Shrinkage and Deformation Simulation and Size Control of ZTC4 Titanium Alloy Complex Thin-wall Casting Process
Author of the article: DINGXue, ZHANGYang, WUDonghui, BAIXuesong
Author's Workplace:HIWING (Harbin) Titanium Industry Co., Ltd., Harbin 150028, China
Key Words: ZTC4; graphite casting; numerical simulation; compensatory contraction
Abstract:
To address the critical issue prevalent in the casting process of thin-walled titanium alloy components, where
uneven metal shrinkage caused by internal structural discrepancies leads to challenges in precisely controlling the
dimensions of castings, an in-depth numerical simulation analysis was conducted using Huazhu CAE software. The specific
deformation of thin-walled titanium alloy parts during graphite casting was predicted via numerical simulation.Based on the
data, an innovative approach was proposed to counterbalance the effect of casting shrinkage by incorporating compensatory
volumes at the design stage beforehand. The results indicate that adopting this predesign compensation strategy enables
dimensional accuracy to meet CT7 standards, with deformations ranging from-0.250 to 0.315 mm after predeformation,
generally following a normal distribution. A deformation of 0.035 mm is the most common, accounting for approximately
35% of the cases, while regions with deformations of-0.250 and 0.315 mm cumulatively represent less than 2%, indicating
minimal overall deformation with narrow variation. The implementation of this method successfully resolves the dimension
tolerance issues encountered during the production of titanium alloy thin-wall castings, enhancing both the dimensional
precision and product quality. Consequently, it has facilitated the large-scale application and industrialization of high-end
titanium alloy thin-wall castings in sectors such as aerospace and medical equipment.