Capabilities

Feasibility Analysis

Runners Gates and Feed System

Production and Cost Information

Machine Lock-Up and Tiebar Loading

Thermal Analysis

Die Venting

Feasibility Analysis

Quickly evaluate the feasibility of your chosen combination of machine, product and number of cavities.

Inputs:

• Mass or Volume
• Hot and cold chamber machines
• Alloy selected (Aluminum, Zinc or Magnesium)
• Wall thickness
• Metal temperature
• Die temperature
• Shot speed setting (0 to 100%)
• Plunger diameter
• Gate dimensions (length x depth)
• Average flow angle

Outputs

• Cavity fill time
• Target fill time
• Expected % solids
• Expected % cold flow
• Gate speed
• Shot-end power
• Fill pressure
• Fill flow rate
• PQ chart
• Recommended nozzle diameter
• Recommended HotFlo! Series

Runners, Gates and Feed System

Quickly establish all key dimensions of each element of the metal feed system, at the same time creating a fully tapered runner system.

Inputs

• Single or Multi cavity dies can be designed
• Fan-gates, chisel gates and paddle gates can be designed
• Tapered tangential runner gates can be designed
• Shock absorbers can be specified
• Up to 4 gated runner segments per branch
• Continuous or 'comb' type gates
• Flow angle from the gate in each segment
• Runners can be at an angle to the gate
• Trapezoidal or circular runner shape
• Any combination of feed runners
• Traditional runner-type sprues
• Conical sprues
• HotFlo! hot sprue systems

Outputs

• Fan-gate widths and depths at ten positions
• Width and depth of trapezoidal runners
• Diameter of circular runners
• Runner dimensions at every significant point
• Mass of runners, sprues and biscuits
• Nozzle dimensions
• Traditional sprue dimensions
• Output sheet with 'Dimensions for toolmaking'
• Gates balanced to match feasibility analysis

Production and Cost Information

Quickly establish the production rate parameters, useful production statistics and, if you want, the full product cost.

Inputs

• Casting temperature at ejection
• Cycle time
• Die block dimensions
• Die pre-heating rate
• Furnace efficiency
• Labour cost rate
• Remelting cost rate
• Annual quantity of parts to be made
• Production batch size
• Machine set-up time
• Secondary operation rates (up to 6)
• Up to 8 materials and components
• Up to 10 additional activity based costing elements

Outputs

• Production rates
• Heat input into the die
• Die heat-up time
• Furnace power required
• Casting yield
• Scrap produced per year
• Saleable casting mass per year
• Total metal melted per year
• Dross produced per year
• Manufacturing cost of product
• Other costs of product
• Total cost of product

The product cost is directly linked to the technical inputs you specified in the Feasibility worksheet and the Runner design worksheet. If, for example, you go back and change the number of cavities, or the machine, the product cost will be updated automatically. So you can quickly evaluate the alternatives and provide management with relevant information.

Machine Lock-Up and Tiebar Loading

Quickly establish the ability of the chosen machine to clamp the dies against the shot pressure, especially when the cavity is not in the center of the platens.

Inputs

• Up to 6 different projected-area regions
• Specify regions easily
• Specify regions relative to the center of the platens
• If required, actual tiebar length and stretch

Outputs

• Die spreading force
• Calculated force on each tiebar
• Off-center die opening force
• Resultant die opening force
• Actual locking force of the machine
• Chart of tiebar loadings

Thermal Analysis

Quickly analyse the heat flow into each segment of the die and use it to design and specify the water cooling lines.

Inputs

• Up to 10 different thermal zones
• Multiples of each thermal zone
• Die material in each segment
• % mass cooled by each segment
• % of natural cooling by each segment
• Die spray area, rate and time for each segment
• Distance of water line to cavity
• Cooling line type: 'line', 'fountain' or 'core'
• Cooling line dimensions
• Die heating capacity, if installed

Outputs

• Casting heat input power, per zone
• Die spray cooling power, per zone
• Water line cooling power, per zone
• Die surface temperatures, per zone
• Die temperature chart

Die Venting

Quickly establish the ability of the die to vent sufficient air out to atmosphere to keep porosity within an acceptable percentage. Establish correct position for the changeover to fast shot speed. Vary the vent sizes and see the effect.

Inputs

• Chosen slow shot speed
• Actual shot changeover position
• Vent air speed and percentage blocked
• Die vent dimensions
• Ejector pin clearances
• Moving core slide clearances
• Parting line vent depth and width

Outputs

• Volume of air to be vented
• Plunger speeds, movement and travel times
• Volume of air vented during 4 stroke positions
• Predicted porosity
• Maximum porosity
• Chart of volumes vented
• Chart of % porosity

Note: If predicted porosity is too high, you can quickly change some of the input variables and see the effect. If you cannot get the predicted porosity low enough, perhaps the die venting should be assisted with vacuum.