A new low-pressure casting side mold point water cooling structure

Abstract

The application discloses a novel low-pressure casting side mold point water cooling structure which comprises a side mold, a side mold cooling insert, a cooling pipeline system and a point water cooling tank, the side mold and the side mold cooling insert are both designed in four 90° blocks, the point water cooling tank on the insert corresponds to the number of hub spokes one by one, and the size is reversely adapted to the spoke structure to fit the heat junction area; a groove is arranged in the non-heat junction area of the insert, and the groove can be left empty to dissipate heat or filled with thermal insulation cotton to control temperature, the side mold is inserted into the positioning hole of the insert through a protruding structure, and precise positioning is realized by the upper and lower end surfaces of the mounting groove, the cooling pipeline system is a layered structure of inlet and outlet pipes, and the point water cooling head extends into the water cooling tank to form a one-way flow channel, the structure realizes targeted cooling of the heat junction, and the shrinkage and porosity defect rate is significantly reduced; the groove controls temperature in two directions to improve universality, the block design reduces maintenance cost, and the double-pipeline ensures cooling consistency, and the needs of sequential solidification of the hub are met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of aluminum alloy wheel hub casting mold technology, and in particular to a novel low-pressure casting side mold point water-cooling structure. Background Technology

[0002] Low-pressure casting is the mainstream process for producing aluminum alloy wheels. The cooling effect of the mold side mold directly determines the forming accuracy and internal quality of the casting. Water cooling has gradually replaced air cooling as the core method for side mold cooling. The core technical requirement for wheel casting is to follow the principle of "sequential solidification," that is, to control heat loss through differentiated cooling. The "thermal junction" formed at the intersection of the spokes and the rim due to the sharp increase in wall thickness requires directional strong cooling, while the non-thermal junction area of ​​the rim needs controlled-speed cooling to match the overall solidification rhythm. This places stringent requirements on the precision of the side mold cooling structure.

[0003] For example, the patent with publication number CN207642255U achieves preliminary fixed-point cooling by installing water-cooling inserts through side module positioning through holes, which has certain modular features, but still has key shortcomings: First, it lacks a focused and strong cooling design for the hot junction area, relying only on the heat dissipation conducted by the insert itself, resulting in insufficient cooling efficiency and precision, and failing to form a directional cooling effect; Second, it lacks a reliable positioning structure, with the inserts only fixed by bolts, which can easily lead to misalignment during assembly, causing the cooling area to deviate from the hot junction position; Third, it does not set a cooling control structure for non-hot junction areas, and the cooling rate is fixed and cannot be adjusted, making it difficult to adapt to the heat dissipation requirements of different wheel types, and it is also easy to violate the principle of sequential solidification due to the imbalance of cooling rhythm.

[0004] In summary, existing technologies, lacking precise positioning structures and flexible hot-junction focusing cooling designs and non-hot-junction cooling control structures, struggle to meet the core requirement of "sequential solidification" for wheel hubs. There is an urgent need to develop targeted new side mold water-cooling structures. Through directional cooling, flexible and reliable assembly, and bidirectional temperature control design in non-hot-junction areas, these structures can fundamentally reduce casting defects and improve mold adaptability and maintenance convenience. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This utility model aims to solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] This application provides a novel low-pressure casting side mold point water cooling structure, including a side mold cooling insert, a side mold, a cooling pipeline system and several point water cooling grooves. The several point water cooling grooves correspond one-to-one with the heat junction areas of the rim and spokes of the wheel hub blank. The cooling pipeline system includes point water cooling heads for point water cooling of the point water cooling grooves.

[0007] The side mold is provided with several protruding structures, and the side mold cooling insert is installed and positioned with the side mold by inserting it into each of the protruding structures through several positioning holes.

[0008] It also includes a groove, which is disposed in the non-thermal junction area on the upper end face of the side mold cooling insert.

[0009] The groove can be filled with insulation material for different wheel shapes.

[0010] An installation groove is provided in the middle of the side mold. The top surface of the installation groove is the upper mating surface of the side mold cooling insert, and the bottom surface is the lower mating surface of the side mold cooling insert. The side mold cooling insert is inserted into the installation groove. The side mold cooling insert makes contact with the upper mating surface of the side mold cooling insert through the upper end surface of the side mold cooling insert, and makes contact with the lower mating surface of the side mold cooling insert through the lower end surface of the side mold cooling insert.

[0011] Both the side mold cooling insert and the side mold are composed of several blocks. The inner cavity of the side mold corresponds to the rim portion of the wheel hub blank. The side mold cooling insert is installed below the side mold, and the inner wall of the side mold cooling insert is the inner surface of the insert.

[0012] The side mold cooling insert and the number of side mold segments are both 4, and the unfolding angle along the center is 90°.

[0013] The cooling piping system also includes several inlet pipes and several outlet pipes. The inner end of each inlet pipe is connected to a point water cooling head, and the inner end of each outlet pipe is connected to a point water cooling tank.

[0014] The cooling piping system also includes several cooling pipe joints, which are installed at the outer ends of each inlet pipe and each outlet pipe.

[0015] The water cooling head and the water inlet pipe are fixed together by welding.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: 1. The number of water-cooling grooves on the side mold cooling insert corresponds one-to-one with the number of wheel spokes, ensuring that each spoke's heat-bonding area where it intersects with the rim is equipped with a dedicated cooling structure. Simultaneously, the dimensions of the side mold cooling insert are designed in reverse to the wheel spoke structure, achieving a perfect fit with the heat-bonding area. This targeted cooling method replaces the traditional "indiscriminate cooling," rapidly dissipating heat accumulated in the heat-bonding area. Practical application verification has shown that it significantly reduces the incidence of defects such as shrinkage porosity and shrinkage cavities at the spoke root. At the same time, it avoids stress concentration in non-heat-bonding areas due to over-cooling, reducing the risk of casting cracking from the root and providing a core guarantee for the sequential solidification of the wheel hub. 2. The side mold, through its raised structure, forms a precise insertion fit with the positioning holes of the side mold cooling insert. Combined with the tight fit design between the side mold mounting groove and the upper and lower end faces of the insert, the positioning accuracy of the insert assembly is effectively controlled, completely solving the problems of insert misalignment and misalignment between the cooling area and the heat-sealing position that are prone to occur with traditional bolt fixing methods. At the same time, the tight surface contact significantly reduces assembly gaps, effectively preventing cooling water leakage. This not only prevents cooling efficiency degradation but also reduces corrosion damage to the mold caused by water seepage, ensuring the long-term stable operation of the cooling system. 3. When the cooling rate of non-heat-bonded areas is insufficient and affects the overall solidification rhythm, the grooves can accelerate heat dissipation by increasing the heat dissipation area, significantly improving the cooling rate compared to traditional solid structures. When some wheel shapes need to avoid excessively rapid cooling in non-heat-bonded areas, insulation cotton can be filled into the grooves, which significantly enhances the insulation effect compared to solid structures, effectively maintaining the overall balance of sequential solidification. This design allows the same mold to adapt to the cooling requirements of wheel hubs with different structures, completely solving the problem of fixed and unadjustable cooling states in existing technologies, and greatly improving the versatility of the mold. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the side mold cooling insert in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of a novel low-pressure casting side mold point water-cooling structure in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the reverse structure of the side mold cooling insert in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the water-cooled installation of the edge module in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a top view of the side mold cooling insert assembly in an embodiment of this application.

[0018] Figure Labels 1-Side mold cooling insert, 2-Side mold, 3-Cooling piping system, 4-Wheel hub blank, 11-Upper end face of side mold cooling insert, 12-Point water cooling groove, 13-Groove, 14-Positioning hole, 15-Lower end face of side mold cooling insert, 16-Inner surface of insert, 21-Upper mating surface of side mold cooling insert, 22-Lower mating surface of side mold cooling insert, 31-Outlet pipe, 32-Inlet pipe, 33-Cooling piping connector, 34-Point water cooling head. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0020] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such use of data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and the number of objects is not limited; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0021] The novel low-pressure casting side mold point water-cooling structure provided in this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, through specific embodiments and application scenarios.

[0022] Example 1: This application provides a novel low-pressure casting side mold point water cooling structure, including a side mold cooling insert 1, a side mold 2, a cooling pipeline system 3, and a plurality of point water cooling grooves 124. The plurality of point water cooling grooves 12 correspond one-to-one with the heat junction area of ​​the rim and each spoke of the wheel hub blank 4. The cooling pipeline system 3 includes a point water cooling head 34 for point water cooling of the point water cooling grooves 12.

[0023] In this embodiment of the application, the side mold 2 is provided with a plurality of protrusions, and the side mold cooling insert 1 is positioned and installed with the side mold 2 by inserting with each of the protrusions through a plurality of positioning holes 14.

[0024] like Figures 1 to 2 As shown, due to the aforementioned structure, on the one hand, the precise insertion and matching of the "protruding structure + positioning hole 14" ensures accurate positioning of the side mold cooling insert 1 and the side mold 2 during assembly, effectively avoiding the problem of the water cooling groove 12 deviating from the hot-bonding area of ​​the wheel blank 4 due to insert misalignment, thus providing positioning assurance for directional cooling. On the other hand, the plug-in installation eliminates the need for complex fixing components, simplifying the assembly process. This not only ensures the installation stability of the insert during operation but also provides convenience for the disassembly and replacement of the insert during subsequent mold maintenance, significantly reducing the time and labor costs of mold maintenance. Simultaneously, the one-to-one correspondence between the water cooling groove 12 and the hot-bonding area replaces the traditional "indiscriminate cooling" mode of integral water cooling, achieving focused cooling of the hot-bonding area where the rim and spokes intersect. This lays the foundation for the wheel blank 4 to follow the "sequential solidification" principle, reducing casting defects such as shrinkage porosity and shrinkage holes from the source.

[0025] Example 2: In this embodiment, in addition to the structural features of the aforementioned embodiments, a groove 13 is also included, which is disposed in the non-thermal junction area of ​​the upper end surface 11 of the side mold cooling insert.

[0026] In this embodiment of the application, the groove 13 can be filled with thermal insulation material for different wheel shapes.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, due to the aforementioned structure, the groove 13 design achieves "bidirectional controllable" adjustment of the cooling state of the non-heat-bonded area of ​​the side mold cooling insert 1: when the cooling rate of the non-heat-bonded area is insufficient, potentially affecting the overall sequential solidification rhythm, the groove 13 can increase the heat dissipation area of ​​this region to accelerate heat dissipation, ensuring that the cooling progress of the non-heat-bonded area matches that of the heat-bonded area; when the non-heat-bonded area of ​​some wheel types needs to avoid excessive cooling leading to casting cracking, insulation material can be filled into the groove 13 to form a local insulation layer, slowing down the cooling rate of this area. This design effectively solves the drawback of the fixed and unadjustable cooling state of the non-heat-bonded area in traditional molds, enabling the same mold to adapt to the cooling requirements of different wheel types, further ensuring the overall sequential solidification effect of the wheel hub blank 4, and improving the versatility and applicability of the mold.

[0028] Example 3: In this embodiment, in addition to the structural features of the aforementioned embodiments, a mounting groove is provided in the middle of the side mold 2. The top surface of the mounting groove is the upper mating surface 21 of the side mold cooling insert, and the bottom surface is the lower mating surface 22 of the side mold cooling insert. The side mold cooling insert 1 is inserted and installed in the mounting groove. The side mold cooling insert 1 makes contact with the upper mating surface 21 of the side mold cooling insert through the upper end surface 11 of the side mold cooling insert, and makes contact with the lower mating surface 22 of the side mold cooling insert through the lower end surface 15 of the side mold cooling insert.

[0029] like Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, due to the above-mentioned structure, the "upper and lower end face-mating surface" surface contact between the side mold 2 mounting groove and the side mold cooling insert 1 brings multiple technical advantages: First, the surface contact design can minimize the assembly gap and effectively prevent cooling water from leaking out of the gap, which not only avoids the loss of cooling water affecting the cooling efficiency, but also prevents water seepage from causing corrosion damage to the internal structure of the mold; Second, the tight surface contact can significantly improve the heat transfer efficiency between the insert and the side mold 2, so that the heat of the hot junction area of ​​the wheel hub blank 4 can be conducted to the side mold cooling insert 1 more quickly. Combined with the cooling effect of the water cooling groove 12, the cooling effect of the hot junction area is further enhanced; Third, the double fit of the upper and lower end faces can form a stable limit for the side mold cooling insert 1, ensuring that the position of the insert remains stable during the high pressure casting process and will not be displaced by external forces, thereby ensuring the forming accuracy of the wheel hub blank 4 cavity and improving the dimensional consistency of the casting.

[0030] Example 4: In this embodiment, in addition to the structural features of the aforementioned embodiments, both the side mold cooling insert 1 and the side mold 2 are composed of several blocks. The inner cavity of the side mold 2 corresponds to the rim portion of the wheel hub blank 4. The side mold cooling insert 1 is installed below the side mold 2, and the inner wall of the side mold cooling insert 1 is the inner surface 16 of the insert.

[0031] In this embodiment of the application, the side mold cooling insert 1 and the side mold 2 are both divided into 4 blocks, and the angle of expansion along the center is 90°.

[0032] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, due to the above-mentioned structure, the design of four segmented side molds 2 (each segment unfolded 90° along the center) and side mold cooling inserts 1 greatly improves the flexibility and economy of the mold: when producing aluminum alloy wheels of different sizes and specifications, it is not necessary to replace the entire mold set. Only the size of a single side mold 2 or side mold cooling insert 1 needs to be adjusted according to the specific parameters of the wheel to achieve adaptation, which greatly reduces the development and replacement costs of the mold; from the perspective of structural synergy, the inner cavity surface of the side mold 2 accurately forms the rim cavity, and the inner wall of the side mold cooling insert 1 (inner surface 16 of the insert) corresponds to the heat-bonding area, so that the cavity forming accuracy and the heat-bonding cooling are effectively matched, which not only ensures the forming quality of the wheel rim, but also accurately solves the heat-bonding defects; in addition, the segmented structure also provides convenience for the transportation, storage and partial maintenance of the mold - it can be disassembled and transported during transportation, saves space during storage, and when a single mold is damaged, only the corresponding segment needs to be replaced to restore its use, without scrapping the entire mold set, further reducing production and maintenance costs.

[0033] Example 5: In this embodiment, in addition to the structural features of the aforementioned embodiments, the cooling pipeline system 3 also includes a plurality of inlet pipes 32 and a plurality of outlet pipes 31. The inner end of each inlet pipe 32 is connected to a point water cooling head 34, and the inner end of each outlet pipe 31 is connected to a point water cooling tank 12. Cooling pipeline connectors 33 are installed on the outer ends of each inlet pipe 32 and each outlet pipe 31.

[0034] In this embodiment of the application, the point water cooling head 34 is fixed to the water inlet pipe 32 by welding, and the point water cooling head 34 is set in the point water cooling groove 12 of the side mold cooling insert 1 to achieve precise cooling.

[0035] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4As shown, due to the above-mentioned structure, the design of the cooling pipeline system 3 achieves efficient and stable directional cooling: the separate setting of the inlet pipe 32 and the outlet pipe 31 forms a unidirectional cooling water flow channel, effectively avoiding the phenomenon of cooling water backflow, ensuring that after the cooling water enters the water cooling head 34 from the inlet pipe 32, it can fully exchange heat with the hot junction area, and then be smoothly discharged through the outlet pipe 31, ensuring that the cooling efficiency is not affected by the water flow; the welding and fixing method of the water cooling head 34 and the inlet pipe 32 ensures the firmness of the cold head installation, avoiding the risk of the water cooling head 34 falling off during the high-frequency operation of the mold, and at the same time, the cold head extends directly into the water cooling tank 12, so that the cooling water can directly act on the corresponding insert part of the hot junction area, greatly improving the cooling accuracy and heat exchange efficiency; the setting of the cooling pipeline joint 33 simplifies the connection process between the cooling pipeline and the side mold cooling insert 1, which facilitates the quick installation and disassembly of the pipeline, while ensuring the sealing of the pipeline connection, further preventing cooling water leakage, and providing a guarantee for the stable operation of the cooling system.

[0036] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element. Furthermore, it should be noted that the scope of the methods and apparatuses in the embodiments of this application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, but may also include performing functions substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. For example, the described methods may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Additionally, features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0037] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A novel low-pressure casting side mold point water-cooling structure, comprising a side mold cooling insert, a side mold, a cooling piping system, and several point water-cooling tanks, characterized in that, The plurality of point water cooling slots correspond one-to-one with the heat junction areas of the wheel rim and each spoke of the wheel hub blank, and the cooling pipeline system includes point water cooling heads for point water cooling of the point water cooling slots.

2. The novel low-pressure casting side mold point water-cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The side mold is provided with several protruding structures, and the side mold cooling insert is installed and positioned with the side mold by inserting it into each of the protruding structures through several positioning holes.

3. The novel low-pressure casting side mold point water-cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a groove, which is disposed in the non-thermal junction area on the upper end face of the side mold cooling insert.

4. A novel low-pressure casting side mold point water-cooling structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, The groove can be filled with insulation material for different wheel shapes.

5. A novel low-pressure casting side mold point water-cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, An installation groove is provided in the middle of the side mold. The top surface of the installation groove is the upper mating surface of the side mold cooling insert, and the bottom surface is the lower mating surface of the side mold cooling insert. The side mold cooling insert is inserted into the installation groove. The side mold cooling insert makes contact with the upper mating surface of the side mold cooling insert through the upper end surface of the side mold cooling insert, and makes contact with the lower mating surface of the side mold cooling insert through the lower end surface of the side mold cooling insert.

6. The novel low-pressure casting side mold point water-cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the side mold cooling insert and the side mold are composed of several blocks. The inner cavity of the side mold corresponds to the rim portion of the wheel hub blank. The side mold cooling insert is installed below the side mold, and the inner wall of the side mold cooling insert is the inner surface of the insert.

7. A novel low-pressure casting side mold point water-cooling structure according to claim 6, characterized in that, The side mold cooling insert and the number of side mold segments are both 4, and the unfolding angle along the center is 90°.

8. A novel low-pressure casting side mold point water-cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling piping system also includes several inlet pipes and several outlet pipes. The inner end of each inlet pipe is connected to a point water cooling head, and the inner end of each outlet pipe is connected to a point water cooling tank.

9. A novel low-pressure casting side mold point water-cooling structure according to claim 8, characterized in that, The cooling piping system also includes several cooling pipe joints, which are installed at the outer ends of each inlet pipe and each outlet pipe.

10. A novel low-pressure casting side mold point water-cooling structure according to claim 8, characterized in that, The water cooling head and the water inlet pipe are fixed together by welding.

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