Researching On Virtual Design And Simulation System Of Lost Foam Casting Production Line

Virtual manufacturing technology is one of the advanced manufacturing technologies coming forth in recent years, which is based on computer simulation and virtual reality technology, and the model of production process such as product designing,process planning and machining process is established integrallty. It can make customers feel how the future production or production line is working and the performance or running status of the production line is behaving before it was realized really,so the customers can make decision and optimize the solution in advance. This research integrates the design process of Lost Foam Casting (LFC) production line, and makes elementary research results based on the virtual manufacturing technology orienting production. The following fruits about the virtual emulation design of the production line have been achieved: Firstly, it was presented that the design principle and design frame of virtual LFC production line based on the analysis of the traditional LFC production line design. Secondly, it was created that the three dimensional graphic library of some types of standard LFC machines based on the analysis of the properties of LFC equipments. And the graphic management system was also created by use of DAO (Database Access Object) technology and Access2000 database system. Thirdly, it was introduced how to create a virtual environment with the WorldToolKit software by studying deeply modeling mode of virtual reality about the LFC production line. Fourthly, it was presented that the frame of LFC production line virtual design & simulation software system based on the WorldToolKit and MFC (Microsoft Foundation Classes), it can do some design computation, three dimensional layout design, and the virtual dynamic simulation. Finally, it was finished that virtual design of LFC production line in 1500 tones one year combined with the practice research task. In this paper, it is introduced that the virtual manufacturing technology into the production line design of LFC, and it can improve the visualization of layout and design of the production line, so it makes the virtual deign more superior than the traditional design. The research results can make the design of casting production line more advantageous and convenient, and get a great improvement in technology, and it is also important to improve the design level of casting production line or other production line design.