Research on the Service Life of Die Casting Mould Inserts
Die-casting mold inserts are critical components in the production of many industrial products. Over time, the surface of these inserts can age, leading to localized cooling defects in the castings. This results in shrinkage in the corresponding area of the product during subsequent production, causing a scrap rate of more than 30% and increasing production costs.
However, the material properties of the inserts remain largely unchanged, and it is the heat transfer state between the aging surface and the casting that changes over time. This is where the interfacial heat transfer coefficient comes into play in the MAGMASOFT casting simulation. As the aging degree of the surface of the inserts deepens, the interfacial heat transfer coefficient becomes lower.
To solve this issue, we can use MAGMASOFT to simulate verification under the premise that all other conditions remain the same. Different interfacial heat transfer coefficients are set between the inserts and the castings to compare the temperature field changes of the inserts. Observing whether the temperature of the inserts decreases with the decrease of the interfacial heat transfer coefficient confirms that the temperature of the inserts decreases as the interfacial heat transfer coefficient decreases.
Based on these results, we can optimize the traditional CNC machining cooling waterway to improve the service life of the inserts and maintain good heat transfer and cooling conditions. With the help of advanced 3D printing technology, we can break the limitations of traditional CNC machining cooling waterways. This ensures rapid cooling of the inserts through conformal cooling and expanding the cooling waterway heat dissipation area. The comparison analysis of temperature field simulation based on MAGMASOFT shows that the cooling effect of 3D printing is much better, and the cooling effect of the No. 3 3D printed cooling waterway is better in the early stages of use due to its larger heat dissipation area.
In practice, the use of 3D printed inserts has significantly improved product quality, with the defects of shrinkage and porosity detected by non-destructive testing greatly reduced. The scrap rate after leak testing has also reduced to below 2%. At the same time, the service life of the inserts has increased to 50,000-60,000 die-casting cycles.
In conclusion, the aging of die casting mould inserts can result in the aggravation of local defects in products, significantly increasing the scrap rate. However, the use of advanced 3D printing technology to achieve conformal cooling of the inserts can greatly improve the cooling conditions of the inserts and extend their service life. Based on MAGMASOFT simulation, we can accelerate the design progress of the mould cooling conditions to ensure the effectiveness of the design.
