METHOD FOR HEATLESS PRODUCTION OF FOUNDRY SHELL MOLDS

THIS PROJECT RELATES TO THE TOPIC IMPROVED ENERGY AND MATERIAL USAGE IN INDUSTRY. AT THE PRESENT TIME MILLIONS OF SHELL MOLDS ARE PRODUCED ANNUALLY, IN THE U.S. FOUNDRY INDUSTRY BY EXISTING THERMAL PROCESS. THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS BASED ON A NEW U.S. PATIENT NO. 4,311,184 ISSUED IN 1982 (FOREIGN PAT. APPLICATIONS ARE PENDING) AND IS AIMED AT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COLD SHELL MOLDS PRODUCTION PROCESS,WHICH REQUIRES NO HEAT WHATSOEVER. THE NEW PROCESS IS BASEDON UTILIZATION OF THE NEWEST DEVELOPMENTS IN VARIOUS BRANCHES OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY SUCH AS DEVELOPMENT OF POLYISOSYANATE RESINS WHICH POLYMERIZE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE IN JUST A FEW SECONDS; DEVELOPMENT OF POROUS POWDER METAL PARTS, NEW ACHIEVEMENTS IN FOUNDRY TECHNOLOGY, AND MACHINE BUILDING PRACTICE. MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE NEW METHOD OF SHELL MOLD PRODUCTION PROVIDES GAS PERMEABLE PATTERN PREFERABLY MADE FROM SINTERED BRONZE POWDER. TWO PATTERNS, ONE FOR COPE (UPPER MOLD HALF) AND ONE FOR DRAG (LOWER MOLD HALF), ARE ENCLOSED INTO NON-PERMEABLE FRAMES. THE SAND, MIXED WITH PHENOLIC AND POLYISOSYANATE RESINS, IS PLACED BETWEEN TWO PATTERNS AND CATALYST GAS IS INTRODUCED UNDER CERTAIN PRESSURE IN A CLOSED SPACE BETWEEN PATTERN AND FRAME. THE GAS PENETRATES THROUGH THE PATTERN INTO A LAYER OF SAND, WHICH INSTANTLY HARDENS, FORMING BOTH MOLD HALVES SIMULTANEOUSLY, WITH UNHARDENED SAND IN BETWEEN. THE MOVINGFRAMES OPEN ALLOWING THE REMOVAL OF THE HARDENED SHELL MOLD HALVES AND OF THE UNHARDENED SAND WHICH IS USED AGAIN. NO ENERGY IS USED FOR HEATING MATERIALS, AND THE PRODUCTION RATE IS EXPECTED TO BE AT APPROXIMATELY 120 CYCLES PER HOUR,WHICH IS MUCH HIGHER THAN THE PRESENT ENERGY CONSUMING THERMAL PROCESS.