The design and additive manufacturing of an eco-friendly mold utilized for high productivity based on conformal cooling optimization

This study proposes an eco-friendly (ECO) mold that is fabricated using the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) method, which utilizes a three-dimensional (3D) cooling channel. Unlike previous studies, we designed surface-type conformal cooling channels (CCC) based on the design concept for additive manufacturing, at a constant depth corresponding to the casting part. Pin fins were installed inside the surface-type cooling channels and aligned through numerical analysis to induce the turbulence of the coolant uniformly through the cooling channel while generating less thermal stress during solidification of the as-cast Al-Si alloy-based product, which increased the cooling efficiency of the proposed ECO mold. Moreover, the ECO mold was utilized to cast an automobile piston to demonstrate its feasibility at an industrial level. The results showed that, the casting process decreased significantly from 133 to 105 s per piston (21% reduction) compared to the conventional mold with a single columnar cooling channel. Additionally, the average grain size of the ECO mold decreased from 502 to 398 lm. The ultimate tensile strength and Rockwell hardness increased by 12.5% and 5.5%, respectively. (C) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Automated summary

This study proposes an eco-friendly mold fabricated using the laser powder bed fusion method with a three-dimensional cooling channel design. The mold features surface-type conformal cooling channels with installed pin fins to enhance cooling efficiency and reduce thermal stress during solidification. Experimental results show a reduced casting process time, decreased grain size, and improved ultimate tensile strength and hardness compared to the conventional mold.