Abstract

Beyond simply identifying   shrinkage   porosity   and filling   problems,   numerical  tools  have   been   further developed  to  predict  stresses,  microstructures,  defects and   to   model   specific   processes   that   can   be   used effectively   by   the   foundry   engineer   early   in   the manufacturing process to save significant time and cost. More specifically this paper will address the following topics:
•Stress and deformation - what is the final shape of
the cast component? What about fatigue life of the die?   Can   heat   transfer   variation   due   to   gap formation between the casting and the die be taken into account? Can hot tears defects be predicted?
•Micro  and  gas  porosity  -  what  about  the  integrity
of   the   part?   Can  porosity  be  compensated   by graphite   expansion?   What   about  the  initial  gas content in the liquid?
•As-cast mechanical properties-can local
mechanical  properties  be  predicted  such  as  yield strength and hardness?