High Pressure Die Casting Optimization of a Connecting Rod

Simply put, Abor was looking for a more cost effective method such as high pressure die casting to produce these rods while:

• maintaining optimal dimensions for the rods so as to guarantee their intended life cycle and excellent resistance under fatigue loads
• finding an optimal production method that could guarantee the required mechanical properties

The scope was to produce an optimized die design and setup together with a study of the die’s thermal behavior using multi-objective optimization methods and virtual prototyping.

For the fluid dynamics part of the study, several gating system configurations and the flux curve were simulated. The geometrical and process variables used were derived from the preliminary analysis of a die that was already in production. The shape and sections of the gating system configuration were selected to guarantee the optimal temperature and velocity of the fluid during the filling phase, with the aim of eliminating all gas porosity in the injection/filling phase.

Given the objectives, the experimental design and the numerical algorithm allowed Abor to produce the best die casting solution for the rods in the shortest time possible with huge production costs savings whilst still meeting with the high quality expectations of the customer.