Method for Manufacturing Steel Casts

Abstract

A method for manufacturing steel casts ( 110 ), in particular but not exclusively manganese steel, intended to obtain a wear element, comprises at least a step ( 15 ) of making at least a reinforcement insert ( 115 ), a step ( 11 ) of preparing a mold ( 111 ) for the cast ( 110 ) to be manufactured, in which the reinforcement insert ( 115 ) is positioned, and a subsequent step ( 12 ) of casting the steel inside the mold. The reinforcement insert ( 115 ) is made by compacting in a desired geometric shape, by means of selective melting techniques, of an amorphous mass of hardening powder ( 118 ) obtained by mixing powders of pure elements, or of compounds that form carbides and/or micro-structures of great hardness.

1 . Method for manufacturing steel casts, in particular but not exclusively manganese steel, intended to obtain a wear element, comprising at least a step of making at least a reinforcement insert, a step of preparing a mold for the cast to be manufactured, in which the reinforcement insert is positioned, and a subsequent step of casting the steel inside said mold, wherein said at least one reinforcement insert is made by compacting in a desired geometric shape, by means of sintering techniques with a selective and localized melting of the EBM (Electron Beam Melting) type, or SLM (Selective Laser Melting), or other similar or comparable techniques, an amorphous mass of hardening powder obtained by mixing powders of pure elements, or of compounds that form carbides and/or micro-structures of great hardness which due to the effect of the melting generate carbides and/or micro-structures of great hardness. 
     
     
         2 . Method as in  claim 1 , wherein said step of preparing the mold provides a sub-step of precise positioning, inside said mold, of at least one reinforcement insert having anchoring means obtained in a single piece with the reinforcement insert during said manufacturing step, said anchoring means being able to allow a desired stable positioning of said reinforcement insert inside said mold. 
     
     
         3 . Method as in  claim 1 , wherein during the step of making the reinforcement insert, through or blind or reciprocally intersecting channels are made, in order to promote the anchorage of said reinforcement insert to the steel cast during said casting step. 
     
     
         4 . Method as in  claim 1 , characterized in that wherein said sintering techniques with a selective and localized melting melt said powders of pure elements, or of compounds that form carbides and/or micro-structures of great hardness present inside said hardening powderer, said melting triggering chemical reactions to generate carbides and/or micro-structures of great hardness uniformly and homogeneously distributed inside said reinforcement insert and defining a homogeneous micro-structure of said reinforcement insert. 
     
     
         5 . Steel cast, in order to obtain a wear element, manufactured according to a method as in  claim 1 , having overall a heterogeneous micro-structure and hardness, said micro-structure and said hardness being defined by at least a reinforcement insert integrated into said steel cast during the casting of the steel into a mold, wherein said reinforcement insert is obtained with sintering techniques with a selective and localized melting according to one or another of the techniques EBM (Electron Beam Molding), or SLM (Selective Laser Melting), or other similar or comparable techniques, and has a homogeneous micro-structure comprising carbides and/or structures of great hardness.