Toto Ltd.

Kimiteru Sato

Haruyuki Ito

A process for casting slip into a ceramic product using at least one unique casting mold. The casting mold is formed of a plurality of separate porous mold parts, each of which has a fluid-tight outer face, an inner molding surface and a plurality of channels therein. The mold parts are combined so that the inner molding surfaces define a molding cavity in the mold. The casting mold is positioned within a pressure container such that a space is established surrounding the casting mold within the pressure container. This space is in fluid communication with the molding cavity of the mold. The casting process further includes the steps of: sealing the pressure container; firmly clamping the casting mold; feeding slip under a first pressure into the molding cavity until the molding cavity is filled with slip; supplying a fluid under a second pressure higher than the first pressure into the space surrounding the casting mold thereby applying the second pressure to the slip in the molding cavity and to the inner molding surfaces of the mold parts to form a cast layer of a predetermined thickness within the molding cavity; depressurizing the channels to drain water accumulated therein; discharging residual slip from the molding cavity; and removing the casting mold from the pressure container.

Casting process

A casting installation for casting slip into ceramic product by use of at least one unique casting mold. The casting mold is formed of a plurality of separate mold parts each having a plurality of channels therein and having its respective outer face treated to be fluid-tight and inner molding surface. The casting installation includes a pressure-resisting container having a surrounding wall formed along the inner surface thereof so as to define an opening through the container, the mold parts, when assembled, being dimensioned to define a molding cavity of the casting mold; the space being in communication with the molding cavity of the mold. The casting installation further includes a clamp for clamping the casting mold firmly; the channels are operatively connected for depressurizing the channels; a source of slip operatively connected to the molding cavity of the casting mold; and a source of fluid operatively connected to the space surrounding the casting mold.

Growing community of inventors

Kitakyushu, Japan

Kimiteru Sato