Abstract:
The invention relates to an adjustable casting mold with a plurality of axially displaceable molding pins. Each molding pin has a self-locking threaded mechanism by way of which the molding pin is supported on a carrier plate. The carrier plates on which in each case a plurality of adjustable molding pins are mounted are, in turn, connected to a molding-box housing member to be adjustable in a different manner perpendicular to the mold parting surface.

Description:
The invention relates to an adjustable casting mould and a device for adjusting the mould surface thereof. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Known casting moulds include on the one hand those in which a sand moulding box is prepared each time a workpiece is cast. These sand moulding boxes are well suited for the small-batch manufacture of products. However they have drawbacks concerning the disposal of the used moulding sand. For example, the process of casting four propeller blades for a marine propeller entails 80 m 3  of moulding sand which is to be disposed of. These problems can only be partly solved by reprocessing used moulding sand. Reprocessing is also expensive. The preparation of the sand moulding boxes is labour-intensive and time-consuming. 
     In addition, moulds which can be used many times are known for the large-batch manufacture of castings which are not overlarge. However these casting moulds are very expensive to produce, which means that it is out of the question to use them for small-batch production. 
     In order to produce a casting mould with an adjustable mould surface, DE 41 12 736 C2 has already proposed rod-shaped moulding pins which can be moved axially relative to one another so as to be clamped together in a frame, with the end faces of the variably adjusted moulding rods predetermining a staircase curve mould surface of adjustable geometry. 
     One disadvantage of an adjustable casting mould of this kind lies in the fact that the various moulding pins cannot be firmly fixed in position until they have all been brought into the desired axial position. The moulding pins may move under disturbing influences until they are thus fixed. Moreover, the process of fixing the positions of the moulding pins by clamping the entire pack of moulding pins together, in which case they are just fixed through pure frictional engagement, is not without problems: Firstly, the clamping forces under casting conditions may differ considerably from those under adjustment conditions on account of differing thermal expansion of the moulding pins and clamping frame. Secondly, the clamping forces must be cleanly transmitted from one moulding pin to the adjacent moulding pin in the moulding pin pack. This means that the side faces of the moulding pins must lie exactly flat against one another. The moulding pins must therefore be very accurately machined and, if re-used, adequately cleaned. However it is impossible to produce adjustable casting moulds for very large workpieces even if appropriate precautionary measures are observed, as the moulding pins—which are only held by frictional engagement—cannot take relatively high loads in the axial direction and may move in uncontrolled fashion under the effect of the weight of relatively large quantities of molten metal. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the invention is therefore to develop an adjustable casting mould according to the preamble of claim  1  such that the position of the individual moulding pins is more securely fixed, even if the mould has large dimensions. 
     This object is achieved according to the invention by an adjustable casting mould. 
     The individual moulding pins of this mould are each supported by an associated stanchion which is adjustable in length. As each moulding pin has its own support, which is independent of the support of adjacent moulding pins, the concept according to the invention enables casting moulds of any desired size to be produced without any problems. 
     The concept according to the invention also enables groups of moulding pins to be assembled into sub-units which can be handled and transported without any risk of the adjusted mould parting plane changing, while still ensuring that the mould surface is substantially continuous, so as to be free from joints, after the various moulding pin groups have been positioned side by side. 
     Advantageous developments of the invention are presented in subclaims. 
     The use of a screw drive to support the moulding pins is of advantage with regard to a simple, precise adjustment of the end faces of the moulding pins. This adjustment may also be performed in a particularly simple manner by using a robot. A stanchion of this kind, adjustable in length, is also particularly insensitive to high temperatures. 
     The development of the invention is of advantage with regard to a good, reliable alignment of the moulding pins irrespective of their axial position. 
     The development of the invention ensures that the screw drive which is used to adjust a moulding pin is protected against high temperatures under casting conditions. 
     If the threaded hole or spindle nut of the screw drive is provided on the guide section, the screw drive can be adjusted particularly easily to the head, which always occupies the same axial position, of the adjusting bolt. 
     The development of the invention has the advantage of the position of the mould surface not changing significantly if the temperature prevailing during the casting operation differs from the temperature which was taken as a basis when predetermining the desired positions for the various moulding pins. 
     The development of the invention enables the initially stepped mould surface to be converted into a smooth mould surface through mechanical reworking. 
     The development of the invention enables the material of which the volume of the moulding pins consists to be selected so as to be particularly favourable with regard to its thermal properties or machinability, while still guaranteeing that the moulding pins are mechanically held together as desired. If the sheath is thin, it does not represent a high resistance for the machining tool should any reworking of a stepped mould surface by machining be carried out. 
     If groups of moulding pins are provided on carrier plates, these groups of moulding pins can be adjusted on easily surveyed, small devices, particularly using automatic machines. The use of groups of carrier plates bearing moulding pins is also of advantage with regard to easily fastening the moulding pins in the moulding box and with regard to providing moulding boxes of different sizes using uniform basic components. Because the carrier plates are in turn mounted on the frame of the moulding box so as to be adjustable in the axial direction of the moulding pins, it is also unnecessary to provide an excessively long axial displacement path for the individual moulding pins, although it is still possible to produce large castings having different dimensions parallel to the longitudinal axis of the moulding pins. 
     The development of the invention is of advantage with regard to easily mounting the carrier plates on the moulding box frame such that they can bear loads. 
     A casting mould enables the individual carrier plates and the moulding pin groups borne by them to be very easily connected to the moulding box frame, in which case the positioning of the moulding pin groups flush side by side automatically takes place in two directions perpendicular to one another (in the first instance through abutment, secondly through the spacing of the rails). 
     The development of the invention enables sub-regions of the mould surface, in which different demands are made on the variability of the mould surface, to be formed economically. Thus edge regions of the moulding box parting plane, which only serve to close the mould cavity, can in the extreme case simply be closed by carrier plates bearing just one cuboid moulding pin. These moulding pins then only need to be adjusted to the mould parting plane, this being the only adjustment operation required. Carrier plates which are provided with sprue channels and vent channels may then also be mounted in such edge regions of the moulding box. 
     The development of the invention is also of advantage with regard to easily introducing the moulding pins into the moulding box and easily removing them from the latter again. 
     The development of the invention enables the temperature at the moulding box frame and therefore at the mechanism for suspending and bearing the moulding pins to be maintained at a low level. 
     A casting mould has a substantially smooth mould surface. Where large casting moulds are concerned, the end faces of the moulding pins are preferably machined after the axial position of the moulding pins of a carrier plate has been adjusted in each case separately for such a moulding pin group. CNC machines with long traversing paths are therefore unnecessary. However, where such machines are available, it is also possible to rework the stepped surfaces formed by the moulding pin end faces to form a mould surface which is smooth throughout at the actual casting mould. 
     An uninterrupted mould surface can also be achieved by smearing the stepped surface formed by the moulding pin end faces with a heat-resistant mouldable material, whereby a substantially continuous mould surface is likewise obtained. If a casting mould thus smeared is re-adjusted, the moulding material applied to the end faces of the moulding pins will generally separate automatically if the moulding pins are displaced unequally. This may be further assisted by spraying the moulding pin end faces with a parting compound before the mouldable material is applied. 
     The development of the invention is of advantage with regard to minimising the weight of the moulding pins and/or their displacement mechanism, which facilitates handling of the moulding pins and entire moulding pin groups. If an end section of the moulding pins remains solid in this case, it is also possible to machine the end faces of such moulding pins to produce a continuous mould surface. 
     The development of the invention enables the end faces of the individual moulding pins to be automatically adjusted to the desired mould surface. This is of advantage in particular where very large moulds are concerned and for the frequently varying manufacture of different products. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention is illustrated in detail in the following on the basis of embodiments and with reference to the drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a vertical section through a casting mould for a propeller blade; 
     FIG. 2 is a horizontal section through the casting mould shown in FIG. 1 along the intersection line II—II in the latter; 
     FIG. 3 is a front view of two adjacent moulding pin units of the casting mould shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of a moulding pin unit in which two moulding pins are reproduced in a completely inserted position and one of maximum extension, respectively; 
     FIG. 5 is a section through the moulding pin unit shown in FIG. 4 and a part of an adjacent moulding pin unit along the intersection line V—V of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a plan view onto the top side of the moulding pin unit shown in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic plan view onto a moulding box of the casting mould shown in FIG.  1  and the mould surface predetermined by this; 
     FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic representation of a device for automatically positioning the moulding pins of a moulding pin unit in the axial direction and 
     FIG. 9 is a longitudinal section through a modified moulding pin and its displacement mechanism. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 reproduces a casting mould for a propeller blade of a marine propeller which consists of a lower moulding box designated as a whole by  10  and an upper moulding box designated as a whole by  12 . 
     The two moulding boxes  10 ,  12  are basically of the same structure, so that it is sufficient to describe one of the moulding boxes in detail. In order to present a clearer picture, reference numbers for components of the two moulding boxes  10 ,  12  have only been entered once for one of the moulding boxes. 
     The moulding boxes each have a bearing box part  14 , the outside of which is fitted with bearing bolts  16 , from which cable straps can be suspended. The box parts  14  also have straps  18  adjacent to the mould parting plane, at which straps the two moulding boxes  10 ,  12  can be joined together by means of bolts  20  and nuts  22  in a separable manner. 
     The inner surfaces of the box parts  14  are covered by heat-insulating linings  24 . Vertical supports  26  extend through the latter, which supports are fastened to the bottom or covering wall of the moulding box part, are arranged in regularly spaced rows and each of which bears rails  28 . The cross-sectional shape of the rails is similar to that of an I-beam. As can be seen from FIG. 3, running walls  30  are welded onto the vertical webs of the rails  28 . These walls co-operate by way of their top side and underside with vertically spaced running pins  32  (or wheels), which are part of a running head designated as a whole by  34 . The latter also includes a fastening plate  36 , which is provided with locating openings  38 . 
     Mounting sections  42  of moulding pin units, which are designated as a whole by  44 , can be fastened to the latter by means of locating pins  40 , for which purpose the mounting sections  42  are provided with a set of locating openings  46 , various of which can selectively be moved into a position of alignment with the locating openings  38 . The moulding pin units  44  can thus be connected to the running heads  34  in different vertical positions and suspended via these from the rails  28 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the spacing of the rails  28  is exactly equal to the transverse dimension of a moulding pin unit  44 . If moulding pin units  44  are inserted in succession perpendicularly to the plane of the drawing in the rails  28 , lying side by side and extending perpendicularly to the plane of the drawing in FIG. 3, a mould surface curved in stepped fashion in two directions can be produced according to the different vertical positions of the moulding pin units. The lower end faces at the back of the moulding pin units lying in the plane of the drawing have been omitted from FIG. 1 to provide a clearer view. Of course these end faces advance towards the edge of the moulding boxes and in the same way towards the mould parting plane perpendicularly to the plane of the drawing, as represented for the lateral direction in FIG.  1 . 
     In order that the rails and running heads  34 , which position the moulding pin units, do not need to absorb large tilting moments under casting conditions (in this case the clearance between the running pin  32  and the running wall  30  would have to be very small, which would have a detrimental effect on the displaceability of the running heads  34 ), the circumferential walls of the box parts  14  also bear lateral support rails  48 , which act in a region of the edge moulding pin units  44  which is adjacent to the fastening plate  36  or a region which is adjacent to the end faces of these moulding pin units. These support rails may be preloaded by springs or capable of being advanced towards the interior of the box by tension screws which are not shown in detail in the drawings. 
     Further lateral support rails  50  engage in the outside of the edge rails  28 . They are in turn borne by the box part  14 . 
     The interior of the casting mould is divided into two sections in the embodiment considered here: One section, which is located on the left in FIG. 2, contains the actual moulding space, which has a finely stepped mould surface complying with the product surface and is formed by a plurality of moulding units  44  having small dimensions, as described above. A mould section located on the right in FIG. 2 contains those parts of the mould cavity relating to the sprue. This section of the casting mould does not require a precisely predetermined mould surface, so that moulding pin units  52  whose edge dimensions are in each case twice the edge dimensions of the moulding pin units  44  are used here. In the embodiment under consideration here rails  54 , on which the moulding pin units  52  are mounted in a manner similar to that described in detail above for the moulding pin units  44  in connection with the rails  28 , are mounted in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the rails  28  extend. The moulding pin units  52  can be fitted and removed through a pivotable door provided in a side wall of the box part. 
     The moulding pin units  52  have predominantly one-piece, cuboid moulding pins  58 , which contact one another with their end faces at the mould parting plane. Only the three central moulding pins of the row of moulding pin units  52  located on the left in FIG. 2 are formed with sprue channels and distribution channels, which are not shown, for molten metal, these leading into the moulding space  60  defined by the moulding pin units  44  (cf. FIG.  1 ). 
     The result of mounting the moulding pin units  44  on the rails  28  with their locating openings  46  aligned with the locating openings  38  in differing positions is a relatively roughly graduated stepped mould surface  62 , as shown in FIG.  1 . In order to enable the mould surface  62  to be more precisely adjusted to a desired workpiece surface, the moulding pin units  44  each comprise a plurality of individual moulding pins  64  which are arranged in the form of a matrix and can be displaced independently of one another in the axial direction, as described in greater detail in the following. The step between adjacent moulding pins  44 , which is large in the figure, can thus be broken down into a plurality of smaller steps between adjacent moulding pins  64 . This results in a precise approximation of the mould surface  64  to the workpiece contour, as indicated in the right-hand part of FIG.  3 . 
     The moulding pins  64  have (cf. FIG. 4) a core  66  which has a square cross section and is surrounded by a sheath  68  of just a slight wall thickness (its wall thickness is exaggerated in FIG. 4 just for illustration purposes). The core  66  consists of a material which only has a low coefficient of thermal expansion, at least in the temperature range occurring at the moulding pins under casting conditions, and preferably only a low coefficient of thermal expansion in the entire temperature range between ambient temperature and casting temperature. Graphite, for example, as used to produce electrodes, is a material of this kind. Another material which is suitable as regards thermal and mechanical properties is wood. However graphite is preferred, as this can easily be moulded industrially into rods of the desired geometry using the technology developed for graphite electrodes. 
     The graphite cores  66  are joined to the sheath  68  via transverse pins  70  such that they can be separated. The sheath  68  is joined to an inner telescopic part  74  via a weld  72 , and an insulating piece  76  is arranged in the last facing end section of the sheath  68  in order to thermally isolate the telescopic part  74  and the graphite core  66 . 
     The inner telescopic part  74  cooperates with an outer telescopic part  78 , which is likewise cylindrical and the upper end of which is welded to a carrier plate  80 . The inner telescopic part  74  and the outer telescopic part  78  together form a telescopic guide. A spindle nut  82  is welded into the upper end of the inner telescopic part  74 . This co-operates with an adjusting bolt  84 , the upper end of which bears a bearing disc  86  co-operating with the underside of the carrier plate  80 . Together with a head  88  of the adjusting bolt  84 , the bearing disc forms a radial/axial bearing. By turning the adjusting bolt  84  of a moulding pin  64 , the end face of the latter can therefore be easily and precisely displaced in the axial direction between a completely inserted (left-hand half of FIG. 4) and a completely extended (right-hand half of FIG. 4) position. 
     The pitch, the profile and the fit of the thread of the adjusting bolt  84  and the spindle nut  82 , as well as the material of the latter two parts, are selected such that the screw drive formed by them is self-locking under all casting conditions under which the casting mould is to be used, in the load-free state and under the shocks to which the casting mould is exposed. 
     As is obvious from the drawings, the moulding pins  64  each have a square cross section in the embodiment under consideration here, and each moulding pin unit  44  comprises a grid arrangement of 10×10 moulding pins and is therefore in turn likewise square. 
     Precise adjustment of the contour of a mould surface  62  can thus be carried out by displacing the various moulding pins  64  and rough adjustment of the contour of a mould surface  62  by locating the individual moulding pin units  44  at the associated running heads  34 . It is thus also possible to produce workpieces whose surfaces vary considerably in the vertical direction with this limited displacement path of the individual moulding pins  64 . 
     FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view of the profile of a propeller vane  90  for a marine propeller. The moulding pins  64  of all moulding pin units lying outside of the vane contour are fully advanced to produce this vane. The moulding pin units used here may alternatively also be simplified moulding pin units which simply comprise a single graphite block which is dimensioned such that the end face of the block lies in the mould parting plane when the moulding pin unit is appropriately located. As regards the moulding pin units  44  which are intersected by the peripheral contour of the propeller vane  90  or lie within this, the individual moulding pin units  44  are located and the moulding pin end faces axially adjusted so as to obtain a finely stepped mould surface which lies on the outside of the desired workpiece surface along its entire extent. The moulding pin units indicated by broken lines in FIG. 7 may again be formed by single-block moulding pin units, in the case of which the end faces of the blocks lie in the mould parting plane. Some of these last-mentioned moulding pin units are machined so as to produce a sprue channel. 
     The moulding boxes adjusted as described above are assembled to cast a workpiece and separated from one another again once the workpiece has solidified. The removed workpiece has a finely stepped surface from which just small quantities of material need to be removed by cutting in order to achieve the desired surface. 
     In a modification of the embodiment described above the surface of the individual moulding pin units may additionally be machined with a multiaxis CNC milling machine following the axial adjustment of the moulding pins  64 , so that the end face of a moulding pin unit corresponds with a tolerance of 0.1 to 0.2 mm in practice to an associated region of the desired workpiece surface. After being inserted in the box parts  14 , the moulding pin units  44  thus machined then form a smooth mould surface  62  which closely approaches the desired workpiece surface. 
     If long-stroke multiaxis CNC machines are available, the shaping of the mould surface  62  by re-milling can also be carried out after the pre-adjusted moulding pin units  44  have been inserted in the box parts  12  and  14 . 
     In a further modification a continuous mould surface can also be achieved by smoothing the finely stepped mould surfaces obtained after fitting pre-adjusted moulding pin units  44  into the box parts  14  of the moulding boxes  10 ,  12  with a pasty material (e.g. graphite slurry), e.g. using rubber scrapers or similar. A very good approximation of the mould surface  62  to the desired workpiece surface is thus obtained, although the moulding pins  64  remain unchanged. 
     A casting mould produced with the use of graphite moulding pins, as described above, can be used for the sequence casting of a relatively small number of workpieces, e.g. for casting three to five propeller vanes for a marine propeller. The moulding pin units can continue to be used afterwards to produce casting moulds for other workpieces. 
     The axial adjustment of the moulding pin end faces can be automatically carried out in a simple manner and allowing for individual wear of the moulding pins with a device as reproduced diagrammatically in FIG.  8 . 
     A C-shaped bow part  92  can be displaced by coordinate drives  94 ,  96 ,  97 , which are only indicated diagrammatically, in the x, y and z directions. A gap sensor  98 , which is borne by the lower arm of the bow part  92 , can be positioned below the end faces of the various moulding pins  64  of a moulding pin unit  44  one after the other through displacement in the x and y directions. This is carried out under the control of a control unit  100 , which operates subject to a master control  102 . The upper arm of the bow part  92  bears a boss  104 , in vertical alignment with the gap sensor  98 , which can be turned through predetermined angles in one or the other direction by a servomotor  106 . 
     The servomotor  106  is controlled by a control unit  108 , which receives the output signal of the gap sensor  98  at a first input and a desired position signal, provided by a mould surface memory  110 , for the end face of the moulding pin under consideration at a second input. A set of data corresponding to the finely stepped mould surface  62  is stored in the mould surface memory  110 . The mould surface memory  110  is loaded via an interface associated with the master control  102  according to data derived from CAD data for the workpiece to be produced (provision of overdimension required, step formation). 
     The mould surface memory  110  is on the one hand addressed according to the subsequent position of the moulding pin unit  44  in the mould surface  62 . For this purpose a read head  112  reads a machine-readable coding  114  applied to the side of the carrier plate  80 . This forms a partial address for the mould surface memory  110 . The other address parts were formed by the signals which correspond to the x and y positions of the bow part  92  and which are delivered by the control unit  110  to other address terminals of the mould surface memory  110 . The mould surface memory  110  thus provides a desired position signal corresponding to the desired position of the end face of the moulding pin which lies directly before the gap sensor  98 . 
     In a modification of the embodiment described above the operation can also be carried out with moulding pin units  44  which are not initially individualised by a coding, and the read head  112  can be replaced by a write head, e.g. an ink-jet write head, which writes an instruction on the carrier plate  80  as to where the moulding pin unit  44  should be fitted in the box part, e.g. a specification “third rail, sixth position”. In the case of the y-displacement of the carrier plate, such man-readable information can be applied during the adjustment of the moulding pin row adjacent to the write head. It is also possible to alternatively or additionally write the information on the carrier plate in machine-readable form. 
     In the embodiment according to FIG. 9 the same reference numbers have again been given to those components involved in mounting the moulding pins which have already been discussed in terms of their equivalent functions with reference to FIGS. 1 to  4 . 
     A graphite moulding pin  64  of short axial construction has a sleeve-shaped recess  116 , by means of which it is inserted directly in the end of the inner telescopic part  74  and secured therein by the pin  70 . The adjusting bolt  84  is formed as a hollow bolt and comprises radial feed openings  118  in its section which lies in the carrier plate  80 . These openings communicate via a ring groove  120 , which has a flow cross section which is large in comparison with the total area of the feed openings  118 , with a feed channel  122  extending in the longitudinal direction of the plate and intersecting the successive ring grooves of a row of moulding pins. 
     The axial channel  124  formed in the adjusting bolt  84  leads freely into the telescopic part  74 . The spindle nut  82  is formed with a plurality of axial passages  126  distributed in the circumferential direction, and waste air openings  124 , distributed in the circumferential direction, are provided in the upper end section of the telescopic part  78 . 
     The feed channels  128  of successive moulding pin units  44  are thus connected when the latter are brought into abutment in a rail  28 . If the ends of the feed channels  128  associated with the various rails  28  are connected to a compressed-air source, compressed air will flow through the channels  124  of the various adjusting bolts  84  into the interior of the inner telescopic part  74 , be reflected by the rear end face of the graphite moulding pin  64  and flow via the passages  126  into the space above the moulding pins  64  lying next to one another in abutment so as to be fluid-tight. The waste cooling air can flow off through openings, which are not shown in the drawings, provided in the side walls of the box parts  14 . 
     In the embodiment according to FIG. 9 the moulding pins  64  are not surrounded by a sheath and therefore alone form the mould surface  62 . This is of advantage with regard to particularly easy precision-machining of the mould surface. The mould can be restored to a new state with just a little waste by replacing the moulding pins, which are only of a low volume. 
     In the embodiment according to FIG. 9 the moulding pin  64  also has greater radial dimensions than the telescopic parts  74 ,  78 . This is of advantage with regard to reducing the number of telescopic guides and screw drives required overall, if a somewhat rougher graduation of the mould surface is acceptable. 
     In the embodiments described above a threaded spindle and a spindle nut co-operating with the latter in each case formed a self-locking screw drive for adjustably supporting a moulding pin or a moulding pin group. Other stanchions which are adjustable in length and which may also be used when the support has a good thermal shield against the mould cavity are hydraulic or pneumatic working cylinders with a locking device or other linear drives, e.g. racks moved by pinions.