Pcc Airfoils, Inc.

T V Prasad

A long thin metal article having a thick portion is cast with a stress free interconnection between the thick and thin portions of the article. A heat transfer wall is provided around at least a portion of a mold in which the article is cast. To preheat the mold, heat is radiated from an inner side surface of a furnace wall to an outer side surface of the heat transfer wall. Heat is radiated from an inner side surface of the wall to the mold. Molten metal is conducted into the long thin portion of the article mold at a location other than along the length of the long thin portion of the article mold. During solidification of the molten metal, heat is radiated from the thick portion of the article mold to the inner side surface of the heat transfer wall. As the mold structure is withdrawn from the furnace chamber during solidification of the molten metal in the article mold cavity, heat is radiated from the outer side surface of the heat transfer wall to locations outside of the furnace. The presence of the heat transfer wall promotes a stress free solidification of the molten metal in the portion of the article where the thick and thin portions are interconnected.

Method and apparatus for casting a metal article

A long, thin article or portion of an article of an equiaxed metal is cast without providing gates along the length of a portion of a mold cavity in which the long thin portion of the article is cast. Prior to casting the article, the lower half of the long thin portion of the article mold is heated into a temperature range in which the highest temperature is close to but less than the solidus temperature of the metal of the article. Molten metal is conducted into the long thin portion of the article mold cavity at a location other than along the length of the long thin portion of the article mold cavity. During solidification of the molten metal, molten metal is simultaneously solidified along surface areas in the lower half of the long thin portion of the mold cavity and along surface areas in the upper half of the long thin portion of the mold cavity. The solidificaton of the molten metal in the lower half of the long thin portion of the mold cavity is completed prior to completion of solidification of the molten metal in the upper half of the long thin portion of the mold cavity.

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Mentor, OH, United States of America

T V Prasad