Simulation of transport processes in squeeze casting

In squeeze casting process, molten metal is cooled and solidified at a very high level of pressure around and over 40 MPa. The time required for solidification is substantially reduced due to enhanced heat transfer at the mould surfaces under high pressure. In the present paper, a fixed grid enthalpy formulation is applied to model solidification for a cylindrical geometry (ϕ 200 mm × 100 mm). The solidification time is estimated at varying heat transfer coefficient with A-356 as the domain material. Higher heat transfer coefficient is interpreted as a consequence of higher applied pressure. The solidification time, as estimated by monitoring liquid fraction, was found to decrease asymptotically with increasing heat transfer coefficient. Segregation pattern in the object was studied by solving the species transport equation. The effect of segregation is found to be negligible for small-volume objects. It is also observed that the contribution of convection can be safely neglected in analysing the solidification process during squeeze casting.