GB2274118A - Foamed metal products provided with mounting holes - Google Patents
Foamed metal products provided with mounting holes Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2274118A GB2274118A GB9400428A GB9400428A GB2274118A GB 2274118 A GB2274118 A GB 2274118A GB 9400428 A GB9400428 A GB 9400428A GB 9400428 A GB9400428 A GB 9400428A GB 2274118 A GB2274118 A GB 2274118A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- product
- foaming
- foamed
- metal
- block
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 title claims description 27
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 title claims description 27
- 238000005187 foaming Methods 0.000 claims description 34
- XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium Chemical compound [Al] XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 24
- 239000004411 aluminium Substances 0.000 claims description 23
- 229910052782 aluminium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 23
- 239000000155 melt Substances 0.000 claims description 8
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 8
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims description 6
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 claims description 5
- 238000003756 stirring Methods 0.000 claims description 5
- 229910045601 alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000000956 alloy Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 230000002093 peripheral effect Effects 0.000 description 7
- 229910000838 Al alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 description 5
- 239000011575 calcium Substances 0.000 description 5
- 239000011810 insulating material Substances 0.000 description 4
- 238000007796 conventional method Methods 0.000 description 3
- OYPRJOBELJOOCE-UHFFFAOYSA-N Calcium Chemical compound [Ca] OYPRJOBELJOOCE-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- XEEYBQQBJWHFJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N Iron Chemical compound [Fe] XEEYBQQBJWHFJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 229910052791 calcium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 150000002739 metals Chemical class 0.000 description 2
- 150000003608 titanium Chemical class 0.000 description 2
- RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N Copper Chemical compound [Cu] RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- -1 aluminium alloys Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000010949 copper Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052802 copper Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910052742 iron Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000002844 melting Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000008018 melting Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000003014 reinforcing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
- C22C—ALLOYS
- C22C1/00—Making non-ferrous alloys
- C22C1/08—Alloys with open or closed pores
Landscapes
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Materials Engineering (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Metallurgy (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Body Structure For Vehicles (AREA)
- Porous Artificial Stone Or Porous Ceramic Products (AREA)
- Continuous Casting (AREA)
- Soundproofing, Sound Blocking, And Sound Damping (AREA)
Description
2274118
DESCRIPTION
FOAMED METAL PRODUCTS AND MANUFACTURE THEREOF The present invention relates to a method of making foamed metal products, such as aluminium or aluminium alloy products used as sound-absorbing or heat-insulating materials and to foamed metal products per se.
Foamed metal, e.g. aluminium, is capable of absorbing sound or insulating heat, and so is used in the form of sound insulating walls for freeways as an eXample.
Foamed aluminium has a cell structure comprising cells of uniform shape, and is prepared by melting aluminium (A1) or an alloy of aluminium, as shown in Fig. 2A. stirring the melt with a specific amount of calcium (Ca) added as a viscosity increaser for increasing the viscosity of the melt-re-stirring the melt with a specific amount of hydrogenated titanium (TiH2) added as a foaming material, as shown in Fig. 2B, for foaming the melt in a closed state. For instance, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. JP-B-1-51528.
Foamed metals including foamed aluminium are generally formed in a vessel, and an important point is to what degree a stable and uniform structure (density) is taken out of the resulting foamed structure. So far, a block a of aluminium is foamed in a vessel, as shown in Fig. 2C. Then, only a region b having a relatively stable structure (density). located at the middle of the vessel, is cut out of the block a for use; that is a (hatched) region c having an insufficient degree of foaming (high density and high strength), located in the vicinity of the inner wall of the vessel, is unsuitable for sound-absorbing or heat- insulating material, and so is rejected or discarded. This makes the yield of conventional methods very low. It is also very troublesome to cut out only the middle region b suitable for soundabsorbing or heat- insulating material and to make products therefrom.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method of producing foamed metal, e.g. aluminium and aluminium alloy products having reasonable soundabsorbing and heat-insulating properties and possessing the local strength and rigidity needed for mounting, etc., which makes intentional use of both uniform and non-uniform structures obtained at the foaming step, thereby providing a solution to the problem with conventional methods.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a foamed metal productr comprising the steps of:
stirring a molten metal with a viscosity increaser and a foaming material; pouring the melt into a mould having one or more rod members therein; foaming in the mould to form a block of foamed metal; and slicing said block to a predetermined thickness to obtain a foamed product having a mounting hole corresponding to the or each rod member.
The present invention uses a foaming vessel including a peripheral wall conforming in its internal surface to the outer configuration of the product to be produced and a plurality of vertical rod members to form mounting holes, which are fixed in the vessel and at least on given positions in the vicinity of the internal surface of the peripheral wall, wherein a molten metal, stirred with a viscosity increaser and a foaming material, is foamed in the vessel to form a block of foamed metal, and the block is sliced to a given thickness to obtain a product of foamed metal having mounting holes at least in given positions in the vicinity of the outer edge thereof.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a foamed metal product comprising a first portion having a relatively high degree of foaming and a second portion having a relatively low degree of foaming, the product further comprising a mounting hole in said second portion.
The regions of the product around the mounting hole have a low degree of foaming and are harder than the rest of the product, so that the product can have sufficient strength and rigidity to enable it to be mounted directly on an associated portion with the use of mounting bolts but with no need of special mounting tools. The rest of the product has a stable degree of foaming and possesses excellent sound-absorbing and heatinsulating properties, so that the product can play its own role in absorbing sound and insulating heat. This enables the problems with conventional methods, i.e., low yields and the difficulty with which products are produced. to be well solved.
By way of example only. a specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1A is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the foaming vessel used in the invention; Fig. 1B is a perspective view of a block of foamed aluminium in a foaming vessel; Fig. 1C is a perspective view of a product obtained by slicing the block of foamed aluminium.
Fig. 2A is a schematic of a first step of adding a viscosity increaser (e. g. Ca); Fig. 2B is a schematic of the second step of adding a-foaming material (e.g.TiH2) to the melt for re-stirring; and Fig. 2C is a schematic of a block of foamed aluminium obtained by foaming and cooling the melt after the completion of the second step.
One embodiment of the present invention will now be explained with reference to Figs. 1A-C.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, an undercover i.e. a cover plate to be mounted under the engine compartment of a car body, is typically built up of foamed aluminium or an alloy thereof.
As shown in Fig. 1A, a foaming vessel 1 includes a peripheral wall 2 with the inner surface having a given height and conforming in sectional shape to the outer configuration of the product to be produced (the undercover in this embodiment). and a plurality of vertical rod (pipe) members 3 which are fixed at positions substantially along the inside of the peripheral wall of the vessel, at given positions at the middle of the vessel, and in parallel with the inside of the peripheral wall of the vessel.
As in the prior art, a melt of aluminium (or an aluminium alloy), stirred with a given amount of calcium (Ca) added as a viscosity increaser for increasing viscosity and re-stirred with a given amount of hydrogenated titanium (T'H2), is put in the -6foaming vessel 1 mentioned above for foaming. Following this, the foamed material is cooled down to normal temperature, and then removed from the foaming vessel 1, thereby obtaining a block 4 of foamed aluminium such as that shown in Fig. 1B.
This block 4 of foamed aluminium conforms in outer shape to the outer configuration of the undercover to be produced and includes a plurality of vertical through-holes 5 in the vicinity of both the outer surface and the middle. The block 4 of foamed aluminium obtained by foaming in the foaming vessel 1 is made up of a region 4a which is located at the middle of the foaming vessel 1, and has a stable degree of foaming and so possesses good-enough soundabsorbing and heat-insulating properties, and (hatched) regions 4b located adjacent to the inside of the peripheral wall 2 of the vessel and the outer sides of the rod members 3 or the peripheral region of the foamed aluminium block 4 as well as the regions of the block 4 located around the holes 5, which have a low degree of foaming or high density and are more rigid than the region 4a mentioned above, and so are unsuitable for absorbing sound and insulating heat.
Then, the foamed alumInium block 4 mentioned above is sliced to a suitable thickness from the planes vertical to its axial direction, thereby -7obtaining such a product as shown in Fig. 1C, i.e., an undercover 6. The thus obtained undercover 6 of foamed aluminium includes a plurality of areas which have a low degree of foaming and high density and are hard and so are unsuitable for sound-absorbing or heat-insulating material, as the portion (or surface site) for mounting the product. This also makes it possible to increase the yield of producing foamed aluminium products and reduce the cost of making them. When mounted in place, the foamed aluminium product according to the invention can be attached directly to an associated portion with the use of the mounting holes formed therein but with no need of using fittings for reinforcing the peripheries of the mounting holes. This enables the number of parts involved to be reduced and mounting to be easily achieved.
While the presently preferred embodiment(s) of the present invention has (have) been shown and described, it is to be understood this (these) disclosure(s) is (are) for the purpose of illustration and that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In particularr other metals such as aluminium alloys, copper and iron can be used instead of aluminium to form a foamed metal product in accordance with the invention. Also, products other than undercovers may be produced in accordance with the present invention, such as lids, covers and caps.
t t
Claims (20)
1. A method of manufacturing a foamed metal product, comprising the steps of:
stirring a molten metal with a viscosity increaser and a foaming material; pouring the melt into a mould having one or more rod members therein; foaming in the mould to form a block of foamed metal; and slicing said block to a predetermined thickness to obtain a foamed product having a mounting hole corresponding to the or each rod member.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the or each rod member comprises a pipe.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the or each rod member is substantially vertical.
4. A method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one rod member is located in the vicinity of the periphery of the mould. thereby forming a mounting hole in the vicinity of the outer edge of the foamed block.
5. A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one rod member is located at a position spaced from the periphery of the mould, thereby forming a mounting hole in a central region of the foamed block.
6. A method as claimed in any of the preceding -10claims, wherein the metal comprises aluminium.
7. A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the metal comprises an alloy.
8. A foamed metal product comprising a first portion having a relatively high degree of foaming and a second portion having a relatively low degree of foaming. the product further comprising a mounting hole in said second portion.
9. A product as claimed in claim 8, comprising a plurality of second portions having a relatively low degree of foaming.
10. A product as claimed in claim 9, comprising a plurality of mounting holes in at least one of said second portions.
11. A product as claimed in any of claims 8 to 10, comprising a second portion having a low degree of foaming located at the periphery of the product.
12. A product as claimed in claim 11, comprising a second portion having a low degree of foaming extending around substantially the whole of the periphery of the product.
13. A product as claimed in any of claims 8 to 12, comprising a second portion having a low degree of foaming which is substantially wholly enclosed about its periphery by a first portion having a relatively high degree of foaming.
14. A product as claimed in any of claims 8 to 13, wherein the product is generally planar.
15. A product as claimed in any of claims 8 to 14, having a substantially constant cross-section.
16. A product as claimed in any of claims 8 to 15, wherein the metal comprises aluminium.
17. A product as claimed in any of claims 8 to 16, wherein the metal comprises an alloy.
18. A foamed metal product. substantially as herein described, with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figs. 1B and 1C of the accompanying drawings.
19. A method of manufacturing a foamed metal product, substantially as herein described, with reference to. and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.
20. A foamed metal product manufactured in accordance with a method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7 or 19.
--.i -------------------- -----------------------
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP01964593A JP3349186B2 (en) | 1993-01-12 | 1993-01-12 | Manufacturing method of aluminum foam products |
Publications (3)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB9400428D0 GB9400428D0 (en) | 1994-03-09 |
| GB2274118A true GB2274118A (en) | 1994-07-13 |
| GB2274118B GB2274118B (en) | 1995-08-09 |
Family
ID=12004978
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9400428A Expired - Fee Related GB2274118B (en) | 1993-01-12 | 1994-01-11 | Foamed metal products and manufacture therof |
Country Status (3)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| JP (1) | JP3349186B2 (en) |
| DE (1) | DE4400693C2 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2274118B (en) |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO1994029490A1 (en) * | 1993-06-04 | 1994-12-22 | Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft | Method and device for manufacturing a composite component |
| WO1999047717A1 (en) * | 1998-03-17 | 1999-09-23 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | Positioning arm for positioning and assembling systems and method for producing positioning arms |
Families Citing this family (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE19650613B4 (en) * | 1996-12-06 | 2005-12-29 | Daimlerchrysler Ag | Component with a metal foam core |
| DE19653149A1 (en) * | 1996-12-19 | 1998-06-25 | Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag | Workpiece made of a lightweight material and process for producing the workpiece |
| DE19746164B4 (en) * | 1997-10-18 | 2005-09-15 | Volkswagen Ag | Composite material with an at least partially hollow profile and use thereof |
| CN106995888B (en) * | 2016-01-26 | 2018-12-18 | 同济大学 | A method of foam aluminium alloy is prepared using melt liquid level shearing process |
Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1212819A (en) * | 1968-09-25 | 1970-11-18 | Philips Electronic Associated | Method of manufacturing a perforated plate |
| GB1424899A (en) * | 1973-12-19 | 1976-02-11 | Technical Operations Basel Sa | Manufacture of articles of metalllic foam |
| EP0210803A1 (en) * | 1985-07-19 | 1987-02-04 | Agency Of Industrial Science And Technology | Foamed metal and method of producing same |
-
1993
- 1993-01-12 JP JP01964593A patent/JP3349186B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
1994
- 1994-01-11 GB GB9400428A patent/GB2274118B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1994-01-12 DE DE19944400693 patent/DE4400693C2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1212819A (en) * | 1968-09-25 | 1970-11-18 | Philips Electronic Associated | Method of manufacturing a perforated plate |
| GB1424899A (en) * | 1973-12-19 | 1976-02-11 | Technical Operations Basel Sa | Manufacture of articles of metalllic foam |
| EP0210803A1 (en) * | 1985-07-19 | 1987-02-04 | Agency Of Industrial Science And Technology | Foamed metal and method of producing same |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO1994029490A1 (en) * | 1993-06-04 | 1994-12-22 | Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft | Method and device for manufacturing a composite component |
| WO1999047717A1 (en) * | 1998-03-17 | 1999-09-23 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | Positioning arm for positioning and assembling systems and method for producing positioning arms |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| JPH06212314A (en) | 1994-08-02 |
| DE4400693C2 (en) | 1995-03-30 |
| GB9400428D0 (en) | 1994-03-09 |
| GB2274118B (en) | 1995-08-09 |
| DE4400693A1 (en) | 1994-07-14 |
| JP3349186B2 (en) | 2002-11-20 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 746 | Register noted 'licences of right' (sect. 46/1977) |
Effective date: 19981130 |
|
| PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |
Effective date: 20040111 |