Master the complex relationships between metal, molds and all other elements of your casting process

THERCAST® software fully integrates the many thermal and mechanical attributes of your casting process into a single model and single set of algorithms, based on a non-stationary 3-D finite element method. This provides dramatic increases in accuracy in many ways, and provides the information you need to correctly design or optimize your casting process.


Air gap simulation

"Air gaps" are the gaps which appear between metal and mold as the metal begins to cool. Air gaps need to be understood in their own right, as they can affect the dimensions and other characteristics of the part being cast. But more crucially, any gap between metal and mold also acts as an insulator, sometimes dramatically affecting the transfer to heat from metal to mold. This in turn has effects on both the metal and the mold, which in turn have additional effects on the air gap and the heat transfer.

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Simulation of metal states

The advanced simulation capabilities of THERCAST® include algorithms for the liquid state of the metal being cast, modeling both ALE (Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian ) and Navier-Stokes behavior to account for convection and other liquid metal phenomena. THERCAST® simulates "mushy zone" thermo-viscoplastic Norton-Hoff behavior as the metal begins to solidify, and then solid or thermo-elastic-plastic behavior, when phenomena like air gaps become more significant. In continuous casting applications, THERCAST® also comprehensively models the process through each cooling zone, and at the interfaces where the cooling metal comes in contact with rolls and other casting equipment. For ingot casting, THERCAST® also models the effects of the exothermic powder that is applied to the cooling ingot in order to reduce the transfer of heat to the surrounding air. Finally, for foundry processes, a "filling and solidification" simulation carried out at all times ensures precise consideration of physical and metallurgical phenomena.

 

Prediction of defects

THERCAST® is unmatched in its ability to simulate both surface and internal stresses, and to predict when they could cause cracking, hot tearing or other defects. In ingot casting, it can also indicate where shrinkage of the cooling metal will produce voids, and is often the only way to know they might occur. In continuous casting applications, it can help you predict and prevent bulging between rolls, and it can accurately predict breakouts, preventing accidents, delays and equipment damage.

 

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