S. Savithri, Roschen Sasikumar, Elizabeth Jacob, Vivek Chourasia, Y.V.M. Siva Kumar and Baba Prasad Lanka

Abstract: In today’s global manufacturing environment, casting buyers want foundries to deliver the parts with the desired quality at short lead times. To achieve this, foundries are turning to computer simulation for analysing and optimising the design of the cast components as well as methoding (gating and feeding) design. Most of the casting simulation packages available in the international market are however, beyond the reach of small units, which form 80% of the Indian foundry industry. Keeping this in view, the computational modelling group of CSIR-NIIST has developed a highly efficient multi-physics-based software code for modelling mould filling and casting solidification, which is suitable for a wide range of metals and gravity casting processes. The software provides the filling sequence, temperature distribution, liquid fraction and cooling curves, and predicts major casting defects including air blow holes, cold shut, misrun, shrinkage porosity and hard zones. The code has been continuously improved during the last two decades and was named FLOW+, which was recently integrated with the casting design software AutoCAST. The combined programme enables foundry engineers to seamlessly carry out 3-D methods design, advanced coupled simulation, defects prediction, and casting optimisation within an extremely user-friendly environment. The mathematical model, functionality and results of the programme are briefly described in this paper, and illustrated with a few industrial case studies.

Keywords: Metal casting, casting simulation, defects, flow analysis