INCREASE PRECISION AND YIELD IN CASTING PRODUCTION BY SIMULATION OF THE SOLIDIFCATION PROCESS BASED ON REALISTIC MATERIAL DATA EVALUATED FROM THERMAL ANALYSIS (USING THE ATAS METSTAR SYSTEM)

摘要

The experience when a foundryman is comparing the shrinkage defects in castings produced in the foundry and the results from a simulation of the filling and solidification process using a commercial simulation system is that it does not always shows the same result. The practice most frequently used today, is to take parameter values from literature to use as input for the calculations. The simulated result is in many cases close (but not always) to reality in terms of temperatures, cooling speed and solidification time. However, the prognosis for calculation of shrinkage defects (macro and micro) could show a large discrepancy form the real results. The fact is if the same casting is simulated, using the same material data, in another foundry with a similar metallurgical production process, the simulated results and the actual "real" result could be very different.