VIRCAST: The virtual cast house - development of a process chain model of aluminium direct chill casting of tailored products

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 99.0644-2

Key words (English)

Aluminium; DC casting; numerical simulation; hot tearing; microstructures; homogenisation; precipitation;
Industrial Manufacture; Materials Technology

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: CT-1999-00153

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 5. Frame Research Programme - 1.3.1 Innovative products, processes and organization

Short description (English)

See abstract

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Alusuisse (CH), Calcom (CH), Corus (NL), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (CH), Elkem (NO), Hydro Aluminium (NO), Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble (F), Institut National Polytechnique de Lorraine (F), Institut for Energiteknikk (NO), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NO), Péchiney (F), Sintef (NO), VAW (D)

Abstract (English)

The project aims at providing European aluminium producers with a powerful tool, the 'Virtual Cast House', a process chain model, which will make process optimisation in the cast house more efficient and economical. With this tool the cast housekeep their present competitiveness by providing tailored products of superior quality to its customers with minimum environmental impact on the European society. It will be the tool to give the cast houses the means to change the metal basis of high quality products from a primary metal alloy systems to a more recycled material base. The project brings together six major European aluminium producers, six leading universities and research institutes and one software developer. Fully integrated models will be developed for hot tearing and microstructure development during casting and homogenisation, which are the phenomena that determine the productivity and product quality. The models will be verified by laboratory and full-scale experiments.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 99.0644-2