Casting simulation with ProCAST software

HPDC Simulation: How it works

The entire injection cycle can be simulated with Cold Chamber, Hot Chamber machines and all alloys: Aluminum, Zama, Magnesium, Brass and Lead. Comprehensive simulation includes the presence of container, piston, dies, trolleys, plugs and blank holder. Thanks to the container, the QuikCAST and ProCAST software takes into account the total air and gas volume which obstructs filling and causes gas porosity, delamination and oxides. Thanks to the blank holder, the software computes the actual thermal condition of the die, which causes filling and solidification problems.The die casting simulation matches reality if the software is capable of considering:

- the entire injection cycle, including pouring, waiting for injection consent, first and second phase

- the entire thermal die cycling simulation, including dies, trolleys, blank holder and thermal conditioning circuits

- gas and air in the cavity of the container and of the dies

- the actual effect of the third phase

The HPDC simulation has always shown filling of the ‘die only’ starting from the sprue, disregarding pouring and injection in the container. This is due to the numerical limits of the casting simulation software incapable of integrally reproducing reality. In 2005 QuikCAST (Finite Differences) and ProCAST (Finite Elements) overcame this limit by switching to complete simulation. This made it possible to compare the results of the two simulations, with and without pouring and container. It turned out that the results of the simulation of the ‘die only’ can be misleading. On the other hand, the complete simulation of pouring and of the entire injection cycle was confirmed by the samplings.