B22C FOUNDRY MOULDING
Introduced: September 1968
Classification Context
- Section:
- PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- Class:
- CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
- Subclass:
- FOUNDRY MOULDING
Description
B22C covers the equipment, processes, and techniques used to produce foundry moulds for metal casting. This includes mould making methods (such as sand moulding, shell moulding, and investment casting), mould materials preparation, pattern equipment, and apparatus for assembling and finishing moulds. The classification encompasses both manual and mechanized moulding operations, as well as related processes like mould drying, venting, and core making. Adjacent classes address metal casting itself (B22D) and specific casting techniques, while B22C focuses specifically on the mould fabrication stage that precedes the actual metal pouring.
Filing statistics
IPC subclass B22C recorded 67,055 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 3,939 in 2013 to 6,568 in 2023 (+67%), peaking at 8,429 applications in 2020. The most active applicants in class B22 are GE (GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY) (1,719 applications), CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES (1,489 applications) and POSCO (POHANG IRON AND STEEL COMPANY) (1,248 applications).
Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings
Related Keywords
13 direct subcodes
Child Classifications
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- B22C 1/00 Compositions of refractory mould or core materials; Grain structures thereof; Chemical or physical features in the formation or manufacture of moulds
- B22C 11/00 Moulding machines for making moulds or cores, characterised by the relative arrangement of their parts
- B22C 13/00 Moulding machines for making moulds or cores of particular shapes
- B22C 15/00 Moulding machines for making moulds or cores, characterised by the compacting mechanism; Accessories therefor
- B22C 17/00 Moulding machines for making moulds or cores, characterised by the mechanism for separating the pattern from the mould or for turning over the flask or the pattern plate
- B22C 19/00 Components or accessories for moulding machines for making moulds or cores
- B22C 21/00 Flasks; Accessories therefor
- B22C 23/00 Tools; Devices not mentioned before for moulding
- B22C 25/00 Foundry moulding plants
- B22C 3/00 Selection of compositions for coating the surfaces of moulds, cores, or patterns
- B22C 5/00 Machines or devices specially designed for dressing or handling the mould material so far as specially adapted for that purpose
- B22C 7/00 Patterns; Manufacture thereof so far as not provided for in other classes
- B22C 9/00 Moulds or cores; Moulding processes
Top Applicants
Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class B22, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- GE (GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY) US 1,719
- CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 1,489
- POSCO (POHANG IRON AND STEEL COMPANY) KR 1,248
- TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION 1,043
- SIEMENS DE 1,028
- CENTRAL SOUTH UNIVERSITY 959
- HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY US 891
- UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION (UTC) US 786
- UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY BEIJING 769
- JFE STEEL JP 761