Method of Casting a Component Having Interior Passageways

摘要

A method of casting a component (42) having convoluted interior passageways (44). A desired three dimensional structure corresponding to a later-formed metal alloy component is formed by stacking a plurality of sheets (18, 20) of a fugitive material. The sheets contain void areas (22) corresponding to a desired interior passageway in the metal alloy component. A ceramic slurry material is cast into the three dimensional structure to form either a ceramic core (34) or a complete ceramic casting vessel (38). If just a ceramic core is formed, a wax pattern is formed around the ceramic core and an exterior ceramic shell (38) is formed around the wax pattern by a dipping process prior to the removal of the fugitive material and wax. An alloy component having the desired interior passageway is cast into the casting vessel after the fugitive material is removed.

主权项

1. A method of casting a component, the method comprising:
forming a plurality of sheets of fugitive material, each sheet corresponding to a respective layer of a desired three dimensional structure, at least some of the sheets each containing a respective void area in a location corresponding to a location of a first passageway within the desired three dimensional structure; stacking the sheets to form the three dimensional structure, void areas in predetermined adjacent sheets being aligned to define the first passageway within the three dimensional structure, wherein the three dimensional structure comprises an outer perimeter defining a fugitive mold die; injecting ceramic material slurry into the three dimensional structure and allowing the ceramic material to harden, the first passageway thus being filled with the ceramic material in a shape corresponding to the first passageway, wherein the fugitive mold die is filled with the ceramic material while forming an outer ceramic shell at the outer perimeter of the three dimensional structure, the forming of the outer ceramic shell in the fugitive mold die effective to eliminate a lost wax process in connection with the forming of the outer ceramic shell; removing the fugitive material from the hardened ceramic material to reveal a cast ceramic component; prior to removing the fugitive material, providing an external shell structure that substantially surrounds the three dimensional structure, the external shell structure and the cast ceramic component together forming a casting vessel for receiving molten alloy material after removal of the fugitive material; injecting the molten alloy material into the cast ceramic component and allowing the alloy material to harden, the shape of the first passageway thereby being reproduced in the alloy material; and removing the cast ceramic component from the hardened alloy material to reveal a cast alloy component having an interior passageway.