PRODUCTION OF ON-DEMAND SEMI-SOLID MATERIAL FOR CASTINGS

摘要

A method of producing on-demand, semi-solid material for a casting process. A metal alloy is heated to a molten state which is maintained within a desired temperature range. A portion of the molten alloy is transferred into a processing vessel (42) that includes its own cooling arrangement to facilita te cooling of the vessel (42) and the molten alloy contained therein. A thermal jacket may alternatively be used to facilitate such cooling. A stator (44) creates an electromagnetic field which is applied to the molten alloy to create a stirring action that results in a desired flow pattern of the molte n alloy. The electromagnetic stirring begins as soon as the molten alloy is placed in the vessel (42) and continues while the cooling continues in order to create a slurry billet of the desired metallurgical composition. The slur ry billet is then discharged from the vessel (42) directly into a shot sleeve (32) of a casting machine.