Hayes Wheels International, Inc.

Bor-Liang Chen

Romulo A Prieto

Daniel C Wei

Brian K Monroe

S Joe Kingrey

A mold for gravity casting vehicle wheels having reusable thermally insulative linings attached to the interior of the gate and ball riser cavities. After filling the mold with molten metal, the gate cavity can be pressurized to assure that the mold cavity is completely filled. The ball riser cavity also can be pressurized subsequent to the gate cavity pressurization. The pressure on the gate and ball riser cavities forces molten metal from the cavities into the mold cavity as the metal cools and solidifies.

Method and apparatus for casting a vehicle wheel in a pressurized mold

A multi-piece wheel mold defining a mold cavity having a wheel rim cavity and a wheel disc cavity includes a large mass of metal adjacent to the outboard end of the wheel rim cavity and a small mass of metal adjacent to the inboard end of the wheel rim cavity. The mold also includes tapered side segments having a portion adjacent to the inboard end of the wheel rim cavity which is formed from a metal having a first conductivity of heat transfer. The side segments further have a second portion adjacent to the outboard end of the wheel rim cavity which is formed from a second metal having a second conductivity of heat transfer which is greater than the conductivity of heat transfer of the first portion. Molten metal in the mold cavity initially begins to solidify in the outboard end of the wheel rim cavity. Solidification of the molten metal then proceeds simultaneously in an axial direction across the wheel rim cavity towards the inboard end of the wheel rim and in a radial direction across the wheel disc cavity towards the center of wheel disc.

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Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Bor-Liang Chen