Research on Lightweight Optimization for Clamping Molding Tail Plate of Large Scale Die Casting Machine

Abstract

In this paper the clamping moulding tail plate of a large die casting machine, which is the key component of clamping mechanism, was studied through variable density topology method based on SIMP to achieve weight reduction. Virtual prototype of the clamping mechanism was firstly developed. The actual load on the tail plate was simulated through multibody dynamic and the strength of the original structure was calculated and verified using Finite Element Analysis. Together with the consideration of actual manufacturing issues two optimization models were built up. Two topology optimizations of the models were carried out by setting optimized parameters and based on the cell density contours the final optimized structural models were designed. After the optimization, the weight was reduced by 4.42 tones with the ratio of 17.9%. Results showed that the new designs were significantly improved regarding economic and manufacturability and it is a guideline for lightweight design of other equipment.