Evaluation of Heating Technologies for Thermal Management of Permanent Molds

Thermal management can play a pivotal role in the production of high-quality castings and the reduction of production cycle time by ensuring desired solidification patterns during dynamic casting processes such as permanent mold and die-casting processes. While coolants are widely employed for rapid heat dissipation, one also needs to heat the mold for subsequent casting cycles which can be accomplished by various heating technologies. In this work, heat transfer characteristics of heating technologies are quantitatively evaluated both experimentally and by modeling and finite element simulation. Quantified heat transfer values, including thermal kinetics, heat flux, and heat transfer coefficients, are utilized to benchmark various heating technologies across foundry-relevant conditions. Experimentally obtained heat transfer inputs are validated with finite element modeling to accurately predict transient thermal gradients and temperature profiles in the molds for effective thermal management. The analyses presented provide practical guidelines for industry in selecting efficient heating technologies with advantages, limitations, and recommended use cases for mold thermal management.