Systematic approach for automated determination of parting line for die-cast parts

• Presents an approach for automated determination of parting line for die-cast parts.
• Considers the die-casting process requirements, which is in addition to the part geometry.
• Classifies part surfaces, and identifies protrusions, undercuts and parting line regions.
• Selects most suitable parting line from the feasible alternatives using qualitative criteria.
• It is a major step towards design–manufacturing integration of the die-casting process.

The parting line decision for die-cast parts is a non-trivial task, which depends upon a number of factors related to the part geometry and the die-casting process requirements. This is a crucial decision which not only affects the design and manufacturing of the die-casting die but the part manufacturing as well. Normally, a die-casting die-design expert invests a lot of time, effort and resources to take this decision, which affects the part manufacturing lead time and cost. A systematic approach for automated determination of the parting line for die-cast parts is presented in this paper. Unlike the previous systems, which consider part geometric factors only, the system proposed in this paper also considers the die-casting process requirements to determine the parting line in a systematic and automated manner. Here we discuss classification of the die-cast part surfaces, identification of undercuts and protrusions, identification of parting line regions, and determination of the parting line. The system generates a number of feasible parting lines in a given parting direction after applying the die-casting process requirements. Finally, the most suitable parting line is determined from the feasible parting lines considering the industry best practices. The results obtained from the system are similar to those of the industry. The proposed system would prove to be a major step towards automation of the die-casting die design, leading to design–manufacturing integration of the die-casting process.