Adjustment of Numerical Simulation Model to the Investment Casting Process

This paper presents the adjustment process of a simulation model to improve the correlation between simulation results and parts industrially manufactured. It includes the data registration at foundry plant, the preliminary set-up of the model and the later adjustment process to reach a correlation level according to the industrial necessities. The adjustment has been performed by means of inverse modelling. This technique uses thermal histories experimentally registered as base, and modifies the material properties and boundary conditions used in simulation until reaching a good correlation between numerical simulated cooling curves and they registered experimentally. The adjustment has been also focused on the shrinkage defects. The simulation model is a FEM model developed in commercial software specifically focused on metal casting simulation. The case of study is an investment casting process, vacuum poured, of a nickel base superalloy designated Hastelloy X. Usual in the manufacture of components for aeronautical turbines.