Mould design for clutch housing parts using a casting simulation of high pressure die casting

Abstract

To manufacture automotive clutch housing parts in application of high pressure die casting, the following three gating system designs were taken into account. Since adopting these gating system designs in actual experiment would require too much cost and time, a casting simulation program was used instead: Analyzed were flow behaviors as elements filled the mould. Based on the air pressure and air pocket after the melt was completely filled in mould, the final gating system design was selected. The third gating system design with 5 gates was expected to involve less defects than others was even and uniform. A cooling channel and a chill vent were designed. In a real casting test, five products in total were produced. All of them were sound and involved neither any spot of insufficient filling nor defect on the surface. The real test expected to involve shrinkage porosities based on the analysis and those of the manufactured products that actually involved shrinkage porosities did not exactly correspond to each other but were similar. The hardness was about 84 HV regardless of location.