Vertical Casting Apparatus and Vertical Casting Method

Abstract

The present invention is to provide a vertical casting apparatus capable of easily manufacturing castings without causing shrinkage cavities and entrainment of gas, by filling a molten metal into a mold cavity at a high speed and by effectively pressurizing the molten metal in the closed cavity, which has high work efficiency, ease of maintenance, and a low cost of equipment, and a vertical casting method using the vertical casting apparatus. The vertical casting apparatus is provided with an apparatus body comprising a fixed mold 1 on the lower side and a movable mold 2 on the upper side, a closing means 13 for closing a molten metal in-flow gate 10 formed in the fixed mold 1, and a pressurizing means 20 for pressurizing the molten metal in the closed mold cavity, and a casting means for supplying and filling the molten metal into the mold cavity from the underside. The casting means has a gas-pressurized molten metal pouring ladle 6 attachable to and detachable from the apparatus body.

1 . A vertical casting apparatus comprising an apparatus body having a fixed mold on a lower side and a movable mold on an upper side, which can form a mold cavity, a closing means for closing a molten metal in-flow gate formed in the fixed mold, and a pressurizing means for pressurizing a molten metal in the closed mold cavity, and a casting means for supplying and filling the molten metal into the mold cavity from underside, wherein the casting means has a gas-pressurized molten metal pouring ladle attachable to and detachable from the apparatus body.  
   
   
       2 . The vertical casting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a hermetically sealed construction is formed by attaching the gas-pressurized molten metal pouring ladle to the apparatus body.  
   
   
       3 . The vertical casting apparatus according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the gas-pressurized molten metal pouring ladle is provided with a casting stoke, and the hermetically sealed construction is formed by bringing an upper end portion of the casting stoke into close contact with the apparatus body.  
   
   
       4 . The vertical casting apparatus according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the apparatus body is provided with a casting stoke, and the hermetically sealed construction is formed by bringing an upper end portion of the gas-pressurized molten metal pouring ladle is brought into close contact with the apparatus body.  
   
   
       5 . The vertical casting apparatus according to any one of  claims 1  to  4 , wherein a content of the gas-pressurized molten metal pouring ladle is a capacity capable of containing a molten metal necessary for one casting operation.  
   
   
       6 . The vertical casting apparatus according to any one of  claims 1  to  5 , wherein the gas-pressurized molten metal pouring ladle has a heating means.  
   
   
       7 . The vertical casting apparatus according to any one of  claims 1  to  6 , wherein the casting means has a vacuum attraction mechanism for vacuum attracting a gas in the mold cavity to fill a molten metal in the gas-pressurized molten metal pouring ladle by vacuum attraction.  
   
   
       8 . The vertical casting apparatus according to any one of  claims 1  to  7 , wherein the mold cavity has a gas exhaust passage, and a molten metal solidification zone void linked with the gas exhaust passage is provided in a vicinity of the gas exhaust passage.  
   
   
       9 . The die-cast casting apparatus according to any one of  claims 1  to  8 , wherein the gas-pressurized molten metal pouring ladle has a molten metal supply pipe linked with an opening provided in a lower part thereof, and an open- and closable molten metal supply port lid which has a sealing force capable of withstanding gas pressurization is provided at a molten metal supply port of the molten metal supply pipe.  
   
   
       10 . A vertical casting method using the vertical casting apparatus according to any one of  claims 1  to  9 , comprising the steps of casting a molten metal into the mold cavity from the gas-pressurized molten metal pouring ladle through the casting stoke; and closing the molten metal in-flow gate formed in the fixed mold by the closing means after the molten metal has been filled into the cavity; and subsequently pressurizing the molten metal in the mold cavity by a pressurizing means.  
   
   
       11 . The vertical casting method according to  claim 10 , comprising the steps of releasing immediately the gas pressure in the gas-pressurized molten metal pouring ladle to the atmosphere, and detaching the gas-pressurized molten metal pouring ladle from the apparatus body, after closing the molten metal in-flow gate by the closing means; supplying a molten metal necessary for the next cycle into the gas-pressurized molten metal pouring ladle; and attaching again the gas-pressurized molten metal pouring ladle to the apparatus body to provide for the next casting operation.  
   
   
       12 . The vertical casting method according to  claim 10  or  11 , wherein the gas pressure in the gas-pressurized molten metal pouring ladle is regulated to 1 kg/cm 2  or higher to perform casting at a high speed in a short period of time.  
   
   
       13 . The vertical casting method according to  claims 10  to  12 , wherein the casting is a thin-wall and large-size casting of a light metal alloy.