Total Methoding - A Systems Approach to Mold Filling Design

摘要

Most foundries focus solely on cross-sectional area in regard to runner design as it relates to mold filling time; i.e. creating a system where a casting fills quickly enough and typically in an unpressurized manner. Cross-sectional area alone, however, tells an incomplete mold-filling story. Although the cross-sectional area will control the amount of metal filling in a given time it does not control the relative degree of metal turbulence during the filling period. The geometry of the runner dictates largely the relative degree of metal turbulence generated at various periods during the filling process. It is increasingly evident that a systems approach to mold filling which include all aspects of gate, runner, and flow modifying design is required to provide the foundry with the greatest economic value in casting production. This paper will demonstrate how all areas of the "Running System" design process must be accounted for and properly applied for maximizing casting value. In turn, it will be demonstrated that this will contribute to an improvement in the economic performance of the foundry. Applying gating rules and flow modifying tools in isolation of the entire mold filling system or taking short cuts in the hopes of easy quick fixes are to be avoided as they only provide a false sense of quality and economic improvement. True optimization can only be accomplished when all aspects of the "Running System" are properly accounted for and are working in concert.