Finite element modeling of the lost foam casting process tackling back‐pressure effects

Purpose – To develop a numerical methodology to simulate the lost foam casting (LFC), including the gas back-pressure effects. Design/methodology/approach – Back-pressure effects are due to the interactions of many physical processes. The strategy proposed herein tries to model all these processes within a simple formula. The main characteristic of the model consists of assuming that the back-pressure is a known function of the external parameters (coating, temperature, gravity, etc.) that affects directly the heat transfer coefficient from the metal to the foam. The general framework of the simulation is a finite element model based on an arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) approach and the use of level set function to capture the metal front advance. Findings – After experimental tunings, the model provides a way to include the back-pressure effects in a simple way. Research limitations/implications – The method is not completely predictive in the sense that a priori tuning is necessary to calibrate the model. Practical implications – Provides more realistic results than classical models. Originality/value – The paper proposes a theoretical framework of a finite element method for the simulation of LFC process. The method uses an ALE method on a fixed mesh and a level-set function to capture metal front advance. It proposes an original formula for the heat transfer coefficient that enables one to include back-pressure effect