Golf Club Head Casting Cluster with Centrifugal Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional casting clusters for golf club heads face limitations in manufacturing multiple iron-type golf club heads simultaneously with high yield and low material usage, as they require significant force to fill multiple mold cavities and often result in low efficiency and high material waste.
Innovation Solution
A casting cluster with a receptor, multiple runners, and at least forty main gates and molds, configured to receive molten metal, allowing for efficient distribution and casting of golf club heads, achieving a cast-product yield of at least 80% by rotating the cluster at 500 RPM and optimizing the flow of molten metal through the system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the number of mold cavities in a casting cluster is increased to manufacture more golf club heads simultaneously, then productivity is improved, but the force required to fill the mold cavities increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The casting cluster is divided into multiple independent casting units, each with its own mold cavity and gating system. This segmentation allows the total force requirement to be distributed across multiple smaller channels rather than requiring one large channel to handle all cavities, enabling higher productivity without excessive force requirements in any single channel.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from conventional single-plane casting arrangements to a three-dimensional cluster configuration where mold cavities are arranged in multiple levels and planes. This dimensional expansion allows for more efficient distribution of molten metal flow paths, reducing the total force required while increasing the number of cavities that can be filled simultaneously.
2Productivity
If conventional casting techniques are used with multiple mold cavities, then productivity is improved, but material usage increases and yield decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The gating system parameters are optimized by adjusting the cross-sectional area, length, and configuration of runners and gates. This parameter optimization ensures that molten metal flows efficiently to all mold cavities with minimal turbulence and oxidation, reducing material waste while maintaining high productivity across multiple cavities.
3Productivity
If more mold cavities are added to a casting cluster, then productivity is improved, but the complexity of the casting system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The casting cluster is segmented into modular units with standardized gating systems. Each module can be independently designed and assembled, making the overall system more manageable despite the increased number of cavities. This modular approach reduces complexity by creating repeatable patterns rather than unique configurations for each cavity.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple gating functions are merged into an integrated runner network that distributes molten metal to all cavities through a unified system. This merging reduces the total number of separate components compared to having individual gating systems for each cavity, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high productivity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables the efficient production of multiple golf club heads with improved yield and reduced material usage, overcoming the limitations of conventional techniques by effectively distributing molten metal and minimizing waste, while maintaining structural integrity and performance.
Implementation Method 1
The plurality of runners comprises at least sixteen runners... Each runner of the plurality of runners comprises a proximal end, adjacent the receptor, and a distal end, opposite the proximal end... flowing the molten titanium-based metal through the plurality of runners
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a casting cluster for casting a body of a golf club head made of titanium or a titanium alloy. The casting cluster comprises a receptor and a plurality of runners coupled to the receptor and configured to receive molten metal from the receptor. The casting cluster also includes at least forty main gates. At least two of the main gates are coupled to each of the runners and each main gate is configured to receive molten metal from a corresponding one of the plurality of runners. The casting cluster further comprises at least forty molds. Each mold of the at least forty molds is configured to receive molten metal from a corresponding one of the main gates and to cast a body of an iron-type golf club head.