Improving Investment Casting Using Computer Simulation

摘要

Metalcast S.A. de C.V. is an investment caster with 200 employees in Puebla, Mexico, that is casting increasingly complex parts in more challenging alloys. Stefan Plotz, an engineering consultant, worked with Metalcast engineers to reduce the proportion of rejects in the production of a valve body. "Computer simulation of the casting process helps understand the root cause of defects and evaluate the performance of modified designs without having to build tooling," Plotz emphasized. "The result is a substantial reduction in rejects, from 25% to 3%, which has helped improve Metalcast's competitive position." Metalcast's speciality are parts up to 1 kg in size, especially for the medical device industry (about 25% of its output), but also the oil equipment and the valve industries, using investment casting to produce geometrically more complex castings. Because investment casting results in parts with very close tolerances, it makes it possible to reduce or eliminate secondary machining.