Kent Salomonsson

A methodology for microstructure-based structural optimization of cast and injection moulded parts using knowledge-based design automation

A new methodology for geometry optimization with consideration of heterogeneous material behaviour is presented.Mechanical behaviour is based on local microstructure formation predicted by simulations and microstructure models.Design automation and a multi-objective optimization algorithm is used for controlling the knowledge-based implementation.The approach is implemented for cast materials and injection moulded glass-fibre reinforced polymeric materials. The local material behaviour of cast metal and injection moulded parts is highly related to the geometrical design of the part as well as to a large number of process parameters. In order to use structural optimization methods to find the geometry that gives the best possible performance, both the geometry and the effect of the production process on the local material behaviour thus has to be considered.In this work, a multidisciplinary methodology to consider local microstructure-based material behaviour in optimizations of the design of engineering structures is presented. By adopting a knowledge-based industrial product realisation perspective combined with a previously presented simulation strategy for microstructure-based material behaviour in Finite Element Analyses (FEA), the methodology integrates Computer Aided Design (CAD), casting and injection moulding simulations, FEA, design automation and a multi-objective optimization scheme into a novel structural optimization method for cast metal and injection moulded polymeric parts. The different concepts and modules in the methodology are described, their implementation into a prototype software is outlined, and the application and relevance of the methodology is discussed.

Mathematical Characterization of the Tensile Deformation Curve of Cast Iron Materials

The manufacturing process gives cast iron castings properties which are dependent on component design, metallurgy and casting method. Factors as local wall thickness influences the coarseness and type of microstructure and the material will have local properties depending on the local metallurgical and thermal history. The stress/strain behaviour of cast products at load are typically performed by using a tensile test machine.

Analysis of Localized Plastic Strain in Heterogeneous Cast Iron Microstructures Using 3D Finite Element Simulations

The design and production of light structures in cast iron with high static and fatigue performance is of major interest in e.g. the automotive area. Since the casting process inevitably leads to heterogeneous solidification conditions and variations in microstructural features and material properties, the effects on multiple scale levels needs to be considered in the determination of the local fatigue performance. In the current work, microstructural features of different cast irons are captured by use of micro X-ray tomography, and 3D finite element models generated. The details of the 3D microstructure differ from the commonly used 2D representations in that the actual geometry is captured and that there is not a need to compensate for 3D-effects. The first objective with the present study is to try and highlight certain aspects at the micro scale that might be the underlying cause of fatigue crack initiation, and ultimately crack propagation, under fatigue loading for cast iron alloys. The second objective is to incorporate the gained knowledge about the microstructural behavior into multi-scale simulations at a structural length scale, including the local damage level obtained in the heterogeneous structure subjected to fatigue load.

Modelling and simulations of ductile iron solidification-induced variations in mechanical behaviour on component and microstructural level

The mechanical behaviour and performance of a ductile iron component is highly dependent on the local variations in solidification conditions during the casting process. Here we show a framework which combine a previously developed closed chain of simulations for cast components with a micro-scale Finite Element Method (FEM) simulation of the behaviour and performance of the microstructure. A casting process simulation, including modelling of solidification and mechanical material characterization, provides the basis for a macro-scale FEM analysis of the component. A critical region is identified to which the micro-scale FEM simulation of a representative microstructure, generated using X-ray tomography, is applied. The mechanical behaviour of the different microstructural phases are determined using a surrogate model based optimisation routine and experimental data. It is discussed that the approach enables a link between solidification- and microstructure-models and simulations of as well component as microstructural behaviour, and can contribute with new understanding regarding the behaviour and performance of different microstructural phases and morphologies in industrial ductile iron components in service.

Three-Dimensional Microstructural Characterization of Cast Iron Alloys for Numerical Analyses

In this paper, we aim at characterizing three different cast iron alloys and their microstructural features, namely lamellar, compacted and nodular graphite iron. The characterization of microscopic features is essential for the development of methods to optimize the behavior of cast iron alloys; e.g. maximize thermal dissipation and/or maximize ductility while maintaining strength. The variation of these properties is commonly analyzed by metallography on two-dimensional representations of the alloy. However, more precise estimates of the morphologies and material characteristics is obtained by three-dimensional reconstruction of microstructures. The use of X-ray microtomography provides an excellent tool to generate high resolution three-dimensional microstructure images. The characteristics of the graphite constituent in the microstructure, including the size, shape and connectivity, were analyzed for the different cast iron alloys. It was observed that the lamellar and compacted graphite iron alloys have relatively large connected graphite morphologies, as opposed to ductile iron where the graphite is present as nodules. The results of the characterization for the different alloys were ultimately used to generate finite element models.

The multi-scale closed chain of simulations – incorporating local variations in microstructure into finite element simulations

Numerical simulations of component behavior and performance is critical to develop optimized and robust load-bearing components. The reliability of these simulations depend on the description of the components material behavior, which for e.g. cast and polymeric materials exhibit component specific local variations depending on geometry and manufacturing parameters. Here an extension of a previously presented strategy, the closed chain of simulations for cast components, to predict and incorporate local material data into Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations on multiple scales is shown. Manufacturing process simulation, solidification modelling, material characterization and representative volume elements (RVE) provides the basis for a microstructure-based FEM analysis of component behavior and a simulation of the mechanical behavior of the local microstructure in a critical region. It is discussed that the strategy is applicable not only to cast materials but also to injection molded polymeric materials, and enables a common integrated computational microstructure-based approach to optimized components.