INVESTMENT CASTING USING METAL SPRUE

Abstract: A method for use in investment casting comprising the steps of providing a pattern cluster which includes wax patterns (1) fastened to a wax covered tubular metal runner (5) and then coating the cluster with mold forming material. The tubular metal runner is then induction heated to permit its removal from the cluster. The invention is also directed toward an apparatus for carrying out the method.

Description: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus and more particularly, relates to improvements in an investment casting process and apparatus. The investment casting art, which is an old one, utilizes an initial metal mold which is constructed to permit the reproduction of a plurality of disposable patterns, normally of a wax material. Conventionally, a plurality of the wax patterns, representing the articles to be cast, are attached by means of wax gates to a wax runner to form a pattern cluster. The pattern cluster is then coated with one or more coats of a refractory material or alternatively, invested in a plaster mold to form a mold about the wax pattern. Following curing and/or hardening of the material forming the shell about the patterns and runners, the disposable material is removed to leave a completely void pattern cavity and as well, the runners are also removed. The empty shell is then filled with molten metal to cast the desired articles. Various proposals have been advanced in the art with respect to the minimization of the use of wax in the runners. As will be appreciated the wax runners used in the process require a considerable amount of material and in addition, the removal of the wax material forming the runners or sprues requires a considerable amount of energy since heat must be applied to remove the runners. Not only does the use of solid wax runners require an expenditure of additional energy, a time factor in the order of 6 to 10 minutes or more is required. Naturally, the minimization of the time and energy required is desirable. Still further, the wax runners or sprues represent a "weak link" in the investment casting art. Thus, it is known that cracking of the mold can occure when the wax sprue expands as it is being heated for removal of the same. It is naturally desirable that this be avoided. More recently, a problem which has been encountered with respect to the wax sprues is the weakness of the same. Automation of production has, in some instances, been limited due to the inherent weakness of the wax sprues. Thus, the speed at which the pattern cluster can be rotated in the refractory material is limited due to the inherent strenght of the wax runner. It is known in the art, from U.S. Patent 3,177,537 to use a metal runner in place of a wax runner. The metal runner is coated with a thin layer of wax which permits the attachment of the patterns thereto. The use of the metal runner reduces the amount of wax material used and in addition, the metal runner can be readily reused with a minimum expendi­ ture of time and energy. The metal runner, with its thin wax coating, is removed first from the pattern cluster, according to the teachings of the aforementioned U.S. Patent, by filling the runner with a hot heat transfer material such as oil. This melts the thin wax coating and the metal runner can then be easily slipped out of the cluster and reused to form a new cluster while the remainder of the pattern cluster is dewaxed in a normal manner to remove the wax gates and patterns. The use of hot oil or a further heat transfer material is, however, awkward and time consuming. Furthermore, the oil must be separately heated, transferred to the runner, and then dumped from the runner. It is a purpose of the present invention to provide a novel method of heating the metal runner, which method is both simpler and quicker than the known method. It is also an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for carrying out the aforementioned method. In accordance with the present invention, a metal runner, preferably tubular, is heated by an induction coil. The induction coil is placed in proximity to the metal runner and when the coil is operated the metal runner is quickly heated to melt its wax coating allowing the runner to quickly. easily and cleanly be removed from the pattern cluster for reuse. The invention is particularly directed toward a method for use in investment casting comprising the steps of: providing a pattern cluster which consists of wax patterns of articles to be cast, attached with gates to a wax-covered, metal runner; coating the pattern cluster with mold forming material to form a shell; and induction heating the metal runner in the coated pattern cluster to permit the removal of the runner from the cluster. The invention is also particularly directed toward an apparatus for use in investment casting. The apparatus includes means to support a coated pattern cluster, the pattern cluster consisting of wax patterns attached with wax gates to a wax-covered, metal runner, the pattern cluster being coated with mold forming material. The apparatus includes induction heating means adjacent the metal runner and means to operate the induction heating means to melt the wax on the metal runner from the cluster. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the metal runner is of an aluminium or aluminum alloy material. Thus, aluminum and/or alloys possess many of the desirable characteristics required for practice of the invention. The induction heating means may be any conventional induction coil; it is preferred that radio frequency be employed. In general terms, a frequency of 60 to 10,000 Hertz is a preferred range. It is preferred that the induction coil be situated as close as possible to the tubular metal runner to increase the coupling efficiency. Furthermore, it is preferred that the tubular metal runner be of a relatively thin material to permit a rapid heat build-up. It has been found that employing a method such as above described, the metal runner can be removed from the set-up in a period of under ten seconds. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the metal runner would typically be in the order of 40 to 150 thousandths of an inch thickness. As aforementioned, it is preferable that it be as thin as possible; the limiting factor is typically any deformation which may occur as a result of the mechanical stress or external heating. The wax layer is also preferably extremely thin and would be in the range of .005 to .05 inch. The invention will now be described in detail having reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of a pattern cluster; FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the pattern cluster after coating with mold forming material; FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the coated pattern cluster positioned within an induction heating coil; and FIGURE 4 is a sectional view showing removal of the metal runner from the pattern cluster. In the investment casting process of the present invention a plurality of wax patterns 1 are attached to a thin wax coating 3 applied on a tubular metal runner 5. The patterns 1 are attached by means of wax gates 7. The patterns 1 are of articles to be molded. The tubular metal runner 5 preferably is a thin-walled cylindrical tube having an open end 15 and a closed end which is called a sprue end 13. The sprue end has two through holes 19. The runner 5 can be made from copper, aluminium alloys thereof or other suitable metal materials known to those skilled in the art. The assembled patterns 1, runner 5 and gates 7 form a pattern cluster as shown in Figure 1. The pattern cluster is then dipped into a slurry to form a shell 17 of mold forming material as shown in Figure 2. The shell 17 of mold forming material can be applied by dipping the cluster in a ceramic slurry and then stuccoing refractory grain onto the slurry coated pattern cluster surface either by vibrating screen or immersion in a fluidized bed. The steps of dipping and sifting are repeated until the shell 17 has reached the desired thickness. The coated pattern cluster 15, with the dried shell 17, is then supported by suitable means within an induction coil 21 as shown in Figure 3. The cluster 15 can be manipulated by a steel handle rod 23. The cluster 15 is generally supported to have the longitudinal axis of the tubular runner coincide with the central longitudinal axis of the induction coil 21. Current is then passed through the induction coil 21 from a source via suitable control means 31 in a manner so as to inductively heat the tubular metal runner 5. When the runner 5 is heated, the thin outer was coating 3 on the runner melts and runs down the runner and out of the shell 17 past through the sprue end 13. The runner 5 can now easily be slipped out of the shell 17 as shown in Figure 4, by raising the shell, and the runner can be reused. The remainder of the wax in the patterns is then separately dewaxed to remove the wax patterns and gates from the shell 17; and the shell 17 is then filled with molten metal to cast the articles. The use of the tubular metal runner and induction heating to heat the runner to melt its wax coating provides a quick and easy way of removing the runner from the cluster to reuse it. It will be understood that the above-described embodiment is for purposes of illustration only and that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims: 1. A method for use in investment casting comprising the steps of: providing a pattern cluster having a plurality of wax patterns of articles to be cast attached with wax gates to a wax coated hollow metal runner; coating the pattern cluster with mold forming material to form a shell both interiorly and exteriorly of the hollow metal runner; induction heating the metal runner to cause the metal runner to heat to a temperature sufficient to melt the wax thereon; removing the metal runner to thereby leave a runner system for introduction of molten metal into the mold which minimizes the amount of metal employed in the runners. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of induction heating the metal runner comprises placing an induction heating coil interiorly of the coated metal runner. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said metal runner is of a cylindrical configuration having one end thereof open and an opposed end having at least one drainage aperture therein. 4. The method of claim 3 wherein the current frequency to the induction heating coil is between 60 Hertz and 10,000 Hertz. 5. In an investment casting method, wherein a cluster of wax patterns of articles to be cast are attached to a runner, the improvement comprising the steps of providing a thin-walled hollow metallic runner having a wax coating on interior and exterior surfaces thereof, the wax pattern being attached to the metal runner to the exterior wax coating, coating both the interior and exterior of the metal runner with mold forming material and induction heating said metal runner to a temperature sufficient to thereby cause said wax coating to melt and permit removal of said metal runner and to thereby leave a runner for the introduction of molten metal material which minimizes the use of said molten metal material. 6. The method of claim 5 wherein said metal runner has a cylindrical configuration having one end thereof open and an opposed end having at least one drainage aperture therein. 7. An investment casting set-up comprising a cylindrical metal runner having a first open end and a second opposed end with at least one drainage aperture therein, wax coating on both interior and exterior surfaces of said metal runner, at least one wax pattern of an article to be cast attached by a wax gate to the exterior of the wax covered metal runner, and a coating of a mold forming material about both the exterior and interior of the metal runner.

Inventors: LEUNG, TOM
Applicants: LEUNG, TOM
Application year: 1985
Main classification: B22C9
IPC codes: B22C9