Product quality depends upon symbiotic inter-dependencies among material, design, tooling and process parameters. Such multifarious relationships make it very difficult to avoid defects in metal casting—still the most economical process to produce large parts with intricate features. To get the quality ‘right first time and every time,’ we need to transform this art into science by leveraging the latest information technologies. Four relevant R&D works carried out by the author and associates over the last three decades are described in this article: (1) user-friendly simulation software to predict casting defects; (2) intelligent design and optimization of methoding and tooling; (3) cloud-based utilities for ubiquitous access; and (4) smart foundry for process data capture and analytics. These are laying the path for new technologies to reduce the difference between designed and manufactured products. Such advanced and inter-disciplinary projects are also changing the mind-set about metal casting and attracting the next generation of researchers.

产品质量取决于材料，设计，工具和工艺参数之间的共生相互依赖关系。这种多方面的关系使得很难避免金属铸造中的缺陷，这仍然是生产具有复杂特征的大型零件的最经济的过程。为了获得“每次都正确的质量”，我们需要利用最新的信息技术将这门艺术转变为科学。本文介绍了作者和同事在过去的三十年中进行的四项相关的R＆D工作：（1）易于使用的仿真软件，用于预测铸造缺陷；（2）智能化的设计方法和工装的优化；（3）用于普遍访问的基于云的实用程序；（4）用于过程数据捕获和分析的智能铸造厂。这些都为新技术铺平了道路，以减少设计产品与制造产品之间的差异。此类先进的跨学科项目也正在改变有关金属铸造的思维方式，并吸引了下一代研究人员。