This award will support collaborative research in die casting between the NSF's Engineering Research Center for Net Shape Manufacturing at Ohio State University, under the direction of Dr. Taylan Altan, and the Centre de Mise en Forme des Materiaux (CMFM), Ecole de Mines de Paris, Sophia-Antipolis, under the director of Dr. Jean-Loup Chenot. The research will focus on the development of mathematical techniques and a computer program for the simulation of metal flow and solidification in die casting. The computer program will be able to predict the solidification pattern, microstructures and casting properties. Through use of this program, occurrence of potential casting defects will be predicted and avoided, by modifying the process conditions such as metal flow (shot speed), die and melt temperatures. Each of the cooperating laboratories offers unique analysis and computer modeling capabilities. In both locations, researchers are working on the fundamentals of fluid flow and heat transfer. CMFM has extensive experience in the mathematical modeling of processes that involve such as injection molding and casting. The Ohio State University ERC has extensive experimental and computational capabilities and has recently started the computer modeling of casting and solidification. The proposed research and associated software to be developed may have important applications in industrial practice.
