Appeal No. 2003-1583
Application 09/253,235
THE INVENTION
The appellants claim an apparatus and a method for producing
a semisolid metal slurry and using it for casting. Claim 38,
directed toward the method, is illustrative:
38. A method for producing a component from semi-solid
metal comprising the steps of:
receiving a metal from a source of molten metal maintained
at a predetermined temperature range above a solidification
temperature of the metal in a container having a wall,
forming the metal received in the container into a semi-
solid condition including molten metal and solid particles with a
thermal control system including a heater and an agitator
positioned adjacent the wall within the container and designed to
shear dendrites from the wall of the container and to mix
dendrites in the molten metal,
maintaining the metal in the semi-solid condition in a
substantially isothermal state by applying heat as required and
continuing the shearing and mixing,
transferring a portion of the metal to a casting device,
maintaining the portion of the metal transferred in the
semi-solid condition prior to casting, and
casting the portion of the metal into the component with the
casting device.
THE REFERENCE
Sato et al. (JP ‘345)1 01-178345 Jul. 14, 1989
(Japanese Kokai laid open patent publication)
1 Citations herein to JP ‘345 are to the English translation
thereof which is of record.
2
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