Patent Publication Number: US-10766067-B2

Title: Device for producing cast parts, such as aluminum castings, in a pressure method or low-pressure method

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a Section 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2017/000302, filed Mar. 6, 2017, which was published in the German language on Sep. 14, 2017, under International Publication No. WO 2017/153044 A1, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(b) to German Application No. 10 2016 104 019.3, filed Mar. 6, 2016, the disclosures of each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relate to a device for producing cast parts, such as aluminum castings, in a pressure method or a low-pressure method using a casting tool, which includes movably arranged side parts, a base receiving a lower part or a lower mold part, and an upper part or a plate having an upper mold part, where at least the upper part, together with a demoulding plate and the upper mold part, can be adjusted in the vertical direction relative to a supporting surface of the casting tool by means of at least one adjusting device, and the side parts can likewise be adjusted in the horizontal direction by means of the adjusting device and/or additional adjusting devices 
     BACKGROUND 
     A tool is disclosed in DE 102 34 026 C1 that relates to a device for producing cast parts, such as aluminum castings, in a pressure method or a low-pressure method. The tool includes movably arranged side parts as well as a base receiving a lower part or a lower mold part, and an upper part or a plate having an upper mold part, where at least the upper part, together with a demoulding plate and the upper mold part, can be adjusted in the vertical direction relative to the supporting surface of the casting tool by means of at least one adjusting device, and the side parts may likewise be adjusted in the horizontal direction by means of the adjusting device and/or additional adjusting devices. In such a device, short-time and simultaneous or synchronous movement of adjustable components cannot be realized. Additionally, the production of the known device is complicated and costly. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention aims to improve and design the device, such that the simultaneous or synchronous movement of the adjustable components can be realized, and no damage to a cast part will occur during demoulding. 
     This aim is realized according to the invention in that: for demoulding the cast part, at least one adjusting device interacts directly or indirectly with the demoulding plate, and during vertical adjustment, the upper mold part can be adjusted in the vertical direction, and then the side parts can be adjusted in the vertical direction likewise at least via the one adjusting device. As a result, a shorter demoulding time can be realized in a simple and low-cost way, since short-time and simultaneous or synchronous movement of adjustable components can be realized and overall a very space-saving device can be achieved. 
     For this purpose, it is advantageous that the adjusting device interacts with positive control elements, which cause a continuous or uniform movement of the side parts or the side sliders in the vertical and horizontal directions relative to the supporting surface of the casting tool. 
     Furthermore, it is advantageous that the positive control elements are sliding surfaces. Due to the shorter demoulding time, the production cost of the cast part can be reduced. With the aid of the demoulding of the invention, a simpler process for producing the cast part can be realized. The positive control apparatus can be realized by means of a plurality of sliding surfaces, so that during demoulding, the side parts move downward uniformly in direction Z, and the side parts will not swing back and forth. Therefore, the surface of the cast part will not be damaged during demoulding. 
     It is also advantageous that every two or more sliding surfaces interacts with each other for demoulding the cast part. As a result, during casting, the cast part enclosed by the lateral sliders moves upward along with the upper part after being cooled and then is demoulded from the upper part. By lowering and lateral continuous retraction of the side sliders, the cast part can be removed without damaging especially, in particular the surface of the cast part, is placed downward on a transportation board and moved away laterally. By demoulding according to the invention, no defect will be caused on the front side of the cast part either. 
     By the simultaneous kinematics of a single part in combination with a plurality of sliding surfaces, the cast part can be detached from the upper tool or the upper part very quickly and uniformly, thereby realizing uniform and intact demoulding. 
     It is advantageous that the casting tool is configured with five sliding surface pairs. 
     It is particularly important to the invention that, a first sliding surface pair extending horizontally is consisted of a horizontal first sliding surface arranged on the demoulding plate and a second sliding surface horizontally arranged on a first sliding element or a T-shaped rod; a second sliding surface pair extending in an inclined direction is consisted of a third sliding surface arranged on the first sliding element and a fourth sliding surface arranged on the demoulding plate; a third sliding surface pair extending in an inclined direction is consisted of a fifth sliding surface arranged on the first sliding element or T-shaped rod and a sixth sliding surface arranged on a sliding element or a tilting rod; wherein, a fourth sliding surface pair extending horizontally is consisted of a seventh sliding surface arranged on the first sliding element or the T-shaped rod and an eighth sliding surface arranged on the upper part; the casting tool is further configured with a fifth sliding surface pair extending at an angle of 45° is consisted of a ninth sliding surface arranged on the first sliding element or the T-shaped rod and a tenth sliding surface arranged on the upper part. 
     It is also advantageous that, the plate or the upper part and the second sliding element or the tilting rod may be firmly connected with each other and connected to the casting tool, wherein when the demoulding plate is directly or indirectly pressed against the sliding element or the T-shaped rod, with the interaction between the fifth and the sixth sliding surfaces of the second sliding element or the tilting rod and the T-shaped rod, between the third and the fourth sliding surfaces, and between the ninth and the tenth sliding surfaces as well as between other horizontally-extending sliding surfaces, the first sliding element is moved outward, such that the third and the fourth sliding surfaces of the first sliding element or the T-shaped rod and the demoulding plate rest on each other, and when the adjusting device further moves downward in the vertical direction, the side part or the lateral slider is forced and guided to move downward and outward on an inclined plane. 
     Furthermore, it is advantageous that, the first sliding element is a T-shaped rod which is consisted of a horizontal part and a vertically-arranged connecting piece. An opening is provided in the connecting piece to receive a fixing element, and the fixing element is connected to the side part by means of the opening. 
     It is also advantageous that, the second sliding element or the tilting rod and the upper part are firmly connected to each other via a fixing element and are connected to the casting tool in a vertically adjustable manner, where the connecting piece arranged on the first sliding element is received in the elongated opening arranged on the upper part, and the side parts or the lateral sliders are allowed to be laterally adjusted. 
     Additionally, it is advantageous that, the first sliding element is a T-shaped rod which has a fifth sliding surface and a third sliding surface arrange reversely at an angle of 45°, the fifth sliding surface and the third sliding surface are both arranged in an end region of the horizontal part, where a recess with three sliding surfaces is arranged on a lower side of the first sliding element, and the second sliding element is received in the recess such that the first sliding element in the side part can be laterally adjusted, thus the third and the fourth sliding surfaces can come to abut and the side parts can be adjusted downward in the vertical direction and outward in the horizontal direction, and the demoulding plate has on its outer circumference a plurality of sliding surfaces, which abut against sliding surface of the first sliding element. 
     Furthermore, it is advantageous that, the side parts are consisted of at least two or more side part segments, and the side part segments are consecutively fed toward a center or a vertical longitudinal axis direction via an inclined and cooperative sliding rod or moving rod to close the casting tool; and the sliding surfaces of the second sliding element and the first sliding element or the T-shaped rod abut against each other and extend inclinedly, and the sliding surfaces on the first sliding element or the T-shaped rod are arranged horizontally, such that they upon the adjustment of the demoulding plate, enable the first sliding element or the T-shaped rod to move outward in the vertical direction. Thereby, the large production cost of the cast part can be reduced overall since the movable parts can be detached simply and rapidly or continuously. Therefore, a shorter down time of the whole device may be realized, and thus the cost can be saved significantly. With the aid of the advantageously constructed synchronous kinematics and by using only one adjusting device, such as in the form of only one adjusting cylinder, the machine cost can be further lowered. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other advantages and details of the invention will be illustrated in the claims and embodiments of the invention and be shown in the drawings: 
       Wherein: 
         FIG. 1  shows an initial position of a casting tool before demoulding and thus at a closed position of side parts together with a mold and a cast part; 
         FIG. 2 a    shows a vertical opening of the casting tool in direction Z and thus the start of a demoulding stage; 
         FIG. 2 b    shows a partial view of the example according to  FIG. 2   a;    
         FIG. 3 a    shows a first demoulding stage, a common vertical movement stage of a demoulding plate, a T-shaped rod and side sliders in direction Z, and a simultaneous movement of the T-shaped rod  8  and the side sliders  4  in direction X; 
         FIG. 3 b    shows a partial view of the casting tool according to  FIG. 3   a;    
         FIG. 3 c    shows a top view of the casting tool according to  FIG. 3   a;    
         FIG. 4 a    shows a second demoulding stage, a common vertical movement stage of the demoulding plate downward in direction Z, and a simultaneous movement of the side sliders and the T-shaped rod vertically outward in direction X, where the two upper sliding surfaces extend on the same plane; 
         FIG. 4 b    shows a partial view of the casting tool according to  FIG. 4   a;    
         FIG. 4 c    shows a top view of the casting tool according to  FIG. 4   a;    
         FIG. 5 a    shows a third demoulding stage, a common vertical movement of the demoulding plate downward in direction Z and a simultaneous movement of the side sliders and the T-shaped rod outward in direction X, where the third sliding surface abuts against the fourth sliding surface; 
         FIG. 5 b    shows a partial view of the casting tool according to  FIG. 5   a;    
         FIG. 5 c    shows a top view of the casting tool according to  FIG. 5   a;    
         FIG. 6  shows a plate or an upper part; 
         FIG. 7  shows a 3D view of a T-shaped rod; 
         FIG. 8  shows a lower part of the demoulding plate; 
         FIG. 9  shows a 3D view of a second sliding element or a tilting rod; 
         FIG. 10  shows a partial view via a 3D view of one of the four adjustable side sliders; and 
         FIG. 11  shows an exploded view of the casting tool. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In  FIG. 1 , a casting tool is denoted by  20  and is configured for a device for producing a cast part  9 , such as an aluminum casting, in a pressure method or a low-pressure method, where the process pressure for the device described later can be about 1 bar or even slightly higher. 
     The casting tool  20  includes a plurality of movably arranged side parts  4  together with a base  1  receiving a lower part or a lower mold part  3 , and an upper part  7  or a plate having an upper mold part  5 . At least the upper part  7  is connected to a cover plate  15  of the device via a spacing column  14 . A demoulding plate  10  is connected to the upper mold part  5  of the device and adjusted in the vertical direction Z relative to a supporting surface of the casting tool  20  by means of at least one adjusting device  17 , and the side part  4  can likewise be adjusted in the horizontal direction X by means of the adjusting device and/or another adjusting device. 
     To demould the cast part  9 , at least one adjusting device  17  directly or indirectly interacts with the demoulding plate  10 . During the vertical adjustment of the adjusting device  17 , the upper mold part  5  is adjusted in the vertical direction Z, and then the side part  4  is adjusted likewise in the horizontal direction X at least via one adjusting device  17 . 
     The adjusting device  17  interacts with positive control elements, and the positive control elements make the side parts or the side sliders  4  move continuously or uniformly in the vertical and horizontal directions relative to the supporting surface of the casting tool. 
     The positive control elements are formed as sliding surfaces  18   a ,  18   b ,  19   a ,  19   b ,  50   a ,  50   b ,  60   a ,  60   b ,  70   a  and  70   b . To demould the cast part  9 , every two or more of  18   a ,  18   b ,  19   a ,  19   b ,  50   a ,  50   b ,  60   a ,  60   b ,  70   a  and  70   b  interact with each other. The device or the casting tool  20  is configured with five sliding surface pairs. 
     A fifth sliding surface pair  18   a ,  18   b  extending at an angle of 45° is consisted of a ninth sliding surface  18   a  arranged on a first sliding element or a T-shaped rod  8  and a tenth sliding surface  18   b  arranged on the upper part  7 . 
     A third sliding surface pair  19   a ,  19   b  extending at an angle of 45° is consisted of a fifth sliding surface  19   a  arranged on the first sliding element or the T-shaped rod  8  and a sixth sliding surface  19   b  arranged on a sliding element or a tilting rod  11 . 
     A second sliding surface pair  50   a ,  50   b  extending at an angle of 45° is consisted of a third sliding surface  50   a  arranged on the first sliding element  8  and a fourth sliding surface  50   b  arranged on the demoulding plate  10 . 
     A first sliding surface pair  60   a ,  60   b  extending horizontally is consisted of a first horizontal sliding surface  60   a  arranged on the demoulding plate  10  and a second sliding surface  60   b  horizontally arranged on the first sliding element or the T-shaped rod  8 . 
     A fourth sliding surface pair  70   a ,  70   b  extending horizontally is consisted of a seventh sliding surface  70   a  arranged on the first sliding element or the T-shaped rod  8  and an eighth sliding surface  70   b  arranged on the upper part  7 . 
     The upper part  7  and the second sliding element or the tilting rod  11  are firmly connected to each other via a fixing element and firmly connected to the casting tool  20 , thus are unadjustable in the vertical direction. The casting tool  20  has an opening  25 , in which the cast part is shaped ( FIG. 5 c   ). 
     The first sliding element  8  according to  FIG. 7  has a vertical connecting piece  21  and is connected to the side part  4  by means of a fixing element or a bolt that is not shown. The bolt extends into the side part  4  through a borehole  53  arranged in the T-shaped rod  8  and an elongated opening  51  arranged on the upper part  7  ( FIG. 6 ). 
     Since the plate or the upper part  7  and the second sliding element or the tilting rod  11  are firmly connected to each other and are directly or indirectly connected to the casting tool  20 , when the demoulding plate  10  directly or indirectly abuts against the first sliding element or the T-shaped rod  8  and thus indirectly acts on the side part  4 , the T-shaped rod  8 , together with the side part  4 , moves outward in the direction X according to  FIG. 4 b   , such that the sliding surfaces  50   a  and  50   b  extend on an inclined plane at an angle of 45° relative to the supporting surface of the device. At the position of  FIG. 4 b   , when the plate or the demoulding plate  10  is further adjusted along direction Z, the sliding surface  50   b  abuts against the sliding surface  50   a , thereby the T-shaped rod  8  and the side part  4  move on an inclined plane along direction Z-X, as the sliding surfaces  18   a ,  18   b  and  19   a ,  19   b  will further slidably contact with each other in this movement. In this adjusting process, the side part  4  moves continuously from cast part  9  during the continuous adjustment from  FIG. 4 b    to  FIG. 5 b   , and thus is ultimately fully released, such that the east part is delivered downward to a transportation plate in direction Z, and can move out from the device laterally. 
     Since the first sliding element is formed as a T-shaped rod  8  and is consisted of a horizontal part and the vertically-arranged connecting piece  21 , in which the opening  53  is provided for receiving the fixing element not shown in the drawings, an in the connecting piece, the connecting piece  21  and the horizontally extending part  22  and thus the sliding element  8  can be firmly connected to the side part  4 . The T-shaped rod  8  and the side part  4  are therefore adjusted together in the direction Z and the direction X. 
     The demoulding plate  10  has on the outer circumference a plurality of, in particular  8 , sliding surfaces  50   b  which abut against the sliding surface  50   a  of the first sliding unit  8 . 
     According to  FIG. 5 c    and  FIG. 10 , the side part  4  is consisted of at least two, in particular four, side part segments, which are consecutively fed toward the center or the vertical longitudinal axis via inclined and cooperative sliding rods or moving rods  6 ,  13  arranged on a corner part  16  of the base  1  and on the side part  4  so as to close the casting tool  20  again after demoulding, so that the casting tool can be again filled with melts via a sprue bush at a low pressure of about 1 bar to 5 bar. According to  FIG. 19 , the side part has a die face with an inwardly directed concave surface, which determines the outer surface of the cast part  9 . 
     The function of the sliding surface will be summarized below:  FIG. 2 b    shows the function of the sliding surface and the movement direction of the sliding surface  60   a + 60   b  opposite to direction X. The adjustment path is effected via the abutment of the sliding surfaces  19   a ,  19   b , since the parts  7  and  11  cannot move laterally during the adjustment of the part or the demoulding plate  10 , instead, only the first sliding element  8  can be adjusted in direction X. In the adjustment process of  FIG. 2 b    to  FIG. 3 b   , the sliding surface  18   a ,  18   b  and  19   a ,  19   b  come to abut, thereby effecting the adjustment of the T-shaped rod  8  and the side part  4  from  FIG. 3 b    to  FIG. 4 b   . The distance between the cast part  9  and the side part  4  is increased continuously. With the aid of the abutment of the sliding surfaces  18   a ,  18   b ,  19   a ,  19   b ,  60   a ,  60   b , the movement of the T-shaped rod  8  and the side part  4  in direction Z and direction X, i.e., the movement on an inclined plane, is affected in further adjustment, thus the downward movement according to  FIG. 4 b    and  FIG. 5 b    is affected. Here, the sliding surfaces  50   a ,  50   b ,  70   a  and  70   b  interact with each other. 
     REFERENCE NUMBERS IN THE DRAWINGS 
     
         
         
           
               1  Base 
               2  Sprue Bush 
               3  Lower Part, Lower Mold Part 
               4  Side part, Side Slider 
               5  Upper Part, Upper Mold Part 
               6  Sliding Rod, Moving Rod 
               7  Plate, Upper Part 
               8  First Sliding Element, T-Shaped Rod 
               9  Cast Part 
               10  Plate, Demoulding Plate 
               11  Second Sliding Element, Tilting Rod 
               12  Guiding Column 
               13  Sliding Rod, Moving Rod 
               14  Spacing Column 
               15  Cover Plate 
               16  Corner Part 
               17  Adjusting Device, Hydraulic Cylinder 
               18   a  Ninth Sliding Surface On Part  8   
               18   b  Tenth Sliding Surface On Part  7   
               19   a  Fifth Sliding Surface On Part  8   
               19   b  Sixth Sliding Surface On Part  11   
               20  Casting Tool 
               21  Connecting Piece 
               22  Horizontal Part 
               23  Lower Side 
               24  Recess 
               25  First Opening 
               50   a  Third Sliding Surface On Part  8   
               50   b  Fourth Sliding Surface On Part  10   
               51  Elongated Opening 
               53  Second Opening, Hole 
               60   a  First Sliding Surface On Part  10   
               60   b  Second Sliding Surface On Part  8   
               70   a  Seventh Sliding Surface On Part  8   
               70   b  Eighth Sliding Surface On Part  7   
             X Horizontal Direction 
             Z Vertical Direction