The aim of this diploma thesis is validation of numerical simulation of the ceramic core manufacturing in the investment casting proces. The first part submit the theoretical description of the manufacturing of the ceramic cores and a description of the basic principles of numerical simulations. The second part compares the video recording of filling the wax-ceramic mixture to the die-casting mold and simulation of the same process created in a simulation software Cadmould 3D-F.

Production of wax pattern model by injection machine is a one of the key phases of Investment casting process. The thesis deals with the development of numerical simulation wax blend injection in to metal die. The possibilities of selection simulation software – ProCast and Cadmould are described in the relation to numerical predictions of wax injection. Creating of material database of selected wax blends is described. The prototype simulations of die filling are made. The special testing die are designed a used for created simulations. The measurements of initial conditions are mentioned.

The main target of this thesis is to choose the suitable hard filled wax for the invest-ment casting foundry Fimes a.s. There are several suppliers of these waxes in the World and in this work waxes of the most reputable suppliers from Europe have been investigated. During these tests there were mainly technological properties of the waxes and also dimensions of both wax patterns and also the final castings measu-red. Suitability of the tested waxes, their technological characteristics, analysis of di-mensions and finally basic economical calculations have been then used in this the-sis as a tool for the recommendation for the most suitable wax for the Fimes foundry.

För att kunna prediktera fel under processen precisionsgjutning, används simulering som ett verktyg att bestämma hur detaljer skall gjutas. Det finns flertalet parametrar som är möjliga att manipulera eller ändra. För att komma så nära ett verkligt scenario som möjligt behöver dessa parametrar optimeras mot verkligheten. Syftet med detta arbete är att analysera faktorer som påverkar värmeöverföring för att sedan presentera optimeringsförslag åt TPC Components AB mot de gjorda mätningarna. Detta görs för att kunna förutsäga till exempel hur snabbt ett föremål kyls i processen och hur det påverkar det slutgiltiga resultatet. Resultat från de optimerade simuleringarna jämförs mot ett praktiskt försök och även TPC Components tidigare standard utvärderas mot arbetets optimerade simuleringar. En viktig fråga är att undersöka varför simuleringsprogrammet inte blir identiskt med verkligheten och hur detta undersöks. Känslighetsanalyser utgör därmed en stor del av arbetet och det är av vikt att undersöka enskilda parametrar för att få en uppfattning om vad som påverkar resultatet och vad som går att bortse från. Resultatet av arbetet visar att ändrade parametrar för indata vid precisionsgjutning i TPC Components AB:s vakuumprocess har resulterat i en mer pålitlig simulering. Simuleringen bygger nu på vetenskapliga bevis och faktiska uppmätningar under processen för att kunna simulera så likt verkligheten som möjligt. Arbetet resulterar i att färre gjutförsök innan godkänt tillvägagångssätt för nya detaljer behövs, då simulering kommer att visa resultat närmare verkligheten. Arbetet har förbättrat TPC Components simuleringsarbete vilket kommer påverka både arbetstid, kostnader och miljö på ett positivt sätt. / Simulation of investment casting play a big role for prediction of problems in the process. TPC Components AB need their simulations to be optimised against the practical process in order to get results as close as possible to the results from real practice. This thesis is mapping the parameters sensitivity against TPC’s earlier standards to put forward what parameters the result is depending on. The optimization of the parameters is towards measurement of heat and time and practical trial in order to get a scientific ground. The heat transfer for complicated structure needs to be simulated in order to get a reasonable value to work with. Results shows that TPC’s earlier model of simulation have lack of measurement and important parameters are based on assumptions. The work done gave TPC a model closer to the real practice which can both mean faster decisions of how to cast new products and less costly practical trials.

The aim of this thesis is to verify a possibility of controlling the crystallisation of aluminium alloys poured in shell moulds in order to achieve directional solidification. For this purpose, new cooling plant has been designed and fabricated. Several sample castings were produced under different initial conditions. Based on the evaluation of measured temperatures, a numerical simulation of heat transfer was created using the ProCAST software. Finally, the sample castings were sectioned into specimens that were, subsequently, metallographically polished and the evaluation of their structure with respect to the amount and types of defects was performed.

Ph. D. (Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology), Vaal University of Technology. / Investment casting process is the most suitable technique for producing high quality castings which are dimensionally accurate with excellent surface finish and complex in nature. Recently with the ever-changing manufacturing landscape, the process has been increasingly used to produce components for the medical, aerospace and sports industry. The present study looked at three investigative scenarios in the development of a pattern material for investment casting process: (i) the development of wax/ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) and wax/linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) blends as the carrier vehicle materials for the development of pattern material for investment casting; (ii) the development of wax/EVA/polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) based investment casting pattern and lastly (iii) the development of wax/LLDPE/PMMA based investment casting pattern material. The first part of the studies elucidates the effects in terms of the thermal, mechanical, surface and rheological properties when paraffin wax in blended with poly EVA and LLDPE. The developments involved the extrusion of seven formulations for EVA and also LLDPE using a twin-screw extrusion compounder. The paraffin wax weight percent investigated ranged from 33% to 87% thus encompassing both low and high wax loading ratios. The thermal properties of the developed binary blends were characterized via thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The mechanical properties were characterized using three-point bending test. The thermo-mechanical and rheological properties were determined using thermomechanical analysis (TMA) and a rheometer respectively. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to study the surface texture of the extruded blends. The thermal properties indicated that the thermal stability of paraffin wax is improved when it is blended with both EVA and LLDPE. DSC curves showed two endothermic melting peaks and two exothermic crystallisation peaks. In the case of wax/EVA blends, there was no distinct peak showing the independent melting of neat wax and EVA. The peak at a temperature of 50 – 72 °C corresponds to the melting of the wax/EVA blend. In the case of wax/LLDPE blends, the peak at 50 -66 °C corresponds to the melting of wax whereas the large peak at 112 - 125°C corresponds to the melting of the LLDPE. Wax/EVA and wax/LLDPE had improved mechanical properties as compared to that of neat wax. The rheological properties of both the EVA based and LLDPE based blends indicated that the viscosity of the blends increased as compared to that of neat wax. SEM confirmed that EVA alters the wax crystal habit at higher concentrations. In the case of wax/LLDPE blends, at 20-30 % wax content, a heterogeneous surface was observed, indicating the immiscibility of the paraffin wax within the LLDPE matrix. At a high wax content, there was agglomeration of wax. LLDPE allows amorphous structure of wax to disperse easily between the chains. The second part of the studies focussed on the wax/EVA filled with poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microbeads. TGA behaviour on the pyrolysis of wax/EVA/PMMA showed that the compounds volatilise readily with virtually no residue remaining above 500 °C. The DSC curves indicated that, the incorporation of PMMA reduced the crystallinity of wax/EVA blend. A distinct endothermic peak and another small peak was observed in all the formulations. The mechanical properties of wax/EVA/PMMA improved significantly. The methylene group present in both wax and EVA combined to form a blend with enhanced mechanical properties whereas the PMMA microbeads improved the needle penetration hardness. The melt viscosity of wax/EVA/PMMA increased as the EVA and/or the PMMA content is increased. The rheological experimental data fitted with the data predicted using the modified Krieger and Dougherty expression. The maximum attainable volume fraction of suspended PMMA particles was at max = 0.81. The SEM micrograph of wax/EVA/PMMA revealed a near perfect spherical nature for the filler particles in the wax/EVA polymer matrix. It further shows that the PMMA microbeads were weakly bonded and well distributed in the wax/EVA matrix. The third part of the studies focussed on the wax/LLDPE filled with Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microbeads. The incorporation of LLDPE and PMMA into paraffin wax had a strong influence on the thermal properties, tensile properties, flow properties and its morphology. The TGA analysis showed that there was a slight observable decrease in the melting onset temperatures when the wax content was increased. From the DSC curves, the corresponding values of onset temperatures observed are between melting and crystallization temperature of neat paraffin wax and neat LLDPE. The short chains of the paraffin wax and the fragments formed by scission of wax chain have sufficient energy to escape from the matrix at lower temperatures. The slight decrease in peak temperatures associated with melting and crystallization could be attributed to the decrease in the average lamellar thickness of the blends. The tensile properties by three-point bending tests indicated an increase in the stress with an increase in the LLDPE content. This can be attributed to the formation of paraffin wax crystals in the amorphous phase of the blend which may influence the chain mobility. Since the paraffin wax used for this study had a low viscosity as compared to LLDPE, both LLDPE or PMMA had an influence on the viscosities of the blends. The data obtained from the experiments fitted with the data predicted obtained from the modified Krieger and Dougherty expression. The maximum attainable volume fraction of suspended PMMA particles was at max = 0.74. Similar observation with that of wax/EVA/PMMA was made in terms of the morphology of the wax/LLDPE/PMMA blends. The excellent thermal stabilities, the superior mechanical strength of wax/EVA/PMMA and wax/LLDPE/PMMA and the flow properties with relatively high EVA and also with high PMMA loadings, open new opportunities for EVA and LLDPE based pattern material for in investment casting process. It is worth pursuing further comprehensive studies since it offers a strong potential for realizing further technological improvement in the field of investment casting and rapid prototyping technologies.

Aim of this diploma thesis is to choose new pattern wax for Fimes a.s. foundry. New wax should substitute old not fully satisfactory pattern wax which caused problems in technological process resulting in increased number of rejects. New pattern wax should eliminate current problems and help foundry with producing large, thin-walled, high-quality castings. Numbers of pattern waxes supplied by world’s leading wax manufacturers were subjected to laboratory tests and pilot study. This diploma thesis is part of project Alfa TA01010766: „Research and development of production technology large, thin and high quality castings of aluminium alloys “

This diploma thesis deals with the problem of wax patterns manufacturing in investment casting technology (lost wax process). This technology is very sensitive to the exact execution in each phase of the whole process, from concept design up to the final casting expedition. During most operations, dimensional changes occur, which is affecting the accuracy of the final casting. No matter how big these changes are, but especially if they occur with the least variance. One of the first phases in this technology is making wax patterns. There are several ways of making the wax patterns and this thesis is describing two different methods used in the Alucast foundry. One is based on using “soft waxes” enabling using low pressure machines, the other one on the “hard waxes” where the injection machine with higher presses is being used (SOM). These two above mentioned technologies are compared in this work.