Finite-Element Software is suited for foundry simulation.
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Press Release Summary:
Including local microstructure calculations, ProCAST 2006 predicts porosity by taking into account graphite expansion phenomenon in nodular cast iron. Software uses Geomesh, geometry analysis, and repair tool to reduce meshing time of models and allows use of industrial native CAD file formats. In addition to parallel processing of mold filling and solidification, ProCAST 2006 also features fully parallelized stress module that lets complete casting process to be simulated in hours.
Original Press Release:
ESI Group Releases New Version of Procast Casting Simulation Software with Quicker Processing and Boosted Performance
Chicago, October 19, 2006
ESI Group has just released ProCAST 2006, the leading finite-element software package for foundry simulation. This new version brings additional new features in meshing, processing capabilities, and numerous improvements in product performance. The ProCAST solutions include automatic mesh generation, thermal analysis with radiation effects, flow analysis for mold filing, fully coupled thermal, flow and stress analysis, and advanced metallurgical options.
ProCAST 2006 can predict porosity by taking into account graphite expansion phenomenon in nodular cast iron. Indeed, in this specific material the formation of graphite nodules during solidification leads to a volume expansion. The capacity of ProCAST 2006 to couple local microstructure calculations with porosity predictions is a real benefit for the cast iron industry.
This new version offers an important improvement over the former version: The meshing time for models that previously took hours to complete, now takes only minutes. This improvement is also due to the use of Geomesh, the ESI Group tool for geometry analysis and repair, whose interface allows the use of major industrial native CAD files formats.
Parallel processing of mold filling and solidification was already included in the previous ProCAST release. With this new ProCAST 2006 version, the stress module is now fully parallelized, allowing the complete casting process to be simulated in hours.
"The ProCAST 2006 version is a clear sign of ESI Group's commitment to provide:
1. state-of-the-art software capabilities to the casting industry allowing full coupling between filling, solidification, stress, porosity and microstructural features and
2. allowing even the most complex processes to be simulated overnight, providing foundries with the capacity to test more mold designs in less time," says Marco Gremaud, Casting Solutions Product Manager, ESI Group.
ESI Group's Casting Solution:
Casting process simulation is now widely accepted as an important tool in product design and process development to improve casting yield and quality. ESI Group's casting portfolio includes ProCAST, the market leading finite element solution for casting process simulation, CALCOSOFT, for fast and efficient modeling of continuous casting processes and PAM-QUIKCAST, the finite difference solution for casting process evaluation. ProCAST 2005 received the European Technology Leadership of the Year Award from Frost & Sullivan.
About ESI Group:
ESI Group is a world-leading supplier, and a pioneer of digital simulation software for prototyping and manufacturing processes that take into account the physics of materials. ESI Group has developed an extensive suite of coherent, industry oriented applications to realistically simulate a product's behavior during testing, to fine-tune manufacturing processes in accordance with desired product performance, and evaluate the environment's impact on product performance. ESI Group's products, which have a proven track record in manufacturing and have been combined in multi-trade value chains, represent a unique collaborative and open virtual engineering solution known as the Virtual Try-Out Space (VTOS), enabling virtual prototypes to be improved in a continuous and collaborative manner. This integrated protocol allows all the company's solutions to work with each other and with applications developed by independent software vendors. By significantly reducing costs and development lead times and enabling product/process synergies, VTOS solutions offer major competitive advantage by progressively eliminating the need for physical prototypes during product development. The company generated sales of $80 million in 2005, employs over 500 high-level specialists worldwide covering more than 30 countries. ESI Group is listed in Eurolist compartment C of Euronext Paris.
For further information, please contact:
Nathalie David-Franc
Press Relations
99, rue des Solets
Parc d'Affaires Silic BP
68801 RUNGIS
France
Tel: +33 (0) 1 41 73 58 35
Fax: +33 (0) 1 46 87 72 02
E-mail: nathalie.david-franc@esi-group.com
Web: www.esi-group.com
