ANALYSIS AND IMPROVEMENT OF CASTING SYSTEM DESIGN USING COMPUTER-AIDED SIMULATION APPROACH: CASE OF AKAKI BASIC METALS INDUSTRY

Abstract

Pre-analysis and improvement of casting system design helps to check the effectiveness of the design and to take proper measures before actual casting of the product. Akaki Basic Metals Industry cast different product based on customer order. According to the 2013/14 (Ethiopian Calendar) production reports 149 cast parts were cast and 79.20% of cast parts was rejected, and 20.80% of the products was accepted in a foundry. From the rejected cast parts, a 75.42% rejection rate was registered for flange rollers, therefore the casting system design for flange rollers was studied in detail. The main purpose of this research was to analyze and improve the casting system design of flange roller using a Computer-Aided simulation approach, and conduct experimental validation in case foundry. To this end, the existing casting system design of the flanged roller was modeled using CATIA V5 and simulation analysis have been conducted using ProCAST 2019, while the casting process control is examined through photographic analysis, cause-and effect diagram, and why-why analysis for determining the root cause. The analysis result indicates the major contributor to the cast part rejection was the poor design of the casting system design of the flange roller. To improve the gating system a new isolated tube-like gating system placed inside the mold was developed to deliver molten metal into the mold cavity, with sand having a Grain Fine Number greater than 60%. Actual casting of flange roller and simulation-based validation using new gating system indicate that sound casting with yield improvement of 10.89% was achieved as compared to the existing casting approach, and the molten temperature were maintained during fill time and reduced sand erosion. Molten metal consumption by gating system were reduced from 56.89% to 19% (37.89% reduction), and consumption by cast part is improved from 43.11% to 64% (20.89% improvement). The new casting system design for the flange roller increase product output, i.e. instead of casting two flange roller in existing casting system design the new developed casting system design cast three flange roller.