Study of the filling mechanism and parameter optimization method for vacuum casting.

Warpage is the most common quality defect in parts produced by vacuum casting (VC). In this paper, the VC process and mold filling mechanism are analyzed, and a mathematical model of the filling process is constructed, incorporating fluid dynamical relationships. The filling process is simulated using a numerical simulation algorithm. A warpage optimization strategy combining response surface methodology (RSM) with the artificial fish-swarm algorithm (AFSA) is then proposed, in which the main function of the RSM is to fit the relationship between process parameters and warpage, while that of the ASFA is to obtain the optimized process parameters. Finally, the implementation of the optimization strategy is presented in detail, together with a specific example, and simulations and a real experiment are carried out. The experimental results verify the accuracy of the model and the reliability of the algorithm. In conclusion, the optimization method can reduce the warpage of VC parts and improve product quality, providing a reliable new low-cost method for optimizing the process parameters in VC technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]