The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 25, 2018
Filed:
Oct. 17, 2013
Howmet Corporation, Independence, OH (US);
Rajeev Naik, Yorktown, VA (US);
Howmet Corporation, Independence, OH (US);
Abstract
A casting method and apparatus are provided for casting a near-net shape article, such as for example a gas turbine engine blade or vane having a variable cross-section along its length. A molten metallic melt is provided in a heated mold having an article-shaped mold cavity with a shape corresponding to that of the article to be cast. The melt-containing mold and mold heating furnace are relatively moved to withdraw the melt-containing mold from the furnace through an active cooling zone where cooling gas is directed against the exterior of the mold to actively extract heat. At least one of the mold withdrawal rate, the cooling gas mass flow rate, and mold temperature are adjusted at the active cooling zone as the melt-containing mold is withdrawn through the active cooling zone to produce an equiaxed grain microstructure along at least a part of the length of the article.