Conformal cooling as a support tool for eliminating local defects in high-pressure die casting series production

Vladislav Andronov, 
Zdeněk Pitrmuc, 
Jan Zajíc, 
Pavel Šotka, 
Libor Beránek & 
Martin Bock 

Abstract

This study addresses a critical issue in mass-producing gearbox housing MQ200GA at Škoda Auto a.s. The combination of SW ProCAST simulations and metal 3D printing (laser powder bed fusion—L-PBF) overcomes challenges posed by full mold printing. Instead, the authors adapt the conformal cooling design, introducing specific channel paths in 3D printed inserts. Exploring conformal cooling (CC) and conformal cooling channels (CCC), the study focuses on stabilizing the temperature field, optimizing heat exchange, and improving part quality. Real production implementation successfully eliminates shrinkage porosity, demonstrated in a test series of 8 000 castings. Challenges with the unregulated cooling circuit temperature are acknowledged, along with a close correlation between simulations and real-world measurements. The feasibility of 3D-printed inserts in molds is confirmed in active production, producing over 43 000 castings. This experiment showcases the benefits of metal 3D printing in high-pressure die casting (HPDC). Despite challenges, the authors successfully modified serial tools for aluminum HPDC, deploying test 3D-printed inserts with CC directly into real production. This risk pays off, providing valuable insights for researchers and industry experts considering a similar approach.

Keywords

References

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DOI

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40964-024-00721-x