Aluminum alloy hub gravity casting equipment and casting process

Abstract

The invention is suitable for the technical field of aluminum alloy casting, and provides aluminum alloy hub gravity casting equipment and a casting technology.The aluminum alloy hub gravity casting equipment comprises a lower die mechanism and an upper die mechanism, and the lower die mechanism comprises a lower die part, a first installation part fixedly installed on the lower die part and a second installation part fixedly installed on the lower die part; the upper mold mechanism comprises an upper mold part in sliding fit with the lower mold part, a cooling part fixedly installed on the upper mold part and a bearing part in sliding fit with the upper mold part, and the device solves the problems that in the mold opening process, a hub often directly falls down to be demolded, an effective bearing structure is lacked, the hub is likely to collide with equipment or the ground, and the service life of the hub is prolonged. The technical problems that due to the structural design of the lower die mechanism and the upper die mechanism, the hub subjected to gravity casting cooling forming is received in time, the hub is prevented from being collided or deformed due to direct falling and demolding, and the casting quality is guaranteed are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aluminum alloy casting technology, and more specifically, to an aluminum alloy wheel hub gravity casting equipment and casting process. Background Technology

[0002] Aluminum alloy wheels are core components for vehicle load-bearing and steering, and their performance directly affects driving safety and energy efficiency. With their advantages of lightweight and high specific strength, aluminum alloy wheels have become the mainstream choice for modern automobiles. Gravity casting, as the main forming process for aluminum alloy wheels, involves filling the mold cavity with molten metal by its own weight and forming a blank through natural solidification.

[0003] Currently, the gravity casting equipment for aluminum alloy wheels on the market often suffers from the following technical problems during use: During the mold opening process, when the upper mold separates from the formed wheel hub, the wheel hub often falls directly to demold without an effective support structure. This can easily cause the wheel hub to collide with the equipment or the ground, resulting in damage or deformation of the wheel hub surface and affecting the product yield. In addition, although some equipment is equipped with a support device, most of them use an independent drive mechanism, which increases the complexity of the equipment structure and the difficulty of control. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the present invention aims to provide an aluminum alloy wheel hub gravity casting equipment and casting process that can automatically lift and translate the receiving part during the mold opening process, without the need for an additional power source, simplifying the control logic, improving the automation level and operational reliability of the equipment, and automatically moving the receiving base plate directly below the upper mold part to promptly receive the gravity-cast and cooled wheel hub, avoiding the wheel hub from falling directly to the mold and causing bumps or deformation, thus ensuring the quality of the casting.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A gravity casting device for aluminum alloy wheel hubs includes a lower mold mechanism and an upper mold mechanism. The lower mold mechanism includes a lower mold component, a first mounting component fixedly mounted on the lower mold component, and a second mounting component fixedly mounted on the lower mold component. The upper mold mechanism includes an upper mold component slidably fitted on the lower mold component, a cooling component fixedly mounted on the upper mold component, and a receiving component slidably fitted on the upper mold component. The lower mold component includes a support base with several guide vertical rods fixed to its top. The upper mold component includes an upper mold top plate that slidably fits between the several guide vertical rods. Symmetrical side plates are fixed to the bottom of the upper mold top plate, and a sliding groove is formed through one side of each side plate near the bottom. The receiving component includes a receiving bottom plate that slidably fits between the two sliding grooves. Symmetrical side baffles are fixed to the top of the receiving bottom plate, and a sliding groove is formed through one side of each side baffle. The first mounting component includes an L-shaped positioning plate fixedly mounted on the top of the guide vertical rods. Sliding rods that slidably fit with the sliding grooves are fixed to the opposite sides of the L-shaped positioning plate.

[0006] The invention is further configured such that: the sliding groove includes a vertical groove and an inclined groove arranged in sequence; two symmetrically arranged vertical plates are fixed on the top of the support base, and an inclined support plate parallel to the inclined groove is fixed between the two vertical plates; an inclined groove parallel to the inclined groove is opened through one side of each of the two side baffles located below the sliding groove, and the inclined groove slides in cooperation with the inclined support plate; a first hydraulic telescopic cylinder is fixed on the top of the support base, and a first connecting flange fixedly connected to the bottom of the upper mold top plate is fixed on the top of the first hydraulic telescopic cylinder.

[0007] The present invention is further configured such that: a first mounting plate is fixed to the top of the L-shaped positioning plate, and two first plug-in cylinders respectively inserted into and cooperating with the tops of the two guide vertical rods are fixed to the bottom of the first mounting plate; the second mounting component includes two second plug-in cylinders respectively inserted into and cooperating with the tops of the two guide vertical rods, and a second mounting plate is fixed to the top of the second plug-in cylinders.

[0008] The invention is further configured such that: an upper mold block is fixed to the bottom of the upper mold top plate; a cooling chamber extending downwards is formed on the top of the upper mold top plate directly above the upper mold block; a pouring hopper is connected to the top of the upper mold top plate directly above the upper mold block; the discharge end of the pouring hopper passes through the upper mold block; an elastic pressure-holding component is provided between the upper mold block and the upper mold top plate; a plurality of positioning holes are formed in a circumferential array on the top of the upper mold top plate; the cooling component includes a sealing ring embedded in the top of the cooling chamber; a second connecting flange is fixed to the top of the sealing ring; and the second connecting flange is connected to the positioning holes by bolts.

[0009] The present invention is further configured such that: a liquid outlet pipe and a liquid inlet pipe extending above the sealing ring are sequentially connected through the periphery of the second connecting flange, and one end of the liquid outlet pipe and the liquid inlet pipe respectively extends downward through the top of the sealing ring to the interior of the cooling chamber; a flow pipe is connected through the periphery of the liquid inlet pipe, a piston pipe is connected at the end of the flow pipe, and a guide pipe is connected at the end of the piston pipe.

[0010] The invention is further configured such that: a first connector is threaded to the end of the liquid outlet pipe; a water inlet pipe is connected to the periphery of the piston pipe; a second connector is threaded to the end of the water inlet pipe; a liquid storage tank is fixed to the top of the upper mold plate; a water outlet pipe and a circulation pipe are respectively connected to opposite sides of the liquid storage tank; a third connector and a fourth connector are threaded to the ends of the water outlet pipe and the circulation pipe; a flexible flow tube is connected between the first connector and the second connector and the third connector and the fourth connector, respectively; an external discharge pipe is connected to one outer side of the liquid storage tank; and an electromagnetic control valve is provided on the periphery of the external discharge pipe.

[0011] The invention is further configured such that: an L-shaped plate is fixed to the outer periphery of the piston tube; a guide groove is formed through the top of the L-shaped plate; a piston is reciprocatingly slidably fitted inside the piston tube; a sliding rod is fixed to the end of the piston and slidably fitted with the guide tube; an I-shaped sliding block is slidably fitted inside the guide groove; a connecting plate is fixed between the I-shaped sliding block and the sliding rod; a lower extension plate is fixed to the side of the second mounting plate; a first guide groove is formed through the side of the lower extension plate; a second guide groove is formed through the side of the lower extension plate and communicates with the first guide groove; the second guide groove comprises several inclined guide grooves and vertical guide grooves arranged at intervals; a guide rod is fixed to the side of the I-shaped sliding block and slidably fitted with the first guide groove and the second guide groove.

[0012] The present invention is further configured such that: a lower mold block is fixed to the top of the support base; L-shaped support side plates are fixed to both opposite sides of the support base; a second hydraulic telescopic cylinder is fixed to the inner wall of each of the two L-shaped support side plates; a side mold is fixed to the telescopic end of each of the two second hydraulic telescopic cylinders; and a PLC controller electrically connected to the first hydraulic telescopic cylinder, the second hydraulic telescopic cylinder, and the electromagnetic control valve is fixed to one outer side of one of the L-shaped support side plates.

[0013] The present invention is further configured as follows: a casting process for an aluminum alloy wheel hub gravity casting equipment, comprising the following process steps: T1, the second hydraulic telescopic cylinder is extended by the PLC controller to push the two molds to close in the middle. When the mold is closed, it is located on the side of the upper mold part to avoid interference with the mold closing. Together with the lower mold block and the upper mold block, it forms a complete wheel hub casting cavity. The receiving base plate is located on the side of the upper mold part when the mold is closed to avoid interference with the mold closing. At the same time, the first hydraulic telescopic cylinder drives the upper mold top plate to descend along the guide vertical rod, so that the upper mold part and the lower mold part are closed in place. The receiving base plate is guided by the sliding rod to return to the initial position along the sliding groove. After steps T2 and T1 are completed, the operator or the automatic gating system injects molten aluminum alloy into the cavity through the gating hopper. Under the action of gravity, the molten metal enters the cavity formed by the upper mold block, the lower mold block and the molds on both sides from the discharge end of the gating hopper, filling the entire cavity and starting the wheel hub forming process. T3. After the molten metal is injected into the cavity, a static pressure holding and cooling process is carried out for 5-8 minutes to allow the molten metal to initially form. After static cooling is completed, the PLC controller controls the start of the cooling component to perform temperature-controlled cooling. At the same time, the first hydraulic telescopic cylinder drives the upper mold top plate to make a fixed stroke of 8-10mm with small lifting and lowering. The lifting and lowering of the upper mold top plate drives the guide rod to slide along the first guide groove and enter the second guide groove, passing through the inclined guide groove and the vertical guide groove in sequence. In steps T4 and T3, in the inclined guide groove section, the guide round rod drives the I-shaped sliding block to move horizontally in the guide transverse groove. Through the connecting plate, the sliding rod is driven to slide back and forth, driving the piston to reciprocate in the piston tube at a frequency of 15-20 times / minute. This causes the coolant to generate pulse flow at a rated flow rate of 2-3L / min, forming intermittent cooling impacts to avoid stress concentration caused by the initial cooling of the already cast wheel hub. T5. When the guide rod enters the vertical guide groove section, the piston stops reciprocating and the coolant enters a stable flow state, continuously cooling the already cast hub. The coolant circulates and absorbs heat in the cooling chamber. After completing the heat exchange, it flows back to the storage tank through the outlet pipe, the first connector, the flow hose, the fourth connector, and the circulation pipe. The coolant in the storage tank is continuously replenished to the piston tube through the outlet pipe, the third connector, the flow hose, the second connector, and the inlet pipe, realizing the closed-loop circulation of the coolant. T6. When the temperature sensor detects that the coolant temperature is too high, the PLC controller automatically controls the solenoid control valve to open, discharge the high-temperature coolant and replenish the fresh coolant. After the cooling process of T7 and the wheel hub is completed, the PLC controller controls the first hydraulic telescopic cylinder to retract, which drives the upper mold top plate to rise vertically along the guide rod. During the rise of the upper mold top plate, the sliding rod is first located in the vertical groove of the sliding groove. As the upper mold top plate continues to rise, the sliding rod slides into the inclined groove, so that the receiving base plate undergoes horizontal displacement while rising vertically. At the same time, the inclined groove and the inclined support plate slide together, guiding the receiving base plate to move smoothly to the bottom of the upper mold part, so as to receive the demolded wheel hub in time. T8. After the base plate receives the wheel hub, the operator or robot removes the wheel hub from the base plate. Then, the PLC controller controls the first hydraulic telescopic cylinder to extend, driving the upper mold top plate to descend and reset. The sliding rod slides from the inclined groove into the vertical groove again, and the base plate automatically returns to its initial position, completing one casting cycle.

[0014] The advantages of this invention are: 1. This invention cleverly utilizes the upward stroke during mold opening, and automatically extends into the bottom of the mold cavity through the mechanical slide linkage receiving plate. The entire cooling pulse drive and mold opening receiving action share the same drive cylinder. Without the need to add an additional electric control drive source, it achieves a smooth transition in the process and lightweight equipment, which greatly reduces the equipment failure rate and maintenance cost.

[0015] 2. During the mold opening process, the present invention automatically moves the receiving base plate to directly below the upper mold part to receive the gravity-cast and cooled wheel hub in a timely manner, avoiding the wheel hub from falling directly to the mold and causing bumps or deformation, thus ensuring the quality of the casting.

[0016] 3. In the process of using this invention, the first and second hydraulic telescopic cylinders are used for micro-amplitude high-frequency lifting during mold closing / opening. Combined with the inclined guide groove, the vertical motion is converted into the horizontal pulse power of the cooling piston. Pulse cooling is introduced in the early stage of wheel hub forming, which breaks the boundary layer generated by the traditional static cooling interface, significantly improves the heat exchange efficiency and avoids the stress concentration phenomenon at the wheel hub spokes.

[0017] 4. During use, the present invention, through multiple guiding structures such as guide rods, sliding grooves, and inclined support plates, ensures that the upper mold parts, receiving parts, and side molds move accurately and without jamming during the mold closing and opening process, thereby improving the mold fitting accuracy and extending the mold service life. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a gravity casting equipment for aluminum alloy wheel hubs according to the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the lower mold mechanism of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the upper mold mechanism of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the mold component of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a top view of the mold component of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first mounting component of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second mounting component of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 8 This is a side view of the second mounting component of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the mold component of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 10 This is a front view of the mold component of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the cooling component of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the cooling component of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the receiving component of the present invention.

[0031] In the diagram: 1. Lower mold mechanism; 2. Upper mold mechanism; 3. Lower mold component; 4. First mounting component; 5. Second mounting component; 6. Upper mold component; 7. Cooling component; 8. Receiving component; 301. Support base; 302. Guide vertical rod; 303. Vertical plate; 304. Inclined support plate; 305. First hydraulic telescopic cylinder; 306. First connecting flange; 307. L-shaped support side plate; 308. Second hydraulic telescopic cylinder; 309. Side mold Components: 310. PLC controller; 311. Lower mold block; 401. L-shaped positioning plate; 402. Sliding rod; 403. First mounting plate; 404. First connector sleeve; 501. Second connector sleeve; 502. Second mounting plate; 503. Lower extension plate; 504. First guide groove; 505. Second guide groove; 5051. Inclined guide groove; 5052. Vertical guide groove; 601. Upper mold top plate; 602. Side plate; 603. 604. Sliding groove; 605. Upper mold block; 606. Cooling chamber; 607. Casting hopper; 608. Positioning hole; 609. Liquid storage tank; 610. Water outlet pipe; 611. Circulation pipe; 612. Third connector; 613. Fourth connector; 614. External discharge pipe; 705. Solenoid control valve; 706. Sealing ring; 707. Second connecting flange; 708. Liquid outlet pipe; 709. Liquid inlet pipe; 7000. Flow pipe; 701. Piston tube; 707, guide tube; 708, first connector; 709, water inlet pipe; 710, second connector; 711, L-shaped plate; 712, guide transverse groove; 713, piston; 714, slide rod; 715, I-shaped sliding block; 716, connecting plate; 717, guide round rod; 801, receiving base plate; 802, side baffle; 803, sliding groove; 8031, vertical groove; 8032, oblique groove; 804, oblique groove. Detailed Implementation

[0032] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0033] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains.

[0034] In this invention, unless otherwise stated, the directional terms such as "up" and "down" generally refer to the directions shown in the accompanying drawings, or to the vertical, perpendicular, or gravitational direction; similarly, for ease of understanding and description, "left" and "right" generally refer to the left and right shown in the accompanying drawings; "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours of each component itself, but the above directional terms are not intended to limit this invention.

[0035] Example 1, please refer to Figures 1-13The present invention provides the following technical solutions: A gravity casting device for aluminum alloy wheel hubs, specifically comprising a lower mold mechanism 1 and an upper mold mechanism 2. The lower mold mechanism 1 includes a lower mold component 3, a first mounting component 4 fixedly mounted on the lower mold component 3, and a second mounting component 5 fixedly mounted on the lower mold component 3. The upper mold mechanism 2 includes an upper mold component 6 slidably fitted on the lower mold component 3, a cooling component 7 fixedly mounted on the upper mold component 6, and a receiving component 8 slidably fitted on the upper mold component 6. The lower mold component 3 includes a support base 301, with a plurality of guide vertical rods 302 fixed to the top of the support base 301. The upper mold component 6 includes an upper mold top plate 601 that slidably fits between the plurality of guide vertical rods 302, with symmetrical side plates 602 fixed to the bottom of the upper mold top plate 601, and a sliding groove 603 extending through one side of each side plate 602 near the bottom. The receiving component 8 includes a receiving bottom plate 801 that slidably fits between the two sliding grooves 603, with symmetrical side stops fixed to the top of the receiving bottom plate 801. The plate 802 has a sliding groove 803 extending through one side of each of the two side baffles 802; the first mounting component 4 includes an L-shaped positioning plate 401 fixed to the top of the guide vertical rod 302, and sliding rods 402 that slide in cooperation with the sliding groove 803 are fixed to the opposite sides of the L-shaped positioning plate 401; the sliding groove 803 includes a vertical groove 8031 ​​and an inclined groove 8032 connected in sequence; two symmetrically arranged vertical plates 303 are fixed to the top of the support base 301, and an inclined support plate 304 parallel to the inclined groove 8032 is fixed between the two vertical plates 303; an inclined groove 804 parallel to the inclined groove 8032 is extending through one side of each of the two side baffles 802 below the sliding groove 803, and the inclined groove 804 slides in cooperation with the inclined support plate 304; a first hydraulic telescopic cylinder 305 is fixed to the top of the support base 301, and a first connecting flange 306 fixed to the top of the first hydraulic telescopic cylinder 305 and fixedly connected to the bottom of the upper mold top plate 601.

[0036] The specific application of this embodiment is as follows: When casting aluminum alloy wheel hubs, the upper mold mechanism 2 and the lower mold mechanism 1 are first prepared for mold closing to facilitate the gravity casting process. After casting is completed, the first hydraulic telescopic cylinder 305 is activated. Its telescopic end pushes the upper mold top plate 601 vertically upward along several guide rods 302 through the first connecting flange 306. At this time, the upper mold top plate 601 drives the two side plates 602 to move upward together. During the upward movement, as the upper mold top plate 601 moves upward continuously, the receiving bottom plate 801 in the sliding groove 603 is guided by the sliding rod 402, opening... The sliding rod 402 initially moves along the trajectory of the sliding groove 803. Specifically, the sliding rod 402 is initially located in the vertical groove 8031. As the upper mold top plate 601 continues to rise, the sliding rod 402 slides into the inclined groove 8032, causing the receiving base plate 801 to undergo horizontal displacement while rising vertically. This enables the receiving part 8 to automatically avoid or adjust its position relative to the upper mold part 6, facilitating timely reception of the gravity-cast and cooled wheel hub after demolding and preventing the gravity-cast and cooled wheel hub from falling directly to the demold. At the same time, the inclined grooves 804 on both sides of the receiving base plate 801 and the inclined support plate... The 304 sliding fit further guides the receiving base plate 801 to move smoothly along the slope, ensuring its movement trajectory is accurate and without jamming. The inclined support plate 304 is set parallel to the inclined groove 8032, playing an auxiliary guiding and supporting role, enhancing the stability of the receiving part 8 during movement. When the upper mold top plate 601 rises to the set position, the receiving base plate 801 completely moves to the area directly below the upper mold part 6, facilitating subsequent demolding or mold cleaning operations on the gravity-cast and cooled wheel hub. After the demolding or mold cleaning operation is completed, the first hydraulic telescopic cylinder 305 retracts in the reverse direction, driving the upper mold. The top plate 601 descends, and the sliding rod 402 slides again from the inclined groove 8032 into the vertical groove 8031. The receiving base plate 801 then resets, ready for the next mold closing and casting. The entire process is driven by the single action of the first hydraulic telescopic cylinder 305, combined with the linkage of the sliding groove 803, the inclined groove 804, the sliding rod 402, and the inclined support plate 304. This realizes the automatic lifting and translation process of the receiving part 8 during the mold closing and opening process, which facilitates the timely receiving and support of the wheel hub that has been gravity cast and cooled after demolding. It simplifies the control logic and improves the automation level and operational reliability of the equipment.

[0037] Example 2, please refer to Figures 1-13This second embodiment is an improvement on the first embodiment as follows: Specifically, a first mounting plate 403 is fixed to the top of the L-shaped positioning plate 401, and two first insertion cylinders 404, which are respectively inserted and fitted to the tops of the two guide vertical rods 302, are fixed to the bottom of the first mounting plate 403; the second mounting component 5 includes two second insertion cylinders 501, which are respectively inserted and fitted to the tops of the two guide vertical rods 302, and a second mounting plate 502 is fixed to the top of the second insertion cylinders 501; an upper mold block 604 is fixed to the bottom of the upper mold top plate 601, and a downwardly extending cooling chamber 605 is opened at the top of the upper mold top plate 601 directly above the upper mold block 604. A pouring hopper 606 is connected directly above block 604. The discharge end of the pouring hopper 606 passes through the upper mold block 604. An elastic pressure-holding component is provided between the upper mold block 604 and the upper mold top plate 601 (the elastic pressure-holding component (such as a high-strength compression spring or disc spring) provided between the upper mold block 604 and the upper mold top plate 601 allows the upper mold block 604 to fit tightly and maintain a seal with the side mold 309 described in specific embodiment 2 under the thrust of the elastic pressure-holding component during the mold closing and initial cooling stages). The top of the upper mold top plate 601 has a plurality of positioning holes 607 arranged in a circumferential array on its top. The cooling component 7 includes a sealing element embedded in the top of the cooling chamber 605. A second connecting flange 702 is fixed to the top of a sealing ring 701, and the second connecting flange 702 is connected to a positioning hole 607 by bolts. A liquid outlet pipe 703 and a liquid inlet pipe 704 extend through the periphery of the second connecting flange 702, extending above the sealing ring 701. One end of each of the liquid outlet pipe 703 and liquid inlet pipe 704 extends downwards through the top of the sealing ring 701 into the interior of the cooling chamber 605. A flow pipe 705 is connected to the periphery of the liquid inlet pipe 704, and a piston pipe 706 is connected to the end of the flow pipe 705. A guide pipe 707 is connected to the end of the piston pipe 706. A first connector 708 is threaded to the end of the liquid outlet pipe 703. A water inlet pipe 709 is connected to the 6th side of the upper mold. The end of the water inlet pipe 709 is threadedly connected to a second connector 710. A liquid storage tank 608 is fixed to the top of the upper mold plate 601. A water outlet pipe 609 and a circulation pipe 610 are respectively connected to the opposite sides of the liquid storage tank 608. The ends of the water outlet pipe 609 and the circulation pipe 610 are respectively threadedly connected to a third connector 611 and a fourth connector 612. A flow hose is provided between the first connector 708 and the second connector 710 and the third connector 611 and the fourth connector 612 respectively. An external discharge pipe 613 is connected to one outer side of the liquid storage tank 608. An electromagnetic control valve 614 is provided on the periphery of the external discharge pipe 613.An L-shaped plate 711 is fixed to the outer periphery of the piston tube 706. A guide groove 712 is formed through the top of the L-shaped plate 711. A piston 713 is reciprocatingly slidably fitted inside the piston tube 706. A slide rod 714 that slides with the guide tube 707 is fixed to the end of the piston 713. An I-shaped sliding block 715 is slidably fitted inside the guide groove 712. A connecting plate 716 is fixed between the I-shaped sliding block 715 and the slide rod 714. A lower extension plate 503 is fixed to the side of the second mounting plate 502. A first guide groove 504 is formed through the side of the lower extension plate 503. A second guide groove 505 that communicates with the first guide groove 504 is formed through the side of the lower extension plate 503. The second guide groove 505 includes several... The system comprises an inclined guide groove 5051 and a vertical guide groove 5052 arranged at intervals; a guide rod 717 is fixed to the side of the I-shaped sliding block 715, which slides in cooperation with the first guide groove 504 and the second guide groove 505; a lower mold block 311 is fixed to the top of the support base 301; L-shaped support side plates 307 are fixed to both opposite sides of the support base 301; a second hydraulic telescopic cylinder 308 is fixed to the inner wall of each of the two L-shaped support side plates 307; a side mold 309 is fixed to the telescopic end of each of the two second hydraulic telescopic cylinders 308; and a PLC controller 310, which is electrically connected to the first hydraulic telescopic cylinder 305, the second hydraulic telescopic cylinder 308, and the electromagnetic control valve 614, is fixed to one outer side of one L-shaped support side plate 307.

[0038] The specific application of this embodiment two is as follows: Before casting the aluminum alloy wheel hub, the process parameters are first set by the PLC controller 310, and the equipment is started. The PLC controller 310 controls the extension of the second hydraulic telescopic cylinder 308, pushing the two molds 309 to close in the middle, forming a complete wheel hub casting cavity together with the lower mold block 311 and the upper mold block 604. After the wheel hub casting cavity is closed, the operator or the automatic pouring system injects molten aluminum alloy into the cavity through the pouring hopper 606. The molten liquid fills the entire cavity under the action of gravity, and the wheel hub forming process begins. After the molten liquid is injected into the cavity, the PLC controller 310 starts the cooling component 7 to perform zoned temperature control cooling according to the preset cooling curve. During the process, to achieve cooling rate control, this embodiment features a unique cooling structure. Later, as the upper mold top plate 601 rises and falls, it drives the L-shaped plate 711 and its I-shaped sliding block 715 to move together. The guide rod 717 on the side of the I-shaped sliding block 715 simultaneously slides with the first guide groove 504 and the second guide groove 505. When the upper mold top plate 601 rises, the guide rod 717 initially slides inside the first guide groove 504. At this time, the unique cooling structure's cooling process is not implemented, meaning the reciprocating motion of the piston 713 is not performed, preventing uncontrolled detachment of the formed wheel hub adhering to the upper mold block 604 when the upper mold mechanism 2 rises (avoiding adhesion to the upper mold). (If the already formed wheel hub on the mold block 604 falls off uncontrollably before the receiving plate is directly below the upper mold block 604, to avoid affecting the subsequent wheel hub receiving process, after the guide rod 717 slides into the second guide groove 505 inside the first guide groove 504, the guide rod 717 moves along the trajectory of the second guide groove 505, passing through the inclined guide groove 5051 and the vertical guide groove 5052 in sequence. In the inclined guide groove 5051 section, the guide rod 717 drives the I-shaped sliding block 715 to move horizontally in the guide transverse groove 712, and drives the sliding rod 714 to slide back and forth in the guide tube 707 through the connecting plate 716, thereby driving the piston 713 to reciprocate in the piston tube 706. The piston 713 reciprocates...) The reciprocating motion causes the coolant to flow in a pulsed manner, creating an intermittent cooling impact effect. This avoids stress concentration in the casting caused by continuous cooling. When the guide rod 717 enters the vertical guide groove 5052, the piston 713 stops reciprocating, and the coolant enters a stable flow state for continuous cooling. This alternating pulsed and stable cooling effectively improves the density and uniformity of the internal structure of the casting during the cooling process. Under the action of the piston 713, the coolant in the reservoir 608 flows out through the outlet pipe 609, through the third connector 611 and the flow hose into the second connector 710, and then through the piston pipe 706 into the flow pipe 705.The coolant then flows through the flow pipe 705 into the inlet pipe 704, where it undergoes a water-cooling process inside the cooling chamber 605. After absorbing heat, the coolant flows back to the storage tank 608 through the outlet pipe 703, the first connector 708, the flow hose, the fourth connector 612, and the circulation pipe 610, completing one cooling cycle. (A temperature sensor (not shown in the figure) is installed inside the storage tank 608. When the coolant temperature is too high, the PLC controller 310 can control the solenoid control valve 614 to open, discharging some of the high-temperature coolant through the outlet pipe 613 while replenishing fresh coolant to ensure stable cooling performance.) After the wheel hub has cooled and solidified, the PLC controller 310 controls the first hydraulic telescopic cylinder 305 to retract, causing the upper mold top plate 601 to rise. As described in Embodiment 1 above, the receiving base plate 801, guided by the sliding rod 402 and the inclined support plate 304, automatically moves to directly below the upper mold part 6, ready to receive the wheel hub that is about to be demolded. After receiving the wheel hub that is about to be demolded, the PLC controller 310 controls the first hydraulic telescopic cylinder 305 to extend, causing the upper mold top plate 601 to descend and reset. The receiving base plate 801 then automatically returns to its initial position, ready for the next gravity casting cycle.

[0039] Example 3: A casting process for an aluminum alloy wheel hub gravity casting equipment includes the following steps: T1: The second hydraulic telescopic cylinder 308 is extended by the PLC controller 310, pushing the two molds 309 to close in the middle, forming a complete wheel hub casting cavity together with the lower mold block 311 and the upper mold block 604. The receiving base plate 801 is located on the side of the upper mold part 6 when the mold is closed to avoid interference with the mold closing. At the same time, the first hydraulic telescopic cylinder 305 drives the upper mold top plate 601 to descend along the guide vertical rod 302, so that the upper mold part 6 and the lower mold part 3 are closed in place. The receiving base plate 801 is guided by the sliding rod 402 to return to the initial position along the sliding groove 803. After steps T2 and T1 are completed, the operator or the automatic gating system injects molten aluminum alloy into the cavity through the gating hopper 606. Under the action of gravity, the molten metal enters the cavity formed by the upper mold block 604, the lower mold block 311 and the two side molds 309 from the discharge end of the gating hopper 606, filling the entire cavity and starting the wheel hub forming process. T3. After the molten metal is injected into the cavity, a static pressure holding and cooling process is carried out for 5-8 minutes to allow the molten metal to initially form. After the static cooling is completed, the PLC controller 310 controls the start of the cooling component 7 to perform temperature-controlled cooling. At the same time, it controls the first hydraulic telescopic cylinder 305 to drive the upper mold top plate 601 to make a fixed stroke of 8-10mm with small lifting and lowering. The lifting and lowering of the upper mold top plate 601 drives the guide rod 717 to slide along the first guide groove 504 and enter the second guide groove 505, passing through the inclined guide groove 5051 and the vertical guide groove 5052 in sequence. In steps T4 and T3, in the inclined guide groove 5051 section, the guide rod 717 drives the I-shaped sliding block 715 to move horizontally in the guide transverse groove 712, and drives the sliding rod 714 to slide back and forth through the connecting plate 716, driving the piston 713 to reciprocate in the piston tube 706 at a frequency of 15-20 times / minute, so that the coolant generates pulse flow at the rated flow rate of 2-3L / min, forming intermittent cooling impact, avoiding stress concentration caused by the initial cooling of the already cast wheel hub; T5. When the guide rod 717 enters the vertical guide groove 5052, the piston 713 stops reciprocating, and the coolant enters a stable flow state to continuously cool the already cast hub. The coolant circulates and absorbs heat in the cooling chamber 605. After completing the heat exchange, it flows back to the storage tank 608 through the outlet pipe 703, the first connector 708, the flow hose, the fourth connector 612, and the circulation pipe 610. The coolant in the storage tank 608 is continuously replenished to the piston tube 706 through the outlet pipe 609, the third connector 611, the flow hose, the second connector 710, and the inlet pipe 709 to achieve a closed-loop circulation of the coolant. T6. When the temperature sensor detects that the coolant temperature is too high, the PLC controller 310 automatically controls the solenoid control valve 614 to open, discharge the high-temperature coolant and replenish the fresh coolant. After the cooling process of T7 and the wheel hub is completed, the PLC controller 310 controls the first hydraulic telescopic cylinder 305 to retract, which drives the upper mold top plate 601 to rise vertically along the guide vertical rod 302. During the rise of the upper mold top plate 601, the sliding rod 402 is first located in the vertical groove 8031 ​​of the sliding groove 803. As the upper mold top plate 601 continues to rise, the sliding rod 402 slides into the inclined groove 8032, so that the receiving base plate 801 undergoes horizontal displacement while rising vertically. At the same time, the inclined groove 804 slides with the inclined support plate 304 to guide the receiving base plate 801 to move smoothly to the bottom of the upper mold part 6, so as to receive the demolded wheel hub in time. After the hub is received by the base plate 801, the operator or robot removes the hub from the base plate 801. Then, the PLC controller 310 controls the first hydraulic telescopic cylinder 305 to extend, driving the upper mold top plate 601 to descend and reset. The sliding rod 402 slides again from the inclined groove 8032 into the vertical groove 8031, and the base plate 801 automatically returns to the initial position, completing one casting cycle.

[0040] Obviously, the embodiments described above are merely some, not all, embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0041] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this application. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0042] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented in sequences other than those illustrated or described herein.

[0043] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0044] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. All technical solutions falling within the scope of the present invention's concept are within the scope of protection of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, any improvements and modifications made without departing from the principles of the present invention should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A gravity casting device for aluminum alloy wheel hubs, comprising a lower mold mechanism (1) and an upper mold mechanism (2), characterized in that: The lower mold mechanism (1) includes a lower mold component (3), a first mounting component (4) fixedly mounted on the lower mold component (3), and a second mounting component (5) fixedly mounted on the lower mold component (3). The upper mold mechanism (2) includes an upper mold component (6) slidably fitted on the lower mold component (3), a cooling component (7) fixedly mounted on the upper mold component (6), and a receiving component (8) slidably fitted on the upper mold component (6). The lower mold component (3) includes a support base (301), and a number of guide rods (302) are fixed on the top of the support base (301). The upper mold component (6) includes an upper mold top plate (601) that slides through and is slidably fitted between several guide vertical rods (302). The bottom of the upper mold top plate (601) is fixed with two symmetrical side plates (602). Each of the two side plates (602) has a sliding groove (603) that is opened through it near the bottom. The receiving component (8) includes a receiving base plate (801) that is slidably fitted between two sliding grooves (603). The top of the receiving base plate (801) is fixed with two symmetrical side baffles (802), and a sliding groove (803) is provided through one side of each of the two side baffles (802). The first mounting component (4) includes an L-shaped positioning plate (401) fixed on the top of the guide vertical rod (302), and the L-shaped positioning plate (401) has sliding rods (402) fixed on both sides of the L-shaped positioning plate (401) to slide in cooperation with the sliding groove (803).

2. The gravity casting equipment for aluminum alloy wheel hubs according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sliding groove (803) includes a vertical groove (8031) and an inclined groove (8032) connected in sequence; The top of the support base (301) is fixed with two symmetrically arranged vertical plates (303), and between the two vertical plates (303) is a slanted support plate (304) arranged parallel to the slanted groove (8032). Both side baffles (802) have a through groove (804) on one side below the sliding groove (803) that is parallel to the inclined groove (8032). The inclined groove (804) is in sliding engagement with the inclined support plate (304). The support base (301) is fixed with a first hydraulic telescopic cylinder (305) at the top, and the first hydraulic telescopic cylinder (305) is fixed with a first connecting flange (306) that is fixedly connected to the bottom of the upper mold top plate (601).

3. The gravity casting equipment for aluminum alloy wheel hubs according to claim 2, characterized in that: The L-shaped positioning plate (401) has a first mounting plate (403) fixed to its top, and the bottom of the first mounting plate (403) has two first plug-in cylinders (404) that are respectively plugged into the top of the two guide vertical rods (302). The second mounting component (5) includes two second plug-in tubes (501) that are respectively plugged into the top of the two guide vertical rods (302), and a second mounting plate (502) is fixed on the top of the second plug-in tubes (501).

4. The gravity casting equipment for aluminum alloy wheel hubs according to claim 3, characterized in that: The upper mold top plate (601) is fixed with an upper mold block (604) at its bottom. The top of the upper mold top plate (601) is provided with a downward extending cooling chamber (605) directly above the upper mold block (604). A pouring hopper (606) is connected to the top of the upper mold top plate (601) directly above the upper mold block (604). The discharge end of the pouring hopper (606) passes through the upper mold block (604). An elastic pressure holding component is provided between the upper mold block (604) and the upper mold top plate (601). The top of the upper mold plate (601) is provided with a number of positioning holes (607) arranged in a circular array. The cooling component (7) includes a sealing ring (701) embedded in the top of the cooling chamber (605), and a second connecting flange (702) is fixed to the top of the sealing ring (701). The second connecting flange (702) is connected to the positioning hole (607) by bolts.

5. The gravity casting equipment for aluminum alloy wheel hubs according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second connecting flange (702) has an outlet pipe (703) and an inlet pipe (704) extending above the sealing ring (701) in sequence through its peripheral side. One end of the outlet pipe (703) and the inlet pipe (704) respectively penetrate the top of the sealing ring (701) and extend downward to the interior of the cooling chamber (605). The inlet pipe (704) is connected to a flow pipe (705) on its circumferential side, and the end of the flow pipe (705) is connected to a piston pipe (706), and the end of the piston pipe (706) is connected to a guide pipe (707).

6. The gravity casting equipment for aluminum alloy wheel hubs according to claim 5, characterized in that: The outlet pipe (703) is threaded to the end of a first connector (708), the piston pipe (706) is connected to a water inlet pipe (709) on its circumferential side, and the end of the water inlet pipe (709) is threaded to a second connector (710). A liquid storage tank (608) is fixed on the top of the upper mold plate (601). A water outlet pipe (609) and a circulation pipe (610) are respectively connected to the opposite sides of the liquid storage tank (608). The ends of the water outlet pipe (609) and the circulation pipe (610) are respectively threaded to a third connector (611) and a fourth connector (612). A flow hose is provided between the first connector (708) and the second connector (710) and the third connector (611) and the fourth connector (612) respectively. An external discharge pipe (613) is connected to one outer side of the liquid storage tank (608). An electromagnetic control valve (614) is provided on the periphery of the external discharge pipe (613).

7. The gravity casting equipment for aluminum alloy wheel hubs according to claim 6, characterized in that: An L-shaped plate (711) is fixed to the outer periphery of the piston tube (706). A guide groove (712) is provided through the top of the L-shaped plate (711). A piston (713) is reciprocally sliding inside the piston tube (706). A slide rod (714) is fixed to the end of the piston (713) and slides with the guide tube (707). An I-shaped sliding block (715) is slidingly fitted inside the guide groove (712). A connecting plate (716) is fixed between the I-shaped sliding block (715) and the slide rod (714). The second mounting plate (502) has a lower extension plate (503) fixed on its side. The lower extension plate (503) has a first guide groove (504) through it on its side. The lower extension plate (503) also has a second guide groove (505) through it on its side, which is connected to the first guide groove (504). The second guide groove (505) consists of several inclined guide grooves (5051) and vertical guide grooves (5052) that are spaced apart and connected to each other. The side of the I-shaped sliding block (715) is fixed with a guide rod (717) that slides in cooperation with the first guide groove (504) and the second guide groove (505).

8. The gravity casting equipment for aluminum alloy wheel hubs according to claim 7, characterized in that: The support base (301) is fixed with a lower mold block (311) at the top. The support base (301) is fixed with L-shaped support side plates (307) on both sides. The inner walls of the two L-shaped support side plates (307) are fixed with second hydraulic telescopic cylinders (308). The telescopic ends of the two second hydraulic telescopic cylinders (308) are fixed with side molds (309). A PLC controller (310) that is electrically connected to the first hydraulic telescopic cylinder (305), the second hydraulic telescopic cylinder (308), and the electromagnetic control valve (614) is fixed on one outer side of one L-shaped support side plate (307).

9. The casting process of the gravity casting equipment for aluminum alloy wheel hubs according to claim 8, characterized in that: The process includes the following steps: T1. The second hydraulic telescopic cylinder (308) is extended by the PLC controller (310) to push the two molds (309) to close in the middle, forming a complete wheel hub casting cavity together with the lower mold block (311) and the upper mold block (604). The receiving base plate (801) is located on the side of the upper mold part (6) when the mold is closed to avoid interference with the mold closing. At the same time, the first hydraulic telescopic cylinder (305) drives the upper mold top plate (601) to descend along the guide vertical rod (302) so that the upper mold part (6) and the lower mold part (3) are closed in place. The receiving base plate (801) returns to the initial position along the sliding groove (803) under the guidance of the sliding rod (402). After steps T2 and T1 are completed, the operator or the automatic gating system injects molten aluminum alloy into the cavity through the gating hopper (606). Under the action of gravity, the molten liquid enters the cavity formed by the upper mold block (604), the lower mold block (311) and the two side molds (309) from the discharge end of the gating hopper (606), filling the entire cavity and starting the wheel hub forming process. T3. After the molten liquid is injected into the cavity, a static pressure holding and cooling process of 5-8 minutes is carried out to allow the molten liquid to initially form. After static cooling is completed, the PLC controller (310) controls the start of the cooling component (7) to perform temperature-controlled cooling. At the same time, the first hydraulic telescopic cylinder (305) is controlled to drive the upper mold top plate (601) to make a fixed stroke of 8-10mm with small lifting and lowering. The lifting and lowering of the upper mold top plate (601) drives the guide rod (717) to slide along the first guide groove (504) and enter the second guide groove (505), passing through the inclined guide groove (5051) and the vertical guide groove (5052) in sequence. In steps T4 and T3, in the inclined guide groove (5051) section, the guide rod (717) drives the I-shaped sliding block (715) to move horizontally in the guide transverse groove (712), and drives the slide rod (714) to slide back and forth through the connecting plate (716), driving the piston (713) to reciprocate in the piston tube (706) at a frequency of 15-20 times / minute, so that the coolant generates pulse flow at a rated flow rate of 2-3L / min, forming intermittent cooling impact, avoiding stress concentration caused by the initial cooling of the already cast wheel hub; T5. When the guide rod (717) enters the vertical guide groove (5052) section, the piston (713) stops reciprocating and the coolant enters a stable flow state to continuously cool the already cast wheel hub. The coolant circulates and absorbs heat in the cooling chamber (605). After completing the heat exchange, it flows back to the storage tank (608) through the outlet pipe (703), the first connector (708), the flow hose, the fourth connector (612), and the circulation pipe (610). The coolant in the storage tank (608) is continuously replenished to the piston tube (706) through the outlet pipe (609), the third connector (611), the flow hose, the second connector (710), and the inlet pipe (709), thus realizing the closed-loop circulation of the coolant. T6. When the temperature sensor detects that the coolant temperature is too high, the PLC controller (310) automatically controls the solenoid control valve (614) to open, discharge the high-temperature coolant and replenish the fresh coolant. T7. After the cooling process of the wheel hub is completed, the PLC controller (310) controls the first hydraulic telescopic cylinder (305) to retract, which drives the upper mold top plate (601) to rise vertically along the guide rod (302). During the rise of the upper mold top plate (601), the sliding rod (402) is first located in the vertical groove (8031) of the sliding groove (803). As the upper mold top plate (601) continues to rise, the sliding rod (402) slides into the inclined groove (8032), so that the receiving base plate (801) undergoes horizontal displacement while rising vertically. At the same time, the inclined groove (804) and the inclined support plate (304) slide together, guiding the receiving base plate (801) to move smoothly to the bottom of the upper mold part (6) to receive the demolded wheel hub in time. T8. After the receiving base plate (801) receives the wheel hub, the operator or robot arm removes the wheel hub from the receiving base plate (801). Then, the PLC controller (310) controls the first hydraulic telescopic cylinder (305) to extend, driving the upper mold top plate (601) to descend and reset. The sliding rod (402) slides again from the inclined groove (8032) into the vertical groove (8031), and the receiving base plate (801) automatically returns to the initial position, completing one casting cycle.

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