In this FLOW-3D CAST simulation of an 8-cavity tilt pour casting, A356 aluminum is poured at 738 C by rotating the mold from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation over 18 seconds. The H13 steel mold is thermally prepared by simulating 5 cycles of fill/solidify/spray cooling using FLOW-3D CAST’s thermal die cycling model.

This tilt pour filling simulation of an aluminum ornament mold is used to identify defect areas in the metal front. The tilt profile and trapped air can also be seen in this analysis. This example is part of a webinar on FLOW-3D CAST’s Tilt Pour Casting Workspace. Watch it on-demand at: https://www.flow3d.com/resources/webinars/.

This FLOW-3D CAST thermal die cycling simulation is used to assess the thermal saturation over multiple cycles.

In this tilt pour casting of an aluminum ornamental fixture, the ladle is preheated to 500 C and is filled with Aluminum A356 at 708 C. The mold, made of H13 steel, is preheated to 200 C. The mold and ladle are rotated from horizontal to about 15 degrees from vertical allowing the melt to flow in a controlled fashion into the mold cavities. Air vents are placed on the mold cavities to allow air to escape. This simulation shows the temperature distribution in the melt and the solid fraction evolution as the mold cavities fill.

FLOW-3D CAST can be used to simulate any tilt casting process with a high degree of realism and accuracy. While turbulence and air entrapment in the molten metal can pose a challenge to successful castings, even the smallest air bubbles that occur during the course of a filling process can be reliably predicted and tracked with FLOW-3D CAST. Changes to the casting process or mold design can be tested in subsequent simulations to ultimately produce the best possible component quality.