Vacuum melting and die casting integrated forming method of amorphous alloy clamp
By using integrated vacuum melting and die casting equipment and methods, the problems of oxidation, porosity and creep of amorphous alloy micro clamping parts have been solved, enabling mass production of high-performance, low-cost amorphous alloy clamping parts with high elasticity and mirror-like appearance.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SANHUACHUANG TECHNOLOGY (DONGGUAN) CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2026-03-12
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-05
AI Technical Summary
Existing technologies make it difficult to effectively utilize the high strength and high elasticity of amorphous alloys in micro-clamping components. Furthermore, traditional processes result in zirconium-based amorphous alloys being prone to oxidation, rapid heat dissipation, and high porosity within the castings, making it difficult to achieve low-cost, high-quality mass production.
By employing integrated vacuum melting and die casting equipment and methods, amorphous alloy clamping parts are prepared through a full-chain vacuum environment, high-speed injection, and high-pressure holding solidification process. This ensures that the zirconium-based amorphous alloy does not come into contact with air during melting, conveying, and solidification, thereby reducing oxidation and porosity and achieving integrated molding.
The prepared amorphous alloy clamping parts have high elastic limit, excellent fatigue life and mirror-like appearance, solving the problems of material creep, oxidation and porosity in traditional processes, and realizing the mass production of high-performance, assembly-free and long-life micro-structural parts.
Smart Images
Figure CN122142271A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of precision alloy forming and consumer electronics structural components, and more specifically, to an integrated vacuum melting and die casting equipment and an integrated vacuum melting and die casting method for amorphous alloy clamping parts. Background Technology
[0002] In consumer electronics, electroacoustic equipment (such as wireless lavalier microphones), wearable devices, and industrial cable management, miniature clamps are key connection components for securing and wearing devices. As devices become increasingly miniaturized, lightweight, and high-quality, the market places more stringent demands on the structural reliability, appearance, and environmental resistance of clamps.
[0003] Currently, the micro clamping components on the market mainly adopt three technical routes: injection molding of engineering plastics, stamping assembly of stainless steel, or machining of titanium alloys. However, all of them have significant limitations. Although engineering plastic clamping components are inexpensive and easy to mold, the material has a low elastic modulus and poor creep resistance. After being in an open clamping state for a long time, stress relaxation can easily occur, leading to a decrease in clamping force (i.e., "loosening"), and even brittle fracture under accidental impact, resulting in a lack of quality. Traditional metal clamping components (such as stainless steel) have a low elastic strain limit (usually less than 0.5%), which means they cannot provide sufficient stroke and clamping force through their own deformation alone. Therefore, they usually require a complex combination structure of rotating shafts and torsion springs. This multi-component structure not only leads to cumbersome assembly processes and low production efficiency, but also makes it easy for dirt to accumulate at the joints. After contact with sweat or humid environments, the internal steel wire springs are prone to corrosion and jamming, leading to functional failure. Although titanium alloy clamping components solve the problems of corrosion resistance and strength, their molding mainly relies on CNC machining. For micro-clamping structures with complex curved surfaces or thin walls, CNC machining is difficult, tool wear is high, and material utilization is extremely low, resulting in high unit costs and making it difficult to achieve large-scale adoption in consumer electronics.
[0004] Amorphous alloys (also known as metallic glasses), especially zirconium-based amorphous alloys, possess both the high strength of metals and the excellent formability of glass due to their long-range disordered atomic structure. Their elastic strain limit can reach approximately 2%, more than three times that of ordinary stainless steel, and they also exhibit extremely high yield strength (≥1500 MPa) and excellent corrosion resistance. This unique "high strength and high elasticity" characteristic makes amorphous alloys ideal materials for manufacturing assembly-free, integrated elastic clamping structures.
[0005] However, the industrial application of amorphous alloys faces significant challenges in forming processes. Amorphous alloy melts are extremely sensitive to oxygen content at high temperatures and must solidify at extremely high cooling rates to suppress crystallization and maintain their amorphous state and superior properties. Traditional open die casting or gravity casting processes easily lead to oxidative inclusions in the alloy melt, or crystallization due to insufficient fluidity and cooling rate when filling micro-thin-walled cavities, resulting in brittle products and a sharp decline in performance. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a near-net-shape forming process that combines vacuum melting and high-speed die casting to overcome the technical bottlenecks in the low-cost, high-quality mass production of amorphous alloy micro-elastic structural parts. Summary of the Invention
[0006] In view of the above problems, the purpose of this invention is to provide a vacuum melting and die casting method for integral forming of amorphous alloy clamping parts, so as to solve the problems of easy oxidation of zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt upon contact with air, rapid heat loss during transfer, and high internal porosity of the formed castings in the existing traditional melting and injection separation process.
[0007] In a first aspect, the present invention provides an integrated vacuum melting and die-casting equipment, comprising a melting chamber, a melting crucible and a tilting drive mechanism disposed within the melting chamber, a die-casting mold, a material cylinder, an injection rod, a vacuum pump assembly, and a mold temperature controller, wherein... One end of the barrel is connected to the cavity of the die-casting mold, and the other end passes through the melting chamber and is connected to the injection rod; The smelting crucible is mounted on the tilting drive mechanism, which is used to drive the smelting crucible to tilt so as to pour the molten material formed by smelting into the material cylinder; The injection rod is used to inject the molten material in the barrel into the cavity of the die-casting mold; The die-casting mold is used to die-cast the molten material in the cavity; The vacuum pump unit is connected to the melting chamber and the die-casting mold, and is used to draw a vacuum. The mold temperature controller is connected to the die-casting mold and is used to preheat the die-casting mold.
[0008] Alternatively, the high-temperature resistant ceramic crucible may be a fused silica alumina composite ceramic crucible, a zirconia ceramic crucible, or a yttrium oxide ceramic crucible.
[0009] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method for integrally forming an amorphous alloy clamping part by vacuum melting and die casting, wherein the aforementioned integrated vacuum melting and die casting equipment is used to prepare the amorphous alloy clamping part, and the method includes: S1: The zirconium-based amorphous alloy raw material is placed in a melting crucible, wherein the general chemical composition of the zirconium-based amorphous alloy raw material, by atomic percentage, is: Zra Cu b Ni c Al d M e ; in, a, b, c, d, e For atomic percentages, and: 50.0≤ a ≤66.0; 17.0≤ b ≤35.0; 6.0≤ c ≤12.0; 7.0≤ d ≤11.0; 0≤ e ≤6.0; M Selected from at least one of Ti, Nb, Y, and Hf; S2: Before closing the mold, the die-casting mold is preheated to a preset temperature. S3: After the die-casting mold reaches the preset temperature, close the die-casting mold; S4: Evacuate the melting chamber, the barrel, and the die-casting mold to bring the integrated vacuum melting and die-casting equipment to a preset vacuum environment; S5: Under the vacuum environment, the melting crucible is heated to melt the zirconium-based amorphous alloy raw material in the melting crucible into a zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt and keep it at the temperature; S6: Pour the zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt into the barrel; S7: Under the action of the injection rod, the zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt in the barrel is injected into the cavity of the die-casting mold; S8: After the zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt fills the cavity, the zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt is solidified under pressure. S9: After the pressure holding and solidification are completed, the mold is opened to obtain the amorphous alloy casting. The slag bag, material stalk and flash of the amorphous alloy casting are removed to obtain a highly elastic amorphous alloy clamping part.
[0010] Alternatively, the high-elasticity amorphous alloy clamping member may include an elastic cantilever bent into a U-shape or Ω-shape and a clamping engagement portion disposed at the end of the elastic cantilever; wherein the wall thickness of the elastic cantilever is 0.5 to 1.5 mm.
[0011] Alternatively, in S2, the preset temperature is 150~280℃.
[0012] Alternatively, in S4, the pressure of the preset vacuum environment is lower than 15 Pa. In S5, the melting temperature of the zirconium-based amorphous alloy is 900–1000 °C.
[0013] Alternatively, in S6, the tilting rate of the melting crucible is 15–80° / s.
[0014] Alternatively, in S7, the injection rate of the injection rod is 0.5 to 3 m / s.
[0015] Alternatively, in S8, the pressure for holding the zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt is 10–300 MPa, and the holding time is 2–15 s.
[0016] Alternatively, in S9, the slag pocket, stalk, and flash of the amorphous alloy casting can be removed by mechanical separation or cutting.
[0017] As can be seen from the above technical solution, the vacuum melting and die casting integrated molding method for amorphous alloy clamping parts provided by the present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art: 1) This invention utilizes the ultra-high elastic strain limit (≥1.8%) of zirconium-based amorphous alloys to design an integrated U-shaped or Ω-shaped elastic cantilever structure, fundamentally solving the problem of "stress relaxation" (loosening after prolonged clamping) caused by material creep in traditional engineering plastic clamping components. Actual measurements show that the amorphous alloy clamping component prepared by this invention exhibits high elasticity. After undergoing more than 10,000 repeated outward expansion fatigue tests (corresponding to 1.2% strain), it still maintains more than 95% of the initial clamping force without any visible plastic deformation or cracks. Its service life and reliability far exceed those of traditional plastic and metal spring assemblies.
[0018] 2) This invention achieves a full-chain vacuum environment (pressure below 15 Pa) for the melting chamber, barrel, and mold cavity. This eliminates residual air in the system at the source, preventing porosity caused by gas entrapment in the melt during high-speed injection. In a vacuum environment, the melt is transferred at a specific pouring rate (15–80° / s) by controlling the melting crucible. This ensures a stable laminar flow of the melt upon entering the barrel, avoiding turbulent gas entrapment and reducing the initial air gaps within the melt. High pressure is applied during the holding stage after filling. Because amorphous alloys shrink in volume during solidification, the extremely high holding pressure forces the melt to undergo microscopic feeding, crushing or closing the tiny pores caused by shrinkage, thereby significantly improving the density of the casting.
[0019] 3) Benefiting from the "atomic-level replication" mold surface characteristics of amorphous alloys and the oxidation suppression of the vacuum die-casting process, the amorphous alloy clamping parts formed by this invention have extremely low surface roughness (Ra≤0.1μm), exhibiting a high-end mirror-like metallic luster upon demolding, meeting appearance requirements without the need for complex mechanical polishing. Furthermore, zirconium-based amorphous alloys possess excellent chemical stability, remaining rust-free and oxidation-free even in contact with weakly acidic or alkaline environments such as human sweat and cosmetics. This solves the technical problem of traditional carbon steel or stainless steel springs easily rusting and jamming, making them particularly suitable for microphone clips and wearable devices worn close to the body.
[0020] 4) The vacuum melting and die casting integrated equipment used in this invention is used to integrally mold amorphous alloy clamping parts. Under vacuum environment, it solves the problems of easy oxidation of zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt when it comes into contact with air and rapid heat loss during the transfer process in the existing traditional melting and injection separation process.
[0021] To achieve the foregoing and related objectives, one or more aspects of the invention include the features that will be described in detail below. The following description and accompanying drawings illustrate certain exemplary aspects of the invention. However, these aspects indicate only a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention can be used. Furthermore, the invention is intended to encompass all such aspects and their equivalents. Attached Figure Description
[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an integrated vacuum melting and die-casting equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the highly elastic amorphous alloy clamping component prepared in Example 1; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the process for the vacuum melting and die casting integrated molding method of amorphous alloy clamping parts according to the present invention.
[0024] The attached figures are labeled as follows: 1. Melting chamber, 2. Melting crucible, 3. Injection rod, 4. Die casting mold, 5. Material cylinder. Detailed Implementation
[0025] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth for illustrative purposes and to provide a thorough understanding of one or more embodiments. However, it will be apparent that these embodiments may also be implemented without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form for ease of description of one or more embodiments.
[0026] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.
[0027] This invention can be modified and has various embodiments, with specific embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, this invention is not limited to this particular implementation and all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions falling within the spirit and technical scope of this invention are to be understood as included.
[0028] Ordinal terms such as "first," "second," etc., may be used to describe various constituent elements, but the constituent elements are not limited to these terms. The terms are used only to distinguish one constituent element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the claims of this invention, a second constituent element may be named a first constituent element, and similarly, a first constituent element may be named a second constituent element. Terms and / or include combinations of multiple associated items or one of multiple associated items.
[0029] It should be understood that when referring to a constituent element being "connected" or "in contact" with other constituent elements, this includes not only cases where it is directly connected or in contact with other constituent elements, but also cases where other constituent elements exist between them. Conversely, when referring to a constituent element being "directly connected" or "directly in contact" with other constituent elements, it should be understood that no other constituent elements exist between them.
[0030] In this invention, unless otherwise specified, all embodiments and preferred embodiments mentioned herein can be combined to form new technical solutions.
[0031] Unless otherwise specified, all materials used in the following embodiments are commercially available. All methods described are conventional methods unless otherwise specified.
[0032] The units for "parts by mass" and "parts by volume" below are g and mL, respectively.
[0033] The specific test methods for the following embodiments are as follows: the microstructure of the specimens is observed by EBSD; the yield strength, tensile strength, and fracture strain of the specimens are tested for tensile properties in accordance with the international standard (Chinese GB / T 228-2002).
[0034] To address the aforementioned problems in existing traditional melting-injection separation processes, such as the easy oxidation of zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt upon contact with air, rapid heat loss during transfer leading to brittle crystallization, and high internal porosity of the resulting castings, this invention proposes a method for forming amorphous alloy clamping parts. The zirconium-based amorphous alloy clamping parts formed using this method possess advantages such as an integrated springless structure, ultra-high elastic limit, excellent fatigue life, and a mirror-like appearance. Furthermore, it enables the large-scale mass production of high-performance, assembly-free, long-life zirconium-based amorphous alloy micro-precision structural components.
[0035] The specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0036] To illustrate the structure of the integrated vacuum melting and die casting equipment provided by this invention, Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an integrated vacuum melting and die-casting equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.
[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, this invention provides an integrated vacuum melting and die-casting equipment, including a melting chamber 1, a melting crucible 2 disposed in the melting chamber 1, a tilting drive mechanism, a die-casting mold 4, a material cylinder 5, and an injection rod 3. One end of the material cylinder 5 is connected to the cavity of the die-casting mold 4 (hereinafter referred to as the cavity), and the other end passes through the melting chamber 1 and is connected to the injection rod 3. The melting crucible is mounted on the tilting drive mechanism, which drives the melting crucible to tilt and pour the melt formed by melting into the material cylinder 5. Under the action of the injection rod 3, the material cylinder 5 injects the melt into the cavity. The die-casting mold 4 is used to perform die-casting processing on the melt in the cavity.
[0038] The melting crucible is a high-temperature resistant ceramic crucible; preferably, the high-temperature resistant ceramic crucible is a fused silica-alumina composite ceramic crucible, a zirconia ceramic crucible, or a yttrium oxide ceramic crucible.
[0039] Furthermore, the integrated vacuum melting and die casting equipment of the present invention also includes a vacuum pump unit and a mold temperature controller. The mold temperature controller is used to preheat the die casting mold; the vacuum pump unit is used to evacuate the melting chamber, the barrel, and the die casting mold. The structural components of the entire equipment work together to achieve a vacuum throughout the entire process from melting and injection to solidification.
[0040] To illustrate the vacuum melting and die casting method for integral molding of amorphous alloy clamping parts provided by this invention, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the vacuum melting and die casting integrated molding method for amorphous alloy clamping parts provided by the present invention uses the above-mentioned vacuum melting and die casting integrated equipment to prepare amorphous alloy clamping parts. The method includes: S1: The zirconium-based amorphous alloy raw material is placed in a melting crucible, wherein the general chemical composition of the zirconium-based amorphous alloy raw material, by atomic percentage, is: Zr a Cu b Ni c Al d M e ; in, a, b, c, d, e For atomic percentages, and: 50.0≤ a ≤66.0; 17.0≤ b ≤35.0; 6.0≤ c ≤12.0; 7.0≤ d ≤11.0; 0≤ e ≤6.0; M Selected from at least one of Ti, Nb, Y, and Hf; S2: Before closing the mold, the die-casting mold is preheated to a preset temperature. S3: After the die-casting mold reaches the preset temperature, close the die-casting mold; S4: Evacuate the melting chamber, the barrel, and the die-casting mold to bring the integrated vacuum melting and die-casting equipment to a preset vacuum environment; S5: Under the vacuum environment, the melting crucible is heated to melt the zirconium-based amorphous alloy raw material in the melting crucible into a zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt and keep it at the temperature; S6: Pour the zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt into the barrel; S7: Under the action of the injection rod, the zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt in the barrel is injected into the cavity of the die-casting mold; S8: After the zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt fills the cavity, the zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt is solidified under pressure. S9: After the pressure holding and solidification are completed, the mold is opened to obtain the amorphous alloy casting. The slag bag, material stalk and flash of the amorphous alloy casting are removed to obtain a highly elastic amorphous alloy clamping part.
[0041] In the molding method of this invention, the integrated vacuum melting and die casting equipment has a fully connected vacuum environment for the melting crucible, barrel, and mold, achieving complete isolation from air throughout the entire process from melting to molding of the zirconium-based amorphous alloy. This fundamentally eliminates the problems of increased oxygen content and secondary oxidation inclusions caused by traditional open processes, effectively suppressing the nucleation and crystallization (brittleness) of amorphous alloys caused by the introduction of impurities, and ensuring that the molded clamped parts have excellent elastic limits and mirror-like surface quality, which can directly meet the appearance and performance requirements of consumer electronics. Furthermore, through the vacuum integrated structure of the integrated vacuum melting and die casting equipment, the melt is transported in a closed manner without temperature drop. Combined with the high-speed injection process, it effectively solves the problem of zirconium-based amorphous alloy viscosity being sensitive to temperature and prone to early solidification or crystallization when filling micro-thin-walled cavities, ensuring the filling integrity of the 0.5mm-level ultra-thin elastic arm.
[0042] Among them, such as Figure 2 As shown, the clamping member includes an elastic cantilever that is bent into a U-shape or Ω-shape, and a clamping engagement portion disposed at the end of the elastic cantilever; the wall thickness of the elastic cantilever is 0.5 to 1.5 mm.
[0043] Specifically, in S2, to reduce the temperature difference between the melt and the mold, delay early solidification during thin-wall filling, improve surface finish, and reduce filling resistance, the preset temperature is set to 150~280℃. In S4, to prevent secondary oxidation inclusions in the zirconium-based alloy at high-temperature molten state, suppress nucleation crystallization caused by impurities, and ensure its high elastic limit, the preset vacuum environment pressure is set to a high vacuum state below 15 Pa; the melting temperature of the zirconium-based amorphous alloy is 50~150℃ higher than the liquidus temperature of the zirconium-based amorphous alloy, specifically 900~1000℃. In S6, to maintain the continuity and stability of melt delivery, reduce heat loss, and prevent liquid splashing and entrainment of residual gas in the vacuum chamber due to excessively rapid pouring, the rate at which the zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt is poured from the melting crucible is 15~80° / s. In S7, in order to complete the filling process before the material crystallizes below the supercooled liquidus line, the injection rate of the injection rod is set to 0.5 to 3 m / s; in S8, in order to eliminate internal shrinkage cavities, improve dimensional accuracy, and increase the density of the casting, the holding pressure of the zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt is set to 10 to 300 MPa, and the holding time is 2 to 15 s.
[0044] To illustrate the effects of this invention in detail, specific embodiments are provided below. Unless otherwise specified, the raw materials used in the embodiments of this invention are all purchased commercially, i.e., industrial-grade raw materials.
[0045] Example 1: This embodiment provides a vacuum melting and die-casting method for integrally forming an amorphous alloy clamping part, using integrated vacuum melting and die-casting equipment to prepare a highly elastic amorphous alloy clamping part. Figure 2 As shown, the integrally molded high-elasticity amorphous alloy clamping component in this embodiment has a wall thickness of 0.7 mm, which belongs to the category of thin-walled precision structural components. The method includes the following steps S1 to S9.
[0046] S1 Raw Material Preparation: Zirconium-based amorphous alloy was selected as the raw material. The chemical composition used in this embodiment, by atomic percentage, is: Cu: 29.0%, Ni: 7.9%, Al: 9.6%, Ti: 1.8%, with the balance being Zr. The raw materials in the above proportions were weighed and placed in the melting crucible of the integrated equipment.
[0047] S2 Mold Preheating: Before mold closing, the mold temperature controller is started to heat the die-casting mold. In this embodiment, the working temperature of the die-casting mold is preset and stabilized at 250 ℃.
[0048] S3 mold processing: After the die-casting mold reaches 250 ℃, the mold is then closed.
[0049] S4 System Vacuuming: Start the vacuum pump unit to simultaneously evacuate the melting chamber where the melting crucible is located, the material cylinder, and the die-casting mold cavity connected to the material cylinder; evacuation continues until the gas pressure in the system reaches 15 Pa.
[0050] S5 Vacuum Melting: The melting crucible is heated under a vacuum of 15 Pa. In this embodiment, the melting temperature of the zirconium-based amorphous alloy is set to 950 °C.
[0051] S6 Melt Transfer: While maintaining a constant vacuum environment of 15 Pa, after all the zirconium-based amorphous alloy in the melting crucible has melted, the melting crucible is tilted. In this embodiment, the tilting rate of the crucible is controlled at 60 ° / s, and the metered amount of zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt is poured smoothly and without turbulence into the barrel.
[0052] S7 Injection Molding: After the zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt enters the barrel, the injection rod of the die casting machine is immediately activated. The punch presses the zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt in the barrel into the mold cavity at high speed. In this embodiment, the injection rate (high-speed section) is set to 1.5 m / s to ensure that the cavity is filled instantly before the melt solidifies.
[0053] S8 Pressure Holding Solidification: After the zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt is filled, a pressure boosting process is immediately applied. In this embodiment, the cooling and solidification forming pressure is set to 150 MPa, and the holding time is 5 s. S9 Mold Opening and Part Removal: After the pressure holding and solidification are completed, the mold is opened and the casting with the sprue and slag pot (overflow groove) is removed. Due to the high hardness (>HV450) and heat sensitivity of zirconium-based amorphous alloys, a water-cooled precision cutting saw or slow wire EDM is used to separate the slag pot and slag shank from the product body to avoid local crystallization caused by cutting heat; then, the tiny flash at the parting surface is removed by magnetic polishing or vibratory grinding to obtain a finished clamping part with rounded edges and accurate dimensions.
[0054] The performance of the zirconium-based amorphous alloy high-elasticity clamping component (after deflashing) prepared in Example 1 was verified, and the results are as follows: Appearance quality: The casting surface is smooth with a silvery-gray metallic luster, free of flow marks and cold shut defects. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis shows broadened diffuse scattering peaks (bun peaks) without sharp crystalline diffraction peaks, proving that after removing slag and flash, the matrix still maintains a completely amorphous structure and has not undergone crystallization.
[0055] Repeated expansion fatigue life (key indicator): The clamping component was fixed in a fatigue testing machine, simulating daily assembly operations, and its opening was expanded from an initial 10 mm to 16 mm (strain approximately 60% of the material's elastic limit) at a frequency of 60 cycles / min. After 10,000 cycles, the clamping component did not fracture; after unloading, the opening gap could completely spring back to 10.0±0.05 mm (without plastic deformation), and the clamping force retention rate was above 98%.
[0056] Ultimate failure test: The clamped part was continuously stretched using a tensile testing machine until it fractured. Brittle fracture occurred when the ultimate outward expansion distance reached 28 mm. The fracture surface exhibited a typical vein-like pattern, indicating that the material maintained good amorphous toughness during die casting and post-processing, and no obvious brittle crystallization occurred.
[0057] Example 2: This embodiment provides a method for forming a high-toughness amorphous alloy clamping component, aiming to prepare an ultra-thin structural component with a wall thickness of only 0.4 mm by adjusting trace elements and optimizing process parameters. The method includes the following steps S1 to S9: S1 Raw Material Preparation: Zirconium-based amorphous alloy is selected as the raw material. Its general chemical composition formula, based on atomic percentage, is: Zr 58 Cu 22 Ni 10 Al7Nb3, with 3% Nb element introduced to enhance matrix toughness. The raw materials in the above proportions are weighed and placed in the melting crucible of the integrated equipment.
[0058] S2 Mold Preheating: Before closing the mold, start the mold temperature controller to heat the die-casting mold. To ensure the integrity of the filling at the 0.4mm ultra-thin wall, the working temperature of the die-casting mold is preset and stabilized at 260℃.
[0059] S3 mold processing: After the die-casting mold reaches 260℃, close the mold.
[0060] S4 System Vacuuming: Start the vacuum pump unit to simultaneously evacuate the melting chamber, barrel, and die-casting mold cavity. Continuous evacuation raises the system pressure to 10 Pa to more thoroughly eliminate residual gas and reduce the porosity inside the casting.
[0061] S5 Vacuum Melting: The melting crucible is heated under a vacuum of 10 Pa. In this embodiment, the melting temperature of the zirconium-based amorphous alloy is set to 980°C to improve the melt fluidity.
[0062] 6. Melt Transfer: After the alloy has completely melted and been held at a certain temperature, the tilting drive mechanism is controlled to flip the crucible. In this embodiment, the tilting rate of the crucible is controlled at 75° / s to ensure that the melt enters the barrel quickly and smoothly, reducing heat loss during the transfer process.
[0063] S7 Injection Molding: Immediately activate the injection rod to inject the melt into the mold cavity at high speed. Due to the wall thickness being reduced to 0.5mm, this embodiment increases the injection rate (high-speed section) to 2.5m / s to ensure that the filling is completed before the melt undergoes early solidification.
[0064] S8 Pressure Holding and Solidification: High pressure is applied immediately after filling. In this embodiment, the pressure holding is increased to 260 MPa and the holding time is 8 seconds, using high pressure to forcibly eliminate micro-shrinkage cavities.
[0065] S9 Mold Opening and Part Removal: After solidification, the mold is opened to obtain the casting. Slag pockets, sprue, and flash are removed using laser cutting to obtain the finished product.
[0066] The performance of the 0.4 mm wall thickness clamping component prepared in Example 2 was tested, and the results are as follows: Appearance and density: The casting surface exhibits a mirror-like luster, with Ra better than 0.08μm. Metallographic sectioning revealed no obvious pores inside the casting, indicating extremely high density, thus solving the technical problem of porosity in thin-walled parts.
[0067] Amorphous state detection: XRD analysis showed typical diffuse scattering peaks, proving that the matrix still maintains a complete amorphous structure even under extremely fast cooling rates of 0.5 mm and high mold temperatures.
[0068] Fatigue resistance and rebound performance: In 10,000 cycles of outward expansion fatigue testing (opening from 10 mm to 16 mm), no cracks were generated in the clamping component. After unloading, the springback was 10.0 ± 0.02 mm, showing more accurate dimensional stability than in Example 1.
[0069] Toughness evaluation: In the ultimate failure test, due to the addition of Nb, the ultimate outward expansion distance before fracture reached 32mm, demonstrating excellent resistance to plastic deformation and safety in use.
[0070] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention can have various modifications and variations. Any changes, modifications, substitutions, integrations, and parameter alterations to these embodiments within the spirit and principles of the present invention, achieved through conventional substitutions or by achieving the same function without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. An integrated vacuum melting and die-casting equipment, characterized in that, This includes a melting chamber, a melting crucible and tilting drive mechanism located within the melting chamber, a die-casting mold, a barrel, an injection rod, a vacuum pump assembly, and a mold temperature controller. One end of the barrel is connected to the cavity of the die-casting mold, and the other end passes through the melting chamber and is connected to the injection rod; The smelting crucible is mounted on the tilting drive mechanism, which is used to drive the smelting crucible to tilt so as to pour the molten material formed by smelting into the material cylinder; The injection rod is used to inject the molten material in the barrel into the cavity of the die-casting mold; The die-casting mold is used to die-cast the molten material in the cavity; The vacuum pump unit is connected to the melting chamber and the die-casting mold, and is used to draw a vacuum. The mold temperature controller is connected to the die-casting mold and is used to preheat the die-casting mold.
2. The integrated vacuum melting and die-casting equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The smelting crucible is a high-temperature resistant ceramic crucible; wherein, the high-temperature resistant ceramic crucible is a fused silica-alumina composite ceramic crucible, a zirconia ceramic crucible, or a yttrium oxide ceramic crucible.
3. A method for integrally molding an amorphous alloy clamping part by vacuum melting and die casting, characterized in that, The method for preparing amorphous alloy clamping parts using the vacuum melting and die-casting integrated equipment as described in claim 1 or 2 includes: S1: The zirconium-based amorphous alloy raw material is placed in a melting crucible, wherein the general chemical composition of the zirconium-based amorphous alloy raw material, by atomic percentage, is: Zr a Cu b Ni c Al d M e ; in, a, b, c, d, e For atomic percentages, and: 50.0≤ a ≤66.0；17.0≤ b ≤35.0；6.0≤ c ≤12.0；7.0≤ d ≤11.0；0≤ e ≤6.0； M Selected from at least one of Ti, Nb, Y, and Hf; S2: Before closing the mold, the die-casting mold is preheated to a preset temperature. S3: After the die-casting mold reaches the preset temperature, close the die-casting mold; S4: Evacuate the melting chamber, the barrel, and the die-casting mold to bring the integrated vacuum melting and die-casting equipment to a preset vacuum environment; S5: Under the vacuum environment, the melting crucible is heated to melt the zirconium-based amorphous alloy raw material in the melting crucible into a zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt and keep it at the temperature; S6: Pour the zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt into the barrel; S7: Under the action of the injection rod, the zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt in the barrel is injected into the cavity of the die-casting mold; S8: After the zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt fills the cavity, the zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt is solidified under pressure. S9: After the pressure holding and solidification are completed, the mold is opened to obtain the amorphous alloy casting. The slag bag, material stalk and flash of the amorphous alloy casting are removed to obtain a highly elastic amorphous alloy clamping part.
4. The vacuum melting and die-casting integrated molding method for amorphous alloy clamping parts according to claim 3, characterized in that, The high-elasticity amorphous alloy clamping member includes an elastic cantilever that is bent into a U-shape or Ω-shape and a clamping engagement part disposed at the end of the elastic cantilever; wherein, the wall thickness of the elastic cantilever is 0.5 to 1.5 mm.
5. The vacuum melting and die-casting integrated molding method for amorphous alloy clamping parts according to claim 3, characterized in that, In S2, the preset temperature is 150~280℃.
6. The vacuum melting and die-casting integrated molding method for amorphous alloy clamping parts according to claim 3, characterized in that, In S4, the pressure of the preset vacuum environment is lower than 15 Pa; In S5, the melting temperature of the zirconium-based amorphous alloy is 900–1000 °C.
7. The vacuum melting and die-casting integrated molding method for amorphous alloy clamping parts according to claim 3, characterized in that, In S6, the tilting rate of the melting crucible is 15–80° / s.
8. The vacuum melting and die-casting integrated molding method for amorphous alloy clamping parts according to claim 3, characterized in that, In S7, the injection rate of the injection rod is 0.5 to 3 m / s.
9. The method for integral molding of amorphous alloy clamping parts by vacuum melting and die casting according to claim 3, characterized in that, In S8, the pressure for holding the zirconium-based amorphous alloy melt is 10–300 MPa, and the holding time is 2–15 s.
10. The vacuum melting and die-casting integral forming method for amorphous alloy clamping parts according to claim 3, characterized in that, In S9, the slag pocket, stalk, and flash of the amorphous alloy casting are removed by mechanical separation or cutting.