US 12,454,002 B2
Systems and methods for hybrid sand casting
Yurij F. Wowczuk, Pittsburgh, PA (US); Jake A. Vargo, Washington, PA (US); Bernard A. Kuhn, Jr., Baden, PA (US); and Gregory Allen Geers, Pittsburgh, PA (US)
Assigned to Matthews International Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA (US)
Filed by Matthews International Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA (US)
Filed on Mar. 30, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/708,842.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/168,105, filed on Mar. 30, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0314307 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. B22C 9/10 (2006.01); B22C 9/22 (2006.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 80/00 (2015.01)
CPC B22C 9/10 (2013.01) [B22C 9/22 (2013.01); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 80/00 (2014.12)] 36 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for creating an assembled mold for casting a metal product, the method comprising:
receiving, by a processor, product design information for the metal product, wherein the product design information includes one or more customized features for the metal product;
generating, by the processor, a product model for the metal product based on the product design information;
generating, by the processor, printing instructions for a mold insert based on the product model, wherein the mold insert is related to the one or more customized features;
accessing, by a manufacturing device, the printing instructions from the processor; and
creating, by the manufacturing device, the mold insert by an additive manufacturing process according to the printing instructions, and
mating the mold insert with a mold base to form the assembled mold, the mold base being produced with foundry sand using a casting flask and a molding pattern, and
wherein the assembled mold comprises a mold cavity configured to cast the metal product including the one or more customized features.
 
15. A system for creating an assembled mold for casting a metal product, the system comprising:
a processor;
a non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, causes the processor to:
receive product design information for the cast metal product, wherein the product design information includes one or more customized features for the metal product,
generate a product model for the metal product based on the product design information, and
generate printing instructions for a mold insert based on the product model, wherein the mold insert is related to the one or more customized features; and
a manufacturing device operably connected to the processor and configured to:
access the printing instructions from the processing device, and
create the mold insert by an additive manufacturing process according to the printing instructions,
wherein the mold insert is configured to mate with a mold base to form an assembled mold, the mold base being produced with sand using a casting flask and a molding pattern.
 
25. A method of casting a metal product comprising one or more customized features, the method comprising:
obtaining, by a processor, product design information for the metal product including one or more customized features;
generating, by the processor, printing instructions for a mold insert based on the product design;
creating, by a manufacturing device, the mold insert by an additive manufacturing process according to the printing instructions;
creating a mold base based on the product design, wherein creating the mold base comprises:
filling a casting flask with foundry sand over one or more molding patterns, and
hardening the foundry sand by one or more of baking and curing to form the mold base;
mating the mold insert with the mold base to form an assembled mold; and
casting the metal product by adding molten metal to the assembled mold.