Squeeze Casting Quality Assurance & Process Validation through Advanced Process Simulation

摘要

Mass production of squeeze castings has become a very competitive casting process in the automotive industry because of its advantages over other casting processes. Even with the many advantages of squeeze casting, the process is still sensitive to process control and gating geometry. Casting defects can occur from the beginning of fill through to part extraction. These casting defects can be directly attributed to non-optimized processing parameters, or lack of control in the following areas: metal filling velocity, metal and die temperature, dwell time, cooling pattern, casting design, etc. The casting defects can be eliminated or reduced ahead of time by optimizing the process parameters with simulation tools. In addition to predicting defects, new simulation tools enable the user to predict microstructures at different locations throughout the casting. The microstructure, along with the corresponding mechanical properties, may vary considerably throughout the casting due to varying solidification conditions. Factors that influence solidification rates include wall thickness, alloy composition, die temperatures, and metal pressure. The microstructure simulation tool enables the user to predict localized material properties, which can be used to assist with product design and optimization.