5th International & 26th All India Manufacturing Technology, Design and Research Conference (AIMTDR 2014) December

12th–14th, 2014, IIT

Guwahati, Assam, India

Computer Aided Runner and Gating System Design from Die-Casting

Part Model

Ranjit Singh1,2, Jatinder Madan2*

1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University, Fatehgarh Sahib - 140406,
Punjab, India.
India.e-mail: erranjitsingh@gmail.com
2*
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Engineering,Chandigarh College of Engineering and Technology (Degree Wing),
Chandigarh -160019, India.e-mail:jatinder.madan@ccet.ac.in

Abstract
Runner and gating system design is one of the important activities of die-casting die design. In normal practice, a
die-casting expertmakes use of thee expertise gained taking care of many factors, such as material properties, industry
best practices and physics of the process to determine therunner and gating designparameters.. These parameters are
then optimized by conductingprocess flow simulations on a computer and dry runs on adie-casting casting machine,
machine which
usually requires a number of iterations..These iterative activities increase the manufacturing lead time and makes the
die-casting die-design
design a tedious process. A system which could reduce the iterations and make the design process
more efficient is highly desirable. This paper presentsa computer-aided system for runner and gating system design
for a die-casting die.The system first generates runner and gating system parameters based onpart, on material and
machine information. The system makes use of a runner and gating system feature library that has been built in this
research.Lastly, the user decides the placement of the runner and gating system
system,along the parting lineof
line the die-cast
part.Theresults obtained from the system for some industrial die-casting parts are as per the practices being followed
in the industry.

Keywords: Die-Casting, Die-design, Gate, Runner, Gating System Design.

1. Introduction used in the paper are illustrated

llustrated in self-explanatory
self Fig.
1.
The design of runner and gating system for a die-
casting die is a crucial activity that directly affects the
overall soundness of adie-casting part art. The design of Gate Overflow
runner and gating system is prepared by die casting
Gate runner
engineerby considering factors such as ma material
properties, process parameters and the die die-design Main Runner
Die-casting
principles used in the industry. The verification and
part
optimization of runner and gating system design is Biscuit
carried out byperformingflow
flow simulations and dry runs Figure 1 Runner and gating system nomenclature
on the die casting machine. The partproduced
artproduced by the dry [c3p-group (2014)]
is then tested for defects, such as gas porosity, cold
shuts, and shrinkage porosity. In case the defects are
found in the part, the runner and gating system design is 2. Literature review
revised. The iterations of redesign and testing continue
until defect free parts are obtained. The iterative nature A brief summary of previous literature for runner and
of the runner and gate, makes it one of the most time gating system design is presented in the following
consuming activity of die-casting
casting design process. paragraph. Since the design of runner and gating system
Moreover, the parts with multiple gate is influenced by the other activities of die design die,
requirementsconsume much time of the die die-casting such as undercut
ndercut detection, parting line determination,
determination
expert. Therefore, need of an automated system is felt and core-cavity design,, papers relevant to such activities
which can reduce the iterations in runner and gating are also reviewed.
system design. The present paper describes an Sulaiman and Keen (1997) studied the effect of
automated system for runner and gating system branch angle of the runner and gating system on the
designfrom CAD model of a die-castpart. part. Some of the plunger pressure in die-casting process using network
important terms related to runner and gating design, analysis method of simulation. They concluded that a

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Computer Aided Runner and Gating System Design from Die-Casting Part Model

smaller branch angle require less pressure to fill the o A systems that can help a die-casting engineer,
cavity.Hu et al. (2000) employed a numerical simulation who does not have much expertise,for design and
technique to design and optimize runner and gating CAD model generation of runner and gating
system for thin wall die-cast components. The design of system design, is lacking in the literature.
the runner gate system was improved by using
2.2 Objectives
continuous gate and a bigger runner.Kim and Kwon
(2001) presented a computer aided system for gating
system design for a cap shaped die-casting part. The Objectives of this paper are the following.
system uses empirical formulae to calculate gating
i. Generate runner and gating system feature library
parameters for a die-casting part.Lin (2002) used neural
that contains gate, runner and overflow features.
network approach for optimizing gate design for
ii. Develop a computer aided system to
injection moulded parts. Simulated annealing is used to
determinerunner and gating system parameters
determine optimum gate location and size. Fuh et al.
for a die-casting part that require multiple gates.
(2002) proposed a semi-automated system for die
iii. Use the parameters to design a runner and gating
design which includes design of cavity and gate. The
system form the gating features that are stored in
system applies feature based design for automatic
generation of gating system. Woon and Lee the feature library.
(2004)presented a computer aided die design system
that comprises nseven modules. The system proved
useful to reduce the time required for the design of
ejector, die-base and gating.Wu et al. (2007) proposed a
semiautomatic system for gating system design
thatgenerates gating system using parametric design
a. Fan Gate b. Trapezoid runner
approach. Kim et al. (2008)used solidification
simulation using MAGMASOFTalongwith actual
experiments to study three different gating designs for
thin-walled aluminum casting . Ferenczet al. (2010)
discussed the designs of various runner gate systems
and used the simulation to optimize the design of runner c. Trapezoid overflow d.
Rectangular runner
and gating system. Lee et al. (2012) developed a with chisel gate
methodology to obtain an optimized design for thin Figure 2Runner and gating system features
walled die-casting components by analyzing the
behavior and amount of air entrainment due to design of 3. Runner and gating system feature
overflows and vents. Singh et al. (2013)proposed a library
systematic approach for determination of parting line
which is useful in the placement of gating system. A feature library has been developed, which is an
Kumar et al. (2013) presented a system for multi-cavity integral part of the proposed system. The feature library
die design, which determines the number of cavities for contains parametric CAD models of different types of
a die casting part leaving the gate design to the user. gates, runners, and overflows.These features are
Singh et al. (2013) proposed a system for computer modeled by applying structural and dimensional
aided design of gating system for die-casting parts, constraintsto their CAD models. These constraints allow
which determines parameters of the gating system for a the user to update all the parameters of a feature by
single cavity only. updating a single parameter only. For example, a
trapezoid runner bears a relationship between its width
2.1 Research gaps and depth of the cross-section. If the user updates the
width, the depth is automatically updated. Some of the
With reference to runner and gate design of a die- runner and gating system features are illustrated in Fig.
casting die, the literature review suggests following 2. In total the library has four gate features, four runner
research gaps. features and two overflow features.

o Only a fewresearchers have focused their 4. Determination of runner and gating

attention to generation of gate parameters. system parameters
o Determination of runner and gating system
parameters for parts that require multiple gates 4.1. Determinegate parameters: The parametersof
have not been studied. runner and gating system elements are determined by
considering the factors of die-casting

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 5th International & 26th All India Manufacturing Technology, Design and Research Conference (AIMTDR 2014) December 12th–14th, 2014, IIT
Guwahati, Assam, India

machinecharacteristics, material properties and 4.2. Determinerunner parameters

parameters of the die. The gating elements bear
dimensional relationship with each other, which makes
it necessary to determine parameters of these elements
in a certain order only. First, the gate parameters are
determined,subsequently the runner and overflow
parameters are determined respectively.
Agate can be considered to be an orifice through
which the molten die-cast metal (or alloy) exits the
runner and enters the mould cavity. Gate design
includes the determination of parameters, such as gate
Runner is an element of the runner and gating
system that connects the gate with the sprue. The runner
parameters are dependent on the gate parameters . The
information flow diagram for determination of runner
parameters is presented in Fig.4, and is explained in the
following paragraphs.
Part model data

database
Material
type, location cross-sectional area, thickness, and Determine time to fill
length. These gate parameters are determined using the the cavity
part model and material information.Fig.3 illustrates the
Calculate gate thickness Tg
information flow diagram for determination of the gate
parameters. A brief explanation of the methodology is
discussed in the following lines. Gate velocity
Vg
i. The time to fill the cavity (t) is determined using
Eq. 1: No Is Vg1.707
Increase the
t=K*{(Ti-Tf-S*Z)/(Tf-Ta)}*T (1) *Tg* ρ ≥
gate velocity 998,000
where, K= empirically derived constant for die
steel, T= Wall thickness of the casting, Tf= Min. Yes
flow temperature of the metal alloy, Ti= Metal Determine gate cross-
temperature at the in-gate, Td= Die surface section area
temperature just before the metal arrives, S=
Percent solids at the end of fill, Z= Solids units Determine gate length
conversion factor degrees to %NADCA (2006).
Select shape of the gate
ii. The gate thickness (tg) is then calculated which
varies from 1/4 to 1/3 of the average wall thickness Gate parameters
of the casting. Figure3 Algorithm for determination of gate
iii. The gate velocity (Vg) selection is based on the parameters
standard recommendations by NADCA (2006), that
are inbuilt into the system. The system prompts the
user to select the gate velocity.
Gate Parameters
iv. The gate velocity is checked using an empirical
formula recommended by NADCA(2006) which is
Feature
library

Select type of Runner

mentioned is Eq.2.
Vg1.707 *Tg* ρ ≥ 998,000(2) Determine area of cross-section
of the gate runner
v. The gate cross-section area (Ag) is calculated using
Eq.3, where Qa is flow-rate, and other symbols have Determine area of cross-section
their usual meanings. of main runner

   (3)


Runner Parameters
vi. The gate length (Lg) is determined using Eq.4.

  (4) Figure 4 Algorithm for determination of runner


parameters
vii. The number of gates for a casting is decided by the
user. The system recommends the maximum gate i. Select type of runner from the feature library.
length and prompts the user to choose the number
of gates. ii. Determine cross-sectional areaof branch runner
which is 125-160% of the gate area.

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Computer Aided Runner and Gating System Design from Die-Casting Part Model
iii. Determine area of main runner (Am) using Eq.5,
where V is total volume of all the cavities, Vb is
volume of the cavities, which are fed by
thebranch runner,and (Ab) is area of the branch
runners
Am/Ab=V/Vb (5)
4.3. Determineoverflow parameters
Overflow is an element of the runner and gating
system that provides required space for the air to exit
the cavity and also act as receptacle to the first metal
that enters the die cavity. Moreover, it helps in reducing
the non-metallic inclusions in the die-casting part. The
overflows are thin in sections and are placed in such a
manner that these are at farthest distance from the gate
and preferably its opposite side. Fig. 4 illustrates the
information flow diagram for determination of overflow
parameters; the diagram is explained in the following
paragraphs.
i. The type of overflow is selected from the
feature library.
ii. Volume of the overflow is determined from the
part volume.
iii. Thickness of the overflow inlet cross-section
depends upon the average wall thickness of the
part and is 25 % to 60% of the wall thickness.
Gate Parameters
Feature
Library
Select type of overflow
Determine overflow volume
Determine thickness and length of
overflow inlet
Part model
Determine number. of overflow
information
Overflow Parameters
Figure5 Algorithm for determination of overflow
parameters
iv. Length of the overflow depends upon the part
shape and size, is decided by the user.
v. The number of overflowsis calculated using
Eq. (6).
On=Vo/Vu (6)
Where, Vo is total volume of overflow Vu
volume of single overflow unit.
5. Placement of the runner and gating system
The runner and gating system design concludesby
assembling 3D models of gate, runner and overflows to
3D model of the die-casting part. Therunner and gating
system is positioned along the parting line of the die-
casting part.The parting line is determined using
algorithms proposed by Singh et al. (2006). The
placement of the runner and gating system depends
upon many factors, such as part complexity, number of
undercuts, and number of gates. Therefore, the decision
for runner and gating system placement is left to the
user.
Once the runner and gating system is assembled
with the cavity, the die is generated by subtracting the
assembly of gating and part model from the die-base
model. Other features of the die, such as ejectors, and
cooling lines, are also added to the die.
GUI
Part model
Material
Determine gate parameters
data
data
determination
Runner parameter
determination
Machine data
Knowledge
base
Overflow parameter
determination
System for gating design
Figure6 System architecture for computer aided
gating design
6. System architecture
The proposed system for computer aided
determination of runner and gating system parameters is
created in graphic user interface (GUI) of MATLAB
7.10. The architecture of the system isillustrated in Fig.
6. The system takes input from the user through GUI
and determines the parameters of gate, runner and
overflow features. The functioning of the system is
supported by the expert knowledge that has been coded
into the system. Moreover, part, material and machine
informationprovides the quantitative data necessary for
the determination of runner gating system parameters.
7. User interface and working of the system
The user interface of the system contains separate
interfaces for determination of gate, runner and
overflow parameters. The step by step approach towards
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5th International & 26th All India Manufacturing Technology, Design and Research Conference (AIMTDR 2014) December 12th–14th, 2014, IIT
Guwahati, Assam, India

the determination of parameters is used. Therefore even
a less experienced die-casting engineer,with some basic
knowledge of die casting process can use the system
effectively and efficiently. Further, the system also
helps the user in the decision making process by giving
suggestions for non-trivial parameters.The interfaces for
determination of gate, runner and overflow parameters
are shown in Fig.7, 8 and 9 respectively. The user inputs
some information related to the die casting part,
material and design which are processed by the system
to generate the gating system parameters.

Figure 7 Interface for determination of the gate parameters

Table 1 runner and gating system parameters

Parameters Gate Runner Overflow
Area of cross- 90.77 70 90.77
section total(mm2)
Thickness(mm) 1.7 5 1.7

Length total (mm) 53 35 53

Number 2 NA 6

Figure8 Interface for determination of runner

parameters

8. Implementation
The proposed system has been tested on a number
of die-casting parts. The results obtained from the
implementation of the system on an example die-casting
part have been illustratedusingFig.10.The runner and Figure9 Interface to determine overflow parameters
gating system parameters for the example die-casting
part are presented in table 1.

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Computer Aided Runner and Gating System Design from Die-Casting Part Model
Figure 10 Example die-casting part with gating
system
9. Conclusions
A computer aided system for determination of
runner and gating system parameters has been
developed. The following conclusions have been
drawn after successful implementation of the system on
some example die-casting parts.
1. The system helps to determine runner and gating
system parameters automatically from the part,
material and process data.
2. The step by step approach of the system allows
even a less experienced engineer to use the
system.
3. The expert knowledge regardingrunner and
gating system design, existing in the industry has
been encoded in the system.
4. The system is useful in designing runner and
gating system for a die-casting part requiring
multiple gates.
5. The system requires some manual decision like
placement of the runner and gating system along
the parting line which may be automated in the
future.
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