US20030006021A1 - Apparatus for casting solder on a moving strip - Google Patents
Apparatus for casting solder on a moving strip Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20030006021A1 US20030006021A1 US10/235,438 US23543802A US2003006021A1 US 20030006021 A1 US20030006021 A1 US 20030006021A1 US 23543802 A US23543802 A US 23543802A US 2003006021 A1 US2003006021 A1 US 2003006021A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- casting
- stationary die
- molten metal
- channel
- strip
- 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.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
- B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
- B22D11/00—Continuous casting of metals, i.e. casting in indefinite lengths
- B22D11/008—Continuous casting of metals, i.e. casting in indefinite lengths of clad ingots, i.e. the molten metal being cast against a continuous strip forming part of the cast product
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B23K3/00—Tools, devices, or special appurtenances for soldering, e.g. brazing, or unsoldering, not specially adapted for particular methods
- B23K3/06—Solder feeding devices; Solder melting pans
- B23K3/0607—Solder feeding devices
- B23K3/063—Solder feeding devices for wire feeding
Definitions
- Some electrical components are formed from a copper ribbon having a centrally positioned narrower strip of solder extending longitudinally thereon.
- the common method currently used for manufacturing such a product is to place a solder ribbon on a copper ribbon that is wider than the solder ribbon and melt the solder ribbon onto the copper ribbon. The molten solder is then allowed to solidify and bond thereon. When the solder ribbon melts, the molten solder tends to flow uncontrollably so that the overall dimensions and surface finish of the resulting solder layer are inconsistent.
- the layer of solder must then be machined to the desired dimensions. A drawback of this method is that it wastes material, it is inefficient, and fairly expensive.
- the present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for forming a metallic profile on a strip of material in an efficient and cost effective manner.
- the present invention is directed to an apparatus for casting molten metal onto a moving strip of material including a stationary die having upstream and downstream portions with a casting portion, past which the strip of material is capable of being moved.
- the casting portion has a casting channel extending from the upstream portion through the downstream portion for facing the moving strip for containing and shaping the molten metal into a profile against the moving strip.
- a heating arrangement heats the upstream portion of the stationary die to prevent the molten metal from solidifying within the casting channel at the upstream portion, thereby allowing the molten metal to fill the casting channel.
- the casting channel at the downstream portion allows the molten metal to cool while passing therethrough to solidify sufficiently to retain the shape of the casting channel when exiting the stationary die.
- the moving strip is a metallic strip and the molten metal is molten solder.
- a preheating station preheats the moving strip prior to casting the molten metal thereon.
- the heating arrangement on the upstream portion of the stationary die includes at least one heating device.
- a cooling system cools the downstream portion of the stationary die and may be a recirculating fluid cooling system.
- the casting portion of the stationary die is adapted to abut the moving strip such that the casting channel of the stationary die and the moving strip define the profile of the cast metal therebetween.
- a guide channel is formed in the casting portion of the stationary die for guiding the moving strip therethrough in relation to the casting channel. The moving strip is held against the casting portion by a support portion of the stationary die.
- a reservoir for containing a supply of molten metal is formed in the stationary die in communication with the casting channel.
- the reservoir and the casting channel are connected by a tapering transition region.
- a delivery conduit delivers molten metal to the reservoir and the stationary die.
- a heated chamber stores the molten metal and supplies the delivery conduit with the molten metal which is pumped through the delivery conduit by a pumping device.
- the present invention is also directed to a stationary die for casting molten metal onto a moving strip of material including a reservoir for containing molten metal.
- the stationary die also includes a casting channel having casting surfaces for containing and shaping the molten metal into a profile against the moving strip.
- a tapering transition region connects the reservoir to the casting channel, wherein the reservoir, the transition region and the casting channel are longitudinally aligned and configured to face the moving strip.
- the present invention is further directed to a method of casting molten metal onto a moving strip of material including moving the strip of material past a stationary die having upstream and downstream portions.
- a casting channel faces the moving strip and extends from the upstream portion through the downstream portion.
- the molten metal is contained and shaped into a profile against the moving strip with the casting channel.
- the upstream portion of the stationary die is heated to prevent the molten metal from solidifying within the casting channel at the upstream portion, thereby allowing the molten metal to fill the casting channel.
- the molten metal is allowed to cool while passing through the casting channel at the downstream portion to solidify sufficiently to retain the shape of the casting channel when exiting the stationary die.
- the present invention is able to manufacture a ribbon of material having a profiled layer of metal thereon in a manner where the profile does not have to be later machined in an additional process. This saves material, time and labor and it therefore costs less to produce such a product in a manner according to the present invention than with the common prior method.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the present invention casting apparatus.
- FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of a casting die that is casting molten metal on a moving strip.
- FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the casting die of FIG. 2 taken along lines 3 - 3 .
- FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the casting die of FIG. 2 taken along lines 4 - 4 .
- FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a metallic ribbon having a profile of cast metal formed thereon in accordance with the present invention.
- casting apparatus 10 is employed for casting a dimensionally consistent profile 62 (FIG. 5) of metal such as solder onto a moving metallic strip or ribbon 22 , for example, formed from copper.
- Casting apparatus 10 generally includes an unwind station 12 for unwinding the metallic ribbon 22 from a roll 20 , a preheating station 14 for preheating the metallic ribbon 22 , a casting station 16 for casting molten solder 46 onto the metallic ribbon 22 , and a windup station 18 for winding the resulting bimetal laminate product 63 into a roll 36 .
- metallic ribbon 22 unwound from roll 20 at unwind station 12 , passes through and is preheated within the interior 26 of a heating chamber 24 by a heater 28 at preheating station 14 .
- the metallic ribbon 22 then passes through a stationary casting die 38 at casting station 16 .
- Molten solder 46 is pumped by a pump 48 from a heated pot or chamber 44 through inlet pipe 50 to the casting die 38 .
- the interior of casting die 38 is shaped to guide the metallic ribbon 22 therethrough as well as to mold the molten solder 46 onto the metallic ribbon 22 .
- the casting die 38 has an upstream portion 37 a that is heated by heaters 40 to lengthen the time that the molten solder 46 is in a liquid state so that the solder 46 does not solidify too quickly.
- the molten solder 46 is shaped or formed by casting die 38 onto the metallic ribbon 22 while moving through casting die 38 .
- the molten solder 46 begins solidifying while still within the casting die 38 .
- the once molten solder 46 has been transformed into a dimensionally consistent profile 62 of hardened or solidified solder 46 a (FIG. 5) that is adhered or bonded to the metallic ribbon 22 , thereby resulting in a bimetal laminate 63 .
- Casting die 38 has a downstream portion 37 b which is cooled by coolers 42 to speed up the solidification process of the molten solder 46 while passing through the downstream portion 37 b of casting die 38 .
- the bimetal laminate 63 is then rolled up into a roll 36 at windup station 18 .
- Unwind station 12 typically includes an axle 20 a upon which roll 20 is placed, thereby allowing roll 20 to spin or rotate while metallic ribbon 22 is pulled therefrom.
- Axle 20 a is commonly a rod that is positioned horizontally as shown.
- axle 20 a can be extended vertically from a flat surface so that roll 20 is unwound from a horizontal position.
- the rod is typically stationary but can be fitted with bearings for rotation.
- a brake 21 can be employed to control the speed at which roll 20 spins.
- the rotation of roll 20 can alternatively be controlled by driving axle 20 a with a motor.
- Windup station 18 includes a power driven axle 36 a which winds the finished bimetal laminate 63 into a roll 36 .
- windup station 18 also pulls the metallic ribbon 22 from roll 20 and through casting die 38 .
- An idler roll 34 is positioned between casting die 38 and windup station 18 for guiding the bimetal laminate 63 .
- a pair of opposed drive rolls may be positioned upstream of casting die 38 for pulling metallic ribbon 22 from roll 20 in which case windup station 18 only pulls metallic ribbon 22 through casting die 38 before winding up the bimetal laminate 63 .
- Preheating station 14 includes a narrow elongate heating chamber 24 having narrow horizontal slot like openings 24 a at the upstream 23 a and downstream 23 b ends for allowing the metallic ribbon 22 to enter and exit heating chamber 24 .
- Heating chamber 24 is preferably made of metal such as sheet steel in order to withstand heat, but may be made of other suitable materials such as ceramics or masonry. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, heating chamber 24 is generally cylindrical in shape with a circular cross section.
- heater 28 is typically a hot air blower/heater which blows hot air into the interior of heating chamber 24 , thereby heating the interior thereof, and is capable of heating the metallic ribbon 22 moving within heating chamber 24 to about 150° F.
- the narrow slot like openings 24 a minimize the amount of heat contained within heating chamber 24 that escapes.
- Preheating metallic ribbon 22 helps the molten solder 46 adhere better to metallic ribbon 22 . Some contaminants on the surfaces of metallic ribbon 22 may be removed by the preheating process.
- heating chamber 24 is preferably cylindrical in shape, alternatively, heating chamber 24 can have any suitable cross section such as a rectangular or polygonal cross section, or a cross section formed by a combination of curves, or curves and planar sections.
- heating chamber 24 may be varied depending upon the speed at which metallic ribbon 22 moves. For example, in one embodiment, heating chamber 24 is three to five feet long. Although a hot air blower/heater is preferred for preheating metallic ribbon 22 , alternatively, electrical heating elements or flames can be positioned within heating chamber 24 along its longitudinal length.
- Pot or chamber 44 melts and keeps the solder 46 in a liquid state at a temperature of about 600° F. to 650° F. for a solder composition of about 25% tin (Sn), 62% lead (Pb), 10% bismuth (Bi) and 3% silver (Ag). It is understood that the temperature of molten solder 46 within pot 44 will vary depending upon the composition of the solder employed since different solder compositions have different melting points.
- the inlet pipe 50 connected to casting die 38 is heated by a heater 52 so that the molten solder 46 pumped therethrough by pump 48 does not solidify within inlet pipe 50 .
- Heater 52 is typically a heating coil that is wrapped around inlet pipe 50 as shown.
- Pump 48 preferably pressurizes casting die 38 with molten solder 46 .
- a return pipe 54 can be optionally coupled between casting die 38 and pot 44 to allow excess molten solder 46 to return to pot 44 in order to help control the pressure of the molten solder 44 within casting die 38 to a constant level.
- the pressure of the molten solder 46 can be further controlled by a pressure control valve coupled to return pipe 54 .
- Return pipe 54 is also heated by a heater 52 .
- casting die 38 typically includes a casting portion 38 a and a supporting portion 38 b which are clamped together by a series of bolts 76 (FIG. 2).
- the support portion 38 b has a flat surface 73 which mates with the flat surface 75 of casting portion 38 a .
- Springs such as Belville spring washers 76 a can be optionally employed to allow portions 38 a / 38 b to move apart slightly to accommodate thermal expansion of metallic ribbon 22 within casting die 38 .
- the casting portion 38 a includes a small cavity therein forming a solder reservoir 68 .
- the solder reservoir 68 has an inlet opening 64 to which the inlet pipe 50 from pot 44 is coupled.
- casting portion 38 a also has a centrally positioned guide channel 74 formed within the flat surface 75 (FIGS. 3 and 4) longitudinally along the length of casting portion 38 a for guiding metallic the ribbon 22 therethrough.
- a casting channel 72 is centrally formed within guide channel 74 downstream from solder reservoir 68 and has casting surfaces 72 a for casting the molten solder 46 onto the metallic strip 22 in the desired profile 62 with consistent dimensions.
- the solder reservoir 68 and the casting channel 72 are connected to each other by a tapering transition region 70 which curves from the deeper solder reservoir 68 to join with the shallower casting channel 72 .
- the transition region 70 can be angled rather than curved. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the solder reservoir 68 , the transition region 70 and the casting channel 72 are horizontally or longitudinally positioned in line with each other in the direction of solder flow and face the metallic strip 22 . Although FIG. 3 depicts the solder reservoir 68 , the transition region 70 and the casting channel 72 all having the same width, alternatively, in some embodiments, solder reservoir 68 and transition region 70 are narrower than casting channel 72 .
- the guide channel 74 extends through the flat surface 75 of casting portion 38 a and is therefore open on that side.
- the region of the flat surface 73 of support portion 38 b that faces guide channel 74 forms a support structure or surface 73 a for enclosing guide channel 74 to support and trap the metallic ribbon 22 to abut against casting portion 38 a within guide channel 74 .
- the guide channel 74 can be formed in the support portion 38 b .
- half of the guide channel 74 can be formed in the casting portion 38 a and half in the support portion 38 b.
- Both casting and support portions 38 a / 38 b of casting die 38 have a series of holes 40 a therethrough at the upstream portion 37 a for receiving electric heaters 40 therein (FIGS. 1 and 2).
- heating devices may be positioned externally about casting die 38 .
- the heaters 40 heat the casting die 38 to a temperature sufficient to keep the molten solder 46 in a liquid form long enough to flow within casting channel 72 to fill and be formed by casting channel 72 .
- the heaters 40 are typically all set at the same temperature but, alternatively, the downstream heaters 40 may be set at lower temperatures than the upstream heaters 40 to gradually lower the temperature of the molten solder 46 as the molten solder 46 continues to travel through the casting channel 72 .
- the downstream portion 37 b of casting and support portions 38 a / 38 b are cooled by coolers 42 (FIG. 1) for more rapidly solidifying the molten solder 46 moving within the downstream portion 37 b of casting channel 72 .
- Coolers 42 are typically water cooled blocks of copper that are placed at the downstream portion 37 b of casting and support portions 38 a / 38 b .
- Water cooled by a chiller 60 is circulated through passages in the copper blocks via water lines 56 and 58 .
- passages for the chilled water can be formed directly within the casting and support portions 38 a / 38 b .
- cooling devices can be mounted externally to casting die 38 .
- Casting die 38 is preferably formed of hardened steel and may be plated, such as with chrome, for example, or other suitable materials to which solder does not readily adhere.
- the length of casting die is typically 7 to 12 inches long with 7-9 inches being the more common length. Longer casting die lengths are also possible.
- solder reservoir is about ⁇ fraction (1/4) ⁇ inch deep, ⁇ fraction (1/2) ⁇ inch wide and about 3 inches long.
- the casting channel 72 is 0.015 inch deep by 0.622 inch wide.
- Transition region 70 is about 1 inch long and is about 0.050 inches deeper than casting channel 72 at the upstream end before gradually curving to join with casting channel 72 .
- Casting die 38 is capable of molding molten solder 46 onto metallic ribbon 22 at speeds as slow as 5 feet per minute without significant leakage of molten solder from casting channel 72 .
- the support portion 38 b presses the metallic ribbon 22 to abut against the sealing surfaces 74 a of the casting portion 38 a with enough pressure to provide such sealing. Consequently, the molten solder 46 is limited to flowing downstream into the casting channel 72 .
- the molten solder 46 contacting metallic ribbon 22 bonds with and is pulled downstream by the moving metallic ribbon 22 in the direction of arrows “A” into transition region 70 (FIG. 2).
- the transition region 70 tapers into the casting channel 72 so that the transition from the deeper solder reservoir 68 to the shallower casting channel 72 is gradual (FIGS. 2 and 3).
- the molten solder 46 moving in the direction of arrows “A” is able to flow from the solder reservoir 68 into the casting channel 72 more easily and quickly. Downstream flow of the molten solder 46 within casting channel 72 is limited in part by solder 46 solidifying downstream within casting channel 72 . Solder reservoir 68 is provided with molten solder 46 at a sufficient rate to replenish the molten solder 46 that is carried away by the moving metallic ribbon 22 so that casting channel 72 can be continuously supplied with enough solder 46 to be completely filled with molten solder 46 .
- Heating the upstream portion 37 a of casting die 38 keeps the molten solder 46 in a liquid form when the solder 46 enters the casting channel 72 which allows the solder 46 to flow outwardly to contact the casting surfaces 72 a and assume the shape defined by the casting surfaces 72 a of casting channel 72 (FIG. 4).
- the moving molten solder 46 is contained within the volume surrounded by the casting surfaces 72 a of casting channel 72 and the metallic ribbon 22 .
- the sealing surfaces 74 a of guide channel 74 seal against the surface of the moving metallic ribbon 22 on opposite lateral sides of casting channel 72 so that solder 46 does not leak from casting channel 72 while still molten.
- the solder 46 is held in the shape of the casting channel 72 while traveling through casting die 38 from the molten stage and through the stage in which the solder 46 is cooled by coolers 42 and begins to solidify.
- the lateral guide surfaces 74 b of guide channel 74 (FIGS. 3 and 4) keep the metallic ribbon 22 positioned properly relative to casting channel 72 so that the molten solder 46 is consistently applied to metallic ribbon 22 at the desired location.
- the coolers 42 cool the downstream portion 37 b of casting die 38 to a temperature sufficient to at least begin to harden the molten solder 46 moving within casting channel 72 (FIG. 2).
- the solder 46 may leave the casting die 38 while either in a plastic state or in a hardened state. While in the plastic state, the solder 46 is rigid enough to retain the shape of casting channel 72 before completely solidifying shortly thereafter. Moving the solidifying solder 46 through casting channel 72 past the casting surfaces 72 a may help smooth the solder 46 so that the finished profile 62 has a smooth surface finish which would not be provided if the solder 46 was merely melted onto metallic ribbon 22 without casting die 38 .
- the solder 46 contracts slightly so that friction between the solidifying solder 46 and the casting surfaces 72 a is minimized. In cases where the solder 46 becomes completely hardened within casting die 38 , this allows the metallic ribbon 22 and hardened solder 46 to pass through the casting die 38 without damaging the surface of the profile 62 .
- the dimensions of the finished cooled profile 62 such as height and width (FIG. 5), is typically consistently about 0.001 to 0.002 inches less than the dimensions of the casting channel 72 with a surface variation of ⁇ 0.0002 inches after shrinking. Consequently, the finished profile 62 can be made with dimensional consistency. Since the metallic ribbon 22 is heated to some degree when the molten solder 46 is applied, a strong bond is obtained therebetween.
- both the solder 46 and the metallic ribbon 22 undergo some shrinking or contracting simultaneously which allows a relatively strong bond to be maintained therebetween. If the metallic ribbon 22 was not heated, shrinkage of the solder 46 relative to the metallic ribbon 22 would likely weaken the bond therebetween.
- a flux station and/or cleaning station can be included to treat the metallic ribbon 22 before the casting station 16 .
- Such treating can also include roughening the surface of the metallic ribbon 22 for increased adherence of the solder 46 to the metallic ribbon 22 .
- metallic ribbon 22 is often a tin coated copper ribbon
- metallic ribbon 22 can be uncoated copper, as well as other suitable coated or uncoated metals such as bronze, brass, steel, nickel, etc.
- Profile 62 can also be cast upon non-metallic heat resistant ribbons or strips by the present invention apparatus. The present invention may be also employed to cast polymers on a moving strip.
- casting apparatus 10 is shown to cast profile 62 on top of metallic ribbon 22 , alternatively, casting apparatus 10 can be configured to cast profile 62 onto a ribbon 22 at other suitable orientations such as upside down from that shown. It is understood that the positioning of profile 62 on ribbon 22 and the profile configuration can be varied to any desirable position and configuration. For example, profile 62 can be positioned closer to one edge of ribbon 22 and can have curved or angled surfaces. Furthermore, the axle 20 a of unwind station 12 can be replaced with rollers positioned under roll 20 for supporting and allowing roll 20 to spin while unwinding. Also, although the downstream end of casting die is shown to be cooled by chilled water, alternatively, an air cooled system can be employed such as with cooling fins and/or forced air. A radiator may be employed with the cooling system.
- Preheating station 14 may be omitted in some applications.
- the casting die 38 can be employed to heat the metallic ribbon 22 by conduction.
- the casting die 38 can have an extended heated section.
- the stationary casting die 38 is shown to have casting and support portions 38 a / 38 b which are each half of casting die 38 , the stationary casting die 38 can be formed from portions that are configured differently from that shown and can include additional components.
- a guide channel 74 has been shown for guiding metallic ribbon 22 , alternatively, rollers or intermittent tabs can be employed for guiding metallic ribbon 22 . Also, rollers can be employed for supporting metallic ribbon 22 against casting portion 38 a . It is understood that particular parameters of the components of casting apparatus 10 vary depending upon the application in hand.
- Typical variables include the size and shape of the ribbon 22 and profile 62 , the solder composition, speed of ribbon 22 , etc.
- the solder reservoir 68 and/or transition region 70 of casting die 38 can be omitted.
- the solder reservoir 68 can also be positioned above casting channel 72 .
Abstract
An apparatus for casting molten metal onto a moving strip of material includes a stationary die having upstream and downstream portions with a casting portion, past which the strip of material is capable of being moved. The casting portion has a casting channel extending from the upstream portion through the downstream portion for facing the moving strip to contain and shape the molten metal into a profile against the moving strip. A heating arrangement heats the upstream portion of the stationary die to prevent the molten metal from solidifying within the casting channel at the upstream portion, thereby allowing the molten metal to fill the casting channel. The casting channel at the downstream portion allows the molten metal to cool while passing therethrough to solidify sufficiently to retain the shape of the casting channel when exiting the stationary die.
Description
- This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/845,762, filed May 1, 2001. The entire teachings of the above application are incorporated herein by reference.
- Some electrical components are formed from a copper ribbon having a centrally positioned narrower strip of solder extending longitudinally thereon. The common method currently used for manufacturing such a product is to place a solder ribbon on a copper ribbon that is wider than the solder ribbon and melt the solder ribbon onto the copper ribbon. The molten solder is then allowed to solidify and bond thereon. When the solder ribbon melts, the molten solder tends to flow uncontrollably so that the overall dimensions and surface finish of the resulting solder layer are inconsistent. In order to provide a copper ribbon product that has a dimensionally consistent layer of solder thereon, the layer of solder must then be machined to the desired dimensions. A drawback of this method is that it wastes material, it is inefficient, and fairly expensive.
- The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for forming a metallic profile on a strip of material in an efficient and cost effective manner. The present invention is directed to an apparatus for casting molten metal onto a moving strip of material including a stationary die having upstream and downstream portions with a casting portion, past which the strip of material is capable of being moved. The casting portion has a casting channel extending from the upstream portion through the downstream portion for facing the moving strip for containing and shaping the molten metal into a profile against the moving strip. A heating arrangement heats the upstream portion of the stationary die to prevent the molten metal from solidifying within the casting channel at the upstream portion, thereby allowing the molten metal to fill the casting channel. The casting channel at the downstream portion allows the molten metal to cool while passing therethrough to solidify sufficiently to retain the shape of the casting channel when exiting the stationary die.
- In preferred embodiments, the moving strip is a metallic strip and the molten metal is molten solder. A preheating station preheats the moving strip prior to casting the molten metal thereon. The heating arrangement on the upstream portion of the stationary die includes at least one heating device. A cooling system cools the downstream portion of the stationary die and may be a recirculating fluid cooling system. The casting portion of the stationary die is adapted to abut the moving strip such that the casting channel of the stationary die and the moving strip define the profile of the cast metal therebetween. A guide channel is formed in the casting portion of the stationary die for guiding the moving strip therethrough in relation to the casting channel. The moving strip is held against the casting portion by a support portion of the stationary die. A reservoir for containing a supply of molten metal is formed in the stationary die in communication with the casting channel. The reservoir and the casting channel are connected by a tapering transition region. A delivery conduit delivers molten metal to the reservoir and the stationary die. A heated chamber stores the molten metal and supplies the delivery conduit with the molten metal which is pumped through the delivery conduit by a pumping device.
- The present invention is also directed to a stationary die for casting molten metal onto a moving strip of material including a reservoir for containing molten metal. The stationary die also includes a casting channel having casting surfaces for containing and shaping the molten metal into a profile against the moving strip. A tapering transition region connects the reservoir to the casting channel, wherein the reservoir, the transition region and the casting channel are longitudinally aligned and configured to face the moving strip.
- The present invention is further directed to a method of casting molten metal onto a moving strip of material including moving the strip of material past a stationary die having upstream and downstream portions. A casting channel faces the moving strip and extends from the upstream portion through the downstream portion. The molten metal is contained and shaped into a profile against the moving strip with the casting channel. The upstream portion of the stationary die is heated to prevent the molten metal from solidifying within the casting channel at the upstream portion, thereby allowing the molten metal to fill the casting channel. The molten metal is allowed to cool while passing through the casting channel at the downstream portion to solidify sufficiently to retain the shape of the casting channel when exiting the stationary die.
- The present invention is able to manufacture a ribbon of material having a profiled layer of metal thereon in a manner where the profile does not have to be later machined in an additional process. This saves material, time and labor and it therefore costs less to produce such a product in a manner according to the present invention than with the common prior method.
- The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the present invention casting apparatus.
- FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of a casting die that is casting molten metal on a moving strip.
- FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the casting die of FIG. 2 taken along lines3-3.
- FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the casting die of FIG. 2 taken along lines4-4.
- FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a metallic ribbon having a profile of cast metal formed thereon in accordance with the present invention.
- Referring to FIG. 1,
casting apparatus 10 is employed for casting a dimensionally consistent profile 62 (FIG. 5) of metal such as solder onto a moving metallic strip orribbon 22, for example, formed from copper.Casting apparatus 10 generally includes anunwind station 12 for unwinding themetallic ribbon 22 from aroll 20, apreheating station 14 for preheating themetallic ribbon 22, acasting station 16 for castingmolten solder 46 onto themetallic ribbon 22, and awindup station 18 for winding the resultingbimetal laminate product 63 into aroll 36. - In use,
metallic ribbon 22 unwound fromroll 20 atunwind station 12, passes through and is preheated within theinterior 26 of aheating chamber 24 by aheater 28 atpreheating station 14. Themetallic ribbon 22 then passes through a stationary casting die 38 atcasting station 16.Molten solder 46 is pumped by apump 48 from a heated pot orchamber 44 throughinlet pipe 50 to the casting die 38. The interior of casting die 38 is shaped to guide themetallic ribbon 22 therethrough as well as to mold themolten solder 46 onto themetallic ribbon 22. The casting die 38 has anupstream portion 37 a that is heated byheaters 40 to lengthen the time that themolten solder 46 is in a liquid state so that thesolder 46 does not solidify too quickly. Themolten solder 46 is shaped or formed by casting die 38 onto themetallic ribbon 22 while moving through casting die 38. Themolten solder 46 begins solidifying while still within the casting die 38. Shortly after exiting the casting die 38, the oncemolten solder 46 has been transformed into a dimensionallyconsistent profile 62 of hardened orsolidified solder 46 a (FIG. 5) that is adhered or bonded to themetallic ribbon 22, thereby resulting in abimetal laminate 63. Casting die 38 has adownstream portion 37 b which is cooled bycoolers 42 to speed up the solidification process of themolten solder 46 while passing through thedownstream portion 37 b of casting die 38. Thebimetal laminate 63 is then rolled up into aroll 36 atwindup station 18. - A more detailed description of
casting apparatus 10 now follows.Unwind station 12 typically includes anaxle 20 a upon whichroll 20 is placed, thereby allowingroll 20 to spin or rotate whilemetallic ribbon 22 is pulled therefrom.Axle 20 a is commonly a rod that is positioned horizontally as shown. Optionally,axle 20 a can be extended vertically from a flat surface so thatroll 20 is unwound from a horizontal position. The rod is typically stationary but can be fitted with bearings for rotation. Optionally, abrake 21 can be employed to control the speed at which roll 20 spins. Additionally, the rotation ofroll 20 can alternatively be controlled by drivingaxle 20 a with a motor. -
Windup station 18 includes a power drivenaxle 36 a which winds the finishedbimetal laminate 63 into aroll 36. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1,windup station 18 also pulls themetallic ribbon 22 fromroll 20 and through castingdie 38. Anidler roll 34 is positioned between casting die 38 andwindup station 18 for guiding thebimetal laminate 63. Alternatively, a pair of opposed drive rolls may be positioned upstream of casting die 38 for pullingmetallic ribbon 22 fromroll 20 in whichcase windup station 18 only pullsmetallic ribbon 22 through casting die 38 before winding up thebimetal laminate 63. -
Preheating station 14 includes a narrowelongate heating chamber 24 having narrow horizontal slot likeopenings 24 a at the upstream 23 a and downstream 23 b ends for allowing themetallic ribbon 22 to enter and exitheating chamber 24.Idler rollers metallic ribbon 22 into and fromheating chamber 24.Heating chamber 24 is preferably made of metal such as sheet steel in order to withstand heat, but may be made of other suitable materials such as ceramics or masonry. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1,heating chamber 24 is generally cylindrical in shape with a circular cross section. In this embodiment,heater 28 is typically a hot air blower/heater which blows hot air into the interior ofheating chamber 24, thereby heating the interior thereof, and is capable of heating themetallic ribbon 22 moving withinheating chamber 24 to about 150° F. The narrow slot likeopenings 24 a minimize the amount of heat contained withinheating chamber 24 that escapes. Preheatingmetallic ribbon 22 helps themolten solder 46 adhere better tometallic ribbon 22. Some contaminants on the surfaces ofmetallic ribbon 22 may be removed by the preheating process. Althoughheating chamber 24 is preferably cylindrical in shape, alternatively,heating chamber 24 can have any suitable cross section such as a rectangular or polygonal cross section, or a cross section formed by a combination of curves, or curves and planar sections. The length ofheating chamber 24 may be varied depending upon the speed at whichmetallic ribbon 22 moves. For example, in one embodiment,heating chamber 24 is three to five feet long. Although a hot air blower/heater is preferred for preheatingmetallic ribbon 22, alternatively, electrical heating elements or flames can be positioned withinheating chamber 24 along its longitudinal length. - Pot or
chamber 44 melts and keeps thesolder 46 in a liquid state at a temperature of about 600° F. to 650° F. for a solder composition of about 25% tin (Sn), 62% lead (Pb), 10% bismuth (Bi) and 3% silver (Ag). It is understood that the temperature ofmolten solder 46 withinpot 44 will vary depending upon the composition of the solder employed since different solder compositions have different melting points. Theinlet pipe 50 connected to casting die 38 is heated by aheater 52 so that themolten solder 46 pumped therethrough bypump 48 does not solidify withininlet pipe 50.Heater 52 is typically a heating coil that is wrapped aroundinlet pipe 50 as shown.Pump 48 preferably pressurizes casting die 38 withmolten solder 46. Areturn pipe 54 can be optionally coupled between casting die 38 andpot 44 to allow excessmolten solder 46 to return topot 44 in order to help control the pressure of themolten solder 44 within casting die 38 to a constant level. The pressure of themolten solder 46 can be further controlled by a pressure control valve coupled to returnpipe 54.Return pipe 54 is also heated by aheater 52. - Referring to FIGS.2-4, casting die 38 typically includes a casting
portion 38 a and a supportingportion 38 b which are clamped together by a series of bolts 76 (FIG. 2). Thesupport portion 38 b has aflat surface 73 which mates with theflat surface 75 of castingportion 38 a. Springs such asBelville spring washers 76 a can be optionally employed to allowportions 38 a/38 b to move apart slightly to accommodate thermal expansion ofmetallic ribbon 22 within casting die 38. The castingportion 38 a includes a small cavity therein forming asolder reservoir 68. Thesolder reservoir 68 has aninlet opening 64 to which theinlet pipe 50 frompot 44 is coupled. If areturn pipe 54 topot 44 is employed, anoutlet opening 66 is formed which is coupled to returnpipe 54. In the embodiment shown, castingportion 38 a also has a centrally positionedguide channel 74 formed within the flat surface 75 (FIGS. 3 and 4) longitudinally along the length of castingportion 38 a for guiding metallic theribbon 22 therethrough. A castingchannel 72 is centrally formed withinguide channel 74 downstream fromsolder reservoir 68 and has castingsurfaces 72 a for casting themolten solder 46 onto themetallic strip 22 in the desiredprofile 62 with consistent dimensions. Thesolder reservoir 68 and the castingchannel 72 are connected to each other by atapering transition region 70 which curves from thedeeper solder reservoir 68 to join with theshallower casting channel 72. Thetransition region 70 can be angled rather than curved. As can be seen in FIG. 2, thesolder reservoir 68, thetransition region 70 and the castingchannel 72 are horizontally or longitudinally positioned in line with each other in the direction of solder flow and face themetallic strip 22. Although FIG. 3 depicts thesolder reservoir 68, thetransition region 70 and the castingchannel 72 all having the same width, alternatively, in some embodiments,solder reservoir 68 andtransition region 70 are narrower than castingchannel 72. Theguide channel 74 extends through theflat surface 75 of castingportion 38 a and is therefore open on that side. Consequently, the region of theflat surface 73 ofsupport portion 38 b that facesguide channel 74 forms a support structure or surface 73 a for enclosingguide channel 74 to support and trap themetallic ribbon 22 to abut against castingportion 38 a withinguide channel 74. Alternatively, theguide channel 74 can be formed in thesupport portion 38 b. In addition, half of theguide channel 74 can be formed in the castingportion 38 a and half in thesupport portion 38 b. - Both casting and
support portions 38 a/38 b of casting die 38 have a series ofholes 40 a therethrough at theupstream portion 37 a for receivingelectric heaters 40 therein (FIGS. 1 and 2). Alternatively, heating devices may be positioned externally about castingdie 38. Theheaters 40 heat the casting die 38 to a temperature sufficient to keep themolten solder 46 in a liquid form long enough to flow within castingchannel 72 to fill and be formed by castingchannel 72. Theheaters 40 are typically all set at the same temperature but, alternatively, thedownstream heaters 40 may be set at lower temperatures than theupstream heaters 40 to gradually lower the temperature of themolten solder 46 as themolten solder 46 continues to travel through the castingchannel 72. Thedownstream portion 37 b of casting andsupport portions 38 a/38 b are cooled by coolers 42 (FIG. 1) for more rapidly solidifying themolten solder 46 moving within thedownstream portion 37 b of castingchannel 72.Coolers 42 are typically water cooled blocks of copper that are placed at thedownstream portion 37 b of casting andsupport portions 38 a/38 b. Water cooled by achiller 60 is circulated through passages in the copper blocks viawater lines support portions 38 a/38 b. Also, cooling devices can be mounted externally to casting die 38. - Casting die38 is preferably formed of hardened steel and may be plated, such as with chrome, for example, or other suitable materials to which solder does not readily adhere. The length of casting die is typically 7 to 12 inches long with 7-9 inches being the more common length. Longer casting die lengths are also possible. In an embodiment for casting a
rectangular profile 62 of hardenedsolder 46 a that is 0.620 inch wide by 0.014 inch high, on ametallic ribbon 22 that is tin coated and 0.031 inches thick by 1.516 inches wide such as that seen in FIG. 5, solder reservoir is about {fraction (1/4)} inch deep, {fraction (1/2)} inch wide and about 3 inches long. The castingchannel 72 is 0.015 inch deep by 0.622 inch wide.Transition region 70 is about 1 inch long and is about 0.050 inches deeper than castingchannel 72 at the upstream end before gradually curving to join with castingchannel 72. Casting die 38 is capable of moldingmolten solder 46 ontometallic ribbon 22 at speeds as slow as 5 feet per minute without significant leakage of molten solder from castingchannel 72. - Referring to FIG. 2, when casting
molten solder 46 onto themetallic ribbon 22, themetallic ribbon 22 moves through casting die 38 while being guided byguide channel 74. Portions of the heated casting andsupport portions 38 a/38 b of casting die 38 which contactmetallic ribbon 22 further heat themetallic ribbon 22 by conduction. Themolten solder 46 occupyingsolder reservoir 68 is in contact with themetallic ribbon 22.Guide channel 74 has sealingsurfaces 74 a surroundingsolder reservoir 68 on the upstream (FIG. 2) and lateral sides as well as on the lateral sides oftransition region 70 and casting channel 72 (FIGS. 3 and 4) which seal against the surface ofmetallic ribbon 22 to prevent leakage therebetween. Thesupport portion 38 b presses themetallic ribbon 22 to abut against the sealing surfaces 74 a of the castingportion 38 a with enough pressure to provide such sealing. Consequently, themolten solder 46 is limited to flowing downstream into the castingchannel 72. As themetallic ribbon 22 moves pastsolder reservoir 68, themolten solder 46 contactingmetallic ribbon 22 bonds with and is pulled downstream by the movingmetallic ribbon 22 in the direction of arrows “A” into transition region 70 (FIG. 2). Thetransition region 70 tapers into the castingchannel 72 so that the transition from thedeeper solder reservoir 68 to theshallower casting channel 72 is gradual (FIGS. 2 and 3). Therefore, themolten solder 46 moving in the direction of arrows “A” is able to flow from thesolder reservoir 68 into the castingchannel 72 more easily and quickly. Downstream flow of themolten solder 46 within castingchannel 72 is limited in part bysolder 46 solidifying downstream within castingchannel 72.Solder reservoir 68 is provided withmolten solder 46 at a sufficient rate to replenish themolten solder 46 that is carried away by the movingmetallic ribbon 22 so that castingchannel 72 can be continuously supplied withenough solder 46 to be completely filled withmolten solder 46. Heating theupstream portion 37 a of casting die 38 keeps themolten solder 46 in a liquid form when thesolder 46 enters the castingchannel 72 which allows thesolder 46 to flow outwardly to contact the casting surfaces 72 a and assume the shape defined by the casting surfaces 72 a of casting channel 72 (FIG. 4). The movingmolten solder 46 is contained within the volume surrounded by the casting surfaces 72 a of castingchannel 72 and themetallic ribbon 22. The sealing surfaces 74 a ofguide channel 74 seal against the surface of the movingmetallic ribbon 22 on opposite lateral sides of castingchannel 72 so thatsolder 46 does not leak from castingchannel 72 while still molten. As a result, thesolder 46 is held in the shape of the castingchannel 72 while traveling through casting die 38 from the molten stage and through the stage in which thesolder 46 is cooled bycoolers 42 and begins to solidify. The lateral guide surfaces 74 b of guide channel 74 (FIGS. 3 and 4) keep themetallic ribbon 22 positioned properly relative to castingchannel 72 so that themolten solder 46 is consistently applied tometallic ribbon 22 at the desired location. - The
coolers 42 cool thedownstream portion 37 b of casting die 38 to a temperature sufficient to at least begin to harden themolten solder 46 moving within casting channel 72 (FIG. 2). Depending upon the temperature of thedownstream portion 37 b of casting die 38 and the speed ofmetallic ribbon 22 therethrough, thesolder 46 may leave the casting die 38 while either in a plastic state or in a hardened state. While in the plastic state, thesolder 46 is rigid enough to retain the shape of castingchannel 72 before completely solidifying shortly thereafter. Moving the solidifyingsolder 46 through castingchannel 72 past the casting surfaces 72 a may help smooth thesolder 46 so that thefinished profile 62 has a smooth surface finish which would not be provided if thesolder 46 was merely melted ontometallic ribbon 22 without castingdie 38. As themolten solder 46 begins to solidify, thesolder 46 contracts slightly so that friction between the solidifyingsolder 46 and the casting surfaces 72 a is minimized. In cases where thesolder 46 becomes completely hardened within casting die 38, this allows themetallic ribbon 22 andhardened solder 46 to pass through the casting die 38 without damaging the surface of theprofile 62. The dimensions of the finished cooledprofile 62, such as height and width (FIG. 5), is typically consistently about 0.001 to 0.002 inches less than the dimensions of the castingchannel 72 with a surface variation of ±0.0002 inches after shrinking. Consequently, thefinished profile 62 can be made with dimensional consistency. Since themetallic ribbon 22 is heated to some degree when themolten solder 46 is applied, a strong bond is obtained therebetween. When thesolder 46 and themetallic ribbon 22 cool, both thesolder 46 and themetallic ribbon 22 undergo some shrinking or contracting simultaneously which allows a relatively strong bond to be maintained therebetween. If themetallic ribbon 22 was not heated, shrinkage of thesolder 46 relative to themetallic ribbon 22 would likely weaken the bond therebetween. - While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims.
- For example, a flux station and/or cleaning station can be included to treat the
metallic ribbon 22 before the castingstation 16. Such treating can also include roughening the surface of themetallic ribbon 22 for increased adherence of thesolder 46 to themetallic ribbon 22. In addition, althoughmetallic ribbon 22 is often a tin coated copper ribbon,metallic ribbon 22 can be uncoated copper, as well as other suitable coated or uncoated metals such as bronze, brass, steel, nickel, etc.Profile 62 can also be cast upon non-metallic heat resistant ribbons or strips by the present invention apparatus. The present invention may be also employed to cast polymers on a moving strip. Although castingapparatus 10 is shown to castprofile 62 on top ofmetallic ribbon 22, alternatively, castingapparatus 10 can be configured to castprofile 62 onto aribbon 22 at other suitable orientations such as upside down from that shown. It is understood that the positioning ofprofile 62 onribbon 22 and the profile configuration can be varied to any desirable position and configuration. For example,profile 62 can be positioned closer to one edge ofribbon 22 and can have curved or angled surfaces. Furthermore, theaxle 20 a of unwindstation 12 can be replaced with rollers positioned underroll 20 for supporting and allowingroll 20 to spin while unwinding. Also, although the downstream end of casting die is shown to be cooled by chilled water, alternatively, an air cooled system can be employed such as with cooling fins and/or forced air. A radiator may be employed with the cooling system. -
Preheating station 14 may be omitted in some applications. In such cases, the casting die 38 can be employed to heat themetallic ribbon 22 by conduction. The casting die 38 can have an extended heated section. Although the stationary casting die 38 is shown to have casting andsupport portions 38 a/38 b which are each half of casting die 38, the stationary casting die 38 can be formed from portions that are configured differently from that shown and can include additional components. Although aguide channel 74 has been shown for guidingmetallic ribbon 22, alternatively, rollers or intermittent tabs can be employed for guidingmetallic ribbon 22. Also, rollers can be employed for supportingmetallic ribbon 22 against castingportion 38 a. It is understood that particular parameters of the components of castingapparatus 10 vary depending upon the application in hand. Typical variables include the size and shape of theribbon 22 andprofile 62, the solder composition, speed ofribbon 22, etc. In some embodiments, thesolder reservoir 68 and/ortransition region 70 of casting die 38 can be omitted. Thesolder reservoir 68 can also be positioned above castingchannel 72.
Claims (28)
1. An apparatus for casting molten metal onto a moving strip of material comprising a stationary die having upstream and downstream portions with a casting portion, past which the strip of material is capable of being moved, the casting portion having a casting channel for filling with the molten metal extending from the upstream portion through the downstream portion and for facing the moving strip to contain and shape the molten metal into a profile against the moving strip, the casting channel at the downstream portion allowing the molten metal to cool while passing therethrough to solidify sufficiently to retain the shape of the casting channel when exiting the stationary die, the stationary die having only a stationary support for supporting the moving strip against the casting channel.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the apparatus is configured for casting molten solder onto a moving metallic strip.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a cooling system for cooling the downstream portion of the stationary die.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a heating arrangement for heating the upstream portion of the stationary die to prevent the molten metal from solidifying within the casting channel at said upstream portion.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the casting portion of the stationary die is adapted to abut the moving strip and form sealing surfaces such that the casting channel of the stationary die and the moving strip define the profile of the cast metal therebetween.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which a guide channel is formed in the casting portion of the stationary die for guiding the moving strip therethrough, the moving strip being held against the casting portion by a support portion of the stationary die.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 in which a reservoir for containing a supply of molten metal is formed in the stationary die in communication with the casting channel.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the reservoir and casting channel are connected by a tapering transition region.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 in which the transition region and the casting channel are longitudingly aligned and configured to face the moving strip.
10. An apparatus for casting and bonding molten solder onto a moving metallic strip comprising a stationary die having upstream and downstream portions with a casting portion, past which the metallic strip is capable of being moved, the casting portion having a casting channel for filling with the molten solder extending from the upstream portion through the downstream portion and for facing the moving metallic strip to contour and shape the molten solder into a profile against the moving metallic strip, the casting channel at the downstream portion allowing the solder to cool while passing therethrough to solidify sufficiently to retain the shape of the casting channel when exiting the stationary die, the stationary die having guide surfaces for guiding the moving metallic strip in relation to the casting channel and also having only a stationary support for supporting the moving strip against the casting channel.
11. A method of forming an apparatus for casting molten metal onto a moving strip of material comprising:
providing a stationary die having upstream and downstream portions with a casting portion, past which the strip of material is capable of being moved, the casting portion having a casting channel for filling with the molten metal extending from the upstream portion through the downstream portion and for facing the moving strip to contain and shape the molten metal into a profile against the moving strip, the casting channel at the downstream portion allowing the molten metal to cool while passing therethrough to solidify sufficiently to retain the shape of the casting channel when exiting the stationary die; and
providing the stationary die with only a stationary support for supporting the moving strip against the casting channel.
12. The method of claim 11 in which the moving strip is a metallic strip and the molten metal is molten solder, the method further comprising providing a cooling system for cooling the downstream portion of the stationary die.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising providing a heating arrangement for heating the upstream portion of the stationary die to prevent the molten metal from solidifying within the casting channel at said upstream portion.
14. The method of claim 11 further comprising adapting the casting portion of the stationary die to abut the moving strip and form sealing surfaces such that the casting channel of the stationary die and the moving strip define the profile of the cast metal therebetween.
15. The method of claim 14 further comprising forming a guide channel in the casting portion of the stationary die for guiding the moving strip therethrough, the moving strip being held against the casting portion by a support portion of the stationary die.
16. The method of claim 11 further comprising forming a reservoir for containing a supply of molten metal in the stationary die in communication with the casting channel.
17. The method of claim 16 further comprising connecting the reservoir and casting channel with a tapering transition region, the transition region and the casting channel being longitudinally aligned and configured to face the moving strip.
18. A method of casting molten metal onto a moving strip of material comprising:
moving the strip of material past a stationary die having upstream and downstream portions, a casting channel facing the moving strip extending from the upstream portion through the downstream portion;
filling the casting channel with the molten metal;
containing and shaping the molten metal into a profile against the moving strip with the casting channel, the stationary die having only a stationary support for supporting the moving strip against the casting channel; and
allowing the molten metal to cool while passing through the casting channel at the downstream portion to solidify sufficiently to retain the shape of the casting channel when exiting the stationary die.
19. The method of claim 18 in which the moving strip is a metallic strip and the molten metal is molten solder, the method further comprising cooling the downstream portion of the stationary die with a cooling system.
20. The method of claim 18 further comprising heating the upstream portion of the stationary die with a heating arrangement to prevent the molten metal from solidifying within the casting channel at said upstream portion.
21. The method of claim 18 further comprising abutting the casting portion of the stationary die against the moving strip to form sealing surfaces such that the casting channel of the stationary die and the moving strip define the profile of the cast metal therebetween.
22. The method of claim 21 further comprising guiding the moving strip through the stationary die with a guide channel formed in the casting portion of the stationary die, the moving strip being held against the casting portion by a support portion of the stationary die.
23. The method of claim 18 further comprising containing a supply of molten metal in a reservoir in the stationary die, the reservoir being in communication with the casting channel.
24. The method of claim 23 further comprising connecting the reservoir and casting channel with a tapering transition region, the transition region and the casting channel being longitudingly aligned and configured to face the moving strip.
25. The method of claim 24 further comprising delivering the molten metal to the reservoir in the stationary die with a delivery conduit.
26. The method of claim 25 further comprising storing the molten metal in a heated chamber and supplying the delivery conduit with the molten metal.
27. The method of claim 26 further comprising pumping the molten metal through the delivery conduit with a pumping device.
28. The method of claim 18 further comprising preheating the moving strip prior to casting the molten metal thereon with a preheating station.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US10/235,438 US20030006021A1 (en) | 2001-05-01 | 2002-09-05 | Apparatus for casting solder on a moving strip |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US09/845,762 US6527043B2 (en) | 2001-05-01 | 2001-05-01 | Apparatus for casting solder on a moving strip |
US10/235,438 US20030006021A1 (en) | 2001-05-01 | 2002-09-05 | Apparatus for casting solder on a moving strip |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US09/845,762 Continuation US6527043B2 (en) | 2001-05-01 | 2001-05-01 | Apparatus for casting solder on a moving strip |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20030006021A1 true US20030006021A1 (en) | 2003-01-09 |
Family
ID=25296041
Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US09/845,762 Expired - Lifetime US6527043B2 (en) | 2001-05-01 | 2001-05-01 | Apparatus for casting solder on a moving strip |
US10/235,438 Abandoned US20030006021A1 (en) | 2001-05-01 | 2002-09-05 | Apparatus for casting solder on a moving strip |
Family Applications Before (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US09/845,762 Expired - Lifetime US6527043B2 (en) | 2001-05-01 | 2001-05-01 | Apparatus for casting solder on a moving strip |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (2) | US6527043B2 (en) |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20030222120A1 (en) * | 2002-05-29 | 2003-12-04 | Kaiser Joseph G. | Devices for and methods of casting and bonding a molten material onto one or more surfaces of a moving substrate |
US20040191603A1 (en) * | 2003-03-25 | 2004-09-30 | Kaiser Joseph G. | Clad metallic bipolar plates and electricity-producing systems and fuel cells using the same |
US20050269056A1 (en) * | 2004-06-02 | 2005-12-08 | Robert Mergen | Method for producing a stratified composite material |
US20180372833A1 (en) * | 2017-06-22 | 2018-12-27 | Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc | Location assistance with a dynamically updated beacon payload from an electronic device |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
KR101421625B1 (en) * | 2012-12-06 | 2014-07-22 | 박종현 | Soldering aparatus for battery fuse |
Citations (33)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US112054A (en) * | 1871-02-21 | Improvement | ||
US905758A (en) * | 1908-03-14 | 1908-12-01 | Edward Halford Strange | Process of manufacturing thin sheets, foil, strips, or ribbons of zinc, lead, or other metal or alloy. |
US2216510A (en) * | 1938-08-16 | 1940-10-01 | Wilson H A Co | Method of making contacts |
US2763044A (en) * | 1949-06-04 | 1956-09-18 | Joseph B Brennan | Method of continuously casting strip metal |
US2782473A (en) * | 1953-03-20 | 1957-02-26 | Joseph B Brennan | Continuous casting method and apparatus |
US2838814A (en) * | 1956-01-19 | 1958-06-17 | Joseph B Brennan | Method and apparatus for casting |
US3522836A (en) * | 1966-07-06 | 1970-08-04 | Battelle Development Corp | Method of manufacturing wire and the like |
US3745631A (en) * | 1970-02-05 | 1973-07-17 | Graenges Essem Ab | Method and apparatus for manufacturing finned heat exchangers |
US3937270A (en) * | 1973-11-09 | 1976-02-10 | Hazelett Strip-Casting Corporation | Twin-belt continuous casting method providing control of the temperature operating conditions at the casting belts |
US4025035A (en) * | 1973-01-29 | 1977-05-24 | Granges Essem Aktiebolag | Method of affixing surface enlarging members in the form of coherent, transversally corrugated metal strips to elongate metal basic profiles |
US4221257A (en) * | 1978-10-10 | 1980-09-09 | Allied Chemical Corporation | Continuous casting method for metallic amorphous strips |
US4224978A (en) * | 1978-06-19 | 1980-09-30 | Manufacture Metallurgique De Tournus | Method of manufacturing composite strips by continuous casting |
US4321289A (en) * | 1979-09-14 | 1982-03-23 | Norddeutsche Affinerie Aktiengesellschaft | Method of and apparatus for the cladding of steel sheet or strip with lower melting metals or alloys |
US4393917A (en) * | 1977-06-27 | 1983-07-19 | Western Electric Company, Inc. | Methods and apparatus for casting and extruding material |
US4412642A (en) * | 1982-03-15 | 1983-11-01 | Western Electric Co., Inc. | Cast solder leads for leadless semiconductor circuits |
US4441118A (en) * | 1983-01-13 | 1984-04-03 | Olin Corporation | Composite copper nickel alloys with improved solderability shelf life |
US4520859A (en) * | 1980-07-18 | 1985-06-04 | Pont-A-Mousson, S.A. | Apparatus for rapid solidification of thin metallic strips on a continuously moving substrate |
US4552199A (en) * | 1982-04-08 | 1985-11-12 | Nippon Yakin Kogyo Co., Ltd. | Apparatus for producing flake particles |
US4694885A (en) * | 1985-06-06 | 1987-09-22 | Hitachi Zosen Corporation | Apparatus for continuous casting of thin metallic plate |
US4763718A (en) * | 1986-03-20 | 1988-08-16 | Battelle Development Corporation | Method of and apparatus for casting an elongated metal product |
US4896715A (en) * | 1988-02-05 | 1990-01-30 | National Aluminum Corporation | Apparatus for and process of direct casting of metal strip |
US4921037A (en) * | 1988-07-19 | 1990-05-01 | Hazelett Strip-Casting Corporation | Method and apparatus for introducing differential stresses in endless flexible metallic casting belts for enhancing belt performance in continuous metal casting machines |
US4934443A (en) * | 1988-02-16 | 1990-06-19 | Reynolds Metals Company | Method of and apparatus for direct casting of metal strip |
US5035280A (en) * | 1988-12-22 | 1991-07-30 | Institut De Recherches De La Siderurgie Francaise | Process and apparatus for the continuous casting of fine metal wire |
US5077094A (en) * | 1989-12-11 | 1991-12-31 | Battelle Development Corp. | Process for applying a metal coating to a metal strip by preheating the strip in a non-oxidizing atmosphere, passing the strip through a melt pool of the metal coating material, and rapidly cooling the back surface of the strip |
US5111871A (en) * | 1989-03-17 | 1992-05-12 | Pcast Equipment Corporation | Method of vacuum casting |
US5200368A (en) * | 1990-09-25 | 1993-04-06 | Kabushiki-Kaisha Fuji Seiki Seizo Sho (Fuji Seiki Machine Works, Co. Ltd.) | Continuous solder coating apparatus and its method |
US5244031A (en) * | 1990-10-09 | 1993-09-14 | Arnold Cook | Dual mode gas system for casting |
US5480496A (en) * | 1994-03-29 | 1996-01-02 | Reynolds Metals Company | Method of making twin roll cast clad material using drag cast liner stock and article produced thereby |
US5513691A (en) * | 1994-02-02 | 1996-05-07 | Sms Concast Inc. | Mold for continuous casting and method of making the mold |
US5520323A (en) * | 1991-12-20 | 1996-05-28 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | Method for presoldering a contact for an electrical switching device and semi-finished product for use as a contact |
US5836377A (en) * | 1994-03-04 | 1998-11-17 | Mannesmann Aktiengesellschaft | Process and device for cooling molten steel |
US5971058A (en) * | 1997-06-13 | 1999-10-26 | International Business Machines Corporation | Apparatus and method for continuous casting solder onto discrete parts |
Family Cites Families (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3451836A (en) | 1966-09-12 | 1969-06-24 | Engelhard Ind Inc | Method of continuously bonding a narrow solder stripe on metal strip material |
-
2001
- 2001-05-01 US US09/845,762 patent/US6527043B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
2002
- 2002-09-05 US US10/235,438 patent/US20030006021A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (35)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US112054A (en) * | 1871-02-21 | Improvement | ||
US905758A (en) * | 1908-03-14 | 1908-12-01 | Edward Halford Strange | Process of manufacturing thin sheets, foil, strips, or ribbons of zinc, lead, or other metal or alloy. |
US2216510A (en) * | 1938-08-16 | 1940-10-01 | Wilson H A Co | Method of making contacts |
US2763044A (en) * | 1949-06-04 | 1956-09-18 | Joseph B Brennan | Method of continuously casting strip metal |
US2782473A (en) * | 1953-03-20 | 1957-02-26 | Joseph B Brennan | Continuous casting method and apparatus |
US2838814A (en) * | 1956-01-19 | 1958-06-17 | Joseph B Brennan | Method and apparatus for casting |
US3522836A (en) * | 1966-07-06 | 1970-08-04 | Battelle Development Corp | Method of manufacturing wire and the like |
US3745631A (en) * | 1970-02-05 | 1973-07-17 | Graenges Essem Ab | Method and apparatus for manufacturing finned heat exchangers |
US4025035A (en) * | 1973-01-29 | 1977-05-24 | Granges Essem Aktiebolag | Method of affixing surface enlarging members in the form of coherent, transversally corrugated metal strips to elongate metal basic profiles |
US3937270A (en) * | 1973-11-09 | 1976-02-10 | Hazelett Strip-Casting Corporation | Twin-belt continuous casting method providing control of the temperature operating conditions at the casting belts |
US4393917A (en) * | 1977-06-27 | 1983-07-19 | Western Electric Company, Inc. | Methods and apparatus for casting and extruding material |
US4224978A (en) * | 1978-06-19 | 1980-09-30 | Manufacture Metallurgique De Tournus | Method of manufacturing composite strips by continuous casting |
US4221257A (en) * | 1978-10-10 | 1980-09-09 | Allied Chemical Corporation | Continuous casting method for metallic amorphous strips |
US4321289A (en) * | 1979-09-14 | 1982-03-23 | Norddeutsche Affinerie Aktiengesellschaft | Method of and apparatus for the cladding of steel sheet or strip with lower melting metals or alloys |
US4520859A (en) * | 1980-07-18 | 1985-06-04 | Pont-A-Mousson, S.A. | Apparatus for rapid solidification of thin metallic strips on a continuously moving substrate |
US4562877A (en) * | 1980-07-18 | 1986-01-07 | Pont-A-Mousson S.A. | Method of rapidly solidifying thin metallic strips |
US4412642A (en) * | 1982-03-15 | 1983-11-01 | Western Electric Co., Inc. | Cast solder leads for leadless semiconductor circuits |
US4552199A (en) * | 1982-04-08 | 1985-11-12 | Nippon Yakin Kogyo Co., Ltd. | Apparatus for producing flake particles |
US4441118A (en) * | 1983-01-13 | 1984-04-03 | Olin Corporation | Composite copper nickel alloys with improved solderability shelf life |
US4694885A (en) * | 1985-06-06 | 1987-09-22 | Hitachi Zosen Corporation | Apparatus for continuous casting of thin metallic plate |
US4763718A (en) * | 1986-03-20 | 1988-08-16 | Battelle Development Corporation | Method of and apparatus for casting an elongated metal product |
US4896715A (en) * | 1988-02-05 | 1990-01-30 | National Aluminum Corporation | Apparatus for and process of direct casting of metal strip |
US4934443A (en) * | 1988-02-16 | 1990-06-19 | Reynolds Metals Company | Method of and apparatus for direct casting of metal strip |
US4921037A (en) * | 1988-07-19 | 1990-05-01 | Hazelett Strip-Casting Corporation | Method and apparatus for introducing differential stresses in endless flexible metallic casting belts for enhancing belt performance in continuous metal casting machines |
US5035280A (en) * | 1988-12-22 | 1991-07-30 | Institut De Recherches De La Siderurgie Francaise | Process and apparatus for the continuous casting of fine metal wire |
US5111871B1 (en) * | 1989-03-17 | 1993-12-28 | J. Cook Arnold | Method of vacuum casting |
US5111871A (en) * | 1989-03-17 | 1992-05-12 | Pcast Equipment Corporation | Method of vacuum casting |
US5077094A (en) * | 1989-12-11 | 1991-12-31 | Battelle Development Corp. | Process for applying a metal coating to a metal strip by preheating the strip in a non-oxidizing atmosphere, passing the strip through a melt pool of the metal coating material, and rapidly cooling the back surface of the strip |
US5200368A (en) * | 1990-09-25 | 1993-04-06 | Kabushiki-Kaisha Fuji Seiki Seizo Sho (Fuji Seiki Machine Works, Co. Ltd.) | Continuous solder coating apparatus and its method |
US5244031A (en) * | 1990-10-09 | 1993-09-14 | Arnold Cook | Dual mode gas system for casting |
US5520323A (en) * | 1991-12-20 | 1996-05-28 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | Method for presoldering a contact for an electrical switching device and semi-finished product for use as a contact |
US5513691A (en) * | 1994-02-02 | 1996-05-07 | Sms Concast Inc. | Mold for continuous casting and method of making the mold |
US5836377A (en) * | 1994-03-04 | 1998-11-17 | Mannesmann Aktiengesellschaft | Process and device for cooling molten steel |
US5480496A (en) * | 1994-03-29 | 1996-01-02 | Reynolds Metals Company | Method of making twin roll cast clad material using drag cast liner stock and article produced thereby |
US5971058A (en) * | 1997-06-13 | 1999-10-26 | International Business Machines Corporation | Apparatus and method for continuous casting solder onto discrete parts |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20030222120A1 (en) * | 2002-05-29 | 2003-12-04 | Kaiser Joseph G. | Devices for and methods of casting and bonding a molten material onto one or more surfaces of a moving substrate |
US20040191603A1 (en) * | 2003-03-25 | 2004-09-30 | Kaiser Joseph G. | Clad metallic bipolar plates and electricity-producing systems and fuel cells using the same |
US20050269056A1 (en) * | 2004-06-02 | 2005-12-08 | Robert Mergen | Method for producing a stratified composite material |
US7281568B2 (en) * | 2004-06-02 | 2007-10-16 | Miba Gleitlager Gmbh | Method for producing a stratified composite material |
US20180372833A1 (en) * | 2017-06-22 | 2018-12-27 | Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc | Location assistance with a dynamically updated beacon payload from an electronic device |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US20020162641A1 (en) | 2002-11-07 |
US6527043B2 (en) | 2003-03-04 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US5340433A (en) | Modeling apparatus for three-dimensional objects | |
US4804110A (en) | Apparatus, method and article for applying a melted adhesive | |
RU2305021C2 (en) | Method for making thin magnesium-base metallic sheet by casting and installation for performing the same | |
US5860204A (en) | Continuous tube forming and coating | |
US6527043B2 (en) | Apparatus for casting solder on a moving strip | |
JP2000052438A (en) | Manufacture of body of continuous shape composed of fiber and plastic compound material, and plant for carrying out the manufacture | |
US20090174107A1 (en) | Shaping Device and Method for Shaping and Cooling Articles, Especially Hollow Profiles | |
EP0023472A1 (en) | Process for continuously coating, at least a part of one side at least, of a metallic substrate and apparatus used therefor | |
WO2002011922A3 (en) | Belt-cooling and guiding means for continuous belt casting of metal strip | |
JP5669739B2 (en) | Method and system for manufacturing metal plated steel pipe | |
US5282915A (en) | Method and apparatus for producing continuous plastic-fabric bicomponent lamina | |
CN100548531C (en) | The belt casting method and the equipment thereof of non-ferrous metal and light metal | |
US3709642A (en) | Tube coating film and apparatus | |
JPH01263005A (en) | Manufacturing device for frtp continuous prepreg | |
JPH0339766B2 (en) | ||
JPH0116591B2 (en) | ||
US8474681B1 (en) | Solder apparatus | |
US20030222120A1 (en) | Devices for and methods of casting and bonding a molten material onto one or more surfaces of a moving substrate | |
CA1318475C (en) | Two wheel melt overflow process and apparatus | |
JPH01206026A (en) | Manufacture of electrofusion coupling | |
CN220129530U (en) | Device for wrapping pipe cotton and laminating film on pipeline | |
US3809594A (en) | Manufacture of composite plastics structures | |
JPH10323605A (en) | Die coater and method for continuously coating sheet | |
CN104302424A (en) | Method for molding amorphous alloy, and molded object produced by said molding method | |
CA1081423A (en) | Extruding followed by cooling and lubricating of the extrudate |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |