaller than the hollow cross-section inside the injection rod and the punch, which strengthens the load-bearing capacity at the connector position and enhances the strength and stability of the overall structure formed by the connector, the injection rod, and the connector. Its function is similar to the web reinforcement function of a T-beam.

[0016] Preferably, as an improvement, the injection rod has an external liquid inlet and an external liquid outlet on its side wall. The injection rod contains a vertical internal cooling pipe, which, from bottom to top, includes a fixing part, a liquid inlet part, and a liquid outlet part. The fixing part is connected to the injection rod. The liquid inlet part has an internal liquid inlet on its side, and the liquid outlet part has an internal liquid outlet at its top. The external liquid inlet, internal liquid inlet, liquid inlet part, liquid outlet part, internal liquid outlet, and external liquid outlet are sequentially connected. With this configuration, the coolant enters from inside the internal cooling pipe and flows out between the internal cooling pipe and the connector, the connector, and the injection rod, achieving the following effects:

[0017] 1. Both the external inlet and outlet can be located far from the punch to avoid the coolant delivery pipe being affected by high temperature, thereby improving durability.

[0018] 2. Completely encapsulate the internal cooling pipes in the coolant to prevent direct contact between the internal cooling pipes and the connectors, connectors, and injection rods, thereby improving the durability of the internal cooling pipes.

[0019] 3. First, the coolant is delivered to the top of the outlet section through the internal cooling pipe, directly contacting the hottest punch. At this point, the coolant temperature is the lowest, and the cooling effect is the best. Then, it flows back from the outside of the internal cooling pipe, cooling the connectors and injection rod in sequence.

[0020] Preferably, as an improvement, the slurry preparation component is equipped with a spiral channel, which is spirally arranged around the vertical channel and contains insulating oil. With this arrangement, since the upper end of the vertical channel is open, heat dissipation is rapid. In order to control the temperature of the aluminum material, the slurry preparation component needs to be insulated. However, in this solution, the slurry preparation component does not need to be made too thick for insulation, and the oil has better heat insulation properties. The insulating oil in the spiral channel enhances the insulation effect.

[0021] Preferably, as an improvement, the frame includes an upper connecting plate and a lower connecting plate, with several vertical positioning screws bolted between the upper and lower connecting plates. The slurry-making component is fixed on the upper connecting plate, and a hydraulic cylinder is provided on the lower connecting plate. The output shaft of the hydraulic cylinder is connected to the bottom of the injection rod. This configuration, by fixing the slurry-making component and the hydraulic cylinder through the frame, ensures that the punch can be aligned and inserted into the lower end of the vertical channel. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment;

[0023] Figure 2 Exploded view of the ejection mechanism (hydraulic cylinder omitted).

[0024] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the internal cooling pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The following detailed description illustrates the specific implementation methods:

[0026] The reference numerals in the accompanying drawings include: upper connecting plate 101, lower connecting plate 102, positioning screw 103, slurry making part 2, upper insulation part 210, spiral channel 211, lower positioning part 220, vertical channel 230, oil cylinder 3, injection rod 4, external liquid outlet 401, external liquid inlet 402, connecting part 5, external thread 501, bearing part 502, internal thread 503, punch 6, internal protrusion 601, sealing ring 7, internal cooling pipe 8, fixing part 810, liquid inlet part 820, internal liquid inlet 821, liquid outlet part 830, and internal liquid outlet 831.

[0027] Example

[0028] The implementation examples are basically as follows Figure 1 As shown: a semi-solid pulping machine, including a frame, the frame including an upper connecting plate 101 and a lower connecting plate 102, four vertical positioning screws 103 are bolted between the upper connecting plate 101 and the lower connecting plate 102 (for ease of display, the positioning screws 103 are shown as thickened straight lines, only two of them are shown in the figure; the cross-sectional lines of the upper connecting plate 101 and the lower connecting plate 102 are omitted), and positioning holes are opened on the upper connecting plate 101.

[0029] The upper connecting plate 101 is provided with a pulping component 2. The pulping component 2 has a vertical channel 230 that runs through the upper and lower sides of the pulping component 2. The upper part of the pulping component 2 is an upper insulation part 210, and the lower part is a lower positioning part 220. The side wall of the upper insulation part 210 is provided with an insulation unit. The insulation unit includes an oil inlet, a spiral channel 211 and an oil outlet connected in sequence. The spiral channel 211 is spirally arranged around the vertical channel 230. The spiral channel 211 contains insulation oil. The inner diameter of the lower positioning part 220 is equal to that of the upper insulation part 210, and the outer diameter is smaller than that of the upper insulation part 210. The bottom of the upper insulation part 210 is bolted to the upper connecting plate 101. The lower positioning part 220 is clearance-fitted with the positioning hole of the upper connecting plate 101 and passes through the positioning hole.

[0030] The lower connecting plate 102 is equipped with an ejection mechanism, which, from bottom to top, includes a hydraulic cylinder 3, an injection rod 4, a connecting piece 5, and a punch 6. The lower connecting plate 102 is bolted to the hydraulic cylinder 3, and the upper end of the output shaft of the hydraulic cylinder 3 is threaded to the bottom of the injection rod 4. Figure 2 As shown, the injection rod 4, the connector 5, and the punch 6 all have hollow structures with circular cross-sections and are internally connected. The hollow cross-section of the connector 5 is smaller than that of the injection rod 4 and the punch 6. Both the upper and lower ends of the connector 5 are provided with external threads 501. The middle part of the connector 5 protrudes circumferentially to form a bearing part 502, which can transmit the impact force of the injection rod 4 to the punch 6. The lower end of the punch 6 and the upper end of the injection rod 4 are provided with internal threads 503, which are threaded to the upper and lower ends of the connector 5, respectively. A sealing ring 7 is provided between the connector 5, the punch 6, and the injection rod 4. The punch 6 is clearance-fitted with the vertical channel 230. The punch 6 and the vertical channel 230 are slidably connected and can seal the lower end of the vertical channel 230. The top of the punch 6 is perpendicular to the side wall of the vertical channel 230. The punch 6 is inverted "U" shaped. The hollow structure of the punch 6 forms a top inner cavity. The middle part of the top inner cavity protrudes inward to form an inner protrusion 601.

[0031] The injection rod 4 has an external liquid inlet 402 and an external liquid outlet 401 on its side wall, such as Figure 3 As shown, the injection rod 4 is also equipped with a vertical internal cooling pipe 8 (for ease of display). Figure 1 and Figure 2(The internal cooling pipe 8 is omitted.) The internal cooling pipe 8, from bottom to top, includes a fixing part 810, a liquid inlet part 820, and a liquid outlet part 830. The fixing part 810 and the liquid inlet part 820 are integrally formed, and the liquid inlet part 820 and the liquid outlet part 830 are welded. The bottom of the fixing part 810 is bolted to the injection rod 4. Two sealing rings 7 are also provided between the fixing part 810 and the side wall of the injection rod 4. Both sealing rings 7 are located below the liquid outlet 401. The fixing part 810 and the inner wall of the injection rod 4 clamp the two sealing rings 7. The liquid inlet part 820... The inner liquid inlet 821 is located on the side of the injection rod 4. The liquid outlet 830 is a copper tube that passes through the connector 5 and is inserted into the punch 6. The top of the liquid outlet 830 is the inner liquid outlet 831. The space between the inner cooling tube 8, the punch 6, the connector 5, and the injection rod 4 forms a return channel. The return channel connects the inner liquid outlet 831 and the outer liquid outlet 401. The outer liquid inlet 402, the inner liquid inlet 821, the liquid inlet 820, the liquid outlet 830, the inner liquid outlet 831, the return channel, and the outer liquid outlet 401 are connected in sequence. The liquid inlet 820 has an annular cut, which is located below the inner liquid inlet 821 and above the two sealing rings 7. Part of the coolant is contained between the annular cut and the inner wall of the injection rod 4.

[0032] The specific implementation steps are as follows:

[0033] 1. The driving cylinder 3 drives the injection rod 4 to move upward, which in turn drives the punch 6 to move upward, blocking the lower end of the vertical channel 230. The punch 6 and the side wall of the vertical channel 230 form a slurry container. The molten aluminum liquid is introduced into the slurry container. After the high-temperature aluminum liquid comes into contact with the punch 6, the punch 6, under the action of thermal expansion, presses against the side wall of the vertical channel 230. The aluminum liquid is stirred with a stirring rod for tens of seconds to form aluminum material. At the same time, the heat preservation oil enters from the oil inlet and flows out from the oil outlet to form a circulation, forming a heat preservation effect on the aluminum liquid in the spiral channel 211. The coolant enters from the outer liquid inlet 402 of the inner cooling pipe 8, first flows upward through the liquid outlet 830 into the punch 6 to cool the punch 6. The inner protrusion 601 of the punch 6 blocks the coolant from flowing downward, thereby increasing the residence time of the coolant in the punch to improve the cooling effect. Then the coolant flows out from the outside of the inner cooling pipe 8, that is, it flows out from the return channel and the outer liquid outlet 401 in sequence. When the coolant flow rate is too slow to reduce the temperature to a reasonable range, the coolant contained between the annular cut and the inner wall of the injection rod 4 begins to expand due to its high temperature. The coolant exerts a reaction force on both sides, thereby widening the gap between the fixing part 810 and the inner wall of the injection rod 4. The fixing part 810 and the inner wall of the injection rod 4 are unable to clamp the sealing ring 7 tightly, causing the coolant to overflow from the injection rod 4. The operator observes the coolant overflow and finds that the cooling effect is insufficient, and then increases the flow rate of the coolant to improve the cooling effect.

[0034] 2. The driving cylinder 3 drives the injection rod 4 to continue moving upward, which in turn drives the punch 6 to move upward, pushing the aluminum material in the vertical channel 230 upward so that the clamping mechanism can clamp away the aluminum material;

[0035] 3. After removing the aluminum material, the driving cylinder 3 moves the injection rod 4 downward, which in turn moves the punch 6 downward out of the vertical channel 230 for cooling. Specifically, the vertical channel 230 is open at both ends to form a ventilation state. The temperature difference between the inside and outside of the vertical channel 230 generates wind. The insulating oil in the spiral channel 211 isolates the inside and outside of the vertical channel 230, preventing the temperature from dissipating from the side wall of the vertical channel 230. This allows the temperature to be carried away by the wind from the top and bottom ends of the vertical channel 230, thereby increasing the time and magnitude of the wind flow. The wind carries away the heat inside the vertical channel 230 and passes through the punch 6, also carrying away the heat from the punch 6. The punch 6 cools down and shrinks, making its volume smaller so that it can be inserted into the lower end of the vertical channel 230 next time.

[0036] The above descriptions are merely embodiments of the present invention, and common knowledge such as specific technical solutions and / or characteristics are not described in detail here. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the technical solutions of the present invention, and these should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention. These modifications and improvements will not affect the effectiveness of the implementation of the present invention or the practicality of the patent. The scope of protection claimed in this application should be determined by the content of its claims, and the specific embodiments described in the specification can be used to interpret the content of the claims.

Claims

1. A semi-solid pulper characterized by: The device includes a frame, on which a pulping component and an ejection mechanism below the pulping component are provided. The pulping component has a vertical channel that runs through the upper and lower sides of the pulping component. The ejection mechanism includes an injection rod, and a punch is provided at the top of the injection rod. The punch has a hollow structure and is slidably connected to the vertical channel and can close the lower end of the vertical channel. The top of the punch is perpendicular to the side wall of the vertical channel. A connector is provided between the injection rod and the punch. Both the connector and the injection rod are hollow structures. The injection rod, the connector, and the punch are internally connected. The hollow cross-section inside the connector is smaller than the hollow cross-section inside the injection rod and the punch. The injection rod is used to drive the punch downward out of the vertical channel. The injection rod has an external liquid inlet and an external liquid outlet on its side wall. The injection rod also contains a vertical internal cooling pipe, which, from bottom to top, includes a fixing part, a liquid inlet part, and a liquid outlet part. The bottom of the fixing part is bolted to the injection rod. Two sealing rings are provided between the fixing part and the side wall of the injection rod, both located below the external liquid outlet. An internal liquid inlet is located on the side of the liquid inlet part. The liquid outlet part passes through the connector and inserts into the punch. The top of the liquid outlet part is the internal liquid outlet. The space between the internal cooling pipe, the punch, the connector, and the injection rod forms a reflux channel, which connects the internal liquid outlet and the external liquid outlet. The external liquid inlet, internal liquid inlet, liquid inlet part, liquid outlet part, internal liquid outlet, reflux channel, and external liquid outlet are sequentially connected. An annular cut is provided on the liquid inlet part, located below the internal liquid inlet and above the two sealing rings. Part of the coolant is contained between the annular cut and the inner wall of the injection rod. The pulping component has a spiral channel inside, which is spirally arranged around the vertical channel and contains heat-insulating oil. The frame includes an upper connecting plate and a lower connecting plate. Several vertical positioning screws are bolted between the upper and lower connecting plates. The pulping component is fixed on the upper connecting plate. The lower connecting plate is equipped with a hydraulic cylinder, and the output shaft of the hydraulic cylinder is connected to the bottom of the injection rod.

2. The semi-solid pulper of claim 1, wherein: Both ends of the connector are provided with external threads, and the upper and lower ends of the connector are respectively threaded to the top of the punch and the top of the injection rod.

3. The semi-solid pulper of claim 1, wherein: The connector has a protruding middle section that forms a bearing section, which can transmit the impact force of the injection rod to the punch.

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