Howmet Corporation

Howmet Research Corporation

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Christopher R Hanslits

Russell G Vogt

Michael Ott

Winfried Esser

Ursula Pickert

Mark L Soderstrom

Uwe Paul

Dirk Goldschmidt

Winfried Eβer

Andrew L Purvis

Randall S Diehm

Russel G Vogt

A method and apparatus for vacuum or air casting a molten superalloy, or other metal or alloy, containing an oxygen-reactive alloying element to form a cast part involves introducing the molten metallic material (melt) into a preheated mold having a melt reservoir, such as for example a mold pour cup, and gating for feeding the melt to one or more mold cavities. An induction coil disposed locally adjacent to the mold pour cup is energized in a manner to locally heat excess melt left in the melt reservoir to maintain it molten as the melt solidifies under vacuum or in air in the mold cavity to avoid shrinkage defects in the cast part.

Vacuum or air casting using induction hot topping

A nickel-based superalloy is provided. Known nickel-based superalloys for producing components made of stem shaped single crystals do not provide sufficiently for grain boundary strength. The superalloy includes a low molybdenum content and very accurately adjusted values for elements having grain boundary strength and elements that precipitate in grain boundaries.

Alloy for directional solidification and component made of stem-shaped crystals

Apparatus and method for casting metals and alloys using a pyrometer positioned outside or inside of a casting chamber and relative to a mold heating element in the casting chamber to view a region of a hot melt-filled refractory mold to improve accuracy of the mold temperature readings. The pyrometer is disposed at an elevation outside the casting chamber to view the mold along a viewing path above an induction coil and through an opening in a tubular susceptor disposed about the mold. Alternatively, the tubular susceptor and induction coil both include horizontal openings through which the pyrometer views the melt-filled mold from outside the casting chamber. The pyrometer is positioned to view a uniform profile region of the melt-filled mold having multiple mold cavities as the mold and susceptor are relatively moved.

Casting using pyrometer apparatus and method

A method of predicting a grain condition in a directionally solidified casting, comprises generating thermal history data for a directional solidification casting process, determining a plurality of casting process variables that statistically influence a plurality of different grain conditions, identifying each grain condition by determining a function containing values of each selected variable, and categorizing the selected variables with respect to variance among and between the different grain conditions to determine a pattern between the selected variable and the grain conditions.

Solidification control including pattern recognition

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Zuni, VA, United States of America

Christopher R Hanslits