A billet casting apparatus for reducing centerline segregation in aluminum alloy billets

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of aluminium alloy casting technology discloses a kind of casting bar equipment for reducing aluminium alloy casting bar center segregation, including casting mould tray, ultrasonic vibrator, aluminium wire or aluminium plate feeding mechanism and control system;The aluminium wire or aluminium plate feeding mechanism is used to send aluminium wire or aluminium plate into crystallizer and contact with aluminium liquid in crystallizer;The ultrasonic vibrator is used to transmit ultrasonic wave to aluminium wire or aluminium plate, the control system is connected with the casting mould tray, the ultrasonic vibrator and the aluminium wire or aluminium plate feeding mechanism control connection, to realize collaborative work.The present application can utilize the same alloy composition of aluminium wire or aluminium plate with aluminium alloy casting bar and transmit ultrasonic wave to the aluminium liquid to be crystallized, and further better reduce the temperature difference inside and outside casting bar, better eliminate the center position segregation condition.Simultaneously, solve the problem of ultrasonic probe's durability, realize the real industrialization mass production application.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of aluminum alloy casting technology, and in particular to a casting rod equipment for reducing center segregation of aluminum alloy casting rods. Background Technology

[0002] Aluminum alloys are widely used in construction, automotive, electronics, electrical appliances, and machinery equipment due to their unique physicochemical properties, such as low density, high specific strength, corrosion resistance, and good thermal and electrical conductivity. Machining is a crucial step in the manufacturing of aluminum alloy parts. Free-machining aluminum alloys can significantly improve production efficiency and produce precision aluminum alloy parts with smoother surfaces and higher dimensional accuracy. However, during the casting of traditional aluminum alloys, the difference in cooling rates between the inside and outside can easily lead to solidification segregation at the center, and this problem becomes increasingly difficult to solve with larger aluminum ingots.

[0003] Currently, some companies are attempting to use ultrasonic casting to promote elemental distribution at the center and reduce center segregation in aluminum alloy ingots. This method typically requires an ultrasonic probe, but its durability is a significant issue, with short lifespan and high cost, making it difficult to achieve true industrial-scale mass production applications. Furthermore, current aluminum alloy casting methods are insufficient in controlling the temperature and flow rate of the molten aluminum, making it difficult to precisely control the temperature field and molten metal flow during the casting process. This also results in imprecise temperature control at the center of the aluminum alloy ingot, making it difficult to effectively reduce the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the ingot, thus making it difficult to eliminate center segregation.

[0004] Existing technical literature on using ultrasound to reduce center segregation in aluminum alloy castings can be found in Chinese invention patent applications with publication numbers CN111961925A, CN110270670A, CN110280745A, and CN110280729A. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a casting equipment that reduces center segregation of aluminum alloy casting rods based on ultrasound and is not limited by the service life of the ultrasonic probe; and to solve one or more technical problems existing in the prior art, to provide at least one beneficial option or create conditions.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution.

[0007] A casting device for reducing center segregation in aluminum alloy ingots includes a casting mold, an ultrasonic vibrator, an aluminum wire or plate feeding mechanism, and a control system. The casting mold has a crystallizer and a casting plate. The crystallizer is used to solidify molten aluminum into ingots and has a built-in temperature sensor. The casting plate supports and pulls the aluminum alloy ingot. The aluminum wire or plate feeding mechanism feeds aluminum wire or plates into the crystallizer and brings them into contact with the molten aluminum inside. The ultrasonic vibrator transmits ultrasonic waves to the aluminum wire or plate. The control system is connected to the casting mold, the ultrasonic vibrator, and the aluminum wire or plate feeding mechanism for coordinated operation.

[0008] More preferably, the ultrasonic vibration mechanism includes an ultrasonic generator and an ultrasonic transmission support. The ultrasonic transmission support receives the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic generator. The ultrasonic transmission support is provided with a limiting groove that cooperates with an aluminum wire or aluminum plate. The limiting groove is provided with a guide wheel that contacts the aluminum wire or aluminum plate. A clamping wheel is provided corresponding to the guide wheel. The clamping wheel ensures that the transmitted aluminum wire or aluminum plate is always in contact with the guide wheel, thereby ensuring that the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic generator can always be transmitted to the aluminum wire or aluminum plate.

[0009] More preferably, the ultrasonic transmission support is a stainless steel support, including a vertical support rod and a horizontal support, with a limiting groove for transmitting aluminum wire or aluminum plate provided on the horizontal support.

[0010] More preferably, the aluminum wire or aluminum plate feeding mechanism includes a wire feeder with a feeding motor, an aluminum wire or aluminum plate coil, and a feeding guide wheel assembly. The wire feeder is used to drive the aluminum wire or aluminum plate coil to rotate, thereby causing the aluminum wire or aluminum plate to enter the crystallizer. The feeding guide wheel assembly is used to guide the movement direction of the aluminum wire or aluminum plate.

[0011] More preferably, the feeding motor is a servo motor.

[0012] More preferably, the control system includes a central processing unit and a memory. The central processing unit controls the coordinated operation of various components according to a preset program, and the memory is used to store control parameters. The control system also includes a human-machine interface for displaying and setting casting parameters.

[0013] More preferably, the aluminum wire or aluminum plate is an aluminum wire with a diameter of 1-20 mm.

[0014] More preferably, the aluminum wire or aluminum plate is an aluminum plate with a thickness of 0.5-10mm.

[0015] This invention provides a casting device for reducing center segregation in aluminum alloy castings. It uses aluminum wire or plates with the same alloy composition as the aluminum alloy casting to transmit ultrasonic waves into the molten aluminum to be crystallized. During operation, the working frequency of the ultrasonic generator and the immersion depth of the aluminum wire or plate in the molten aluminum can be controlled and adjusted according to the specific alloy composition and casting size. The feed speed of the aluminum wire or plate can be controlled and adjusted according to the temperature of the molten aluminum and the casting speed to ensure that the tail end of the aluminum wire or plate is stably immersed within a preset depth range. This allows for more precise control of the temperature field of the molten aluminum and the flow of the molten metal, resulting in more accurate temperature control at the center of the aluminum alloy casting, thus better reducing the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the casting and better eliminating center segregation. Simultaneously, it eliminates the need for traditional ultrasonic probes, solving the durability problem of ultrasonic probes and enabling true industrial mass production applications.

[0016] Other beneficial effects of this invention will become more apparent in the following description or may be learned through practice. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the casting rod equipment provided by this utility model.

[0018] Figure 2 The diagram shows a feeding structure for aluminum wire or aluminum plate.

[0019] Explanation of the reference numerals in the attached figures.

[0020] 1: Casting mold, 2: Ultrasonic vibrator, 3: Aluminum wire or aluminum plate feeding mechanism, 4: Aluminum alloy ingot.

[0021] 101: Crystallizer.

[0022] 201: Ultrasonic generator, 202: Ultrasonic transmission support, 203: Guide wheel, 204: Pressure wheel.

[0023] 301: Wire feeder; 302: Aluminum wire or aluminum plate coil; 303: Feeding guide roller assembly; 304: Aluminum wire or aluminum plate. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The specific embodiments of this utility model will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, making the technical solution and beneficial effects of this utility model clearer and more explicit. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain this utility model, and should not be construed as limiting this utility model.

[0025] Additional aspects and advantages of this invention will become apparent in the description that follows, or may be learned by practice of this invention. Example

[0026] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, a casting device for reducing center segregation of aluminum alloy ingots includes a casting mold 1, an ultrasonic vibrator 2, an aluminum wire or aluminum plate feeding mechanism 3, and a control system. The casting mold 1 has a crystallizer 101 and a casting plate. The crystallizer 101 is used to solidify the aluminum alloy liquid into ingots and has a built-in temperature sensor. The casting plate is used to support and pull the aluminum alloy ingot 4. The aluminum wire or aluminum plate feeding mechanism 3 is used to feed the aluminum wire or aluminum plate into the crystallizer and make it contact the aluminum liquid in the crystallizer. The ultrasonic vibrator 3 is used to transmit ultrasonic waves to the aluminum wire or aluminum plate. The control system is connected to the casting mold 1, the ultrasonic vibrator 2, and the aluminum wire or aluminum plate feeding mechanism 3 to achieve coordinated operation.

[0027] The ultrasonic vibration mechanism 2 includes an ultrasonic generator 201 and an ultrasonic transmission support 202. The ultrasonic transmission support 202 receives the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic generator 201. The ultrasonic transmission support 202 is provided with a limiting groove that cooperates with an aluminum wire or aluminum plate. The limiting groove is provided with a guide wheel 203 that contacts the aluminum wire or aluminum plate. A clamping wheel 204 is provided corresponding to the guide wheel 203. The clamping wheel 204 ensures that the transmitted aluminum wire or aluminum plate is always in contact with the guide wheel 203, thereby ensuring that the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic generator 201 can be continuously transmitted to the aluminum wire or aluminum plate.

[0028] It should be noted that the specific shape and material of the ultrasonic transmission support are chosen independently by those skilled in the art based on different actual needs, and are common technical knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art. For example, in one embodiment, the ultrasonic transmission support is made of stainless steel and includes a vertical support rod and a horizontal support, with a limiting groove provided on the horizontal support for transmitting aluminum wires or aluminum plates.

[0029] The aluminum wire or aluminum plate feeding mechanism 3 includes a wire feeder 301 with a feeding motor, an aluminum wire or aluminum plate coil 302, and a feeding guide wheel assembly 303. The wire feeder 301 drives the aluminum wire or aluminum plate coil 302 to rotate, thereby causing the aluminum wire or aluminum plate 304 to enter the crystallizer 101. The feeding guide wheel assembly 303 guides the movement direction of the aluminum wire or aluminum plate 304. In some embodiments, a feeding sensor can also be provided to detect the position signal of the aluminum wire or aluminum plate 304. It should be noted that the feeding guide wheel assembly 303 can be installed using a special bracket or on the ultrasonic transmission bracket 202. When the feeding guide wheel assembly 303 is installed on the ultrasonic transmission bracket 202, the structure is more compact, and the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic generator 201 can be better transmitted to the aluminum wire or aluminum plate 304.

[0030] The control system includes a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory. The CPU controls the coordinated operation of various components according to a preset program, and the memory stores control parameters. The control system also includes a human-machine interface (HMI) for displaying and setting casting parameters. It should be noted that the specific model selection, connection circuit design, and control program of the CPU, memory, and HMI are all common technical knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art and will not be elaborated upon here. It should also be noted that the control system and the ultrasonic generator 201 are decoupled and connected by a wiring harness to prevent damage to the control equipment caused by ultrasonic vibration.

[0031] During operation, aluminum wire or aluminum plate with the same alloy composition as the aluminum alloy used in the casting is selected. The working frequency of the ultrasonic generator 201 and the immersion depth of the aluminum wire or aluminum plate in the molten aluminum are controlled and adjusted according to the specific alloy composition and casting size. The feed speed of the aluminum wire or aluminum plate is controlled and adjusted according to the temperature of the molten aluminum and the casting speed to ensure that the tail end of the aluminum wire or aluminum plate is stably immersed within the preset depth range. In this way, the position of the tail end of the aluminum wire or aluminum plate immersed in the molten aluminum (suspended at the horizontal center of the crystallizer) can be precisely controlled, so as to better transmit the ultrasonic waves of a specific frequency to the center of the casting rod to be crystallized, reduce the temperature of the molten metal at the center of the casting rod, and thus better reduce the center segregation during aluminum alloy casting.

[0032] In this embodiment, the ultrasonic vibration mechanism 2 is preferably installed above the casting mold plate 1 to facilitate the conveying of aluminum wire or aluminum plate 304. Preferably, the aluminum wire or aluminum plate 304 is an aluminum wire with a diameter of 5mm. In other embodiments, the spacing between the aluminum wires can be appropriately selected within the range of 1-20mm, or the aluminum wire or aluminum plate 304 can be an aluminum plate with a thickness of 0.5-10mm, and the width can be designed according to actual needs.

[0033] In this embodiment, the feeding motor of the wire feeder 301 is preferably a servo motor, and the surfaces of the guide wheel 203, the pressing wheel 204 and the feeding guide wheel are preferably provided with anti-slip textures, which can better ensure the stable conveying of aluminum wire or aluminum plate 304 and facilitate precise control of the conveying position.

[0034] This embodiment provides a casting device for reducing center segregation in aluminum alloy castings. Its working principle is as follows: 1) Molten aluminum alloy from the melting furnace enters the crystallizer for crystallization. During crystallization, the operating frequency of the ultrasonic generator 201 is adjusted within the range of 15kHz-90kHz according to the specific alloy composition and casting size. 2) The control system automatically adjusts the wire feeder speed based on the aluminum melt temperature (measured by one or more temperature sensors integrated into the crystallizer) and the casting speed to achieve precise control of the aluminum wire or plate tail end's position within the horizontal center of the crystallizer and the molten aluminum melt.

[0035] Compared with the prior art, the casting equipment for reducing center segregation of aluminum alloy casting rods provided in this embodiment has the following advantages: 1) By installing an ultrasonic vibration mechanism 2 above the casting mold plate 1 and using aluminum wire or aluminum plate 304 with the same alloy composition as the aluminum alloy casting rod to transmit ultrasonic vibration, the temperature at the center of the casting rod can be reduced more effectively, significantly reducing the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the casting rod, thereby effectively reducing the segregation at the center and solving the problem of solidification layering segregation at the center caused by the difference in cooling rates between the inside and outside of the traditional aluminum alloy casting rod.

[0036] 2) Ultrasonic vibration can significantly increase the contact area between aluminum wire or aluminum plate 304 and the central molten aluminum, greatly improving the melting speed of aluminum wire or aluminum plate 304. This avoids the cooling effect caused by the inability of aluminum wire or aluminum plate 304 to dissolve quickly during rapid casting, thus meeting the requirements of rapid casting.

[0037] 3) This utility model uses ultrasonic vibration at a specific frequency (15kHz-90KHz) to be transmitted into the aluminum liquid, which can refine the grain structure, reduce element segregation, significantly enhance the cavitation effect and stirring effect, and help improve the uniformity of the structure and improve the overall quality of the aluminum alloy.

[0038] 4) This utility model uses aluminum wire or aluminum plate as the ultrasonic transmission medium, which avoids the problem of possible damage to traditional ultrasonic probes, extends the service life of the equipment, and significantly reduces the cost of use, thus realizing true industrial mass production application.

[0039] 5) This utility model achieves precise control of the temperature and flow rate of molten aluminum by controlling the specific wire feeding speed, ensuring that the tail end of the aluminum wire or aluminum plate is within a specific position range. This is beneficial for accurately regulating the temperature field and the flow of molten metal during the casting process, thereby improving the casting quality of aluminum alloys.

[0040] It should be noted that the specific control system and control program settings in the zipper visual inspection device provided by this utility model are common technical knowledge mastered by those skilled in the art, and are not the innovation points of this utility model. They will not be described in detail in this utility model.

[0041] Based on the above description of the structure and principle, those skilled in the art should understand that this utility model is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. Improvements and substitutions made using techniques known in the art based on this utility model all fall within the protection scope of this utility model, which should be defined by the claims and their equivalents. Parts not described in the specific embodiments are all prior art or common knowledge.

Claims

1. A casting rod equipment for reducing center segregation in aluminum alloy casting rods, characterized in that, The system includes a casting mold, an ultrasonic vibrator, aluminum wire or plate with the same alloy composition as the aluminum alloy used for casting, an aluminum wire or plate feeding mechanism, and a control system. The casting mold has a crystallizer and a casting plate. The crystallizer is used to solidify the molten aluminum into a rod and has a built-in temperature sensor. The casting plate is used to support and pull the aluminum alloy ingot. The aluminum wire or plate feeding mechanism is used to feed the aluminum wire or plate into the crystallizer and bring it into contact with the molten aluminum inside the crystallizer. The ultrasonic vibrator is used to transmit ultrasonic waves to the aluminum wire or plate. The control system is connected to the casting mold, the ultrasonic vibrator, and the aluminum wire or plate feeding mechanism to achieve coordinated operation.

2. The casting equipment for reducing center segregation of aluminum alloy casting rods according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ultrasonic vibrator includes an ultrasonic generator and an ultrasonic transmission support. The ultrasonic transmission support receives the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic generator. The ultrasonic transmission support is provided with a limiting groove that cooperates with an aluminum wire or aluminum plate. The limiting groove is provided with a guide wheel that contacts the aluminum wire or aluminum plate. A clamping wheel is provided corresponding to the guide wheel. The clamping wheel ensures that the transmitted aluminum wire or aluminum plate is always in contact with the guide wheel, thereby ensuring that the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic generator can always be transmitted to the aluminum wire or aluminum plate.

3. The casting equipment for reducing center segregation of aluminum alloy casting rods according to claim 2, characterized in that, The ultrasonic transmission support is a stainless steel support, including a vertical support rod and a horizontal support, with a limiting groove on the horizontal support for transmitting aluminum wire or aluminum plate.

4. The casting equipment for reducing center segregation of aluminum alloy casting rods according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aluminum wire or aluminum plate feeding mechanism includes a wire feeder with a feeding motor, an aluminum wire or aluminum plate coil, and a feeding guide wheel assembly. The wire feeder is used to drive the aluminum wire or aluminum plate coil to rotate, thereby allowing the aluminum wire or aluminum plate to enter the crystallizer. The feeding guide wheel assembly is used to guide the movement direction of the aluminum wire or aluminum plate.

5. The casting equipment for reducing center segregation of aluminum alloy casting rods according to claim 4, characterized in that, The feeding motor is a servo motor.

6. The casting equipment for reducing center segregation of aluminum alloy casting rods according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control system includes a central processing unit and a memory. The central processing unit controls the coordinated operation of various components according to a preset program, and the memory is used to store control parameters. The control system also includes a human-machine interface for displaying and setting casting parameters.

7. The casting equipment for reducing center segregation of aluminum alloy casting rods according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aluminum wire or aluminum plate is an aluminum wire with a diameter of 1-20mm.

8. The casting equipment for reducing center segregation of aluminum alloy casting rods according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aluminum wire or aluminum plate is an aluminum plate with a thickness of 0.5-10mm.

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