AFS Corporate Member Craft Pattern & Mold is now running casting process simulation software from EKK. EKKcapcast is a powerful, finite element tool that analyzes both mold flow and solidification behavior of ferrous and non-ferrous alloys. 

“The software greatly enhances our ability to deliver parts quickly,” said General Manager Steve Shade. “By allowing our engineers to model and prove out gating and riser designs prior to tooling build or 3D printing of sand molds, problem areas can be identified and addressed early in the design cycle. This leads to higher confidence in the gating system to yield defect-free castings the first time.”  

The company is adapting the technology into its prototype operations and to date has performed process simulation for over 60 jobs, as well as reverse engineering on jobs that had previously posed challenges prior to in-house simulation, said Tooling Design Engineer Aaron Burdick.

 “The big validation method we’ve used is NDT,” said Burdick. “Now, we can compare with the X-rays and section results on previous jobs where we had failures and can look for correlations with the software. Our confidence keeps growing with every job.”

A smooth, two-and-a-half-month onboarding process with the company’s tooling and process engineer, Isaiah Traaseth, was facilitated by abundant technical support from EKK, Shade said.  

With a deep bench of casting expertise on staff at Craft, Shade noted there are, nonetheless, some things that can’t be foreseen. 

“We can have a lot of unknowns during startup,” said Shade, “and some things that we’ve made educated guesses on as far as gating and rigging––the software affords us the ability to put more science to it.

“EKKcapcast is a validation tool that allows us to get to a good part quicker––that’s the ultimate goal, having out-of-the-gate, first-time success, improving the lead time in the prototype business. The big issue is delivery and time and improving the overall quality of the parts.”

Burdick added the new software also enables the team to better consult with their prototype customers about the best path forward for part production––helping their production foundry get to the finish line faster by reducing steps in sampling and gating adjustment, and, he said, getting it right the first time.