Metal-molding system and process for making foamed alloy

1. A method for operating a metal injection-molding system for use with a mold, the method comprising:

using a first injection mechanism to process a molten-metallic alloy;

using a second injection mechanism to process a foaming agent;

using a stationary platen to support a stationary mold portion of the mold;

using a movable platen to support a movable mold portion of the mold, the movable platen being movable relative to the stationary platen, the stationary mold portion and the movable mold portion forming a mold cavity once the movable platen is made to move toward the stationary platen enough as to abut the stationary mold portion against the movable mold portion, the stationary mold portion defining a mold gate leading to the mold cavity;

using a clamping mechanism to apply a clamp tonnage between the stationary platen and the movable platen;

connecting a combining chamber with the first injection mechanism and with the second injection mechanism;

using the combining chamber to receive the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent being injectable under pressure into the combining chamber, the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent combining, at least in part, under pressure in the combining chamber; and

using the combining chamber to convey, under pressure, the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent to the mold, the molten-metallic alloy combined with the foaming agent being solidifiably formable into a molded-foamed-metallic article in the mold, further comprising:

using a combining valve of the combining chamber to receive the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent from respective injection mechanisms, the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent combining, at least in part, in the combining valve;

using a channel to receive the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent from the combining valve;

using a shooting pot valve having a first valve state and a second valve state, in the first valve state, the shooting pot valve does not receive the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent from the channel, and in the second valve state, the shooting pot valve receives the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent from the channel;

using a shooting pot to receive the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent from the shooting pot valve once the shooting pot valve is placed in the second valve state;

using the shooting pot valve to disconnect the channel from the shooting pot once the shooting pot valve is placed in the first valve state; and

using a conduit to: (i) receive the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent from the shooting pot valve once the shooting pot valve is placed in the first valve state, and (ii) communicate the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent to the mold gate leading to the mold cavity defined by the mold.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

using a mixing element to mix the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent in the combining chamber.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

using a combining valve of the combining chamber to receive the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent from respective injection mechanisms, the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent combining, at least in part, in the combining valve; and

using a conduit to: (i) receive the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent from the combining valve, and (ii) communicate the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent to the mold gate leading to the mold cavity defined by the mold.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

using a combining valve of the combining chamber to: (i) receive the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent from respective injection mechanisms, the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent combining, at least in part, to form the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent in the combining valve, and (ii) transmit the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent to a shooting pot;

using the combining valve to: (i) not receive the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent from the respective injection mechanisms, and (ii) permit the shooting pot to shoot the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent back into the combining valve; and

using a conduit to communicate the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent, under pressure, from the combining valve to the mold gate, the mold gate leads to the mold cavity defined by the mold.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

using a combining valve of the combining chamber to: (i) receive the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent from respective injection mechanisms, the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent and combining, at least in part, in the combining valve, and (ii) communicate the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent to the mold gate leading to the mold cavity defined by the mold.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

using a hot runner of the combining chamber, the hot runner including a manifold having: switching valves, (ii) shooting pots, and (iii) a combining valve;

coupling the switching valves to respective injection mechanisms so as to receive the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent from the respective injection mechanisms;

coupling the shooting pots to the switching valves respectively; and

coupling the combining valve to the shooting pots and also to the mold gate leading to the mold cavity defined by the mold.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

filling pressure chambers of the shooting pots with a pressurizable fluid; and

slidably moving pistons of the shooting pots between the pressure chambers respectively and accumulation chambers of the shooting pots respectively.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

using, once the combining valve is placed in a non-flow state and the switching valves are placed in a flow state, the respective injection mechanisms to inject the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent respectively into the accumulation chambers of the shooting pots respectively; and

moving the pistons into the pressure chambers respectively so as to displace the pressurizable fluid out from the pressure chambers.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

pressurizing, once the switching valves are placed in a non-flow state, the combining valve is placed in a flow state, the pressure chambers;

moving the pistons into the accumulation chambers respectively so as to inject or push the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent respectively into the combining valve, and the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent become combined, at least in part in the combining valve; and

pushing the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent under pressure into the mold gate.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

using a hot runner of the combining chamber, the hot runner including a manifold having: (i) shooting pots and (iii) a combining valve;

coupling the shooting pots to respective injection mechanisms so as to receive the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent from the respective injection mechanisms;

coupling the combining valve to the shooting pots; and

coupling the combining valve to the mold gate leading to the mold cavity defined by the mold.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

filling pressure chambers of the shooting pots with a pressurizable fluid; and

slidably moving pistons of the shooting pots between the pressure chambers and accumulation chambers of the shooting pots.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein:

using, once the combining valve is placed in a non-flow state, the respective injection mechanisms to accumulate and then to inject the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent respectively into the accumulation chambers.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein:

using, once the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent are received into the accumulation chambers respectively, screws of the respective injection mechanisms to maintain their positions so as to prevent flow of the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent back into the respective injection mechanisms; and

pressuring, once the combining valve is placed in a flow state, the pressure chambers so as to move the pistons into the accumulation chambers respectively so as to inject the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent respectively from the accumulation chambers into the combining valve.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

using a hot runner of the combining chamber, the hot runner including a manifold having: (i) a combining valve and (ii) nozzles;

coupling the combining valve to injection mechanisms;

coupling the nozzles to the combining valve; and

coupling the nozzles to respective mold gates leading to mold cavities defined by a mold body of the mold, and in operation, the molten-metallic alloy and the foaming agent combine, at least in part, in the combining valve and the nozzles.