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A system for design of multicavity die casting dies from part product model

Article in The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology · August 2012

DOI: 10.1007/s00170-012-4633-y

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Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:2083–2107
DOI 10.1007/s00170-012-4633-y
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
A system for design of multicavity die casting dies from part
product model
V. Kumar & J. Madan & P. Gupta
Received: 5 March 2012 / Accepted: 5 November 2012 / Published online: 22 November 2012
# Springer-Verlag London 2012
Abstract Design of a die casting die is a nontrivial task,
which depends upon a number of influencing factors related
to material, part geometry, manufacturing resources, cost,
delivery time, etc. Complexity of this die design activity
further increases in case of a multicavity die. Currently avail-
able die design systems lack in the level of automation and do
not explicitly address multicavity die design. Present work is
an attempt to develop a system, which facilitates computer-
aided design of a multicavity die casting die. The objective of
the proposed system is to automate the process of deciding
number of cavities, design of cavity layout and die–base, and
core and cavity creation for a multicavity die casting die. The
proposed system, which we named Auto_Die_Caster, works as
an add-on application to solid modeling software SolidWorks.
The proposed system is divided into four modules, namely data
initialization, cavity design, cavity layout and die–base design,
and core–cavity design. Use of commercial software like
SolidWorks as a platform both for part design and generation
of die design eliminates loss of data which makes the proposed
system quite useful in the industrial scenario. To demonstrate
the capabilities of Auto_Die_Caster, it was tried for a number
of die casting parts and the results are presented. Proposed
system is a step forward to design manufacturing integration
for die casting process.
Keywords Die casting . CAD . Die design . Multicavity .
Layout design . Core–cavity design
V. Kumar : J. Madan (*) : P. Gupta
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sant Longowal Institute
of Engineering and Technology, Longowal,
Sangrur, Punjab, India
e-mail: jatinder.madan@gmail.com
V. Kumar
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Anand International
College of Engineering, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
1 Introduction
Die casting is a fast, versatile, and cost-effective process for
producing complex-shape metal components by injecting
liquid metal at a high pressure in a steel mold called die.
The design of a die casting die is essential for manufacturing
of die cast parts. Die design for die casting is a very time
consuming and complex process that requires domain
knowledge and vast experience of the die designer besides
information about manufacturing resources, delivery time,
and cost preferences.
Some of the terms commonly used terms in this paper are
discussed with the help of Fig. 1. A die casting die consists of
two halves known as cavity and core. The cavity-half (or
cover die) remains stationary and core-half (or ejector die)
moves during die casting process. Both halves are assembled
and injected with the molten metal at high pressure. After
solidification, these mold halves are separated and the solid
cast component is automatically ejected using ejection mech-
anism. The direction in which core half moves is known as
parting direction. An undercut feature is that region of the part,
which is neither accessible from the parting direction nor the
negative parting direction. Side-core(s) are usually employed
if a part has undercut feature(s). A die casting die can be either
a single-cavity die or a multicavity die. In a single-cavity die,
only one part is produced in a die casting process cycle, while
in a multicavity die, a number of identical parts are produced
in a die casting cycle. Figure 2a shows snapshot of a single-
cavity die and Fig. 2b shows a multicavity die, which has six
numbers of cavities in it.
The design of a die casting die comprises of several tasks,
which include setting shrinkage allowance, providing draft,
determine number of cavities, deciding cavity layout, gating
system design, die–base design, parting design, core–cavity
generation, ejection design, cooling design, moving core
design, and standard component design [1].
2084
Fig. 1 Die casting process
terminology
Cavity Half
Many of the available commercial computer-aided design
(CAD) systems, available today, such as SolidWorks, Pro/
Engineer, Inventor, NX, CATIA, etc. provide integrated
modules and features for die design. These die design mod-
ules of CAD systems are widely used to speed up product
realization process for complex die casting die design pro-
cess and to assist the die designer in design revisions. The
CAD model of any part, which is basically a digital descrip-
tion of the part, provides a basis for this die design. The die
design module of any CAD system in general focuses on
few steps of die design process, i.e., parting line and parting
surface creation, side core design, etc. These modules are
limited to core–cavity block creation that too for a single-
cavity die only. Another limitation associated with the avail-
able mold design modules is the lack of automation, as there
are several steps where designer knowledge, interaction, and
input are essential. Furthermore, availability of specific add-
on applications for die casting die design is lacking. These
deficiencies of mold design knowledge and automation in
available systems results in higher number of iterations and
Fig. 2 a Single-cavity die casting die, b multicavity die casting die [41]
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:2083–2107
Side Core
Side Core
Parting Line
Withdrawal
Direction
Parting
Direction
Undercut
Part
Core Half
longer lead time for the die casting die design. Therefore, to
reduce lead time, die casting industry needs a computer-
aided system for multicavity die casting die design with a
good level of automation.
The development of add-on software applications is
made easier and faster as commercial CAD platforms pro-
vide the developers with a library of functions, an estab-
lished user interface and a style of programming [1]. These
add-ons are more advantageous as CAD data transfer can be
made very easily and that too without any data loss, which
results in saving of lead time and cost. Development of an
add-on software application for die casting die design,
which depends on major influencing factors of: die design
knowledge, manufacturing resources and part geometry, and
also takes very less information from the designer, would be
a major step towards automation of die design process for
die casting.
In the present work, a system, named Auto_Die_Caster
has been developed which works as an add-on application
for SolidWorks. Proposed system depends upon database of:
die casting machines, die casting materials, standard die
bases, and applies die design knowledgebase. The
Auto_Die_Caster is divided into four modules, namely data
initialization, cavity design, cavity layout and die base de-
sign, and core–cavity design. The proposed system deals
with major issues encountered in the multicavity die design
of die casting. These issues are determination of number of
cavities, design of cavity, multicavity layout design, core
and cavity generation, and side core design for a multicavity
die casting die. First, cavity design module is responsible for
setting shrinkage allowance and providing draft. Next, cav-
ity layout and die base design module is capable for calcu-
lating optimal but feasible number of cavities. It uses die
design knowledge for placing the cavities in the die base by
taking into account die cast part design and manufacturing
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:2083–2107
resource considerations. Finally, core–cavity design module
is used to create core and cavity block with side cores for a
multicavities die.
The rest of the paper is divided into following sections.
Section 2 of this paper discusses related research and re-
search gaps. Section 3 discusses the problem statement,
solution methodology and brief description of four modules
of the proposed system. Section 4 presents the cavity design
module. Sections 5 and 6 describe cavity layout and die base
design and, core–cavity design, respectively. System imple-
mentation and results are presented in Section 7. Lastly,
conclusions drawn from this research work along with fu-
ture work are discussed in Section 8.
2 Related research
Most of the research for die design of die casting is focused
on determination of parting direction, parting line, parting
surface determination, and gating system design only
[2–11], whereas lesser attention has been given to address
the issue of design of multicavity die casting die. Design of
a multicavity die casting die depends on activities like
determination of number of cavities, cavity layout design,
core–cavity design, and side core design. Literature sur-
veyed in this research is divided into these four categories.
Some research papers published on the mold design for
injection molding have also been discussed due to strong
similarity between both the processes. Subsequently, we
discuss research gaps and objectives of present study.
2.1 Previous work
2.1.1 Cavity layout design
Reddy et al. [12] developed a software package for providing
intelligent assistance in several tasks involved in the design of
die casting dies. These typically include material selection,
parting line location, gating design calculations, and die layout.
The number of cavities is determined based on selected ma-
chine and alternate layouts are displayed to the user. However,
this system can only handle axis–symmetric components and
only circular type layout pattern has been considered.
Ye et al. [13] presented an algorithm for initial design of
injection molds. First of all parting line for a part is deter-
mined, followed by calculation of required number of cavities.
The cavity layout is generated based on information of layout
pattern and orientation of each cavity, which is taken from the
user. The mold base is loaded automatically to accommodate
the layout. However, this system does not consider exact
details for clearance and selection of layout pattern is manual.
Hu and Masood [14] developed an Intelligent Cavity
Layout Design System for multiple-cavity injection mold
2085
that assists mold designers in cavity layout design at early
stages. This knowledge-based system makes use of case-
and rule-based reasoning to arrive at layout solution. The
system graphically shows the possible design of cavity
layout based on the input taken from the user. It takes
number of cavities as input from the user and is not able
to extract the information from product model.
Fuh et al. [1] developed a prototype system for die casting
die design which is structured by several functional modules
as specific add-on application of Unigraphics. These modules
include data initialization, cavity layout, gating system design,
etc. However, the number of cavities has been determined
based on selected machine only besides pattern selection for
cavity layout requires human expertise.
Low and Lee [15, 16] proposed a methodology of cavity
layout design for plastic injection mold in which only stan-
dard cavity layouts are used. When only standard layouts are
used, their layout configuration can be easily stored in a
database for fast retrieval to be used in the mold design.
However, undercut features and nonstandard configurations
have not been considered.
Chan et al. [17] developed an interactive knowledge-
based injection mold design system called IKB-MOULD,
which uses experience and knowledge of product design
and mold manufacturing. It is a CAD system, which pro-
vides an interactive environment to assist designers in the
rapid completion of mold design. The number of cavities is
determined by using empirical relations only. The system
does not consider geometrical constraints while calculating
number of cavities. Balanced cavity layout patterns are only
considered and the system lacks in level of automation.
Woon and Lee [18] proposed a system that enables the
die designer to design a die casting die beginning with CAD
file of the part. It uses a methodology that combines feature-
and constraint-based modeling in a parametric system along
with geometrical and topological information extraction
technique from B-rep model of the part. However, selection
of number of cavities and cavity layout is not automatic and
requires human expertise.
Wu et al. [19] developed a system that helps to realize
automatic generation of gating system by applying parametric
design. Design module of the system deals with data initializa-
tion and cavity layout design. The number of cavities to be used
is suggested on the basis of empirical relationship only. The
system does not consider geometric constraints and cost factors
for calculating number of cavities. Also, orientation of individ-
ual cavities is based on the expertise of the designer.
2.1.2 Determination of number of cavities
Dewhurst and Blum [20] presented a methodology for cost
estimation of die cast parts by considering processing time and
manufacturing cost. It derived an expression for optimum
2086
number of cavities by considering cost factor only. However,
it does not consider cavity layout design or platen size deter-
mination tasks.
Madan et al. [21] presented a system which determines
number of cavities by considering factors like available man-
ufacturing resources, die casting machine constraints along
with limitations due to part geometric features. It uses a
knowledge base of die casting process to determine part cost
in the environment of manufacturing resources. However, the
system does not address the issue of cavity layout pattern and
its layout design.
Kumar et al. [22] proposed a system which is capable to
calculate feasible number of cavities for a die casting die by
considering delivery date, production cost, machine con-
straints, and part geometric limitations. Layout pattern is
first determined which is followed by orientation and place-
ment of cavities within the die base. However, it is not able
to develop CAD model of the core and cavity.
2.1.3 Core and cavity design
Some of the research work reported in the recent years for
generation of core–cavity blocks has been summarized in
the following paragraphs. Fu et al. [23] proposed a method-
ology to generate parting surface and core–cavity blocks for
a die casting die. The parting line edges are classified into
inner and outer edge loops. Parting surfaces are generated
by extruding the parting line edges to the boundary of the
core–cavity bounding box. Boolean regularized difference
operation (BRDO) method is used to generate core–cavity
blocks. However, a local tool like side cores for undercut
features has not been addressed in this work.
Hui and Tan [24] proposed a “sweep method” to form
core–cavity blocks of a mold. Part model is swept in the
parting direction to generate a swept solid. A cavity preform
is then generated between the cavity solid and the swept
solid on the cavity side by using BRDO method. A core
preform is created using a similar method. Finally, the core
and cavity blocks are created. The proposed method is
limited to parts which do not have any through holes.
Shin and Lee [25] proposed a method which uses an
Euler-based approach to develop core and cavity develop-
ment so that side core and corresponding core and cavity
plates are generated. Parting surface is generated by extrud-
ing the parting line to split mold cavity into two halves.
Zhou et al. [26] presented a feature-based approach to
automatic generation of injection mold. Features of a part
are first recognized using a universal hint-based feature
recognition algorithm. The optimal parting direction is
determined based on the feature model of the part.
Core and cavity are automatically set up by splitting
mold box of the part with the generated parting surface. The
developed system was not able to handle the parts with
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:2083–2107
complex features and parts with free from surfaces and real
undercuts features.
Priydarshi and Gupta [27] have developed a methodolo-
gy to automate design of multipiece permanent molds. This
methodology determines accessibility of each facet along
the chosen parting direction, by checking the obstruction of
each facet with rest of the facets of the part. However, it
approximates the free-form surfaces with a number of planar
surfaces and therefore may result in loss of data of the part
CAD model.
2.1.4 Side core design
Hui and Tan [24] used visibility and accessibility analysis
for determination of demoldability of given part model.
Semi-infinite rays, originating from surface grid points to-
ward the chosen parting direction were used to classify the
surfaces as obstructed or unobstructed. It defined a factor
(i.e., a blocking factor) to determine the extent of the block-
age along the chosen parting direction for side core design.
The direction with largest side core preference value was
chosen from the set of possible side core directions.
Shin and Lee [25] developed a methodology for design of
side cores for injection molds. It first detects all interference
faces from a cavity or a core by using a projection algo-
rithm, and then generates side cores using Euler-based ap-
proach. However, this method can generate ambiguous
results, when two or more than two undercuts overlap in
same plane.
Zhang et al. [28] reported an algorithm to automatically
create side cores for injection molds. It first identifies un-
dercut edges, then determines the undercut faces and then
classifies them to form individual undercuts. By using the
boundary representation (B-rep) of a solid model, the algo-
rithm grouped all the external edges of a face as an outer
loop, and all the internal edges of the face as an inner loop.
However, algorithm would face difficulties if an undercut
edge did not belong to any inner or outer loop of the part
faces.
Ye et al. [29, 30] used extended attributed face-edge
graph (EAFEG) representation to recognize interactive
undercuts and to generate side cores. The EAFEG is based
on the topological relationship of B-rep models of the
molded parts. An undercut feature is defined by an undercut
subgraph in EAFEG. By searching the cutsets of subgraph,
the undercut features are recognized. After recognizing un-
dercut features, a Boolean operation is used to generate a
side core for each undercut.
Banerjee and Gupta [31] developed an algorithm to au-
tomatically generate the shape of the side cores by using
STL file of part model. Candidate retraction space for every
undercut facet has been computed by determining collision-
free translation space. The side core is considered to be
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:2083–2107
retracted in a plane perpendicular to the mold opening
direction.
Fu [32] introduced the concepts of surface moldability
for identifying all the surfaces of the core, cavity, and side
cores. The undercut feature moldability is analyzed and
grouping of undercut features is done. Through extraction
of undercut feature surfaces, the head geometry of side core
can be constructed by sewing all of the extracted undercut
feature surfaces. The entire side core is generated via uniting
the side core head with designed side core body. However,
intersecting features which are usually present in the molded
parts have not been considered.
Recently, Bassi et al. [33] developed and implemented an
automatic feature recognition methodology for side core
design by taking the part B-rep information and a specified
parting direction as input. Intersecting features are identified
using accessibility analysis.
2.2 Research gaps and objectives of present work
From the above literature review, we find that most of the
previous work separately addresses one or a few steps of the
total die design process that too for a single cavity die only.
Some of the gaps in previous research are discussed in the
following paragraphs.
Design of multicavity die casting die is quite common in the
industry, but not much attention has been given in the past to
design a system, which is capable of designing such a die.
Most of the available systems for design of single-cavity die
consider part geometric considerations only. In actual practice,
design of a multicavity die casting die is affected by various
factors influenced by manufacturing resources, part material
properties, economic considerations, and delivery time also in
addition to part geometry. Design of a multicavity die therefore
must take into account all these factors along with die design
knowledge to provide arrangement of cavities in a systematic
way. It is also observed that available systems lack in the level
of automation at various stages of the die design process. Most
of the available systems [14, 15, 19, 23, 31–33] deal with
different steps of the die casting die design in an isolated
manner. Although, some of the developed systems [1, 18]
address most of the die design issues; lack of data integration
from the part design to the level of die design is observed.
After identifying gaps in the previous research, we found
that there is a need to develop a knowledge-based system
which can address issues related to design of multicavity die
casting die. The system should take into account factors of:
economic considerations, delivery time, part geometry, and
manufacturing resources to decide about number of cavities
and provide core–cavity design for a multicavity die.
Furthermore, the system must also have a good level of
automation and minimal interference from the user to make
decisions in the die design process.
2087
Present work is an attempt to develop a generative system
for design of a multicavity die casting die from CAD model
of a part. Efforts have been made in the proposed system to
consider influencing factors affecting die design decisions at
different stages of die design. These influencing factors
pertain to part geometry, material, manufacturing resources,
standard die base sizes, cost, time considerations (read de-
livery time), etc. Use of die casting die design knowledge,
CAD file of the part, relevant databases, application
programming interface (API) functionality of SolidWorks
makes Auto_Die_Caster very much useful in practical sit-
uations. Proposed system is divided into following modules.
& Data initialization
& Design of mold cavity from part CAD model.
& Design of cavity layout and die base for multicavities dies.
& Design of core–cavity with side cores for multicavity die.
Next section of this paper gives a description of the
developed system and its major components.
3 Problem statement and solution methodology
3.1 Problem statement
The objective of the present work is to propose a system for
automated design of a multicavity die for die casting, which
takes part product model as input. Design of a multicavity
die casting die not only depends upon the part geometry but
also on material, manufacturing resources, economic, and
time considerations. In addition to these considerations, die
casting die design knowledge also needs to be applied in die
design process. Major steps of the die casting die design,
i.e., cavity design, cavity layout, and die base design and
core–cavity design (along with side-core design) have been
addressed in the present work. With the proposed system,
now it is possible to design a multicavity die for die casting,
which is not possible in available systems. The proposed
system takes CAD model of the part in addition to some
other information as input from the user. Targeted output
from the system would be a complete design of core–cavity
blocks for multicavities along with side cores. Some of the
important decisions required in the process of die design,
i.e., application of shrinkage and draft, determining number
of optimal and feasible number of cavities, and placement of
cavities in the die base are made within the system by
considering various influencing factors discussed above.
3.2 Solution methodology
System architecture of Auto_Die_Caster, is discussed, which is
also shown in Fig. 3. The developed system has four modules,
namely data initialization, cavity design, cavity layout and die
2088
Fig. 3 System architecture of
the Auto_Die_Caster
base design, and core–cavity design. Furthermore, the pro-
posed system is supported by various databases, i.e., die
casting machines database, die casting alloys database, and
standard die bases. In addition, the system utilizes die design
knowledge at various stages. The proposed system has been
developed as an add-on application of the SolidWorks soft-
ware by using SolidWorks API functions. SolidWorks is pop-
ularly known solid modeling software developed by Dassault
Systemes [34]. Advantage of using a commercial CAD
modeler like SolidWorks is that product model of the part can
Fig. 4 Graphic user interface
of the Auto_Die_Caster
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:2083–2107
be used as an input and output may be directly utilized for
further downstream applications like die manufacturing. The
functional modules and components of the system are shown
in Fig. 3 and a brief discussion is made in the following
paragraphs.
First module namely, data initialization deals with loading
of the part model and input of process data. The CAD model
of the part is first taken as input using graphic user interface
(GUI) of the system. A snapshot of the GUI of the system is
given in Fig. 4. The user needs to set the coordinate system to
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:2083–2107
orient the part model in such a way that Y/-Y direction
becomes parting direction of the part. The feature information
of the part is extracted and stored by the system for down-
stream activities. Thereafter, as has been shown in Fig. 5,
process parameter window prompts the user to input informa-
tion related to number of undercuts and their position, lot size,
delivery date, material, and die cost.
The Cavity Design module is responsible for setting shrink-
age rate and applying draft for die cast part. The shrinkage rate
depends upon the material being used in the die casting.
Similarly, the selection of draft also depends on many factors
influenced by the part material and its geometry. The
Auto_Die_Caster maintains a material database which along
with the die casting process information is used for selecting
appropriate shrinkage and draft. User has an option to either
accept shrinkage or draft suggested by the system; alternative-
ly, the user may enter a new value as per specific requirements.
This module is discussed in detail in Section 4.
The Cavity Layout and Die base Design module works for
the determination of number of cavities, selection of feeding
system and layout pattern, and orientation and placement of
multiple cavities by considering usual clearances and position
of undercut features. The number of cavities is determined by
considering comprehensive factors of delivery date, produc-
tion cost, selected machine, and geometrical limitations. The
feeding system and layout pattern is then selected by using die
casting die design knowledge. Finally, orientation and place-
ment of cavities is decided by considering different factors
like undercut position and clearances required. The die base
size is selected from the database of standard sizes available.
Output from this module is a CAD model of the containing
box enclosing all the cavities with applicable clearance.
Detailed discussion of this module is presented in Section 5.
Fig. 5 Input process data window
2089
The Core–Cavity Design module is responsible for de-
sign of core and cavity blocks for a multicavity die. The
design of side cores is also attempted in this module. First of
all, parting line is identified by the user by selecting the
edges. This is followed by creation of shut-off surfaces. The
system generates the parting surface by extruding the part-
ing lines. The core and cavity solids even for a multicavity
die can be generated in this module. The details of the core–
cavity design module are provided in Section 6.
In this section, we had made a brief discussion on four
modules of the system. First, data initialization is used for
loading part CAD files alongside inputting other required
information. In the following section, we make a detailed
discussion on other three modules of the system.
4 Cavity design
The cavity design module of the developed system consists
of two submodules Apply Shrinkage Allowance and Apply
Draft. These submodules of the Cavity Design module are
discussed in the following paragraphs.
4.1 Apply shrinkage allowance
Apply shrinkage allowance is a submodule, which has been
developed as a part of cavity design module. Role of this
submodule is to scale the part model to apply shrinkage
allowance. It is always advisable to apply a shrinkage al-
lowance to the die casting component to compensate for the
shrinkage of the solidified part due to difference between the
die temperature and the ambient temperature. The informa-
tion flow diagram for apply shrinkage allowance and apply
draft submodules is shown in Fig. 6.
The apply shrinkage submodule is developed by using
the “Scale” function of the SolidWorks API. Firstly, a ref-
erence point is selected which is nothing but centroid of the
part and then the part is scaled in the three orthogonal
directions by applying the shrinkage allowance. The shrink-
age rate depends upon the die casting alloy used and its
value is selected from the material database automatically.
The system maintains a database of die casting materials
which is sourced from [35, 36]. The proposed system is
flexible in the sense that the user has the option to either go
with the shrinkage allowance suggested by the system or to
provide any other desired rate. The evaluation of shrinkage
acceptance is left to the user for making appropriate deci-
sion. User may either proceed with system suggested shrink-
age value or choose the suitable shrinkage rate as per
requirement of processing condition.
A dialog box named “apply shrinkage allowance” is
displayed to execute this submodule. A snapshot of the
shrinkage allowance dialog box is shown in Fig. 7a. An
2090 Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:2083–2107

Load Part 4.2 Apply draft

Draft is the amount of taper or slope given to cores or other

Set Coordinate System parts of the die cavity to permit easy ejection of the casting
from the die casting die [33]. Draft is highly desirable on
Select Material surfaces parallel to the direction of die opening because it
Material
facilitates ejection by allowing the die cast part to be released
Database easily from the die. The values of draft angles are normally
Apply Shrinkage Allowance
defined by the degree of taper of a sidewall or rib [37]. This
draft requirement, expressed as an angle, is not uniform for
every part or alloy. It depends on many factors like type of
Yes Is Shrinkage
Acceptable?
wall (outside/inside/hole), depth of surface, and the die casting
alloy. Kim et al. [38] described the procedure for applying
No draft on cylindrical and conical surfaces. Subsequently, Yan et
Specify New Value of Shrinkage Allowance al. [39] proposed a method to automatically produce inclina-
tion on surfaces that require draft angles.
The recommended draft can be approximated by using
formulae [35] and same is used in the proposed system. One
Part with Shrinkage
Allowance
such formula used by the system is mentioned below.
p
A ¼ 57:2738=C L ½For calculation of draft angle
Apply Draft

Where

Yes Is Draft L Depth or height of feature parallel to die draw from

Acceptable?
No
Specify New Value of Draft Allowance
Part with Draft
Fig. 6 Information flow diagram of cavity design module
example part, on which shrinkage allowance was applied is
shown in Fig. 7b. After shrinkage allowance is applied, draft
allowance is provided to the part, procedure for which is
discussed in the next subsection.
parting line in inches
A Draft angle in degree
C Constant based on the type of feature and the die
casting alloy. Table 1 provides value of constant C for
different alloys and geometrical parameters
After shrinkage allowance has been applied, apply draft
submodule is activated and the user is prompted to provide
information required by the system. “Apply draft” submodule
of the cavity design module is used to apply draft to the faces
parallel to parting direction. A snapshot of the GUI of the
apply draft submodule is shown in Fig. 8. Auto_Die_Caster
prompts the user to provide required information about the
part and suggests a draft value for outside walls. The draft
value for inside walls is also determined by the system. This
application of draft on the part model is illustrated with the

Fig. 7 a Apply shrinkage

allowance dialog box; b an
example part with shrinkage
allowance
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:2083–2107 2091

Table 1 Values of constant “C”

by features and depth for Alloy Inside wall inches (mm) Outside wall inches (mm) Hole inches (mm)
standard tolerances [35]
Zinc/ZA 50 (9.90) 100 (19.80) 34 (6.75)
Magnesium 35 (7.00) 70 (14.00) 24 (4.76)
Aluminum 30 (6.00) 60 (12.00) 20 (4.68)
Copper 25 (4.90) 50 (9.90) 17 (3.33)

help of Fig. 9. The draft applied to inside walls is double that
of outside walls.
After part model is applied with shrinkage and draft, the
next activity is to decide about the number of cavities and to
arrange these in the die base, which is discussed in the next
section.
5 Cavity layout and die base design
It is always more economical to design a multicavity die so
that more number of components can be produced in a single
die casting process cycle. Using a multicavity die will reduce
cost of the product, besides increasing productivity.
Reinbacker [40] suggested that on a per cavity cost basis,
two cavities provide little saving, eight cavities cost 25 % less
and 64 cavities have an associated cost reduction of 60 %.
Deciding number of cavities depends upon several factors
related to time and cost in addition to manufacturing and
geometric limitations. Once the number of cavities is deter-
mined, these have to be placed in the die base as ingeniously
as possible in a particular pattern, which requires good knowl-
edge of die design. Preference of feeding system type also
affects selection of cavity layout and design of die base.
Design of cavity layout is crucial for deciding other down-
stream activities related to die design and manufacturing. A
few attempts made in the past [14, 15] for the cavity layout
and die base design, but most of these are limited to the use of
case-based approach and preloaded database. Use of genera-
tive approach for design of cavity layout has been given less
attention. Earlier, we have made an attempt to present a
generative system for computer aided cavity layout design
for die casting dies [22]. This module presents improvements
over the earlier system [22] by way of including selection of
type of feeding system and additional layout patterns.
The cavity layout and die base design module of the
Auto_Die_Caster consists of four submodules, which are men-
tioned below and are explained in the subsequent paragraphs.
& Determination of number of cavities
& Selection of types of feeding system and layout pattern
& Orientation and placement of cavities
& Die base design
5.1 Determination of number of cavities
This submodule is responsible for determination of economical
and feasible number of cavities by considering influencing

Neutral
Plane

Fig. 8 GUI for “Apply Draft” with part model and neutral plane position
2092
Fig. 9 Example part model
with draft on outside and inside
walls of the die cast part
factors like delivery date, production cost, machine con-
straints, and part geometric limitations. Detailed proce-
dure for selection of number of cavities can be found in
[22].
5.1.1 Selection of types of feeding system and layout pattern
This submodule helps to select type of feeding system which
is used to inject molten die casting alloy. Generally, central
feeding and bottom feeding systems are used for this purpose.
In central feeding system, the shot hole is positioned in the
center of the cavity half, while in bottom feeding system; the
shot hole is usually offset by a clearance distance from the
Fig. 10 Layout pattern used
in present system
a
Circular
Half-Circular
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:2083–2107
Neutral
Plane
Inside
wall
Outside
wall
center of the cavity half. Various types of bottom and central
feeding gating system are shown in Fig. 10.
Selection of types of feeding system depends upon die
casting alloys and types of die casting machine used. Hot
chamber machines are used for low melting point alloys (tin,
lead, and zinc) while for high melting point alloys (alumi-
num and copper) cold chamber machines are employed [35].
Interaction with die casting industries have revealed that
bottom feeding system is used in cold chamber die casting
machines only, while hot chamber die casting machines
employ both bottom feeding and central feeding systems.
The user has a choice to either go with suggested feeding
system to select the other one.
Series Symmetric
Central feeding system
In-Line Series
Bottom feeding system
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:2083–2107 2093

The procedure for selection of layout pattern is described in

Fig. 11 GUI for selection of layout pattern
Figure 11 shows snapshot of a window, by which selec-
tion of feeding system and layout pattern is sought from the
user. Types of layout patterns are discussed in the following
paragraphs.
Selection of layout pattern is linked with the selection of
type of feeding system. For central feeding system, types of
layout pattern used are circular, series and symmetric, while
for bottom feeding system inline, half-circular and series
pattern are used. These layout patterns are shown in Fig. 10.
the following paragraph.
In central feeding system, the rules as described in [22]
are followed. In bottom feeding system, both half circular
and inline layout pattern are used. The half circular pattern is
used in case of odd number of cavities, and inline pattern is
used in case of even number of cavities and when L/W<0
1.5. Here, L and W are the length and breadth of the part,
respectively. In case of even number of cavities, series
pattern is suggested. The user is provided with an option
to either go with suggested pattern type or to input another
value using GUI; this GUI is already shown in Fig. 11.
5.2 Orientation and placement of cavities
This submodule of the developed system is responsible for
the orientation of cavities in the die base. Use of well-
established rules and industrial practices is made to decide
this critical aspect [22]. For example, number of undercuts

Fig. 12 Information flow

diagram for cavity layout and Load 3-D Part
CAD File
die base design module Model

Part Feature
Data

Determine Number of Cavities

Machine &
Material
Database
Select Feeding System and
Layout Pattern

Clearance
Determine Orientations and Placement of
Database
Cavities

Is Possible
Layouts > 1?
No

Yes

Choose the Layout with Minimum Die-base Size

Design of Die-base Standard Die-

Base Database

Display Final Cavity

Layout Design
2094 Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:2083–2107

3 cavities

Die Base
Runner with 3
cavities

Biscuit
Fig. 13 A snapshot of output of cavity layout design module for a three cavity die with bottom feeding system

and their location puts a restriction on the orientation of
cavities. That side of the cavity, which contains undercut
feature, should be placed along outer edge of the die base.
Therefore, that side of the part, which does not contain an
undercut becomes candidate side for gate location.
Once orientation of individual cavities is finalized, the
next step is to provide clearance to accommodate feed
system (biscuit, runner, and overflow wells) and side cores.
A database of clearances has been developed after consult-
ing die casting industries, available literature [22, 36], and

Parting
Line

Fig. 14 GUI for parting line selection

Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:2083–2107 2095

Fig. 15 Information flow

diagram for core–cavity design User interface User
module

Load solid part model CAD File

Part feature
data

Default parting direction Y/-Y axis

1 Re-select

Select edges to create parting line

Wrong loop selection

Do selected
No
edges form a
closed loop?

Yes

Display created parting line

2
Is through No
undercut > 0?

Re-select Yes

Select inside edges of through undercut

Wrong loop selection

Do selected
No
edges form a
closed loop?

Yes

Display created patch surfaces

Create inside and outside shut-off surfaces

X
2096 Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:2083–2107

Fig. 15 (continued)
X

3
Create plane at highest point of parting line

Create rectangular sketch on this plane

Generate parting surface by extruding the parting line

Generate core-cavity halves by taking parting surfaces as split faces

Is through No
undercut > 0?

Yes

Select an undercut

Select or create an existing sketch for side-core generation

Extrude the sketch and split bodies

Generate side-core

No If all
undercuts
done?

Yes

5
Orient core-cavity halves of single-cavity as per selected layout pattern

Create bounding box for complete layout

Split bounding box along parting surface

Boolean operation to create final core-cavity blocks

Final core and cavity blocks for multi-cavities die with side-cores
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:2083–2107 2097

Core Shut-
off Surface

Part Model

Undercut
Undercut

Cavity Shut-
off Surface

Fig. 16 Snapshot for shut-off surface creation

by interviewing die designers and die makers. This database of placement of biscuit is applied. All possible arrangements for
clearances is used to achieve automated cavity layout design. orientation and placement of cavities are determined and one
For bottom feeding system, additional clearance of 100 mm for with minimum area is suggested by the system.

Generated
Side Core

Construction Selected
History Sketch ‘2’
Fig. 17 Side core design window of Auto_Die_Caster
2098
Undercut
Undercut
Fig. 18 Example die-cast part 1
5.3 Die base design
Once the cavity layout design is ready, same is used to
prepare CAD model of the die base. A die base is nothing
but a rectangular block of metal in which all the cavities are
placed. The die base is thereafter used to make core and
cavity halves of the die casting die. Furthermore, it was
found that instead of using suggested size of die base,
standard die base sizes are used in the industry. By using a
standard die base size, unnecessary machining is avoided,
which helps in reducing the machining cost. The proposed
system first determines minimum die base size, and there-
after next higher standard size of die base is selected.
Selected die base is then used to generate design of core
and cavity.
Fig. 19 The cavity layout design for example part 1
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:2083–2107
The information flow diagram for this module is pre-
sented in Fig. 12, while a discussion on its functioning
follows. As a first step in this module, number of cavities
are determined, which is followed by selection of the feed-
ing system and the layout pattern. Subsequently, the orien-
tation of cavities is decided on the basis of cavity layout
pattern and location of undercuts. Finally, size of the die
base is determined and the cavities are placed in the die base
by providing clearances.
The output from this module is a CAD model of the die
base, enclosing all the cavities with usual clearance. A
snapshot of the output of this module for an example part
is presented in Fig. 13. When referred to Fig. 13, the number
of cavities is 3 with inline pattern layout and bottom feeding
system.
The next step in the die casting die-design is to generate
CAD models of the major components of the multicavity
die, namely core, cavity, and side core. All these issues are
taken care of in the core–cavity design module of the sys-
tem, which is discussed in the next section.
6 Core–cavity design
This module of the developed system is responsible for
creation of core and cavity blocks for a multicavity die.
If required, side cores are also generated by the system. This
module consists of five submodules, namely parting line se-
lection, shut-off surface creation, core–cavity for single-cavity,
side core design, and core–cavity design for multicavities.
Containing
Box
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:2083–2107
These submodules are discussed in the following para-
graphs, while their information flow diagram is shown
in Fig. 14.
6.1 Parting line selection
Parting line selection submodule is used for selection of a
parting line for a given part interactively by using SolidWorks
software. The designer needs to select edges of the parting line
one by one on the part model. If selected edges form a closed
cycle, the system shows the message “parting line created
successfully” else the message of “wrong loop selection” is
displayed. A view of the parting line selection window is
shown in Fig. 14. Algorithm for selection of parting line is
shown in part I of Fig. 15.
6.2 Shut-off surface creation
Undercut(s) may be present in some of the die cast parts.
Those regions of the part which form the undercut(s) cannot
Super
Core
Cavities
(4)
Super
Cavity
Fig. 20 Multicavity core and cavity along-with side cores for example part 1
2099
be realized by the core or cavity and need a special tool,
which is known as side core. Sometimes, the undercut
feature may be a through hole. This creates a through
passage from the undercut region to the core or the cavity
region. The undercut(s) therefore need to be separated from
the regions to be covered by core and cavity. This is done by
creating an imaginary surface or a patch at the interface of
the undercut region with core or cavity. This surface creation
is done automatically by using fill surface command,
wherein the user is prompted to select inner edges of
undercut feature. Purpose of creating this patch is to
facilitate formation of shut-off surfaces. A shut-off surface is
nothing but a surface formed by stitching all the core side
surfaces (core shut-off surface) and cavity side surfaces (cav-
ity shut-off surface) of the part.
The Mold Tool which is an application of SolidWorks
software is used for the purpose of creating shut-off surfa-
ces. The algorithm for shut-off surface creation is shown in
part 2 of Fig. 15. The core and cavity shut-off surfaces for a
part model are shown in Fig. 16.
Side-cores
2100
Undercut
Side
Fig. 21 Example die-cast part 2
6.3 Core–cavity generation for a single-cavity
Core–cavity generation for a single-cavity submodule is
used for generation of core and cavity halves for a single-
cavity die. The single core–cavity halves so generated are
utilized in later steps of this module to generate multicavity
core and cavity. Sequence of steps followed in this submodule
is as follows.
& Create a plane at highest point of parting line.
& Draw a rectangular sketch on this plane, whose size equals
maximum projected dimensions of the die cast part.
& This rectangular sketch is offset by applicable clearances.
& Parting surface is created by extruding the parting line
beyond this rectangular sketch.
Fig. 22 The cavity layout design for example part 2
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:2083–2107
& This rectangular sketch is extruded in bidirection to
create solid box around part model.
& Thereafter, the die cast part is divided into core and cavity
halves by taking parting surface as the dividing surface.
& Lastly, cavity and core halves are generated by using
subtraction operation (Boolean) between solid box and
core and cavity halves of the part. Core and cavity shut-
off surfaces are used to separate core and cavity halves
of the part from undercuts.
The algorithm pertaining to this submodule is shown in
part 3 of the Fig. 15. The output from this submodule is used
as an input to next step of the die design process, i.e., side
core design.
6.4 Side core design
This submodule of the core–cavity design module is used
for generating side core(s) for a single-cavity. The direction
of side core removal is the same as that selected by the user
in input process data window during data initialization. The
steps used in this submodule are mentioned below (Fig. 17).
& First, a plane parallel to parting direction is created on
that side of die cast part where undercut is present.
& The user needs to select outer edges of the undercut
feature and undercut withdrawal direction. These select-
ed edges form a closed loop of edges.
& This closed loop of edges is extruded up to the plane,
which was created in first step of this submodule.
Containing
Box
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:2083–2107
& To generate side cores, split feature of SolidWorks are
used to create multiple bodies from a single body.
6.5 Multicavity core and cavity generation
6.5.1 Relationship between single-cavity and multicavity
We have discussed in Section 1 that in a single-cavity die
only one part is produced in a die casting processing cycle.
However, a multicavity die, has a number of identical
impressions, which are generally arranged in a particular
layout pattern. A multicavity die is used to produce number
of parts in a single die casting processing cycle. These
identical impressions, also known as cavities are connected
with a gating system, which is used to feed all cavities. The
layout pattern in which the cavities could be arranged has
already been discussed in Section 5. For generating a
Super
Core
Cavities
(6)
Side-
cores
Super
Cavity
Fig. 23 Multicavity core and cavity along-with side cores for example part 2
2101
multicavity die, details of a single cavity are first figured
out, which are then utilized for design of multicavities in a
definite relationship. This relationship between a single-
cavity and multicavities is outlined in the following points.
& Parting surface, which is the surface, dividing the cavity
into core and cavity halves remains the same in single
cavity and multicavity.
& The undercut features, which are recognized for a single
cavity, are also applicable for the multicavity.
& The individual cavities in a multicavity die are placed in
the die base in such a way that there is sufficient clear-
ance distance between any two adjacent cavities.
& In, single- and multicavity die, the clearance distance
between a cavity and edges of the die base remain the
same.
& Same shrinkage rate and draft rules are applicable in
both single- and multicavity.
Side-
cores
2102
Fig. 24 Cylinder head cover
6.5.2 Generation of multicavity die
This submodule of the core–cavity design module provides
final output in the form of a CAD model of core and cavity
for a multicavity die. Core and cavity CAD models are can
be directly used for process planning and manufacturing of
the die. The steps followed in this submodule to generate
multicavity core–cavity using single-cavity core–cavity are
mentioned below.
& This submodule takes output of previous submod-
ule, core–cavity generation for a single-cavity, as
input.
Fig. 25 The cavity layout design for cylinder head cover with bottom feeding system
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:2083–2107
& First, single-cavity core–cavity halves are patterned as
per previously determined number of cavities in the
selected layout pattern.
& This complete arrangement is enclosed inside a bound-
ing box with applicable clearances on all six sides
ðþ=  X ; þ=  Y ; þ=  Z directionÞ.
& This bounding box is then split along parting surface
into two halves.
& Boolean operation is performed to subtract all single-
cavity core-halves from upper half of bounding box to
form a supercore.
& Similarly, all single-cavity cavity-halves are subtracted
from lower half of bounding box. Subsequently, all side
cores are also subtracted from resulting solid to form a
supercavity. Supercore and supercavity are the final core
and cavity halves for multicavity die.
One example of multicavity core and cavity blocks
alongwith side core is shown in an exploded view in
Fig. 20.
7 System implementation and results
An automated system for die casting die design has
been developed by using API of SolidWorks [34] with
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:2083–2107
Windows XP operating system. An API is a particular set of
rules and specifications that any CAD system can follow to
communicate with design of any component. It serves as an
interface between different software programs and facilitates
their interaction, similar to the way the user interface facili-
tates interaction between humans and computers [34]. Object-
orientated programming approach has been used with
Microsoft Visual Basic.NET (VB.NET) language.
The geometrical information of the part such as projected
area, wall thickness, longest part depth, number of undercuts
and their location is the only information to be provided by
the user. Also user has to provide data related to delivery
date, lot size, and total production time along with the part
material. Developed system has been tested on a number of
parts including those that have undercut features. To dem-
onstrate the capabilities of the proposed system, results
obtained from the system for four die cast parts are being
presented in the following case studies.
Fig. 26 Multicavity core and cavity for cylinder head cover
2103
7.1 Case study 1: example part 1
The die cast part taken in this case study is shown in Fig. 18.
This part is having the characteristics of: zinc alloy material,
two undercut features in the selected parting direction and
envelope size of 180×90×40 mm (length×breadth×height).
Results generated by Auto_Die_Caster for this case study
are presented in Fig. 19. The system was able to generate a
cavity layout arrangement in which undercuts were lying on
outer sides. The number of cavities determined by the system
in this case study is four and the layout pattern is symmetric
with central feeding system. Four numbers of cavities is the
maximum possible when a die casting part is having undercuts
on two sides. Envelope size for single cavity in this case is
218×128×120 mm, while size of the die base is 519×519×
120 mm. The die layout generated in this case study is also
satisfying the condition of minimum die base size require-
ments. The standard die base size selected by the system is
Super
Core
Cavities
(4)
Super
Cavity
2104
Fig. 27 Example part 4 clutch center
546×546×140 mm. CAD models of supercore, supercavity,
and side cores generated by the system in this case are pre-
sented in Fig. 20 in an exploded view.
7.2 Case study 2: example part 2
The die cast part taken in this case study is shown in Fig. 21.
This part is having the characteristics of: ZA alloy material, one
undercut features in the selected parting direction and envelope
size of 138.97×119.26×72 mm (length×breadth×height).
Fig. 28 The cavity layout design for clutch center with bottom feeding system
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:2083–2107
Results generated by Auto_Die_Caster for this case study
are presented in Fig. 22. The system was able to generate a
cavity layout arrangement in which undercuts were lying on
outer sides. The number of cavities determined by the sys-
tem in this case study is six and the selected layout pattern is
series with central feeding system. Envelope size for single
cavity in this case is 176.97×157.26×152 mm, while size of
the die base is 716.91×471.52×152 mm. The die layout
generated in this case study is also satisfying the condition
of minimum die base size requirements. The standard die
base size selected by the system was 796×496×170 mm.
The CAD models of supercore, supercavity, and side cores
generated by the system in this case are presented in Fig. 23
in an exploded view.
7.3 Case study 3: cylinder head cover
The die cast part taken in this case study is of an automotive
part named cylinder head cover, which is shown in Fig. 24.
This part is having the characteristics of: aluminum alloy
material, no undercut features in the selected parting direc-
tion and envelope size of 82.8× 65.3 ×15 mm (length×
breadth×height).
Results generated by Auto_Die_Caster for this case study
are presented in Fig. 25. The number of cavities determined
by the system in this case study is four and the selected
layout pattern is series with bottom feeding system. Envelope
size for single cavity in this case is 120.8×103.3×95 mm
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:2083–2107
while size of the die base is 490.6×355.6×95 mm. The die
layout generated in this case study is also satisfying the
condition of minimum die base size requirements. The stan-
dard die base size selected by the system was 496×396×
115 mm. The CAD models of supercore and supercavity
generated by the system in this case are presented in Fig. 26
in an exploded view.
7.4 Case study 4: clutch center
The die cast part taken in this case study of an automotive part
named clutch center, which is shown in Fig. 27. The part taken
in this case study is having the characteristics of: aluminum
alloy material, no undercut features in the selected parting
Fig. 29 Multicavity core and cavity for clutch center
2105
direction and envelope size of 67.8×67.8×50 mm (length×
breadth×height).
Results generated by Auto_Die_Caster for this case study
are presented in Fig. 28. The number of cavities determined
by the system in this case study is five and the selected
layout pattern is half-circular with bottom feeding system.
Envelope size for single cavity in this case is 105.8×105.8×
130 mm, while size of the die base is 585.6 × 576.7 ×
130 mm. The die layout generated in this case study is also
satisfying the condition of minimum die base size require-
ments. The standard die base size selected by the system
was 596×596×150 mm. CAD models of supercore and
supercavity generated by the system in this case are pre-
sented in Fig. 29 in an exploded view.
Super
Core
Cavities
(5)
Super
Cavity
2106
In each of the example parts discussed above, number of
cavities determined by the system is sufficient to meet the
delivery time. Although more number of cavities could have
been geometrically possible for these example parts, same is
not explored by the system to make proper use of manufac-
turing resources, namely the die casting machines.
The present system depends upon a knowledge base, which
is developed with the help of available literature and guide-
lines provided by the industry experts. Opinions of industrial
experts were taken to verify results. Furthermore, enough
flexibility has been provided in the system for the user to alter
suggested decisions interactively, which makes the system
quite useful under practical situations.
8 Conclusions
A system named Auto_Die_Caster has been presented
which can be used for design of a multicavity die casting
die. It uses CAD model of the part as a SolidWorks part file
along with user interaction to generate CAD files of core,
cavity, and side cores for a multicavity die casting die in an
automated fashion. The API toolkit of SolidWorks along
with VB.NET programming is used to develop this system.
Proposed system is an effort to integrate die casting die
design application into existing CAD software.
The developed system is able to perform several die design
steps in very less time and with some interaction from the user.
The system is divided into four modules of: data initialization,
cavity design, cavity layout and die base design, and core–
cavity design. The cavity design module is responsible for
setting shrinkage rate and providing draft. Cavity layout and
die base design module determines optimal but feasible num-
ber of cavities and places them in the die base. The core–
cavity design module generates CAD models of core and
cavity block with side cores for a multicavity die. Use of
databases of alloy, machine, clearances and standard die bas-
es, along with die casting die design rules make this system
least dependent on the die design expert; the system alongside
reduces lead time for producing a die cast part. The CAD files
of different parts of the die such as core, cavity, and side core,
generated by the system can be subsequently used for
computer-aided manufacturing. Proposed system can there-
fore be used as an add-on application of SolidWorks which can
be further extended to other CAD packages like CATIA, Pro/
E or NX.
Since SolidWorks is proprietary software, some of the data
extraction from CAD file of the part is not feasible, which was
therefore taken as input from the user. Furthermore, lot of
efforts has been made by the researchers, to address the issues
of undercut feature identification [5, 6, 9, 10, 29, 30] and side
core design [25, 28–33]. Identification of undercut features
and their location in an automated manner would make the
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2013) 67:2083–2107
system more useful and increase the level of automation.
Although, present research work focuses on important steps
for designing a multicavity die casting die, i.e., cavity design,
cavity layout and die base design, and core–cavity design with
side cores; it does not address complete die design sequence.
To achieve a complete die design, more functionalities need to
be implemented, such as gating system design, cooling system
design, ejection system design, etc., which need further re-
search and development. We intend to make improvements in
the system in these directions to increase its usefulness.
Acknowledgments This paper is part of the research project titled
“Automated Design of Die from part Product Model”. We are thankful
to All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) which has
funded this project under Research Proposal Scheme vide grant no.
8023/BOR/RID/RPS-146/2008-09 dated March 12, 2009 to Mechanical
Engineering Department of SLIET, Longowal, Punjab, India. We are also
thankful to Er. Abhinav Krishan Mittal, Junior Research Fellow,
M.N.I.T., Jaipur for extending help in VB.NET programming.
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