The water-meter shell has a complex-structured thin-walled cavity, and it can cause casting defects such as shrinkage and misrun. On the basis of structural analysis of a water-meter shell, a three-dimensional model and a finite element model of the water-meter shell were constructed using the SOLIDWORKS and ProCAST software as a modeling tool and a casting numerical simulation tool, respectively. Three processes associated with the bottom gating system without a riser, a step gating system with a preliminary riser, and a step gating system with an optimum riser were successively numerically simulated. The mold-filling sequence, temperature distribution, liquid-phase distribution during solidification, and shrinkage distribution of these three processes are discussed here. The numerical simulation results indicated that optimization of the casting process and the rational assembling of the riser led to the shrinkage volumes at the inlet position, regulating sleeve, and sealing ring of the water-meter shell decreasing from 0.68 to 0 cm³, 1.39 to 0.22 cm³, and 1.32 to 0.23 cm³, respectively. A comparison between model predictions and experimental measurements indicated that the castings produced by the optimized process had good surface quality and beautiful appearance, without casting defects, demonstrating that numerical simulation can be used as an effective tool for improving casting quality.

水表壳体具有结构复杂的薄壁型腔，并且可能导致铸件缺陷，例如收缩和流失。在对水表壳体进行结构分析的基础上，分别使用SOLIDWORKS和ProCAST软件分别作为建模工具和浇铸数值模拟工具，构建了水表壳体的三维模型和有限元模型。连续地数值模拟了与没有立管的底部浇口系统，具有预立管的阶梯浇口系统和具有最佳立管的阶梯浇口系统相关的三个过程。本文讨论了这三个过程的模具填充顺序，温度分布，凝固过程中的液相分布以及收缩率分布。³，1.39至0.22厘米³，和1.32至0.23厘米³，分别。模型预测和实验测量结果的比较表明，通过优化工艺生产的铸件具有良好的表面质量和漂亮的外观，没有铸件缺陷，表明数值模拟可以用作改善铸件质量的有效工具。