Arena-Flow

Case Study: Quality Improvements

Design cores, molds and castings with excellence

The Problem

Consistent core quality is a prerequisite for achieving controllable casting quality. Low density cores can result in core breakage or unacceptable metal penetration. High density cores can result in shake-out difficulties or gas-related casting defects. Uniform, predictable, controllable core density is desired.

The Solution

Arena-flow is the foundry engineering software package used to model the filling and curing of sand cores and molds. Arena-flow's unique Computational Particle Fluid Dynamics (CPFD) numerical formulation models not only the granular sand motion and air flow in the tooling, but also the significant interaction between the two. Arena-flow calculates details of your tool's fill and miss-fill, plus localized density variations within a filled core.

The Cost-Savings

One Arena-flow customer had an excessive scrap rate due to metal penetration defects in a shell mold. The Arena-flow calculation predicted the existence and cause of an inconsistent mold density in this region. Simple tooling modifications were suggested which consistently improved the quality of both the mold and casting. The cost-savings were related to a reduction of both core and casting scrap.

Your Foundry Application

Where is there room for improved quality in your casting process? Do you produce a casting that could benefit from improved quality? Is any inconsistency in quality related to cores or molds? Contact us to see if Arena-flow can help you design cores, molds and castings with excellence.