Simulation of casting deformation based on mold surface element method

Abstract

Deformation of casting during the solidification process has puzzled many engineers and scientists for years. In order to attain the goal of near-net forming by casting, numerical simulation is a powerful tool. Traditional methods compute the thermal stress of both the casting and the mold. This method suffers the problem of massive calculation and failure of convergence. This paper proposes an improved Mold Surface Element Method, the main idea of which is to use the surface elements instead of body elements to express the interactions between the casting and the mold. The proposed method shows a high computation efficiency and provides satisfactory precision for engineering. Two practical casting products were used to verify the proposed method. The simulated results agree well with those observed in practical products. The proposed method is believed to benefit production practice and to provide theoretical guidance.

Keywords

• mold surface element method; thermal stress simulation of casting; casting deformation