CAE DS – High Pressure Die Casting Design

HPDC design process

Stefan Fredriksson - SweCast

HPDC casting process

When developing products, whether it’s a casting or not there are some always some
requirements on the products. These requirements often settle the method of which
the products can be produced in.
Here under are some of the requirements that often come with the product.
− Material
− Batch size
− Tolerances
− Surface roughness
− Weight
− Design
− Cost

After this requirement has taken under consideration and a production method is
choosed it’s time to adjust the product to the method. These adjustments can differs
from method to method, for example it’s not the same adjustments in high pressure
die casting as it is in gravity casting. The list below shows aspects that are important
to remember when adjusting the product for construction.
− Designing
- Sections
- Radius and holes
- Drafts
- Ribs and material added
− Shrinkage
− Machining and cleaning

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 CAE DS – High Pressure Die Casting Design

Component requirement
Material
Batch size
Surface roughness
Weight
Design

Election of material Different production

method (Casting)

Construction adjustment

Image 1. Routine when developing casting products

Some of the defects that occur during the casting process can be related to different
stage in the construction process. The table below shows some examples of the defects
and relate it to the right process. And also the actions that can be made to prevent the
defects.

Problem with Part of process Measure

casting / Re-
quirement

Porosity, dimen- Solidification Sections, ribs

sion accuracy

Shrinkage Cooling Sections, ribs and material added

Air and oxides Mould filling Geometry, radius, parting and

material added

Misrun, cold flow Mould filling Sections, ribs and material added

Cracks Mould filling, cooling Sections, ribs

Strength Mould filling, solidifi- Geometry, sections, ribs and mate-

cation and cooling rial added

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 CAE DS – High Pressure Die Casting Design

The possibility to use casting simulation software is today rather common. Mostly, it
is the foundry that uses the software to solve problems or to optimize the preparation
of the casting.
But there is also another way to use the casting simulation software to even more take
advantage of the different possibilities that it gives. You can use the software to help
you optimize the construction and also improve the cooperation between the engineer
and the foundry. The result of a prosperous cooperation is a better and perhaps a
more cost efficiency casting.
The problem today is the lack of communication between foundries and engineers.
The engineer design a casting, leave it to the foundry and they send it away to create a
model or tool for the casting. The foundry casted product and if any problems occur
they use casting simulation software. The results from the simulation helped them to
solve the problem. In many cases this ends up in a redesign of the model or tool.
Because of the existing tool or model, there is a limit in redesign and it’s also very
expensive.

Customer FEA / FEM Tool/model Casting OK

Casting
simulation

Image 2. A typically way to work when developing castings

To further improve the way to work and also include more simulations in the devel-
oping process there is another way. If the casting simulation tool is introduced early in
the process during CAD and before the tool or model is constructed. Then the design
can be optimized for casting. This change in work requires that the relation between
foundry, customer and patternmaker is improved so that the foundry and the tool
manufacturer will be able to say their opinion and have an influence on the design so
it will be optimize for casting.

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 CAE DS – High Pressure Die Casting Design

FEA / FEM Tool/model Casting OK

Customer

Casting
simulation

Customer, Foundry, Patternmaker

Image 3. A new improved way of work when developing castings

As mention before it’s very important to begin the cooperation between foundry,
customer and pattern/mould maker as early as possible in the process, because the
lack of knowledge among the customers can often be complemented by the knowl-
edge from the foundry or mould maker. Often in the developing process, each part is
responsible for their part i.e. the engineer designs the product and takes under con-
sideration the mechanical properties by performing some strength analysis.
Unfortunate, the engineer often misses the knowledge about the casting process. For a
product to become a good casting it requires both knowledge about the mechanical
properties and the process so it can be optimized. If there is a good relation between
the involved parts, it will result in shorter time from construction to finished product.
Even better casting quality can be achieved which also results in less scrap produc-
tion.

Casting simulation software

The different casting simulation software that today exists is very good and is con-
stantly improving. In the beginning of developing a product, the appearance and
functionality are decided rather early and it’s now the simulation software enters. To
do a simulation, it’s not necessary to have the whole product ready with radius, drafts
and so on. It requires only a rather simple model. This means that the first simulation
ca be done very early in the process and then evaluated. Then any changes will not be
so difficult to implement. Because you can simulate the different parts of the casting
process you can also relate the results from a simulation to a specific part during the
casting process. Below are the three different simulations that can be simulated:

− Mould filling simulation

− Solidification simulation
− Stress simulation

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 CAE DS – High Pressure Die Casting Design

Design

Mould filling Solidification Stress Part of

simulation Simulation simulation Simulation

Porosity Ingate design Strength Defects

FEA / FEM Parting line Cracks
Mechanical properties

Process

Image 4. The way to work to make us of the casting simulation software during the design

Shrinkage during solidification is one of the major problems in casting. This defect
arises because the melt is shrinking during the solidification. If there is no melt pro-
vided it will cause shrinkage. To avoid this defect and to be able to redesign the
product it’s very good to do some solidification simulations. By viewing the results
any changes can be made before there has been too much work done. Another thing
that is very good is that the solidification simulation can be made without an ingate or
feeder. Just by doing a solidification simulation you can avoid any hot spots. These
hot spots can later develop shrinkage if no further melt is applied during solidifica-
tion. The hot spots also indicate that there has been longer solidification time there. In
the example below, in the one to the right there is no shrinkage because there has been
an even solidification time. The even solidification time has its base in a good design;
in this case there is the right proportion on the radius in the t-sections that eliminates
the shrinkage.

No outer radius
Outer Radius = Inner radius Outer Radius = 1.25 x inner radius

Image 5. The possibility to predict shrinkage by using casting simulation software

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 CAE DS – High Pressure Die Casting Design

Sometimes when designing products, there can be an advantage to simulate some

specific parts of the product to perhaps get some verification on the design. It’s very
important that different sections is right designed and have the right proportion. In
the example given in figure 6 the difference between a correct and a wrong proportion
can be seen. Figure 6 shows the thermal modulus, much the same as solidification
time. In the picture to the left the proportion is correct and the radius is adjusted to the
wall thickness and there is no hot spot. In the picture to the right the vertical flange is
one third of the horizontal which gives a cooling effect. Instead of one hotspot there
will be two separate hot spots.

Image 6. Examples on proportion in a T-section

By looking at results from solidifications simulations some of the mechanical proper-

ties can be estimated. Some simulations software has the possibilities to estimate this
and there are some relation between solidifications time and strength. This relation is
important for the designer to understand and to use in the design because the me-
chanical properties vary with i.e. wall thickness.
When the changes is done and the CAD model is well adjusted for casting, then a
mould filling simulation can be done to decide where the parting line and thereafter
the ingate system should be placed. Because it’s impossible to have the inlet every-
where it’s a good thing to decide it rather early.
As mention before there is also a simulation which is called stress simulation. This
part of the software calculates all the possible residual stresses that will arise when the
melt is cooling from casting temperature to room temperature. This stresses is very
important for the designer to take in consideration during eventually strength simula-
tions, especially if the casting is exposed for any stresses during its lifetime.

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