Alusuisse-lonza Services Ltd.

Alusuisse Technology & Management Ltd.

Alcan Technology & Management Ltd.

Swiss Aluminum Ltd.

Swiss Aluminium Ltd.

Alusuisse Bayrisches Druckguss-werk Gmbh & Co. Kg

Miroslaw Plata

Kurt Buxmann

Martin Bolliger

Christophe Bagnoud

Jurgen Wust

Werner Strehmel

Bernard Bourqui

Georges Berclaz

Pius Schwellinger

Bertrand Carrupt

Urs Banninger

Jean-Jaques Theler

Reinhard Winkler

Gr&eacute;goire Arnold

Klaus Wahrisch

Gregoire Arnold

Malcolm Hill

Claude-Alain Rolle

An extrusion device for manufacturing a profile from an extrusion block ( ), which is at least in part of metallic material, contains a container ( ) with container bore ( ) to accommodate an extrusion block ( ), a stem ( ), a shaping chamber and/or a shaping die ( ) and a heating facility ( ) arranged between the container bore ( ) and the die ( ). The heating facility ( ) contains a heating chamber ( ) in the form of a hollow metal tube featuring at least a first and a second heating section ( ) with heating chamber walls ( ) and means ( ) for inductively heating the heating chamber walls ( ). The first heating section ( ) exhibits a larger cross-sectional diameter than the&mdash;with respect to the direction of extrusion x&mdash;second heating section ( ), forming thereby a step-like narrowing in cross-section.

Device for manufacturing a metal profile

A method for process monitoring during die casting or vacuum thixoforming of metals in a mold, wherein the time lapse of temperature (T) is continuously measured on at least one point of the system and the temperature progression of the system is calculated in real time using a program. The time lapse of the heat flow (W) is calculated from the temperature progression of the system and the time lapse of the energy (U) of the system and the solidification heat portion (U ) of the metal solidified in the mold are calculated from the heat flow. At a given time, the calculated values are used as monitoring parameters.

Method for process monitoring during die casting or thixoforming of metals

In a process for the manufacture of a shaped bar consisting of an at least partially metallic material, a preform is shaped to form the shaped bar in the partially solid/partially liquid state and the shaped bar in the partially solid/partially liquid state is guided through a chilled mould for setting. An optionally heatable preform chamber is provided for receiving the preform, an optionally heatable forming chamber is connected to the preform chamber for shaping the preform to form the shaped bar, and a chilled mold is connected to the forming chamber for the setting of the shaped bar. A die can optionally be arranged immediately downstream of the mould for the final shaping process and the device.

Process for extruding a metal section

The apparatus includes a diecasting mold and evacuation elements for the controlled evacuation of a mold cavity. The evacuation elements includes a vacuum tank and a suction line interconnecting the vacuum tank and the diecasting mold. the suction line includes a first valve and a second valve which is coupled in parallel to the first valve. The valves are arranged so that a reference space is formed therebetween. The method for manufacturing die-castings includes evacuating a diecasting mold, filling the diecasting mold with casting material, removing the die-casting, forming a reference space in a portion of the suction line by closing the two valves which are coupled in parallel, measuring moisture, and pressure and temperature in the reference space, and controlling the apparatus in accordance with the measured values.

Method and apparatus for manufacturing die-castings

In a process for cooling an article by applying a liquid coolant to the surface (20) of the article (18) in the form of continuous jets (16) of coolant, the delivery rate of each jet of coolant is set in such a manner that the coolant striking the surface (20) evaporates completely. The jets (16) of coolant are applied by means of a plurality of jets (16) of coolant of small diameter (d) distributed over the surface (20) to be cooled. Each jet (16) of coolant has a diameter (d) of 20 to 200 .mu.m.

Process and device for cooling an article

In a process for cooling hot rolled metal plates (16) and strips, especially such of aluminium or an aluminium alloy, a hot rolled strip (12) is cut to plates (16) immediately after it emerges from a rolling mill (10). Immediately after the cutting to length, the plates (16) pass through a cooling station (20) where they are jetted directly with water from flat stream nozzles (52). The water stream (W) emerging from the flat stream nozzles (52) form essentially a plane (E) which is directed at the plate surface (32). Immediately after it leaves the flat stream nozzle (52), the water stream (W) is periodically deflected by means of streams (A, B) of air or water in such a manner that the water stream (W) striking the plate surface (32) performs a wiping action.

Process and device for cooling heated metal plates and strips

The spray unit lies downstream, in-line with an extrusion press and serves to cool metallic sections in particular sections of aluminum or an aluminum alloy from all sides. The cooling medium emerges from spray nozzles program-controlled in the direction of the section. The distance, the cross-section distribution and the direction of the spray nozzles are adapted specific to the geometrical shape and distribution of mass in the section. The optimum parameters are determined and stored in the unit processor. The spray nozzles are arranged in nozzle beams running in the direction of the extruded section. The nozzle beams comprise at least one longitudinal water channel and two longitudinal air channels, whereby cross-intersecting channels branch off from the water channels to the spray nozzles and the air channels terminate in air gaps which are directed towards the nozzle outlets. The extruded sections are passed through the spray unit and cooled, at a rate that exceeds the critical cooling rate specific to the material, by a program-controlled, sprayed cooling medium in a manner that takes into account the shape of the section and the distribution of mass in the section. Using uniform cooling on all sides, sections that are extruded straight can be kept straight, while sections that are distorted on extrusion can be corrected with respect to bending and/or twisting by non-uniform cooling.

Spray unit for cooling extruded sections

The casting machine features a mold (10), a deflection plate (66) with a lower surface (80) for guiding cooling water (20) which is sprayed at high pressure and/or a supporting plate with an upper surface for guiding cooling water (20) flowing at low pressure. Both surfaces for guiding the cooling water (20) are made of insulating material. The electromagnetic shield (18, 76) is cooled on the inside at least in the active region. The mold housing (32) is preferably made out of a perforated sheet (34) which has been bent several ways. The active region of the shield is preferably in the form of a U-shaped or V-shaped shielding sheet and features an insert or coating for reducing the magnetic field of the inductor (12) increasingly in the upwards direction. The water-jetted surface (80) for guiding the cooling water is moved continuously backwards and forwards and/or tilted in a given rhythmic manner. As a result the curtain of water (22), which is independent of the electromagnetic shield (18), is moved up and down over the ingot (14) over a height (h).

Casting machine for vertical continuous casting in a magnetic field

The method and the apparatus serve to cool cast billets made of an aluminum alloy after a homogenizing anneal. The billets emerging from a full-annealing furnace continuously one after the other in the longitudinal direction at a first temperature are guided in-line through a spray unit at a program-controlled feed rate and while being sprayed on all sides with the cooling medium in a program-controlled manner to reach an adjustable surface temperature. The internal and surface temperature of the billets are equalized a short time after leaving the spray unit. The spray unit for the billets (16) passing through in-line is equipped over its entire length and over the entire periphery of its inner space with nozzles which can be adjusted as a whole, in groups or individually.

Cooling of cast billets

The process is such that a gas/fluid mixture is sprayed in the form of a mist onto the surface of the object to be cooled. To that end a stream of fluid is passed through the nozzle outlet and atomized to a mist of droplet size &lt;100 .mu.m, and after emerging from the nozzle is impacted by gas streams at an angle (x) of 0.degree.-90.degree. to the nozzle axis (x) to accelerate and deflect the droplets. The intensities of the gas stream can be regulated independently of one another. The process is suitable for cooling conventionally or electromagnetically cast ingots, rolled products and extruded products of metal, in particular aluminum. A suitable device for carrying out the process is comprised essentially of a part (1) featuring a nozzle (3) that supplies and aligns a fluid, and bores (5a, b) that supply gas, part 1 fitting into a counter part (2) such that gas alignment channels (7a, b) are formed.

Process and device for cooling an object

A process for controlling the rate of cooling an ingot emerging from a continuous casting mold, said ingot being cooled by application of a fluid coolant directly onto the ingot surface, comprises continuous measurement of the cooling capacity and influencing the composition and/or the quantity of coolant employed per unit time i.e. in the sense of matching up to the required coolant capacity. As such the measurement of the coolant capacity is performed at least at one place outwith the ingot and using coolant not coming into contact with the ingot. The corresponding continuous casting unit features control elements (6) that act upon the composition and/or the amount of fluid coolant released per unit time and comprises at least one body (1) exhibiting good electrical conductivity; at least one coolant nozzle (2) which is connected to the coolant container (3) and is directed at a measuring point on the body (1); a heating device (4) that acts upon that point on the body (1); at least one temperature sensor (5,5') situated under the surface of the body (1) at the measuring point; and a data processing unit (7) connected up to the temperature sensor (5,5'), heating device (4) and control elements (6).

Process and device for controlling the rate of cooling a continuously

A mold of a caterpillartype track mold for a continuous caster features at least at one place a pair of wires which form a thermocouple and make first contact outside the mold. The wires are inserted into the mold in such a manner that their other ends are separated from the surface of the mold facing the melt by a metallic layer which joins these wires and is at most 100 .mu.m thick. The process for manufacturing this mold is such that the metallic layer is electro-deposited on to the ends of the wires.

Growing community of inventors

Vetroz, Switzerland

Miroslaw Plata