Logistic Regression and Response Surface Design for Statistical Modeling of Investment Casting Process in Metal Foam Production

A metal foam represents a promising material since it keeps the high mechanical properties of the metal while reducing the weight up to 90%. Among several manufacturing processes, the investment casting is a foundry process flexible enough to be suitable both for stochastic and for regular foams. This paper presents an experimental determination of the manufacturing process of metal regular foams by investment casting. The goal is to derive experimentally an actual formability map. The use of logistic regression and response surface design is proposed as an effective tool for determining a statistical model of the metal foam casting process.