US 12,330,210 B2
Method for producing flexible tooling for casting a ceramic core
Travis John Vitello, Waxhaw, NC (US); Lara Richerson, Charlottesville, VA (US); Douglas Bibb, Staunton, VA (US); Scott Gangle, Barboursville, VA (US); Robert Bruce, Barboursville, VA (US); Ian T. Doran, Charlottesville, VA (US); Christopher Duren, Charlottesville, VA (US); Andrew Belling, Charlottesville, VA (US); and Wayne J. McDonald, Charlotte, NC (US)
Assigned to SIEMENS ENERGY GLOBAL GMBH & CO. KG, Munich (DE)
Appl. No. 17/772,873
Filed by Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG, Munich (DE)
PCT Filed Nov. 1, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/059295
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 28, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/086391, PCT Pub. Date May 6, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0379368 A1, Dec. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. B22C 9/10 (2006.01); B22C 7/02 (2006.01); B33Y 80/00 (2015.01)
CPC B22C 9/10 (2013.01) [B22C 7/02 (2013.01); B33Y 80/00 (2014.12)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for producing a flexible tooling liner for casting a ceramic core, comprising:
producing a reference object representative of the ceramic core to be cast;
disposing the reference object into a containment vessel configured to receive a liquid flexible tooling liner material within a cavity defined by the containment vessel and the reference object, wherein the reference object comprises a separation feature, wherein the reference object is configured to separate the cavity into a 1st volume that is located on a 1st side of the separation feature and a 2nd volume that is located on a 2nd side of the separation feature opposite the 1st side, that is sealed from the 1st volume, and that is separated from the 1st volume by a thickness of the separation feature;
filling the 1st volume and the 2nd volume with the liquid flexible tooling liner material so that both a 1st side and a 2nd side of the reference object are encapsulated by the liquid flexible tooling liner material on the surfaces whose topography is intended to be imparted in the flexible tooling liner formed upon the curing of the liquid flexible tooling liner material;
allowing the liquid flexible tooling liner material to cure to form a cured flexible tooling liner comprising a 1st flexible mold portion formed by the 1st volume and a 2nd flexible mold portion that is formed by the 2nd volume and that is discrete from the 1 st flexible mold portion; and
separating the 1st flexible mold portion from the 2nd flexible mold portion and removing the reference object;
wherein when assembled together the 1st flexible mold portion and the 2nd flexible mold portion are configured to abut each other and to thereby form the ceramic core therebetween in a shape of the reference object without the separation feature.