Cooling Thin Parts of Pressure Casting Moulds by Means of Liquid CO2

Abstract

To ensure optimal temperature conditions during casting cycle the pressure casting moulds are equipped with cooling systems. These days the cooling systems used in the most of Czech foundry plants enable pre-heating of pressure casting moulds to the working temperature before start-up of production and during casting operation to keep optimal temperature balance among the casting and the mould. Pressure casting mould temperature balance is provided by system of mutually connected channels which are mostly parallel with parting line and inside those the heat transfer medium flows. However such a system allows removal only limited heat amount from the most overheated places of the casting mould and does not allow heat removal from cores of small diameters. This inhomogeneous heat removal causes porosity of the casting in certain areas and also lifetime of the pressure casting mould is dramatically reduced. Cooling by means of liquid CO2 was developed as one of the new cooling possibilities for such places in the pressure casting mould where the heat is concentrated and for standard cooling systems it is too complicated to fully control the heat processes there. The paper deals with the behaviour monitoring of the new cooling system utilizing the potential of liquid CO2. This system was applied into pressure casting mould core and its final impact on the casting quality in the close surrounding was observed.