Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc.

Cmi-Equipment & Engineering

David Good

Kenneth D McKibben

Daniel D Minor

Mark T Salgat

Robert L Macheske

William W Seaton

Alan P Gould

Karl D Voss

Thomas E Wuepper

Thomas J H Rozich

Diane M Zekind

Richard A Gillette

Brandon Schnettler

Philip L Bond

Jackie M Speaks

David Marthaler

Donald C Coyle

David J Gillette

Darrell Rentfrow

Thomas O Stiens

Larry M Stevens

Thomas J Rozich

A casting apparatus for pouring molten metal into molds comprises a vessel having a molten metal-receiving chamber generally extending between a filling end and a pouring end. The vessel includes a nozzle disposed in a bottom surface of the chamber proximate to the pouring end. A stopper cooperates with the nozzle to control a downward gravity flow of molten metal through the nozzle. A first support pivotably supports the vessel to provide a horizontal tilt axis substantially coincident with the nozzle. A second support is connected to the vessel at a point away from the tilt axis and has a drive for controlling a pivot position of the vessel. A tilt angle controller detects a level of molten metal within the chamber and engages the drive to maintain the level at a predetermined level.

Stopper-poured molten metal casting vessel with constant head height

A casting apparatus for pouring molten metal into molds comprises a vessel having a molten metal-receiving chamber generally extending between a filling end and a pouring end. The vessel includes a nozzle disposed in a bottom surface of the chamber proximate to the pouring end. A stopper cooperates with the nozzle to control a downward gravity flow of molten metal through the nozzle. A first support pivotably supports the vessel to provide a horizontal tilt axis substantially coincident with the nozzle. A second support is connected to the vessel at a point away from the tilt axis and has a drive for controlling a pivot position of the vessel. A tilt angle controller detects a level of molten metal within the chamber and engages the drive to maintain the level at a predetermined level. A horizontal support rail slidably supports the vessel to provide a horizontal movement perpendicular to the tilt axis. A horizontal drive controls the horizontal movement in response to the pivot position so that a trajectory of the flow of molten metal is directed toward a substantially fixed point within the sprue cup.

Trajectory compensation for tiltable stopper-poured molten metal casting vessel

A mold temperature control system comprises a mold section having a cavity, a fluid circuit to distribute a flow of a conditioning fluid, the fluid circuit being positioned spaced apart from the cavity, a temperature sensor positioned in the mold to generate a signal representative of a temperature in the mold, a controllable supply of the conditioning fluid, and a controller for automatically initiating flow of the conditioning fluid through the fluid circuit in response to an initiation temperature and for automatically terminating flow of the conditioning fluid through the fluid circuit in response to a termination temperature.

Mold temperature control for casting system

A method for producing a cast article comprising the steps of: (a)providing a casting apparatus having a mold, a casting chamber containing a molten metal under pressure and a fluid under pressure, the casting apparatus having a first supply port for supplying the molten metal to the casting chamber and a second supply port for supplying the fluid to the casting chamber; (b) supplying the molten metal to the first supply port; (c) supplying the fluid to the second supply port; (d) determining the amount of the molten metal in the casting chamber as a variable V ; (e) determining the amount of the fluid in the casting chamber as a variable V ; (f) determining the amount of humidity in the casting chamber as a variable V ; (g) determining the amount of the fluid entering the casting chamber as a variable V ; (h) determining the pressure of the fluid in the casting chamber as a variable V ; (i) determining the amount of the molten metal needed to produce a cast article in the mold as a variable V ; (j) determining the change in the pressure of the molten metal in the mold as a variable V ; (k) sensing the position of the molten metal with respect to the mold as a variable V ; (l) providing a control panel, wherein the control panel receives a signal representative of the variables V V ; and (m) adjusting the supply of one or both of the molten metal or the fluid in response to at least one of the signal representative of the variables V V

Method for controlling the filling of a mold cavity of a casting machine

The invention relates to a system and method for the automated spin-casting production of molded articles. The system includes a casting turntable and a processing turntable which are rotatively mounted, immediately adjacent to one another. The casting turntable has several spin modules mounted thereon for rotatively supporting mold assemblies. Casting preparation and pouring mechanisms are mounted around the periphery of the casting turntable. The turntable indexes the mold assemblies and positions the assemblies for preparation, pouring and solidification of the cast products. The processing turntable receives the mold assemblies and solidified castings from the casting turntable. Multiple processing stations are mounted around the periphery of the processing table for the removal of the castings from the mold assemblies and preparation of the mold assemblies for additional casting operations. The mold assemblies are returned to the casting table from the processing table for additional casting processes.

Automated spin-casting system

Growing community of inventors

Chelsea, MI, United States of America

David Good