Permanent Mold Helix Casting With Reduced Burr Formation

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Solution Overview

Problem

The production of cast coils with complex geometries is inefficient due to high casting temperatures causing mold damage, leading to burrs on the coil surface, which complicates the production process and shortens the service life of molds, making the process economically unviable.

Innovation Solution

A method using a permanent mold with mold halves that have a cavity defining a helix shape with a flattened winding cross-section profile, where the mold parting plane runs along the outer and inner sides, allowing for easy removal of burrs and potentially bending the casting into the helix shape without additional cores or slides, using sacrificial structures and indentations to facilitate burr removal.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If high casting temperatures are used to produce cast coils, then the filling factors and performance are significantly improved, but the mold is subjected to high stresses leading to washouts and cracks, reducing mold service life

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoil performanceVSAvoidmold service life

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The mold is divided into multiple segments or sections that can be independently replaced or repaired. This allows damage from high casting temperatures to be localized to specific segments rather than the entire mold, extending overall mold service life while maintaining high casting temperatures for coil performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The mold is constructed using composite materials with high thermal resistance and mechanical strength, enabling it to withstand the high casting temperatures required for producing high-performance coils without suffering washouts and cracks, thus extending mold service life.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If high casting temperatures are used to produce cast coils, then the filling factors are significantly exceeded, but burrs are formed on the coil surface, complicating the production process

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefilling factorVSAvoidcoil surface quality

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The mold design incorporates features that convert the harmful effect of burr formation into a beneficial outcome. For example, the mold includes built-in burr trimming mechanisms or design features that minimize burr formation while maintaining high casting temperatures for achieving superior filling factors.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The mold design and casting parameters are optimized to change the relationship between temperature and burr formation. By adjusting parameters such as mold temperature, casting speed, and pressure, the process achieves high filling factors while minimizing burr formation on the coil surface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If additional cores or slides are used to produce complex helix geometries, then the manufacturing capability is improved, but the device complexity and production cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegeometric capabilityVSAvoidmold structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mold is divided into multiple segments or sections that can be independently moved or adjusted to create complex helix geometries. This segmentation allows the mold to adapt to different geometric requirements without requiring additional cores or slides, maintaining simplicity while achieving versatility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The mold incorporates dynamic elements such as movable or adjustable sections that can change position during the casting process to create complex helix geometries. This dynamic capability allows the same mold structure to produce various geometries without additional components, reducing overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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

This method reduces the complexity and cost of producing cast coils by minimizing burr formation and extending mold service life, enabling efficient production of high-quality helices with reduced finishing requirements.

Implementation Method 1

a casting material is introduced into the cavity to produce a casting having the form of the helix defined by the cavity

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCasting:

Data Source

PatentUS12115577B2Method of forming a helix, permanent mold for forming a helix, and helix

Publication Date: 2024.10.15 FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG EV

AI summary

A method for producing a helix includes a step of providing a permanent mold with mold halves which are joined together on a mold parting line. The method additionally has a step of joining together the mold halves of the permanent mold such that the permanent mold has a cavity, which defines the shape of the helix or the shape of a bent-up helix, when the permanent mold is joined together, wherein the helix or the bent-up helix has a flattened profiled winding cross-section which has two opposite flat sides, an outer side and an inner side opposite the outer side, and the mold parting line runs at least partly along the outer side and/or the inner side and/or edges of the profiled winding cross-section.