Claims
- 1. A direct chill casting mold, comprising:
a mold body; a means for holding coolant coupled to an underside of the mold body, the means for holding coolant comprising a first surface, the first surface being one of a direction surface and a regulation surface; a coolant ring coupled to an underside of the means for holding coolant; a mold starting head; a nozzle formed by the first surface and a second surface, the second surface being one of a surface of the mold body and a surface of the coolant ring; and a lubrication supply routed from the underside of the coolant ring, through an interior of the coolant ring, and coupled to a mold casing.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein
the first surface is a direction surface; and the second surface is a surface of the coolant ring, the second surface being a regulation surface.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein
the first surface is a regulation surface; and the second surface is a surface of the mold body, the second surface being a direction surface.
- 4. The casting mold of claim 1, the mold body further comprising a heat absorbing ring.
- 5. The casting mold of claim 4, the heat absorbing ring being defined by a span that is less than 1-⅝ inches.
- 6. The casting mold of claim 5, wherein the span is in the range of ⅞ inches and 1-{fraction (4/8)} inches.
- 7. The casting mold of claim 6, the heat absorbing ring comprising a porous ring comprising a height and a mold tang comprising a height, wherein the height of the porous ring is in the range of ⅜ inches to ⅞ inches and the height of the mold tang is in the range of {fraction (2/8)} inches to {fraction (6/8)} inches.
- 8. The casting mold of claim 1, the mold body further comprising a mold casing, the mold casing comprising a mold tang, a retaining ring, and a porous ring coupled to the mold casing at a location that is adjacent to the mold tang, wherein the retaining ring couples the mold casing to the means for holding coolant.
- 9. The casting mold of claim 1, wherein
at least one of a position of the first surface and a position of the second surface is adjustable.
- 10. The casting mold of claim 1, wherein
the nozzle comprises a nozzle opening, wherein the nozzle opening is adjustable.
- 11. The casting mold of claim 10, wherein
the nozzle opening is in the range of 0.050 inches to 0.150 inches.
- 12. The casting mold of claim 11, wherein
the nozzle opening is in the range of 0.070 inches to 0.108 inches.
- 13. The casting mold of claim 1, wherein
the means for holding coolant is a coolant box.
- 14. The casting mold of claim 1, wherein the means for holding coolant is part of a mold table.
- 15. The casting mold of claim 1, further comprising:
a baffle ring configured to fit within the means for holding coolant and retained by the mold body and the coolant ring.
- 16. The casting mold of claim 2, wherein the direction surface is defined by an angle, wherein the angle is in the range of 60° to 85°.
- 17. The casting mold of claim 16, wherein the angle is in the range of 60° to 75°.
- 18. The casting mold of claim 17, wherein the angle is in the range of 67° to 72°.
- 19. The casting mold of claim 3, wherein the direction surface is defined by an angle, wherein the angle is in the range of 60° to 85°.
- 20. The casting mold of claim 19, wherein the angle is in the range of 60° to 75°.
- 21. The casting mold of claim 20, wherein the angle is in the range of 67° to 72°.
- 22. The casting mold of claim 2, the regulation surface being defined by an angle, wherein the angle is in the range of 0° to 90°.
- 23. The casting mold of claim 22, wherein the angle is in the range of 4° to 12°.
- 24. The casting mold of claim 23, wherein the angle is 6°.
- 25. The casting mold of claim 3, the regulation surface being defined by an angle, wherein the angle is in the range of 0° to 90°.
- 26. The casting mold of claim 24, wherein the angle is in the range of 4° to 12°.
- 27. The casting mold of claim 25, wherein the angle is 6°.
- 28. The casting mold of claim 1, wherein the nozzle includes a nozzle height, wherein the nozzle height is adjustable.
- 29. The casting mold of claim 28, wherein the nozzle height is in the range of plus or minus 0.200 inches relative to a position in which the nozzle height is zero.
- 30. The casting mold of claim 28, wherein the nozzle height is in the range of zero inches to 0.100 inches relative to a position in which the nozzle height is zero.
- 31. The casting mold of claim 28, wherein the nozzle height is adjustable in increments of 0.01 inches.
- 32. The casting mold of claim 28, wherein the nozzle height is zero inches.
- 33. The casting mold of claim 1, wherein the nozzle includes a nozzle distance, wherein the nozzle distance is adjustable.
- 34. The casting mold of claim 33, wherein the nozzle distance is in the range of 0.06 inches to 0.36 inches.
- 35. The casting mold of claim 33, wherein the nozzle distance is a multiple of at least one of 0.0010 and 0.0060, irrespective of the units used.
- 36. The casting mold of claim 33, wherein the nozzle distance is 0.090 inches.
- 37. The casting mold of claim 1, further comprising:
at least one shim disposed between at least one of the means for holding coolant and the mold body and the coolant ring and the means for holding coolant.
- 38. The casting mold of claim 1, further comprising:
at least one gear in rotational contact with at least one of the mold body and the coolant ring.
- 39. The casting mold of claim 1, further comprising:
a feeder tube coupled to at least one of the means for holding coolant and the mold body.
- 40. The casting mold of claim 1, further comprising:
an auxiliary system comprising at least one hydraulic box, a coolant supply box, a material box, and lubricant box; and a control system comprising a computer server in communication with the auxiliary system.
- 41. The casting mold of claim 40 further comprising:
at least one computer client adapted to be coupled to the computer server through a network.
- 42. The casting mold of claim 41 wherein the network is the Internet.
- 43. A method for direct chill casting, comprising:
passing coolant through a nozzle of a direct chill casting apparatus, wherein the direct chill casting apparatus comprises a means for holding coolant coupled to an underside of a mold body, and a coolant ring coupled to an underside of the means for holding coolant, wherein the nozzle is formed by a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is a direction surface and the second surface is a regulation surface, wherein the first surface is part of a first direct chill casting mold component and the second surface is part of a second direct chill casting mold component, the second direct chill casting mold component different from the first direct chill casting mold component, the first direct chill casting mold component and the second direct chill casting mold component constituting a first component/second component pair, the first component/second component pair selected from the group consisting of the mold body/the coolant ring, the means for holding coolant/the coolant ring and the mold body/the means for holding coolant; hardening molten material by passing the molten material through the mold body and the coolant ring and contacting the molten material with a mold starting head; and passing the hardened material through the coolant curtain by lowering the mold starting head.
- 44. The direct chill casting method of claim 43, further comprising:
adjusting the nozzle.
- 45. The direct chill casting method of claim 44, further comprising:
readjusting the nozzle as the hardened material passes through the coolant curtain.
- 46. The direct chill casting method of claim 44, wherein adjusting the nozzle includes at least one of rotating a gear and adding a shim, wherein the gear is in rotational contact with at least one of the coolant ring and the mold body, and wherein the shim is disposed between at least one of the means for holding coolant and the mold body and the coolant ring and the means for holding coolant.
- 47. The direct chill casting method of claim 43, wherein the mold body further comprising a heat absorbing ring.
- 48. The direct chill casting method of claim 47, wherein the heat absorbing ring is defined by a span that is less than 1-⅝ inches.
- 49. The direct chill cast method of claim 48, wherein the span is in the range of ⅞ inches and 1-{fraction (4/8)} inches.
- 50. The direct chill casting method of claim 49, wherein the heat absorbing ring comprises a porous ring comprising a height and a mold tang comprising a height, wherein the height of the porous ring is in the range of ⅜ inches to ⅞ inches and the height of the mold tang is in the range of {fraction (2/8)} inches to {fraction (6/8)} inches.
- 51. The direct chill casting method of claim 43, wherein the mold body further comprises a mold casing, the mold casing comprising a mold tang, a retaining ring, and a porous ring coupled to the mold casing at a location that is adjacent to the mold tang, wherein the retaining ring couples the mold casing to the means for holding coolant.
- 52. The direct chill casting method of claim 43, wherein the means for holding coolant is a coolant box.
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present patent application claims the benefits of, and is a divisional of prior application Ser. No. 09/571,507, filed May 15, 2000.
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09571507 |
May 2000 |
US |
Child |
10163017 |
Jun 2002 |
US |