Use Simulation to Identify Cracks at an Early Stage
Cracks in castings resulting from the manufacturing process can already be predicted at the design stage. Here, casting process simulation is the decisive tool for evaluating possible defects.
This is illustrated using the example of a cast iron counterweight, as used in forklifts, among others. To identify whether cracks can occur in this casting during manufacture, various design variants of the casting are investigated using casting process simulation without taking any special rigging system into account. The analysis of the first design shows significant stress peaks of up to 120 MPa in a critical zone. These maximum principal stresses (tensile stresses) exceed the yield strength of the material, thus leading to detectable cracks.
The casting geometry was optimized by introducing specific design changes and then analyzed again with the simulation. As you can see from the simulation results, it was possible to substantially reduce the critical crack areas. In the final optimized design, the residual stresses were reduced by 45 % compared to the initial situation, thus preventing cracking.
Programs for the simulation of manufacturing processes are able to reliably predict the quality of a casting. Both the influence of production parameters and the influence of design changes on casting quality can be taken into account. Like in this example, it pays to investigate different design variants with simulation at an early stage to ensure robust casting quality already during the development process.
Have we sparked your interest? Would you also like to find out how to analyze and evaluate the results of such simulations? Then book the seminar Evaluation of Simulation Results With MAGMASOFT®.
This seminar introduces you to the different simulation results and quality criteria of MAGMASOFT® in sand casting/high pressure die casting and shows you how to evaluate the results and implement them in practice. The significance of simulation results for casting quality as well as their validity with regard to stable processes will be illustrated. Using practical examples, we will guide you through the wide range of available quality criteria and show you how to efficiently use influencing parameters and correlations from virtual designs of experiments in your company.
Therefore, this interdisciplinary event is primarily intended for executives and people in charge from design, quality and purchasing departments who do not use the software for their work on a daily basis, but need simulation results for decision-making.
We are looking forward to receiving your application under jobs@magmasoft.de!
Please use the following address for sending your documents by post:
MAGMA GmbH
Kackertstr. 16-18
52072 Aachen
Germany
