Study on a CAD/CAE system of die casting

Increasing demands for premium quality, high productivity and cost-saving products provide powerful incentives to improve the way that die castings are made today. Research has shown that the fluid flow of the liquid metal and the temperature distribution of the dies and the die castings have a critical influence on the quality of the cast products, on the production rate and on the die life. In this present study, a CAD/CAE system for die casting has been developed. By using the CAD package, die designers can determine the location, the shape and the dimension of the runner and gating systems of die castings according to the characteristics of the die-casting machine, the geometry of the casting, and the properties of the alloy. After the design process, the CAE program is used to undertake the sophisticated calculations of the fluid flow and thermal analysis to check if there are some defects related to the filling and solidification processes. Through the interactive process of CAD/CAE, an ideal design can be provided with the best filling pattern and the optimal thermal condition for both the die and the die casting.