Patent ID: 7368690

Claim:
An apparatus for producing a semi-solid metal alloy from a molten charge of said alloy, the apparatus including: a treatment zone into which a charging container is receivable; charge cooling means for cooling the charge when the container is positioned in the treatment zone; electromagnetic force field inducing means for inducing an electromagnetic force field in the charge when positioned in the treatment zone, said electromagnetic field inducing means being in the form of an AC induction coil to which a current of 100 to 12000 amps is supplied at a frequency of 60 to 30000 Hz, in use, thereby to induce a force field of sufficient intensity to promote primary globular crystal formation instead of dendritic crystal formation during cooling; and a charging arrangement having supporting means for supporting the charging container in a starting position which is in alignment with the treatment zone and displacement means for displacing the charging container from the starting position along a linear path into the treatment zone, said treatment zone being configured to allow the charging container to be displaced from the treatment zone after treatment by the urging of a subsequent charging container into the treatment zone along said linear path.