Serial Multi-Cavity High Pressure Casting Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional high pressure casting methods require significant increases in mold-clamping force and machine tonnage to produce two products in one mold, leading to increased cycle times and investment costs due to the need for additional melting facilities and larger machines.
Innovation Solution
A serial multi-cavity high pressure casting apparatus with a three-stage mold structure, including a fixed mold, an operation mold, and a medium mold, where molten metal is injected into a main sleeve and auxiliary sleeves to fill multiple cavities simultaneously, using hydraulic cutters and core cylinders to manage the casting process without increasing the mold-clamping force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a parallel multi-cavity structure is used to produce two products in one mold, then productivity is improved, but mold-clamping force and machine tonnage must be doubled
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is divided into three separate stages (fixed mold, medium mold, operation mold) that can be independently opened and closed. This segmentation allows the mold to accommodate multiple cavities (first cavity between fixed mold and medium mold, second cavity between medium mold and operation mold) while maintaining manageable clamping forces at each stage, resolving the contradiction between increased productivity and excessive mold-clamping force requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a conventional single-plane multi-cavity mold to a three-dimensional stacked configuration with cavities arranged in different spatial planes. The first cavity is formed between the fixed mold and medium mold, while the second cavity is formed between the medium mold and operation mold, effectively utilizing the vertical dimension to increase production capacity without proportionally increasing the clamping force requirement
2Productivity
If the casting area is increased to produce more products, then productivity is improved, but mold-opening force increases requiring larger machines
Solution Approach 1:
The mold-opening process is segmented into multiple independent stages. The medium mold can be opened separately from the fixed mold and operation mold, allowing each mold half to open with a smaller, manageable force rather than requiring the entire mold assembly to open simultaneously with excessive force
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic, movable mold components including the medium mold that can be independently actuated between the fixed and operation molds. This dynamic configuration allows flexible control of mold-opening forces at different stages, enabling efficient opening of multiple cavities without requiring excessive overall mold-opening force
3Quantity of substance
If sequential injection of molten metal is used to fill multiple cavities, then machine tonnage is reduced, but cycle time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an auxiliary sleeve as an intermediary component that enables simultaneous distribution of molten metal to multiple cavities. The auxiliary sleeve receives molten metal from the main sleeve and distributes it to both the first and second cavities through auxiliary runners, allowing parallel filling of multiple cavities with a single injection system, thereby maintaining short cycle times without requiring proportionally increased injection capacity
4Productivity
If simultaneous injection into multiple cavities is used, then cycle time is reduced, but additional melting facilities and investment cost are required
Solution Approach 1:
The main sleeve and auxiliary sleeve configuration enables a single melting facility to serve multiple cavities simultaneously. The auxiliary sleeve acts as a universal distribution manifold that can direct molten metal to both cavities from one injection source, eliminating the need for separate melting facilities while maintaining the benefits of simultaneous injection
Solution Approach 2:
The auxiliary sleeve serves as an intermediary distribution system that allows one melting facility to efficiently supply multiple cavities. This intermediary component enables the system to achieve simultaneous injection capability without requiring multiple independent melting facilities, thereby reducing investment costs 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
This approach allows for the production of twice as many products in one mold without increasing the mold-clamping force or machine tonnage, reducing cycle times and investment costs by simultaneous injection of molten metal and optimizing mold design for improved productivity and cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
a hydraulic cutter (190), and each of the hydraulic cutters including a cutting blade extending toward the sleeve core inside the medium mold to move the pair of hydraulic cutting blades upward or downward by a hydraulic pressure
Implementation Method 2
a pair of core cylinders coupled to side surfaces of the pair of sleeve cores, respectively, and coupled to both side surfaces of the medium mold perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the main sleeve, to operate the pair of sleeve cores by a hydraulic pressure in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the main sleeve
Data Source
AI summary
A serial multi-cavity high pressure casting apparatus includes a three stage mold comprising a fixed mold, an operation mold, and a medium mold disposed between the fixed mold and the operation mold, a main sleeve penetrating a lower portion of the fixed mold, and having molten metal injected thereinto, a main runner formed to extend upward from the main sleeve, an auxiliary sleeve branched to both directions from the main runner, an auxiliary runner formed to extend upward from each of both ends of the auxiliary sleeve and connected to each of a first cavity formed between the fixed mold and the medium mold, and a second cavity formed between the medium mold and the operation mold, and a sleeve core disposed on a lower portion of the medium mold, and having the main sleeve, the main runner, and the auxiliary sleeve inserted thereinto.