Solidification macroprocesses - Thermal-mechanical Modeling of Stress, Distortion and Hot Tearing)

Abstract : The application of numerical methods to the mechanical modeling in solidification analysis has received a continuously growing interest over the last twenty years. After having concentrated their efforts on the thermal and microstructural predictions, research teams have been more and more interested in the coupled thermomechanical analysis. These developments have been motivated by the efforts done by the casting industry to increase the quality of final products while lowering the costs. Manufacturers are then interested in the development of new numerical tools able to model the thermomechanical response of castings during the processes. Accurate calculation of stress and distortions during casting is just the first step, however, as engineers are more interested in their practical consequences. These include residual stress and distortion, and defects such as segregation and the formation of cracks such as hot tears. As computing power and software tools advance, it is becoming increasingly possible to perform useful mechanical analysis of castings and these important related behaviors.