Sectorized Crucible Levitation for Contamination-Free BMG Casting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for molding Bulk Metallic Glass (BMG) face challenges such as contamination, material loss, and reactivity issues due to contact with crucible and piston materials, particularly when dealing with reactive components like titanium or zirconium, which hinder efficient production of amorphous metal parts like smartphone shells.
Innovation Solution
A device utilizing a vertically arranged sectorized crucible and piston, with induction heating and electromagnetic forces to maintain the molten charge in levitation, avoiding contact and contamination, and using a sectorized piston and injection coil to facilitate gravity-assisted casting without material loss, ensuring high-temperature control and rapid cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cooled piston or hatch is used to close the melting crucible during melting and then opened for casting, then the sealing function is achieved, but the molten material cools on contact and forms a wolf that interferes with device operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical contact-based sealing system (cooled piston or hatch) with an electromagnetic field-based system. The sectorized crucible uses magnetic fields to levitate and contain the molten charge without physical contact, eliminating the cooling and wolf formation problems while maintaining sealing through electromagnetic containment rather than mechanical closure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces magnetic fields as an intermediary between the crucible walls and the molten charge. The sectorized crucible creates magnetic levitation that allows the molten material to be contained and transferred without直接接触 with the crucible walls or closure mechanisms, thus preventing unwanted cooling and wolf formation.
2Quantity of substance
If a ceramic crucible is used for melting, then the crucible can contain the molten charge, but the crucible reacts with certain alloys causing contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the physical ceramic crucible containment system with an electromagnetic field-based containment system. The sectorized crucible uses magnetic fields to hold and transfer the molten charge without physical contact, eliminating chemical reactions and contamination while maintaining effective charge containment throughout the melting and casting process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces magnetic fields as an intermediary between the crucible structure and the molten alloy. This magnetic levitation and containment mechanism allows the charge to be held and transferred without直接接触 with crucible materials that could cause contamination, solving the reactivity problem with alloys containing titanium or zirconium.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a sectorized cold crucible is used with horizontal placement and Laplace forces, then the charge is moved away from crucible walls, but a wolf still forms during injection into the mold
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical piston injection system with an electromagnetic field-based injection system. The sectorized crucible uses controlled magnetic fields to levitate, position, and inject the molten charge directly into the mold without physical contact with a piston or hatch, eliminating wolf formation during injection while maintaining charge separation from crucible walls.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses magnetic fields as an intermediary to perform the injection function. Instead of a physical piston contacting and pushing the charge (which causes cooling and wolf formation), the magnetic field itself acts as the medium to transfer and inject the molten material into the mold, maintaining temperature and preventing wolf formation.
4Reliability
If the movable closure means is cooled to prevent damage from molten charge contact, then the sealing means is protected, but the molten material cools and forms a wolf that must be eliminated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the cooled mechanical closure system with an electromagnetic field-based system. The sectorized crucible uses magnetic fields to contain and transfer the charge without physical contact, eliminating the need for cooling the closure means while preventing wolf formation and material loss through contactless handling throughout the entire process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces magnetic fields as an intermediary that allows the charge to be contained and transferred without直接接触 with any cooled surfaces. This eliminates the trade-off between protecting sealing means and preventing material loss, as neither issue arises when using magnetic levitation and transfer.
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
Enables efficient, contamination-free production of amorphous metal parts with high amorphization rates, reducing cycle time and eliminating the need for post-casting cleaning, while allowing the use of reactive materials without surface wolf formation.
Implementation Method 1
The molten charge is obtained by melting a metallic glass alloy charge in a melting crucible by induction heating
Implementation Method 2
the use of a sectorized piston makes it possible to place the molten charge in levitation or pseudo-levitation relative to said piston by the components of the Laplace forces of the magnetic field created by the circulation of currents induced on the sectors of said piston
Implementation Method 3
the vertical arrangement of the melting crucible with respect to the mold facilitates the automation of the casting process by making it possible to take advantage of gravity in the implementation of several operations
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for producing a part by moulding a BMG, comprising: a. a mould comprising two shells defining a sealed moulding cavity; b. a device for melting the BMG comprising: bi. a vertically disposed sectorised cold crucible, called melting crucible, comprising hollow sectors formed by an electrically conductive and non-magnetic material electrically isolated from one another; bii. an inductor in the form of a coil surrounding said melting crucible in order to heat the content thereof; biii. a means for generating ultrahigh frequency current for powering the inductor, characterised in that it comprises a sectorised piston comprising hollow sectors formed by an electrically conductive and non-magnetic material electrically isolated from one another, closing the melting crucible at one of the ends thereof.