Successful THERCAST® International User Meeting

New Features THERCAST® 8.2, turbulence, a priori and a posteriori sensors, modeling methodologies..

Successful THERCAST® International User Meeting

Dr. Olivier Jaouen, THERCAST® Product Manager, Transvalor

Transvalor organized the first THERCAST® International User Meeting the 30th and 31st March 2015 at the Novotel Montfleury Hotel in Cannes, France.

For the first time, Transvalor invited all THERCAST® users to participate. Attendees came from France, Italy, UK, Sweden, Czech Republic, India, Korea and China and contributed to make this conference a great success.

The purpose of this event was twofold. On one hand, it allowed Transvalor to present new software features and on the other hand it was an outstanding opportunity to network, not only between Transvalor and its customers but also between customers themselves. Indeed, during the conference many presentations were submitted by THERCAST® users.

The last version THERCAST® 8.2 was released in February to all customers and represents a major upgrade of the software. It includes a new comprehensive model of the flow characteristics based on real viscosity data, making it possible to predict the rheological behavior of the melt during the casting processes, as well as during solidification, with a much higher degree of precision.
Another remarkable feature is the level of accuracy which was achieved for the simulation of the microstructure during heat treatments. The results thus comprehensively match real-world conditions.

Regarding medium term developments, the CEMEF (Center of Material Forming) presented advanced research projects jointly conducted with Transvalor through different PhD thesis. Related results will be implemented in THERCAST® within the next few years. The following topics will be investigated in order to improve the current version, taking into account industrial requests:
> A new model to simulate mold flux or slag behavior,
> Grain sedimentation impact on segregation prediction,
> Grain structure and columnar equiaxe transition model,
> Electromagnetism in casting processes like EMS in continuous casting, VAR, ESR, etc.

All user presentations highlighted the return on investment achieved by using THERCAST® 8.2:
> to design a methodology able to model the pinch rolls of a round continuous caster;
> to optimize the taper in primary cooling as well as control bulging in secondary cooling in slab casting context;
> to increase productivity of the vertical continuous casting machine with the software;
> to show how THERCAST® 8.2 allows ingot and continuous casting accurate simulations, matching with conditions of the real process.

Parallel workshop sessions for continuous and ingot casting issues were organized. These workshops were a good opportunity to gain deeper insight into software functionalities in order to treat specific topics through illustrated cases in small discussion groups. Among them, the enhanced tool dedicated to caster setting in continuous casting has been introduced. Also phase change and heat treatment modules were presented.

As a conclusion of this first User Meeting, it appeared clearly from the users that numerical simulation with THERCAST® 8.2 has become a key factor in improving competitiveness. Through its capabilities to solve problems associated with casting processes, it drastically reduces manufacturing costs and and engineering time.
Participants appreciated the presented new features of the software and took advantage of the networking opportunities. Results of the survey showed a 97% satisfaction for this first event!

If you are interested in further information on Thercast 8.2, receiving the presentations of the User Meeting, or receiving the announcement of the next THERCAST® International User Meeting, please contact Octavia Reimbold (Marketing Department): octavia.reimbold@transvalor.com.

TRANSVALOR, a scientific software editor and service provider headquartered in France, provides manufacturing and engineering intelligence to a wide range of industries such as automotive, aerospace, energy, medical, oil and gas and many others. It has developed an extensive suite of cutting edge simulation software for materials science that addresses a wide and varied range of forming processes for metallic solid and liquid materials as well as for polymers: FORGE® for hot, warm and cold metal forming, COLDFORM® for cold metal forming, THERCAST® for casting applications and REM3D® for plastic injection molding.

Kontakt
TRANSVALOR
Octavia Reimbold
694, av du Dr. Maurice Donat – Parc de Haute Technologie
F-06255 Mougins Cedex
+33 (0)4 9292 4203
octavia.reimbold@transvalor.com
http://www.transvalor.com/en/