At the 10th VDI symposium speakers presented new development methods and production approaches in engine construction. Among the speakers was also a representative of FEINGUSS BLANK GmbH. Ralf Jedrysiak, Head of Supply Chain Management and Casting Production, explained in his lecture "Smart-Guss – Casting development competence from one source" innovative development approaches for the improvement of casting part development and realization of investment casting projects. "The challenge lies in the development speed and cost reduction of parts and processes. Environmental protection and resource conservation are also more important than ever.", says Jedrysiak, "With the help of the SMARTGUSS concept the technically and economically best solution can be determined also with regard to process-safe casting production."
The "Digital Twin" by FEINGUSS BLANK is an exact digital replica of the later investment casting part. This is created prior to realization in the planning phase on the basis of the customer data. Depending on customer requirements and the intended use, the digital twin can be optimized during production simulations. The focus is on alloy simulation, topology simulation, FEM simulation and casting simulation. Furthermore it is questioned which is the best geometry, the most suitable material and the best casting geometry under consideration of the later application load and series production of the part. Computer-aided casting optimization is used to work out the basics for determining process parameters such as thermophysical data, alloy properties and mechanical properties. The casting simulation serves to determine the behaviour of the melt during mould filling and its solidification process. This information is needed to determine the tree structure and the process parameters. The "Finite Element Method" calculates the behaviour of a body under the physical usage conditions. Furthermore, the method provides information about deformations during shell production and stresses during solidification processes. In addition the design of clamping fixtures can be supported and the selection of welding parameters can be facilitated. The "Digital Twin" thus facilitates the simultaneous optimization and testing of different part options while reducing development time and costs. The following graphic illustrates the Digital Twin's approach. The optimized component improves the general conditions in the application and in the manufacturing process. The gap between virtual simulation and series production is closed by various types of additive manufacturing in the prototype stage. Both wax and metal parts can be printed for further production of the components. This development method offers enormous potential regarding development speed, component design as well as quality improvements in products and processes which can be demonstrated by projects that have already been implemented.
FEINGUSS BLANK was able to develop an optimized investment casting solution for a racing car using the new "Digital Twin" service package as part of a manufacturing cooperation and thereby significantly reduce the material used for the component. By reducing the part weight and perfectly applying the geometry to the later intended use, the efficiency of the component, the later application performance and the costs could be significantly improved. Further interesting information about the development projects at FEINGUSS BLANK can be found on our homepage.
