Defect minimisation in vacuum assisted plaster mould investment casting through simulation of high value aluminium alloy components

Vacuum-assisted plaster mould investment casting is one of the best available processes to manufacture ultra-high complexity castings for the aerospace and defence sectors. In light of the emerging cross-sectoral manufacturing industry digitalisation, process simulation appears as a very important tool to improve casting yield, reduce metallurgical scrap, and reduce lead time to new product introduction. Considering the unique aspects and the level of customisation of the process system, this work will present a Computational Fluid Dynamics-based simulation tool with bespoke settings (that include thermophysical properties). Optimal fill and solidification parameters are identified for a representative geometry able to describe a variety of very complex, high-value aluminium alloy components through an iterative process.