Study of two alternative cooling systems of a mold insert used in die casting process of light alloy components

A mold insert is an important component of the molds commonly used in die casting processes. Its purpose is to realize particular shapes in castings, like cavities and undercuts. It is also used for improving the cooling system in some critical areas. Each insert has at least one simple cooling channel for controlling the thermal state of the mold and for cooling every hot spot efficiently. The severe cyclical thermal conditions, together with the mechanical stresses due at first to the molten metal cast in the shape and then due to the solidified casting, submit the insert to thermomechanical fatigue. The thermomechanical fatigue is the main cause of the cracks observed on insert surfaces after a certain number of cycles, which makes the component unusable and requests its substitution. This circumstance has a negative influence on direct and indirect costs. In this case, the phenomenon has been studied on a mold insert used for realizing an oil drain channel in an aluminum alloy cylinder block made through die casting process. The aim of the present work is to determinate the zones which are mostly subjected to high temperature and high thermal gradients and to design and analyze a more efficient cooling system by using conformal channels on the same insert realized in additive manufacturing.