Western Michigan University

Ask Chemicals Gmbh

Sam Nerone Ramrattan

Ronald C Aufderheide

Margaret Joyce

Sean B Harmon

Paul Dan Fleming, Iii

Lee R Horvath

Pavel Ikonomov

Hemant Bohra

Andrew J Oman

A sleeve () allows flow against gravity of molten metal into a casting mold. The sleeve has a sleeve body () with a longitudinal axis that defines a flow conduit for the metal. A check valve () is positioned in the flow conduit, arranged for limited axial movement in the sleeve between a closed position and an open position, although it is operatively positioned to be in the closed position in the absence of the pressurized metal. The check valve has a spool () with an internal flow conduit, a top end of the conduit blocked by an end cap (). Flanges () on the spool provide the limited axial movement in the sleeve. When lifted into the open position, metal flows into the spool flow conduit and through a porous structure of the spool, causing laminar flow and filtering inclusions.

Filtering check valve for metal casting

A method of creating a sand mold for rapid casting, including the steps of determining a mold shape, providing a generally uniform thickness layer of sand, curing at least a portion of the layer of sand, machining the cured portions of the layer of sand based on the desired mold shape, and repeating the layer-forming, curing and machining steps until the sand mold is complete. Another aspect includes a machine for creating the sand mold having a build envelope defined by side walls, a movable build platform and at least one movable tool assembly, the movable tool assembly having a single or plurality of tools chosen from the group consisting of a sand dispenser, a sand leveling device, a curing device, and a machining device.

Patternless sand mold and core formation for rapid casting

A thermal distortion tester for testing thermal distortion of a sand specimen, comprising a gimbal to support the sand specimen, an actuator to raise and lower the sand specimen, and a hot surface, wherein the sand specimen is brought into contact with the hot surface at a pre-determined pressure or pressure profile. The temperature of the hot surface is maintained at a pre-determined temperature or temperature profile. The distortion of the sand specimen while applied to the hot surface is directly measured through measurement of the longitudinal movement of the gimbal, and radial distortion is measured by a micrometer camera. The temperature gradient of the sand specimen is also measured throughout the duration of the test. A method of using the same is also described herein.

Thermal distortion tester

A thermal erosion tester, comprising a rotating heated element, which is adapted to contact a sand specimen placed in the thermal erosion tester, a heating element to heat the rotating heated element, and a motor to drive rotation of the rotating heated element, wherein the rotating heated element is adapted to contact the sand specimen while the rotating heated element is rotating, causing erosion of the sand specimen, and a method of testing thermal erosion, and a method of testing erosion of a sand specimen when it is in contact with a heated element.

Growing community of inventors

Kalamazoo, MI, United States of America

Sam Nerone Ramrattan