Optimizing Manufacturing Process and Design in Investment Casting: A Case Study of Wisconsin Precision Casting Corporation
Technology Category
- Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation
- Sensors - Flow Meters
Applicable Industries
- Buildings
- Equipment & Machinery
Applicable Functions
- Procurement
- Product Research & Development
Use Cases
- Manufacturing Process Simulation
- Time Sensitive Networking
About The Customer
Wisconsin Precision Casting Corporation (WPC) is a primarily family-owned corporation founded in 1964. It is a precision manufacturer of investment castings and services several industries including medical equipment, food and dairy equipment, heavy machinery, industrial pumps, and metal fabrication. WPC has seen significant growth over recent years, especially with the 2015 acquisition of Northern Precision Casting. With the acquisition and increased demand for their products and services, WPC has expanded and now operates in two Wisconsin-based facilities to better serve their customer base. WPC provides customers with solutions to save time, money, and stress, offering support throughout the entire casting process.
The Challenge
Wisconsin Precision Casting Corporation (WPC), a precision manufacturer of investment castings, was faced with the challenge of reducing costs of regenerative turbine pump cover investment castings. The challenge was to optimize the structural design and manufacturing process to achieve this goal. The regenerative turbine pump cover was a critical component that required high pressure and close tolerances to perform efficiently. The goals for the redesign were to reduce material usage in the pump’s cover, maintain original strength and performance, and improve casting efficiency. The challenge was further compounded by the need to adapt to evolving trends in casting to meet the demands of various industries and customers.
The Solution
WPC employed solidThinking Inspire for shape optimization and solidThinking Click2Cast® for filling analysis and detailed solidification results. The redesign process was divided into three phases. In the first phase, WPC inherited the original design from its customer and quickly recognized the need for a more efficient pouring process. WPC reduced the number of ingates and changed the part orientation on the sprue to allow for more parts per pour. The second phase focused on the optimization of the pump cover structure. Using solidThinking Inspire, loads and critical features for casting were identified and a baseline analysis on the proven design was completed. The pump cover was then optimized in Inspire, resulting in an 8% mass reduction and increased strength. In the final phase, Inspire was used to redesign the geometry of the pump cover with PolyNURB wraps over the optimized geometry. A casting analysis was conducted in Click2Cast to verify that the cavity and sprue design were suitable for pouring.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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