Numerical Simulation and Verification of Investment Casting for Thin-walled Frame Titanium Alloy Castings
Author of the article:SUNBing1,2, YANG Guang1,2, LI Bobo1,2, QIAO Haibin1,2, SUN Hongzhe1,2, WANG Fei1,2
Author's Workplace:1. Luoyang Shuangrui Precision Casting Titanium Co., Ltd., Luoyang 471000, China; 2. Luoyang Ship Material Research Institute, Luoyang 471000, China
Key Words: titanium alloy; simulation; gating system design; casting defects
Abstract:
Thin-wall frame titanium alloy castings are complex structural parts in the field of casting and are widely used in
important parts of high-end equipment in the aviation and aerospace fields. There are widespread assembly requirements, and
strict tolerances in terms of size, shape and position are needed. Owing to the complex structure, thin wall and uneven
thickness of frame castings, shrinkage holes, deformation and other defects easily form during the casting process. Therefore,
when determining the casting process, it is necessary to consider various factors and evaluate the feasibility of the process
through casting simulation software. In this work, to address the issues of the large volume, large thickness ratio and complex
structure of thin-walled frames, which are prone to casting defects such as shrinkage and porosity, thermal cracking and
deformation during casting, two casting system schemes, namely, the top casting type and bottom casting type, were designed,
and ProCAST simulation software was used to simulate the thermal field and stress field during the solidification process of
two kinds of casting mold filling. The total shrinkage rate, residual stress and residual deformation of the frame parts in the
casting solidification process were analysed, and the feasibility of the bottom filling pattern scheme was determined. A
comparative analysis of the simulation results reveals that the titanium alloy frame produced by bottom casting is more stable
than that produced by top casting, the total shrinkage rate is lower, and the effective stress between the rib plate and the wall
plate of the casting body is significantly lower. The total deformation is reduced to less than 0.5 mm, and the deformation is
mainly concentrated in the riser and the plane where the riser is located. The test results show that the process can effectively
solve the problem of hot shrinkage holes in casting, and the forming quality, metallurgical quality and size control of the casting can achieve the expected effects. Moreover, computer casting simulation technology can effectively guide the actual
casting process, shorten the trial production cycle, reduce the production cost, and provide a reference for high-quality near-net
investment casting of thin-wall frame titanium alloy castings.