Thermal management in lost wax casting

Abstract

Disclosed is a lost-wax method of casting a product, having steps of: attaching temperature control elements to a wax assembly; encasing the wax assembly and the temperature control elements in a ceramic mold; removing the wax assembly from the ceramic mold; filling the ceramic mold with molten material to form a cast part within the ceramic mold; and separating the ceramic mold and the cast part from each other.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A lost-wax method of casting a product, comprising:
 attaching temperature control elements to a wax assembly;   encasing the wax assembly and the temperature control elements in a ceramic mold;   removing the wax assembly from the ceramic mold;   filling the ceramic mold with molten material to form a cast part within the ceramic mold; and   separating the ceramic mold and the cast part from each other.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the temperature control elements are thermal sink elements and the method includes attaching the thermal sink elements to a part pattern section of the wax assembly.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 when the temperature control elements are insulating elements, and the method includes attaching the insulating elements to a sprue pattern section and gate-land pattern sections of the wax assembly.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein
 the temperature control elements are steel blocks of different sizes, and the method includes:   attaching the steel blocks to the part pattern section to draw heat from the molten material.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 positioning the thermal sink elements closer to first portions of the part pattern section of the wax assembly than second portions of the part pattern section of the wax assembly, wherein the first portions are thicker than the second portions.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 positioning the thermal sink elements about one or more of side, front and back surfaces of the wax assembly.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 attaching the temperature control elements directly to the wax assembly.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 forming the ceramic mold about the wax assembly to a first thickness to define a first layer of the ceramic mold; and   attaching the temperature control elements to the first layer of the ceramic mold.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , comprising
 forming the ceramic mold about the wax assembly to a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness to encase the temperature control elements within the ceramic mold.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising
 forming the ceramic mold about the wax assembly to the second thickness by repeatedly: drenching the wax assembly in a ceramic slurry; and drying the ceramic slurry.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising forming the ceramic mold about the wax assembly to the second thickness by:
 positioning the wax assembly in a flask; and   filling the flask with a ceramic slurry.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising
 separating the ceramic mold and the cast part from each other by mechanical action.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , including thermally removing wax from and firing the ceramic mold to sinter the ceramic and prepare the ceramic mold for casting. 
     
     
         14 . A mold assembly, comprising:
 a wax assembly including:
 a part pattern section; 
 temperature control elements connected to the wax assembly, wherein:
 a ceramic mold encasing the wax assembly and the temperature control elements. 
 
   
     
     
         15 . The mold assembly of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the temperature control elements include thermal sink elements spaced apart from each other and connected to the part pattern section.   
     
     
         16 . The mold assembly of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the wax assembly includes:
 a gate pattern section connected around an outer surface the part pattern section and defining a sprue pattern section and gate-land pattern sections; and 
 the temperature control elements include insulating elements connected to the sprue pattern section and the gate-land pattern sections. 
   
     
     
         17 . The mold assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the temperature control elements are disposed between layers of ceramic in the ceramic mold. 
     
     
         18 . A ceramic mold defining:
 a part pattern chamber;   a gate section formed around the part pattern chamber and defining a sprue and gate-lands; and   temperature control elements encased in the ceramic mold.   
     
     
         19 . The ceramic mold of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the temperature control elements include:
 thermal sink elements spaced apart from each other within the part pattern chamber. 
   
     
     
         20 . The ceramic mold of  claim 18 , wherein
 the temperature control elements include:
 insulating elements disposed within the sprue and the gate-lands.