Numerical simulation of the solidification of a beam blank in the mould

The stability of the casting process and the wear of the mould as well as the quality of the product depend strongly on the mould design. This is particularly true when considering the production of beam blanks. If the mould is too tight, thermal contraction can generate considerable contact forces between the product and the mould on the inner surfaces of the flanges. If it is not tight enough, the thermal coupling between the mould and the beam blank is not sufficient to allow the solidification of a skin of the required thickness upon exit from the mould. A finite element model was developed to assist in the mould design. This model takes both the thermal and mechanical interaction between the mould and the product into account. The effect of solidification is implicitly included in the (thermal) finite element formulation while the ferro-static pressure is applied by the means of a specially developed element. The model was applied to a medium gage beam blank cast at ProfilARBED Differdange. The skin thickness as well as the localisation of the wear of the mould predicted by the model are in good agreement with observations made in industrial practice.