Numerical Simulation And Technique Optimization Of The Low Pressure Die Casting Process Of Aluminum Alloys Automotive Wheel

Computer simulation and emulation technology for the casting process is the cross science on the information science, material science, engineering mechanics and computer graphics science etc, which is the significant advancing front for the manufacturing science. The low pressure die casting process for the aluminum alloy automobile wheel-hub is simulated by ProCAST software in order to reduce the casting flaws, such as the shrinkage voids, rarefactions and slag etc, increase the rates and properties of the finished products. The casting techniques are optimized, the production cycle is decrease, and the cost reduced. In addition, the stress distributions due to the radial loading for the aluminum alloy wheel-hub with residual stress are investigated with the assistance of ANSYS software. The main results are shown below:1. The fore treatments for ProCAST are investigated, the Data-Exchange programs are developed using VF6.0 software, and the data transmissions from the geometry model of the complex castings to the finite element model are well treated. The result indicates that the optimal processing technologies are following: modeling by Pro/ENGINEER, dividing the surface lattices using the Mechanica module, exchanging data format by data exchange program and dividing the body lattices.2. The aluminum alloy automobile wheel-hub marked SU0011 are simulated in low press casting filling the solidification process. The changing data for the flow field, temperature field and fraction of solid of the casting process are obtained, the shrinkage defects are pre-estimated, and the tests are carried out by examination producing. The casting technologies are optimized according to the simulation results and the practice producing. The optimization technologies are as follow, spraying differ thickness heat preservation dope (upside thin and underside thick) on the inside surface of the side mold in order to obtain the order solidification of the rim. The cooling water with 1.10m/s velocity are used in the cooling pipe of the up-mold, the side-pipe and the down-pipe, the cooling time is from 135s to 195s. Thus, the thermal region between the spoke and rim are vanished, the shrinkage defects are avoided, and the order solidifications are obtained.3. The Exchange-Element, Read-Stress and Exchange-Stress programs are developed by MATLAB software. The connections between the ProCAST and ANSYS systems are well carried out. The initial dynamic state stresses in the assembled wheel with residual stress are investigated. The applying forces are the nestification forces for the residual stress vector and the vehicle weight. The simulation results are concordance with the practice instances, and the accuracy of the simulations is increased.