the industry standard for fluid-flow modeling—for filling analyses?
• Does it have a large, accurate set of thermal properties for casting process materials such as the metal, mold, core, chill and feeding systems?
• How many technical personnel does my company employ? Will the software company support me with the software and foundry-
specific technical issues?
• Is the software company financially stable?
• Is the program user-friendly? • Does the program support impor- tation of multiple 3-D file formats, such as .stl and STEP?
• How accurate is the program? Will the software company provide detailed documentation of case
studies, particularly with my alloy and casting geometry type?
• Will the company help me calibrate my software to my operations? MODERN CASTING surveyed
several companies offering casting solidification software. Te f ollowing is a wrap-up of eight versions of metal flow modeling, including their newest fea- tures, strengths and unique capabilities.
MAGMASOFT/MAGMA5
MAGMA Foundry Technologies Inc. 10 N. Martingale Road, Suite 425 Schaumburg, IL 60173 Tel: 847/969-1001 Website:
www.magmasoft.com Email:
info@magmasoft.com
Entry Price Point: $3,000 a month
for a 1-year lease of an entry level pack- age covering the casting process. Overview: More than 1,500 cast-
ing buyers and designers use MAGMA’s simulation products. In 2010, the company released MAGMA5
evolution of its modular simulation soft- ware MAGMASOFT. Magma5
5.2
, the newest 5.2 has
extended capabilities for all cast materials and processes and can be optimized at all stages of casting manufacturing. Newest Features: Magma5
introduces new modes for permament mold, low pressure sand and low pres- sure diecasting, as well as hot and cold- chamber diecasting for process-specific
definitions. Te software supports process design by controlling process parameters during a simulation run. Process modules for DISAMATIC and investment casting also are available. New developments for the quantitative prediction of as-cast and heat treated local microstructures and properties apply to aluminum, iron and steel cast- ing. Te stress module MAGMAstress offers the option to calculate thermally induced casting stresses in permanent molds for all manufacturing steps, includ- ing heat treating and finishing, for predicting casting crack problems and distortion. Software’s Strengths: Te
software is used by a wide range of casting facilities for most materials and processes, especially those facilities producing cast components in automotive and heavy indus- try applications. What’s Unique: MAGMA’s
automatic optimization makes pro- posals for the right casting layout or optimum process parameters. Te virtual test foundry in the computer enables parameter variation and systematic examination of influencing variables leading up to the optimum configuration. Te program finds the best possible dimensions and positions of ingates, as well as the locations and sizes of feeders and chills.
Star-Cast
CD-adapco and Access Nordostpark 3 - 5 90411 Nürnberg, Germany Tel: 49/911/94643-3 Website:
www.starcast.org Email:
info@us.cdadapco.com
Entry Price Point: Not specified. Overview: StarCast is based
on the computational continuum mechanics approach and simulates liquid, solid and gaseous phases of casting, including conjugate heat
transfer, a sharp resolution of the filling front, free-surface frag- mentation, motion of trapped gas bubbles in melt, forced and natural convection in the melt and gas flow through porous molds. Newest Features: Relatively
new to the field, StarCast was first released to the public in 2009. Te software performs misrun formation predictions, including permeability calculations for the “mushy zone,” providing enhanced enmeshment techniques for designing thin-walled castings. A material database allows
the integration of data documenta- tion with casting simulation. Search and retrieval of the data is performed using a graphical user interface. Software’s Strengths: StarCast
can simulate casting solidification in gravity casting, tilt-pour casting, low pressure diecasting, centrifugal casting and vacuum casting. What’s Unique: Te fully-coupled
computational continuum mechan- ics approach with multi-phase mold filling module enables concurrent computation of fluid flow, temperature and liquid-solid transition.
September 2011 MODERN CASTING | 31
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