Casting method and casting apparatus

Abstract

A casting apparatus has a long cooling jig inclined with respect to a vertical direction. A melt is supplied to and flowed on a bottom surface of the cooling jig, whereby a solid phase is generated in the melt to obtain a semi-solid slurry, and the semi-solid slurry is transferred into and solidified in a cavity of a mold to obtain a casting. The casting apparatus further has a release agent application unit, and a release agent is applied by the application unit to the bottom surface of the cooling jig in a direction toward a supply of the melt at an angle of less than 90° to the bottom surface before supplying the melt to the cooling jig.

1 . A casting apparatus comprising a long cooling jig inclined with respect to a vertical direction, wherein a melt is supplied to and flowed on a predetermined surface of the cooling jig, whereby a solid phase is generated in the melt to obtain a semi-solid slurry, and the semi-solid slurry is transferred into and solidified in a cavity of a mold to obtain a casting, and
 the casting apparatus further comprises a release agent application unit for applying a release agent to the predetermined surface of the cooling jig in a direction toward a supply of the melt at an angle of less than 90° to the predetermined surface.   
     
     
         2 . The casting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the release agent application unit contains one or more release agent application nozzles for spraying the release agent along with an air onto the predetermined surface of the cooling jig in a direction toward the supply of the melt at an angle of less than 90° to the predetermined surface. 
     
     
         3 . The casting apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the release agent application unit contains, in addition to the release agent application nozzle, an air nozzle for spraying an air toward a lower end of the cooling jig, from which the melt is discharged as the semi-solid slurry. 
     
     
         4 . The casting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the casting apparatus further comprises a jig transfer unit for moving the cooling jig, thereby changing at least the position of the cooling jig in the step of supplying the melt from that in the step of applying the release agent. 
     
     
         5 . The casting apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the release agent application unit contains two or more of the release agent application nozzles, and the inclination angle of a line connecting the release agent application nozzles is approximately equal to that of the predetermined surface of the cooling jig. 
     
     
         6 . A casting method, wherein a melt is supplied to and flowed on a predetermined surface of a long cooling jig inclined with respect to a vertical direction, whereby a solid phase is generated in the melt to obtain a semi-solid slurry, and the semi-solid slurry is transferred into and solidified in a cavity of a mold to obtain a casting, and
 the casting method comprises the steps of   applying a release agent to the predetermined surface of the cooling jig in a direction toward a supply of the melt at an angle of less than 90° to the predetermined surface, and   supplying the melt to the predetermined surface of the cooling jig after the application of the release agent.   
     
     
         7 . The casting method according to  claim 6 , wherein in the step of applying the release agent, the release agent and an air are sprayed onto the predetermined surface of the cooling jig in a direction toward the supply of the melt at an angle of less than 90° to the predetermined surface. 
     
     
         8 . The casting method according to  claim 7 , wherein in the step of applying the release agent, at the same time as the spraying of the release agent and the air, an air is sprayed toward a lower end of the cooling jig, from which the melt is discharged as the semi-solid slurry. 
     
     
         9 . A cooling jig for cooling a melt flowing thereon, thereby generating a solid phase in the melt to obtain a semi-solid slurry, comprising a bottom, a first side, and a second side, wherein
 the first side and the second side bend and extend from the bottom and are arranged facing each other,   a flow channel for the semi-solid slurry is formed by inner walls of the bottom, the first side, and the second side, and   curved portions are formed between the inner walls of the bottom and the first side and between the inner walls of the bottom and the second side respectively.   
     
     
         10 . The cooling jig according to  claim 9 , wherein the first side and the second side extending from the bottom are inclined at an angle of 0.25° to 10° to a vertical line so that the distance between the first side and the second side is increased with increasing distance from the bottom, and the curved portions have a curvature radius of 1 to 40 mm. 
     
     
         11 . The cooling jig according to  claim 9 , wherein the cooling jig is capable of rotating on a rotation axis parallel to an axis direction thereof, and an inclined surface is formed on an end of a melt outlet in the bottom so that the length of the bottom decreases in the direction from the inner wall to the outer wall. 
     
     
         12 . The cooling jig according to  claim 9 , wherein the inner wall of the bottom and the curved portions have a ten-point average roughness Rz of 6.3 μm or less. 
     
     
         13 . The cooling jig according to  claim 9 , wherein the cooling jig contains an Fe-based alloy, and a hardened layer is formed on a surface of the cooling jig by a nitridation treatment. 
     
     
         14 . The cooling jig according to  claim 9 , wherein the cooling jig contains a Cu-based alloy, and a film of a nitride is formed on a surface of the cooling jig. 
     
     
         15 . A method for removing a residual solid, which is generated on a long cooling jig inclined with respect to a vertical direction when a melt is flowed on a predetermined surface of the cooling jig, whereby a solid phase is generated in the melt to obtain a semi-solid slurry, and the semi-solid slurry is transferred into and solidified in a cavity to obtain a casting, wherein
 the cooling jig is circularly moved on an axis to drop the residual solid.   
     
     
         16 . The removing method according to  claim 15 , wherein the cooling jig is rotated on a parallel axis extending parallel to an axis direction of the cooling jig so that the predetermined surface faces vertically downward to drop the residual solid. 
     
     
         17 . The removing method according to  claim 16 , wherein the parallel axis is different from an axis of a rotary shaft in a rotation mechanism for rotating the cooling jig. 
     
     
         18 . The removing method according to  claim 16 , wherein the parallel axis is at an offset distance from a width-direction center of the predetermined surface of the cooling jig. 
     
     
         19 . The removing method according to  claim 15 , wherein the cooling jig is turned on a vertical axis extending in a vertical direction so that an external force is applied to the residual solid to drop the residual solid. 
     
     
         20 . The removing method according to  claim 19 , wherein the vertical axis is different from an axis of a rotary shaft in a turning mechanism for turning the cooling jig. 
     
     
         21 . The removing method according to  claim 19 , wherein the vertical axis is at an offset distance from an axis-direction center of the predetermined surface of the cooling jig. 
     
     
         22 . A casting apparatus comprising
 a long cooling jig for cooling a melt flowing thereon, thereby generating a solid phase in the melt to obtain a semi-solid slurry,   an injection sleeve into which the semi-solid slurry is poured from the cooling jig,   an injection mechanism for injecting the semi-solid slurry contained in the injection sleeve, and   a mold having a cavity into which the semi-solid slurry is introduced by pressure of the injection mechanism, wherein   the casting apparatus further comprises a circular movement mechanism for circularly moving the cooling jig, and   the cooling jig is circularly moved by the circular movement mechanism.   
     
     
         23 . The casting apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein
 the circular movement mechanism is a rotation mechanism having a rotary shaft extending parallel to an axis direction of the cooling jig inclined with respect to a vertical direction, and   when the rotary shaft in the rotation mechanism is rotated, the cooling jig is rotated so that a predetermined surface of the cooling jig, on which the melt flows, faces vertically downward.   
     
     
         24 . The casting apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein the casting apparatus further comprises another shaft extending parallel to the axis direction of the cooling jig between the rotary shaft and the cooling jig, and the cooling jig is rotated on the another shaft. 
     
     
         25 . The casting apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein the rotation center of the cooling jig is at an offset distance from a width-direction center of the predetermined surface of the cooling jig. 
     
     
         26 . The casting apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein the casting apparatus further comprises a stopper movable in response to the rotation of the cooling jig and a blocking member for blocking the stopper in contact therewith, and the rotation of the cooling jig is stopped when the stopper is brought into contact with the blocking member. 
     
     
         27 . The casting apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein the cooling jig has a flow channel for the melt, and the width of the flow channel increases in a vertically upward direction. 
     
     
         28 . The casting apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein
 the circular movement mechanism is a turning mechanism having a rotary shaft extending in a vertical direction, and   when the rotary shaft in the turning mechanism is rotated, the cooling jig is turned.   
     
     
         29 . The casting apparatus according to  claim 28 , wherein the casting apparatus further comprises another shaft extending in the vertical direction between the rotary shaft and the cooling jig, and the cooling jig is turned on the another shaft. 
     
     
         30 . The casting apparatus according to  claim 28 , wherein the turning center of the cooling jig is at an offset distance from an axis-direction center of a predetermined surface of the cooling jig. 
     
     
         31 . The casting apparatus according to  claim 28 , wherein the casting apparatus further comprises a stopper movable in response to the turning of the cooling jig and a blocking member for blocking the stopper in contact therewith, and the turning of the cooling jig is stopped when the stopper is brought into contact with the blocking member. 
     
     
         32 . The casting apparatus according to  claim 28 , wherein the width of the cooling jig increases in the upstream-to-downstream direction of the melt.