Transactions of the Indian Institute of Metals | 2021
Metal Casting 4.0: Closing the Loop Between Design and Manufacturing
Abstract
Product quality depends upon symbiotic inter-dependencies among material, design, tooling and process parameters. Such multifarious relationships make it very difficult to avoid defects in metal casting—still the most economical process to produce large parts with intricate features. To get the quality ‘right first time and every time,’ we need to transform this art into science by leveraging the latest information technologies. Four relevant R&D works carried out by the author and associates over the last three decades are described in this article: (1) user-friendly simulation software to predict casting defects; (2) intelligent design and optimization of methoding and tooling; (3) cloud-based utilities for ubiquitous access; and (4) smart foundry for process data capture and analytics. These are laying the path for new technologies to reduce the difference between designed and manufactured products. Such advanced and inter-disciplinary projects are also changing the mind-set about metal casting and attracting the next generation of researchers.