High-pressure die casting process optimization for improving shrinkage porosity and air entrainment in carburetor housing with aluminum alloy using Taguchi-based ProCAST simulation and MADM-based overall quality index

Many practical high-pressure die casting process (HPDCP) optimization problems are multi-objective optimization ones that optimize multiple quality attributes of castings, simultaneously. This paper proposed a new HPDCP optimization method for improving volume of shrinkage porosity (VSP) and air entrainment (AE) using Taguchi-based ProCAST simulation and multi-attribute decision-making (MADM)-based overall quality index. Taguchi orthogonal array was used to design ProCAST simulation experiment. MADM was used to convert multiple quality attributes into a single overall quality index (OQI). Taguchi optimization method was used to determine the optimal HPDCP parameters to maximize the OQI. By using the proposed method, this paper determined the optimal HPDCP parameters such as pouring temperature (PT), filling rate in shot sleeve (FR), piston velocity (PV) and preheating mold temperature (PMT) for improving the VSP and AE in carburetor housing with aluminum alloy AlSi9Cu1Mg. The optimal HPDCP parameters were PT of 640 °C, FR of 40%, PV of 6.5 m/s, and PMT of 150 °C. The PT was the most effective HPDCP parameter for improving the VSP and AE, and the next were FR, PV, and PMT. The proposed method could be actively applied to not only HPDCP but also other casting processes and other manufacturing processes.