Iterative Mold Adaptation for Pre‐Compensation of Warpage in Aluminum Casting
ABSTRACT As a result of uneven cooling and internal stresses, warpage is a significant challenge in metal casting, particularly when using metal dies. Previous research has sought to reduce warpage by adjusting process parameters, such as the extraction temperature. An alternative approach involves modifying the mold cavity shape to compensate for expected deformation. While this compensation is often based on experience, numerical design optimization offers a systematic alternative. Various optimization methods have been developed for injection molding, but their application to metal casting remains less explored. In this study, we apply and compare two warpage compensation methods in metal casting: the reverse geometry method and a shape optimization‐based approach. Both methods were initially developed for injection molding. We perform coupled thermomechanical simulations using the commercial software Abaqus. Each method is evaluated based on how it adapts the geometry, and we analyze their respective strengths and limitations across different scenarios. Using a simple test geometry, our results demonstrate that the reverse geometry method performs better regarding warpage reduction and computational costs, while the shape optimization‐based method offers superior generalization.
Authors
- B. Pustal
- Stefanie Elgeti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4474-1666)
- S. Gor (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8672-7475)
- Steffen Tillmann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5895-0406)
- Andreas Bührig‐Polaczek
Institutions
- TU Wien (AT)
- RWTH Aachen University (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- PAMM
- Published
- 2026-01-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/pamm.70057
- Primary Topic
- Injection Molding Process and Properties
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- RWTH Aachen University