The object of this study is a steel diffuser, which for obvious reasons needs to comply with very strict quality guidelines and industry regulations.
The main type of defect that could be expected when casting this workpiece is shrinkage porosity.
Shrinkage porosity tends to occur at the top of hot spots due to the fact that molten steel is not as dense as the solidified and cooled down steel.
It is therefore of paramount importance to design an optimal gating and feeding system for the production of steel parts such as this diffuser.
The MAGMASteel and MAGMAFrontier modules from MAGMASoft were used to carry out around 200 simulations.
The results were carefully analyzed to find the minimum optimal number and optimal position of feeders and chills to be used in the casting process, with the aim of attaining a finished workpiece free of shrinkage porosity.
The results were measured in the time and money saved for this project. In just 3 months and with only 3 days of simulations and analysis, the product was produced with reliable quality and consigned to the customer ahead of schedule.
The filling phase, showing the flow of the molten metal as it fills the cavity and its temperature distribution
The solidification process of the steel diffuser with its gating system. The end of the solidification phase reveals the hot spots where shrinkage porosity can occur within the component, degrading its quality