Casting & Forming Simulators

How to Use

1. Select casting or forming process (sand casting, die casting, forging, extrusion) from the process filter menu
2. Input material properties: density (kg/m³), liquidus/solidus temperatures (°C), thermal conductivity (W/m·K), and viscosity (Pa·s) for molten state
3. Define geometry: cavity volume (cm³), wall thickness (mm), draft angle (degrees), cooling surface area (m²)
4. Set process parameters: pouring temperature (°C), mold temperature (°C), cooling time target (s), applied force or pressure (MPa)
5. Run simulation to generate cooling curves, shrinkage predictions, stress distribution, and process feasibility flags

Worked Example

Aluminum A356 sand casting: liquidus 616°C, solidus 555°C, thermal conductivity 96 W/m·K. Cavity volume 850 cm³, wall thickness 8 mm, pouring temperature 720°C, mold temperature 200°C, cooling surface area 0.45 m². Chvorinov's rule predicts solidification time ≈ 285 seconds. Temperature gradient analysis shows 2.1°C/mm at the thinnest section, indicating directional solidification risk. Recommended cooling rate adjustment to 1.8°C/s prevents hot tears in the fillet radius.

Practical Notes

1. For ductile iron castings, maintain carbon equivalent between 4.3–4.6 to ensure graphite nucleation; simulator flags compositions outside this window
2. Die casting: apply holding pressure within 30–50 MPa range after cavity fill to minimize gas porosity in aluminum alloys (shrinkage typically 3–5% by volume)
3. Forging process: if reduction ratio exceeds 4:1 in single stroke, check dynamic recrystallization temperature (typically 0.4–0.5 of absolute melting point); simulator alerts when exceeding limits
4. Extrusion: billet temperature for 6061 aluminum should be 400–450°C; lower temperatures increase pressure demand (exceeding 400 MPa flags design review)