Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Kenji Ohwada

Atsushi Suzuki

Takashi Idegomori

Akira Noda

Kazuya Sakamoto

Shinji Kazama

Tomonori Taoka

Koichi Kuroki

Hideaki Onda

Kiyonobu Mizoue

Masayoshi Kai

Takeshi Masaki

Nobumasa Hamazoe

Osami Ito

Hiroshi Ishii

Hisao Hirono

Kazuaki Kobayashi

Kenichi Katahira

Takahiro Suenaga

Tetsuya Muramatsu

Tetsuji Umemoto

Shigenori Kimijima

Hiromichi Baba

Kenichi Yasuda

Hideomi Ito

Made up of a step of preparing a map expressing a correlation between solid phase percentage and viscosity of a slurry-form semi-solid metal () for a given metal composition; a step of setting a target viscosity corresponding to a target solid phase percentage using this map; a viscosity measuring step of measuring the viscosity of a semi-solid metal in a vessel () while cooling it; and a step of carrying out cooling until this viscosity reaches the target viscosity, by these steps being carried out in from the preparation of the map expressing the correlation between solid phase percentage and viscosity of the semi-solid metal to the end of cooling of the semi-solid metal the solid phase percentage of the semi-solid metal is made to match the target solid phase percentage. Because the viscosity is detected, the affects of cooling rate changes and time can be eliminated, and it is possible to raise management accuracy of the solid phase percentage of the semi-solid metal much further than with related art management based on time.

Molding of slurry-form semi-solidified metal

A predetermined amount of molten metal is supplied to a heat-insulating crucible . After that, a chill block , which is cooled to a predetermined temperature of not more than a temperature of the molten metal , is immersed and rotated in the molten metal . Accordingly, the molten metal is agitated while being cooled to give no directivity of cooling. It is possible to obtain semisolidified metal which is formed into slurry uniformly and effectively as a whole. The semisolidified metal is discharged from the heat-insulating crucible , and it is supplied to a forming machine to apply a forming treatment thereto. Accordingly, it is possible to produce the desired slurry efficiently and economically.

Method and apparatus for manufacturing semi-solidified metal

An apparatus for producing a metal formed product comprises a molten metal-holding furnace; a semisolidified metal-producing mechanism; a cooling member-restoring mechanism arranged adjacent to the semisolidified metal-producing mechanism, for applying a restoring treatment so that chillers have a desired function; a forming machine for forming semisolidified metal to have a predetermined shape; and an articulated robot capable of transporting a crucible to the molten metal-holding furnace, the semisolidified metal-producing mechanism, and the forming machine. The semisolidified metal-producing mechanism includes first to third agitators. The cooling member-restoring mechanism includes first to third treating sections. These components are arranged in a direction of back and forth movement of the articulated robot. Accordingly, it is possible to efficiently obtain the metal formed product having a high quality.

Apparatus and method for producing metal formed product

A heated state-deciding apparatus and a thermocouple provided for a transport robot for detecting the temperature of a billet being transported by the transport robot, and a deciding member for deciding whether or not the billet is heated to be in a predetermined solid phase state on the basis of the detected temperature. Accordingly, it is possible to efficiently and accurately decide whether or not the solidus rate of the metal billet is good or bad, and it is possible to improve the productivity.

Method and apparatus for deciding heated state of metal billet

Growing community of inventors

Utsunomiya, Japan

Kenji Ohwada