Apparatus for and method of producing slurry material without stirring for application in semi-solid forming

Abstract

A method of producing a semi-solid material without stirring, including heating a metal alloy to form a metallic melt, transferring a select amount of the melt into a vessel, nucleating the melt by regulating the transferring of the melt into the vessel, and crystallizing the melt within the vessel by cooling the melt at a controlled rate to produce a semi-solid material having a microstructure comprising rounded solid particles dispersed in a liquid metal matrix. In one form of the invention, a temperature-controlled shot sleeve is provided for receiving and cooling an amount of metallic melt at a controlled rate to produce the semi-solid material. The shot sleeve has a number of heat transfer zones adapted to independently control the temperature of the melt disposed adjacent various portions of the shot sleeve. The shot sleeve also includes a ram operable to discharge the semi-solid material directly into a die mold to form a near-net-shape part.

1 .- 26 . (Cancelled)  
     
     
         27 . An apparatus for producing semi-solid material without stirring, comprising: 
 means for heating a metal alloy to a molten state;    a semi-solid forming press including a shot sleeve;    means for transferring an amount of said molten alloy into said shot sleeve; and    means for controlling the cooling rate of the molten alloy in said shot sleeve at a controlled rate less than 0.5 degrees Celsius per second without the use of a grain refiner and without mechanical agitation to form a semi-solid material having a microstructure comprising rounded solid particles dispersed in a liquid metal matrix.    
     
     
         28 . The appartus of  claim 27 , wherein the cooling rate of the molten alloy is within a range of about 0.01 degrees Celsius per second to about 1.0 degree Celsius per second.  
     
     
         29 . The appartus of  claim 27 , further comprising means for regulating the transfer of said molten alloy into said shot sleeve to nucleate said molten alloy.  
     
     
         30 . The appartus of  claim 27 , further comprising means for injecting the semi-solid material from the shot sleeve directly into a mold to produce a shaped part.  
     
     
         31 . The appartus of  claim 27 , further comprising means for adjusting the temperature of said molten alloy prior to being transferred into said shot sleeve.  
     
     
         32 . The appartus of  claim 27 , wherein said means for controlling includes means for heating said shot sleeve to at least partially control said cooling rate of said molten alloy.  
     
     
         33 . An apparatus for producing semi-solid material without stirring, comprising: 
 a furnace adapted to heat a metal alloy to form a metallic melt; and    a temperature-controlled vessel extending along an axis and being adapted to receive an amount of said metallic melt and to cool said metallic melt at a controlled rate to cause said metallic melt to form a semi-solid material having a microstructure comprising rounded solid particles dispersed in a liquid metal matrix, said temperature-controlled vessel having a plurality of heat transfer zones, each of said plurality of heat transfer zones being adapted to independently control the temperature of the metallic melt disposed adjacent thereto.    
     
     
         34 . The appartus of  claim 33 , wherein said temperature-controlled vessel includes a sidewall, one of said heat transfer zones being adapted to control the temperature of the metallic melt disposed adjacent a first axial portion of said sidewall, another of said heat transfer zones being adapted to control the temperature of the metallic melt disposed adjacent a second axial portion of said sidewall.  
     
     
         35 . The appartus of  claim 34 , wherein said sidewall includes a number of passageways adapted to carry a heat transfer media, said heat transfer media flowing through said number of passageways in said sidewall to effectuate heat transfer between said heat transfer media and said metallic melt.  
     
     
         36 . The appartus of  claim 35 , wherein said heat transfer media is oil.  
     
     
         37 . The appartus of  claim 35 , wherein said heat transfer media is air.  
     
     
         38 . The appartus of  claim 34 , wherein said first axial portion extends along approximately one-third of said sidewall, and wherein said second axial portion extends along approximately two-thirds of said sidewall.  
     
     
         39 . The appartus of  claim 34 , wherein said temperature-controlled vessel further comprises an end wall, another of said heat transfer zones being adapted to control the temperature of the metallic melt disposed adjacent said end wall.  
     
     
         40 . The appartus of  claim 39 , wherein each of said sidewall and said end wall includes a number of passageways adapted to carry a heat transfer media, said heat transfer media flowing through said number of passageways in said sidewall and said end wall to effectuate heat transfer between said heat transfer media and said metallic melt.  
     
     
         41 . The appartus of  claim 40 , wherein said temperature-controlled vessel further comprises: 
 an open end positioned generally opposite said end wall and adapted to receive said metallic melt; and    an end cap positioned adjacent said open end, said end cap including a number of passageways adapted to carry a heat transfer media, said heat transfer media flowing through said number of passageways in said end cap to effectuate heat transfer between said heat transfer media and said metallic melt disposed adjacent said end cap.    
     
     
         42 . The appartus of  claim 33 , wherein said temperature-controlled vessel includes a sidewall extending along an axis, said sidewall defining a passage for containing said metallic melt, said temperature-controlled vessel including a movable end wall displaceable along said passage to discharge said semi-solid material therefrom.  
     
     
         43 . The appartus of  claim 42 , wherein said sidewall and said movable end wall each include a number of passageways adapted to carry a heat transfer media, said heat transfer media flowing through said number of passageways in said sidewall and said end wall to effectuate heat transfer between said heat transfer media and said metallic melt.  
     
     
         44 . The appartus of  claim 33 , wherein said temperature-controlled vessel includes an inner containment vessel and an outer thermal jacket, said thermal jacket defining at least one of said plurality of heat transfer zones and being positioned in close proximity to an outer surface of said containment vessel to effectuate heat transfer therebetween.  
     
     
         45 . The appartus of  claim 44 , wherein said heat transfer is conductive heat transfer.  
     
     
         46 . The appartus of  claim 44 , wherein said thermal jacket defines a plurality of heat transfer sections, one of said heat transfer sections being adapted to control the temperature of the metallic melt disposed adjacent a first axial portion of said containment vessel, another of said heat transfer sections being adapted to control the temperature of the metallic melt disposed adjacent a second axial portion of said containment vessel.  
     
     
         47 . The appartus of  claim 46 , wherein said thermal jacket includes a third heat transfer section adapted to control the temperature of the metallic melt disposed adjacent an end wall of said containment vessel.  
     
     
         48 . The appartus of  claim 47 , wherein said thermal jacket includes a forth heat transfer section adapted to control the temperature of the metallic melt disposed adjacent an open end of said containment vessel.  
     
     
         49 . The appartus of  claim 44 , wherein said thermal jacket substantially encapsulates said containment vessel.  
     
     
         50 - 57 . (Cancelled)  
     
     
         58 . An apparatus for producing semi-solid material for semi-solid forming a shaped part, comprising: 
 a furnace adapted to heat a metal alloy to form a metallic melt; and    a temperature-controlled vessel, including: 
 a passage adapted to receive an amount of said metallic melt, said metallic melt being cooled at a controlled rate to cause said metallic melt to crystallize and form a semi-solid material having a microstructure comprising rounded solid particles dispersed in a liquid metal matrix; and  
 a ram displaceable along said passage to discharge said semi-solid material therefrom.  
   
     
     
         59 . The appartus of  claim 58 , wherein said semi-solid material is discharged directly into a die mold to form a shaped part.  
     
     
         60 . The appartus of  claim 58 , wherein the rate of displacement of said ram is controlled to provide non-turbulent flow of said semi-solid material into said mold.  
     
     
         61 . The appartus of  claim 60 , wherein the rate of displacement of said ram is between about 1 inch per second and about 10 inches per second.  
     
     
         62 . The appartus of  claim 58 , wherein said passage of said temperature-controlled vessel is bounded by a sidewall, the temperature of said sidewall being regulated to provide said controlled rate of cooling.  
     
     
         63 . The appartus of  claim 62 , wherein the temperature of said ram is regulated to provide said controlled rate of cooling.  
     
     
         64 . The appartus of  claim 58 , wherein said controlled rate of cooling is within a range of about 0.01 degrees Celsius per second to about 5.0 degrees Celsius per second.  
     
     
         65 . The appartus of  claim 58 , wherein said temperature-controlled vessel including a plurality of heat transfer zones, each of said plurality of heat transfer zones being adapted to independently control the temperature of the metallic melt disposed adjacent thereto.